- Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories
Islam in Israel and Palestinian territories includes the
Muslims ofIsrael , where they constitute 16% of the population, [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html Israel] . CIA Factbook] those who comprise 75% of the population of theWest Bank , [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html West Bank] . CIA Factbook] and those who comprise 99% of the population of theGaza Strip . [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html Gaza Strip] . CIA Factbook]Jerusalem isIslam 's third holiest city afterMecca andMedina inSaudi Arabia . The "Haram al Sharif " (Temple Mount ) of Jerusalem is believed by Muslims to be the location from whichMuhammad ascended toJannah .This widely accepted Islamic belief raises the religious and spiritual importance to them of the
Dome of the Rock and the adjacental-Aqsa Mosque . Israeli Muslims are sensitive to and mindful of the circumstance that both sites are confirmedly part of the sovereign territory of the state of Israel, albeit withoutIsraeli flag s presently being displayed within the limits of the "Haram" area (which is nominally under control of the Islamic "Waqf ", an administrative body taking responsibility for the conduct of Islamic affairs in the region of theTemple Mount ). In modern times there have been several instances of Israeli patriots raising flags on the Mount in defiance of the police practice of obstructing persons from doing so. Israeli Muslims are free to teach Islam to their children in their own schools.History
The majority of Muslims currently residing in Israel are Sunni
Arab s. From 1516 to 1917, the SunniOttoman Turks ruled the areas that now include Israel. Their leadership reinforced and ensured the centrality and importance of Islam as the dominant religion in the region.The conquest of Palestine by the British in 1917 and the subsequent Balfour Declaration opened the gates for the arrival of large numbers of Jews in the Mandate of Palestine who began to tip the scales in favor of Judaism with the passing of each decade.
However, the British transferred the symbolic Islamic governance of the land to the
Hashemite s based inJordan , and not to theHouse of Saud . The Hashemites thus became the official guardians of the Islamic holy places of Jerusalem and the areas around it, particularly strong when Jordan controlled theWest Bank (1948-1967).The Bedouin in Israel are also Muslims, with some Bedouin clans participating in the Israeli army. The small
Circassian community is composed of Sunni Muslims uprooted from theCaucasus in the late 19th Century and settled in the Galilee by Ottoman authorities.In 1922, the British created the
Supreme Muslim Council in theBritish Mandate of Palestine and appointedAmin al-Husayni (1895-1974) as theGrand Mufti of Jerusalem . The council was abolished in 1948, but the Grand Mufti continued as one of the most notorious Islamic and Arab leaders of modern times, often inciting Muslims against Jews.Demographics
Israel - 16% [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html Israel] . CIA Factbook]Palestinian territories -West Bank - 75% [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html West Bank] . CIA Factbook] ,Gaza Strip - 99% [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html Gaza Strip] . CIA Factbook]Together with Israel and Palestine it has a total population of 11,376,309, looking at the religious demography with all religions the statistics show the population, Jewish – 50.7% (5,766,717), Muslim - 40.1% (4,562,611), Christian - 3.2% (365,329) and others - 6% (681,602) All of these data have been calculated using current statistics of populations from
Israel .References
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