استعجال آرمجدون: مستقبل المسجد الأقصى في "صفقة القرن" في إطار الصهيونية المسيحية

Abstract

Al-Aqsa Mosque, Bayt al-Maqdis, and the fate of Palestine have emerged as central topics in the Deal of the Century (DoC), presenting a one-sided viewpoint deeply loaded with a biased political, historical and religious narrative. This paper examines the visions of Christian Zionists concerning the future of al-Aqsa Mosque as outlined in the ‘deal’. Primarily, it is concluded that the Deal proposes a major change in the status quo of al-Aqsa Mosque by temporally dividing and allocating it only to Jews and Christians on their respective holidays. Secondly, it lays the foundation for spatial division giving Jews exclusive use of parts of al-Aqsa Mosque, as implemented in the Ibrahim Mosque in Hebron. The third phase, implied but not explicitly stated, revolves around the Zionist ideology of the construction of a ‘Jewish Temple’ over the site of al-Aqsa Mosque. This inference is drawn from the impact of Christian Zionism on American politics and the anticipation of Christ's Second Coming. Furthermore, the inclusion of the entire area of al-Aqsa Mosque within the target of the ‘Jewish Temple’ plan, in accordance with the idea that Jesus Christ would enter the site and particularly from an unsealed Bab al-Rahma or the Golden Gate. As a result, the DoC proposes the division of time, space and the sharing of the mosque as a starting point, in line with evangelical plans; the successful completion of which will see the construction of a ‘Jewish Temple’ to hasten the advent of the apocalypse. This endeavour reflects Christian Zionists’ fervent efforts to reshape the world order by forcing the ‘Hand of God’, and bringing about their long-held desire for Armageddon, through the instrumentalisation of Jews for the fulfilment of their scheme.