The ISIS terrorist organization on Thursday published a call to set fire to synagogues and churches across the US and Europe over the coming weekend, in response to what it described as Israel’s closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
The call appeared in the latest issue of the group’s weekly publication Al-Naba, according to a report by the New York Post.
“In light of the tragedy of the closure of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, it is the duty of Muslims everywhere who long to come to the aid of their Prophet’s site to rise up and burn the Jewish synagogues spread across America, Europe, Russia, India and elsewhere," the publication stated.
The terror group added that “the same applies to synagogues in Tunisia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Syria. Their locations are well known and their details have been published."
In addition to the call for arson attacks, the publication urged assaults on “Jewish gatherings" worldwide and instructed supporters to “imitate the actions of the ‘heroes of Sydney,’" referring to the Hanukkah terror attack in Australia in which 15 Jews were killed and 40 others were wounded.
ISIS also claimed responsibility for causing 60 casualties in 15 “operations" carried out over the past week around the world.
Security authorities in the US and Europe have not yet issued an official response to the threat, though increased security is expected over the weekend near Jewish and Christian places of worship.
Al-Aqsa Mosque has been closed since the start of the war, alongside the Temple Mount and Christian holy sites located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Religious sites, however, are not the only places impacted: Prior to Passover vacation, students in Jerusalem moved to a remote learning format, and across all of Israel, only workplaces with access to a bomb shelter within the required timeframe have reopened. Rachel's Tomb closed to visitors, sparking fury, but reopened days later after two bomb shelters were placed at the site.
Last month, an Iranian warhead was found near the Temple Mount.