Access to Al Aqsa Mosque is increasingly difficult with closures of checkpoints and the imposition of age restrictions on worshippers. Israeli police also surround the Mosque with an increased presence on the eastern side. "They are controlling Al Aqsa from all angles, including underneath," added the Director of the Jerusalem Center for Economic and Social Rights.
The next step, described Hammouri, is garnering control of the remaining real estate. This will come in two ways: either through the activation of the Absentee Property Law or by demanding exorbitant taxes.
Palestinian merchants are prohibitively taxed which has driven many to abandon generations of work or the livelihoods for their families. Jerusalem was the center of commerce for thousands of Palestinians from Bethlehem and Ramallah until entrance to the city was blocked.
