Escalating Israeli Encroachment in Al-Madinah: What Comes Next?

A Saudi opposition platform has published a report indicating what it describes as “malevolent plans” that Saudi Arabia is pursuing, posing a threat to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The report ties this development to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s strategy of “Westernizing” the Kingdom and eroding its people’s values and identity—initiatives that began in Riyadh and spread to other cities. Observers cited in the report note that targeting the City of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and corrupting it, despite its eminent status among Muslims, is something no ruler before has dared to do.

The report outlines the main schemes aimed at Al-Madinah, including attempts to undermine its religious sanctity and that of the Prophet’s Mosque. For centuries, Al-Madinah has occupied a unique position of holiness, leaving no room for debauchery or corruption—particularly in the vicinity of the Prophet’s Mosque. Analysts underscore that reaching the point of targeting the City of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and seeking to corrupt it, despite its sacred place for Muslims, is unprecedented.

Undermining Religious Sanctity

Among the most concerning plots targeting Al-Madinah is the erosion of its holy status, especially the Prophet’s Mosque. For generations, the city and its mosque have been accorded a special reverence, with no tolerance for profane activities. Yet “hidden hands” seem to be chipping away at this sanctity, illustrated by the replacement of the phrase “For Muslims Only” with “Hadd al-Haram” (“The Boundary of the Sanctuary”) on city signboards.

As a result, the Prophet’s Mosque appears, in the view of many observers, to have lost part of its sacred aura. A circulated video showed two immodestly dressed young women attempting to enter the mosque—right as the call to prayer began—before being stopped by a security officer. The question arises: who allowed them to approach the Prophet’s Mosque in such attire?

Disregard for the mosque’s sanctity escalated further when displays of revealing women’s clothing were permitted just a few hundred meters from the Prophet’s Mosque.

The Most Alarming Incidents

In January, a critical event occurred: the Saudi government itself hosted a delegation of extremist Hindus, including a Hindu minister notorious for fierce anti-Muslim sentiments. The group toured near the Prophet’s Mosque in a clear challenge to the site’s sanctity and to Muslim sentiments. It sends a message that Al-Madinah—long held off-limits under Islamic law to non-Muslims—no longer belongs solely to Muslims but can apparently be visited by adherents of pagan religions who may desecrate its mosque.

Meanwhile, there are rapid developments enabling Israeli infiltration in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. Observers note serious Israeli breaches under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rule, targeting Al-Madinah and its religious heritage, including the Prophet’s Mosque.

This trend started in 2017 when an Israeli named Ben Tzion filmed himself within the sanctuary of the Prophet’s Mosque, wearing clothes with Hebrew inscriptions. Matters have since progressed, with Saudi authorities openly allowing Israeli delegations—journalists, businesspeople, and tourists—entry into Al-Madinah. One Israeli figure even boasted on video about filming near the Prophet’s Mosque, noting that Israelis were prohibited from entering Riyadh just a year prior, but now they can roam freely in Al-Madinah.

In February 2023, Israel’s Channel 13 aired a report—filmed with an Israeli camera and narrated by an Israeli correspondent—right from the heart of Al-Madinah, just meters away from the Prophet Muhammad’s grave (peace be upon him). The Times of Israel published a lengthy piece in July 2022 documenting repeated visits by Israelis—businesspeople, media figures, and others—to the Kingdom, including accounts of 50 such visitors to Al-Madinah.

Foreign Ownership and Demolition Campaigns

Simultaneously, “hidden hands” have facilitated the sale of Al-Madinah’s real estate to foreigners by amending property laws, allowing non-Saudis to own land in Makkah and Al-Madinah—two cities previously exempt since the Kingdom’s founding. This paves the way for Israelis to potentially acquire property in these holy cities, even if via second passports or backdoor methods.

Emulating “urban renewal” projects elsewhere in the Kingdom, demolition and displacement campaigns have begun in several neighborhoods of Al-Madinah, threatening its rich Islamic heritage and deep-rooted cultural identity.

Analysts concur that attempts by these hidden hands to undermine Al-Madinah—its religion, residents, heritage, and identity—carry grave significance. With rabbis visiting Saudi Arabia more frequently, many fear the renewed use of historical names like “Yathrib,” or even Israelis demanding the “return” of Khaybar.