Al-Lydd Grand Mosque - May Uprising
Lod (also known as Al-Lydd) is one of the largest and oldest historical cities in Palestine, located 38 km northwest of Jerusalem. Its origin dates back to the fifth millennium BC when it was founded by the Canaanites. This city held great significance since it was situated on the main road and railway line between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Lod has now become a symbol of rejection of Israel's attempts since the Nakba to erase the identity of the Palestinians inside the territory, as well as marginalize them, paving the way for ethnically cleansing them and eradicating their existence, especially in the so-called mixed cities.
Al-Omari Mosque is deemed the oldest mosque in Lod. It was one of two mosques in Lod city prior to the occupation of the city by the Zionist gangs in the 1948 war. The mosque lies in the center of Lod near the St. George Church, and is considered one of the major archaeological mosques in Palestine, as it dates back to the Bahri Mamluk period. There are archaeological writings that indicate that al-Zahir Baybars was the one in charge of taking care of this mosque.
The “Lydd Intifada” was sparked by the uprising (al-Habba) that generally erupted across Palestine, on Tuesday, May 11, when dozens of its people participated in a peaceful demonstration in protest against the incursions of the settlers and occupation police into al-Aqsa Mosque, as was the case in many Palestinian cities and towns inside the occupied territories in 1948. During the demonstration, the Israeli police deployed its forces to crack down on the demonstrators, arresting many of them, while settlers fired live bullets, killing a 31-year-old man by the name of Musa Hassuna, who was a father of 3 children, also injuring two of his companions.
On Thursday, the settlers also attacked the al-Lydd Grand Mosque and fired live bullets at the worshipers. This brought to memory the “Dahmash Mosque” massacre in Lod during the Nakba period, which left hundreds of its people killed. The Israeli occupation declared a state of emergency in the city, enforced night curfew, and brought in army units to suppress the Arab-Palestinian protests.
In the city of Lod, citizens thwarted an attempt by settlers to burn down the al-Omari Grand Mosque in the city. Video clips showed appeals broadcast over the mosque's loudspeakers to protect the mosque from the settlers’ attack, who attempted to set it ablaze. Settlers also attacked shops owned by Palestinians in the city, smashing their storefronts. According to the Arab 48 website, the settlers’ assaults continued after the curfew was put into effect in the city of Lod, beginning at eight o’clock, Wednesday night, as supporters of “Kahanist organizations” and Jewish extremists gathered in Lod city and launched a series of attacks on the al-Noor Mosque, al-Omari Grand Mosque, and properties of citizens residing in the city, under the protection of the Israeli occupation police.
