Palestinian Muslims attempting to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during Ramadan are determined people with endless patience. Every year during that month, on the four Fridays when Israel “eases” the restrictions limiting entry to Jerusalem, tens of thousands of worshippers from towns and cities throughout the occupied West Bank set out before dawn. Only those who fall within the “allowed” age and gender categories for that Friday can even attempt this journey. They must navigate an ever-morphing labyrinth of permit requirements, Israeli military checkpoints, “security” checks, and surveillance measures, all of which are no guarantee that in the end, they will be allowed to pass and enter Jerusalem.
What should be a simple act of devotion has become an arduous journey marked by uncertainty, humiliation, and encounters with heavily armed soldiers in riot gear, Separated from Jerusalem by towering walls and heavily fortified checkpoints—the most infamous of which are the Qalandiya checkpoint and Checkpoint 300—Palestinians who hold Palestinian Authority (PA) IDs must obtain special permits to enter, and even those who should qualify are often subjected to hours of waiting and hostile questioning.
Elderly men and women wait for hours in tightly packed lines, people of all ages are often turned away despite meeting all requirements, and families are separated as they try to access one of Islam’s holiest sites. People with disabilities and special needs face even greater hardship, often struggling to navigate overcrowded checkpoints without adequate accommodations, their wheelchairs and crutches offering little protection from the chaos.
Despite the obstacles, the spirit of Ramadan endures. Worshippers who manage to pass into Jerusalem experience a rare sense of unity as they join tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of fellow Muslims in prayer at al-Aqsa. For those denied entry, the streets near the checkpoints and al-Aqsa compound become makeshift prayer spaces, where men and women lay down their prayer mats under the watchful eyes of soldiers. The journey itself becomes an act of faith and resilience, a reminder that, for Palestinians, even the right to worship is a struggle against occupation.