JERUSALEM, July 27, 2026 (WAFA) – The Israeli Supreme Court on Monday ordered the occupation authorities to hold a hearing before extending the closure of the Burj Al-Laqlaq Community Society in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The court held a hearing on a petition filed by the Society against Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s decision dated February 12, 2026, ordering the closure of the Society's sports, educational and social activities while allowing its kindergarten to continue operating.
The Society's legal team argued before the court that the closure order lacked any legal basis and constituted an arbitrary measure that infringed upon the rights of a Jerusalem-based institution that has served the community for decades. They called for the decision to be revoked and for the society to resume its role in serving children, youth and families in Jerusalem.
The defence team categorically refuted all allegations made by the Israeli police claiming that the Society was affiliated with or received funding from the Palestinian Authority, stressing that such claims were unsupported by any legal or factual evidence.
Following lengthy deliberations and after reviewing a confidential file submitted by the Israeli security actors, the court recommended that the petition be dismissed, noting that the current closure order is due to expire in less than two weeks. At the same time, however, it stressed that the occupation authorities must hold a formal hearing with the Society's representatives before any extension of the order, while affirming the Society's full legal right to challenge any new decision.
The Society said the court's position marked an important legal step in confronting the closure order and reaffirmed its right to defend its existence and community mission after more than five months during which hundreds of children and adolescents in Jerusalem were deprived of its sports, educational and social programs.
It affirmed that it would continue to pursue all available legal avenues to prevent any further extension of the closure order until its facilities are reopened to children and youth and it can resume the mission it has carried out for years in serving the Jerusalem community and strengthening the steadfastness of the city's inhabitants.
The Society stressed that the right of Jerusalem's children to education, sports and community life is a fundamental right that must not be undermined or restricted by arbitrary decisions.
In last February, the occupation authorities closed the Burj al-Laqlaq Community Association in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem for six months purportedly for operating “with funding from the Palestinian Authority.”
According to the text of the order signed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and reviewed by Anadolu, the decision followed information that “activity of the Palestinian Authority, or on its behalf or under its sponsorship, was taking place at Burj al-Laqlaq without written authorization.”
Burj al-Laqlaq is a historic landmark in East Jerusalem, dating back to the Ayyubid and Ottoman periods, and serves as a major community center in the Old City.
The association operates on 9.5 dunams of land adjacent to the Old City’s historic wall and hosts sports, intellectual and social activities throughout the day. The Al-Aqsa Mosque can be clearly seen from the association’s headquarters.
Since its founding, the association has provided services to children and youth in the Old City, with the facility including a main soccer field, a basketball court used for girls’ training and a tent hosting sports activities such as judo and taekwondo.
K.F.
