A week before Ramadan begins, the government is expected to approve recommendations from the IDF, police, and Shin Bet to allow unrestricted access to Arab Israeli worshipers at Har Habayis.

Security chiefs reportedly agree that sweeping restrictions could exacerbate tensions from the Gaza war, leading to the preliminary decision. A final decision will be made in the next day or so, with ongoing daily security assessments throughout Ramadan.

The Har Habayis is a central flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims visit the site during Ramadan. While Israel has imposed restrictions on Palestinian access during heightened security tensions, it has not imposed those rules on its Muslim minority.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)