Palestinian authorities react angrily after Israeli activist’s satire exposes hypersensitivity surrounding Temple Mount politics.
Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel sparked a viral debate on the social network X after posting a sarcastic message that quickly spread across the platform and generated more than 100,000 views. The post included an AI-generated image portraying the Dome of the Rock with Israeli Air Force fighter jets positioned beneath it, giving the appearance of a hidden subterranean military base beneath the historic site.
Marzel accompanied the image with a tongue-in-cheek caption that read, “Note: Don’t share the photo of the secret Israeli Air Force base in Jerusalem, so it won’t be attacked.” The sarcastic remark was clearly intended as satire, but the post rapidly circulated online and drew a strong reaction from Palestinian officials.
The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem district issued a formal condemnation, claiming the image represented what it described as “dangerous incitement.” According to the statement, the image was allegedly intended to prepare public opinion for a potential Israeli attack on the Al-Aqsa compound.
Palestinian officials argued that the post should not be dismissed as humor and claimed it reflected a broader ideological campaign. The statement also referenced remarks by certain rabbis who had discussed hypothetical scenarios involving the mosque’s destruction, including speculation that it could be damaged during Iranian missile attacks.
The Palestinian statement went further by criticizing Israeli security policies ahead of Ramadan. Officials rejected Israeli explanations that any potential limits on Muslim worshippers entering the Temple Mount would be temporary security measures, arguing instead that such policies form part of what they described as a political attempt to alter the historical and religious status of the site.
