Ramadan began on Tuesday evening, and – refreshingly – the lead-up to the holiday this year has not been accompanied by the drumbeat of dire warnings and apocalyptic predictions that have marked it in years past.
True, police and security forces have been reinforced in Jerusalem and throughout Judea and Samaria. They would have been derelict had they not increased their presence. But the familiar pre-Ramadan crescendo of threats and terror has, at least so far, not reached the fever pitch Israelis have come to expect.
Nevertheless, the month has only just begun. The first Friday prayers – when tens of thousands of worshipers are expected to stream onto the Temple Mount – have not yet passed. It is premature to heave a sigh of relief.
Over the years, Ramadan has acquired a troubling connotation in the Israeli lexicon. Instead of evoking images of fasting, charity, family meals, and prayer, it has too frequently been associated with clashes on the Temple Mount, terror attacks on the streets, and rockets from Gaza. That is an obscenity because a religious holiday should never be allowed to morph into a seasonal expectation of bloodshed, the way Good Friday was feared by the Jews in the Middle Ages.
At this time, common sense is needed all around.
COGAT limits Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque to 10,000 Palestinians from West Bank
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced that 10,000 Palestinians from Judea and Samaria will be permitted to enter Jerusalem for Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The criteria for entry are similar to last year: men aged 55 and above, women aged 50 and up, and children 12 and under, accompanied by a first-degree relative.
In a perfect world, anyone wishing to pray at Al-Aqsa should be able to do so. But the world is not perfect. Past Ramadans – when clashes erupted on the Mount, weapons were stockpiled in the compound, and rocks were hurled down toward Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall below – demand prudence. These criteria are not punitive; they are precautionary.
Similarly, the decision to limit Jewish access to the Temple Mount to the morning hours during Ramadan reflects a trade-off, not a capitulation. Morning visiting hours have been extended from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., but the Mount will be closed to Jews in the afternoon throughout the month.
Some have objected. Likud MK Amit Halevi visited the site this week and declared that there must not be “even a comma” of change to Jewish access during Ramadan. He announced his intention to raise the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, insisting that Jewish prayer rights not be curtailed.
There is a principled argument to be made there. The Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site, and Jewish prayer on the Mount is a sensitive and evolving issue.
But Ramadan is uniquely combustible. Reducing potential friction points during a month that has historically seen tensions spike is not surrender; it is sober governance. Extending morning hours while closing the Mount to Jews in the afternoon is not a revocation of rights but an attempt to manage realities.
Common sense dictates that policies during Ramadan take into account the sensitivities of the moment, but that common sense must not be the government’s burden alone.
Muslim leaders and worshipers also bear a responsibility. Ramadan is meant to be a month of charity, restraint, and spiritual elevation. It must not be exploited by extremists who seek to sanctify violence or turn the Temple Mount into a stage for provocation.
Likewise, Jewish activists need to consider this month not only what is legally permissible on the Temple Mount but also what is smart. Rights are real, but so are consequences. A gesture that might be defensible in November can be incendiary during Ramadan.
Israel’s security establishment has in recent years shown an ability to calibrate responses carefully – flooding the streets when necessary, acting swiftly against rioters while allowing prayers to proceed, and isolating extremists without punishing the broader public. That approach should continue.
The month has just begun. Things can go wrong. But they do not have to.
Ramadan Kareem – may it be a month defined not by confrontation and clashes, but by prayer, dignity, and peace.