Erasing all pre-Islamic history of the place, Habbash says the Cave of the Patriarchs is “purely Islamic”

Headline: “Al-Habbash: Flying the occupation’s flag on the roof of the Ibrahimi Mosque and its walls is an escalation of the religious war”

“Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the fact that the occupation forces and groups of extremist settlers flew the occupation’s flag on the roof of the Ibrahimi Mosque (i.e., Cave of the Patriarchs) and on its walls constitutes a severe escalation of the religious war that the occupation state is waging against the holy sites…

He added that the Ibrahimi Mosque is a purely Islamic site, and that those who are not Muslims have no right to it. He also said that the continuation of the recurring aggression against it fans the feelings of hatred, increases the tension, and will lead to responses that no one can predict.”

[WAFA, official PA news agency, April 23, 2023]

Mahmoud Al-Habbash also serves as Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice. In August 2019 PA Chairman Abbas dismissed all his advisors by Presidential decree. It is unclear what their status is today.

Ibrahimi Mosque - The "Cave of the Patriarchs" in Hebron is known to Muslims as the "Ibrahimi Mosque." It is the site where the Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs other than Rachel are buried as related by the Bible; its structure housing the cave was built by King Herod roughly 2,000 years ago during the Second Temple period. After Hebron was occupied by Muslim Caliph Umar in 637 CE, the site was converted into a mosque. Islam co-opted the Jewish tradition regarding the site being the burial place of the patriarchs and matriarchs, and therefore called it the "Ibrahimi Mosque" after Abraham.