Al-Aqsa Preacher Sheikh Sabri Says Trial Aims to Silence Defenders of Mosque
Sheikh Sabri, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, spoke to reporters before his scheduled court appearance, warning that Israeli officials “mix Islamic concepts accepted by Palestinians with political interpretations used by Israel.”
He said the religious phrases he uses in his sermons are “as they appear in the Quran and Sunnah,” and form an integral part of his belief and religious duty.
These expressions, he added, belong to a long-established tradition and he has “the right to use them freely.” He stressed that the Israeli judiciary “has no right to interpret these religious concepts as political or provocative.”
The comments came as Israeli authorities prepared to put the 86-year-old cleric on trial.
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An Israeli court in the occupied city will review an indictment filed by the Israeli public prosecution accusing him of incitement since July 2024.
His defense team says the charges revolve around condolences he offered after the assassination of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli strike in Iran in 2024, and over Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank in 2022.
Sheikh Sabri said he has already been interrogated several times on accusations of “incitement and supporting terrorism,” none of which were proven.
He said Israeli media outlets and extremist groups continue to promote pressure for charges, even resorting to “death threats similar to those used against Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.”
He argued that the restrictions placed on him aim to silence dissent and intimidate Palestinians in occupied al-Quds.
Their purpose, he said, is “to silence opposing voices and create fear in the society of al-Quds specifically, and among Palestinians in general, to prevent the defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque and any objection to extremist groups that cause destruction in its courtyards.”
The preacher said certain Jewish groups perform rituals such as singing and dancing in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa without accountability, “contrary to what the law stipulates about terrorism and security.”
Israeli authorities previously banned Sheikh Sabri from entering Al-Aqsa for six months.
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His defense team calls the trial part of “a series of arbitrary measures and political, religious, and ideological persecution,” including travel bans and an order to demolish his home.
They say the prosecution is “a result of an extensive incitement campaign” by far-right Israeli officials.
The Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of al-Quds condemned the trial, describing it as “a direct attack on scholars and religious figures” in the occupied city.
In a statement, it said the case is part of a systematic policy aimed at “silencing and restricting religious leaders,” and constitutes a serious violation of freedom of worship and expression.
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The statement said the goal is to “undermine the Islamic and Arab role and the Hashemite custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque and pave the way for settler dominance.”
The commission praised the “courageous national positions of Sheikh Sabri” and urged Arab and Islamic institutions to act quickly “to stop this unjust trial and expose violations of religious freedoms as war crimes requiring international accountability.”
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