Scores of Israelis storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa complex to celebrate Hanukkah

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Scores of Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, according to a Palestinian agency.

In a statement, the Jordan-run Jerusalem Islamic Endowment Department said 159 settlers entered the flashpoint site in groups through Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Al-Mugharbah Gate under police protection.

Far-right lawmaker Zkiva Forget was among those who visited the site, according to the statement.

Jewish groups have called on supporters to converge on the Al-Aqsa complex to celebrate the 8-day Hanukkah holiday, which started on Dec. 18.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar