Residents and visitors of southern Jerusalem would be quick to notice an eye-catching structure, which might seem out of place: a large, golden dome, towering out from the Arab village of Beit Safafa, which straddles the municipal boundaries of the city.
Reminiscent of the Dome of the Rock, this is the Al-Rahman Mosque, (nicknamed the “New Al-Aqsa Mosque”), which was built before the establishment of Israel, albeit without the more recent addition of the gold cap.
In January of 2022, the Jerusalem Municipality approved the demolition on the basis that a floor in the building was built without a permit. The municipality further added that 700 square meters of the compound were built without permits or the approval of certified engineers, and therefore posed a safety risk.
Despite being built illegally and the construction violating safety codes, the dome and the mosque underneath it have been relatively untouched. In recent days, there have been discussions between the representatives of the neighborhood and the city, ending with the municipality deciding to advance permits for the building. The mosque will be renovated by changing the color of the dome and lowering it one meter.
Im Tirtzu, one of the organizations pushing for the demolition of the mosque, called on authorities to demolish the illegal mosque.
“We condemn the compromise that was reached with the criminals from Beit Safafa, that following our protest it was agreed that they would paint the illegal golden dome gray. An illegal structure that is illegally erected to symbolize the absolute opposition to the existence of the State of Israel should have been painted blue and thrown into the sea. Otherwise it’s just surrender.”