Gambiaj.com – (JERUSALEM, Israel) – Tension is rising around the Al-Aqsa Mosque after Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the mosque’s imam and former grand mufti of Jerusalem, was indicted by Israel on Wednesday for “inciting terrorism and praising terrorists.”

The 85-year-old religious leader has been accused of making statements supporting Palestinians who carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. According to the indictment, Sheikh Sabri praised an assailant who shot and killed a soldier in a settlement near Jerusalem in October 2022. The indictment also alleges he expressed support for a perpetrator who killed three Israelis in Tel Aviv earlier that year.

Israeli authorities claim Sheikh Sabri not only praised the attackers but also visited their families, offering condolences and “sympathizing with terrorists.” The imam vehemently denies these accusations, stating that offering condolences does not equate to condoning the violence. He maintains his innocence and considers the indictment “fabricated and malicious.”

Sheikh Sabri’s lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, views the charges as politically motivated, claiming the imam is being “persecuted.” The Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the heart of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sits on a highly sensitive holy site. Claimed by both Muslims and Jews, the mosque plaza has been a flashpoint for violence for decades.

This latest development is likely to further inflame tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. While Israel maintains the indictment is a legal response to incitement, Palestinians and Sheikh Sabri see it as an attack on religious freedom and a tactic to silence dissent.