The Jerusalem District of the Palestinian Authority has issued a warning over what it calls “the dangers inherent in blowing the shofar in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound,” as the Jewish month of Elul begins.
In an official statement, the district claimed that shofar blowing is “not merely a religious ritual,” but rather “a dangerous tool through which Israel seeks to impose its sovereignty and alter the historical and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The statement further accused “extremist Temple Mount loyalist organizations” of carrying out the act under police protection, describing it as “a direct attack on the Islamic identity of the mosque and a blatant violation of international law.”
It also pointed to the symbolic significance of the shofar in Jewish tradition, claiming it is used to proclaim victory and control - citing as an example the shofar blown by Rabbi Shlomo Goren following the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War.
According to the PA, the current use of the shofar is aimed at “imposing a new reality that undermines the Islamic identity of the compound” and advancing a plan to divide the Temple Mount area by time and space. The statement warned this is part of a broader effort to Judaize the site, transform it into a Jewish place of worship, and ultimately build the Temple.