Jews
Barred From Temple Mount While Mourning Destruction Of Temples
17:53 Jul 27, '04 / 9 Av
5764
The
Temple Mount - Judaism's holiest site - was closed to Jews today in response to
Muslim threats of violence if Jews were allowed to visit. The decision was made
by Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco, citing the threat of Arab violence toward
Jews who would enter the holy site.
The closure is particularly painful for many Jews, as today is the Fast of Tisha
B'Av - the 9th of the Jewish month of Av - marking the destruction of both the
first and second Temples. Several other Jewish tragedies also took place on this
date in history.
The decision to close the holy site to Jewish visitors came as a surprise to
hundreds of people from across the country who had planned on ascending the
Mount today.
The Supreme Court, hearing a petition by the Temple Mount Faithful yesterday,
heard testimony from Franco himself to the effect that there appeared to be no
necessity to close the Mount "unless an unusual security event
occurs." Gershon Solomon, head of the Temple Mount Faithful organization,
later summed up,
"Based on this, the Court ruled that this would be the policy.
Unfortunately, however, I have to say that Franco lied, in that he knew he was
not planning to open the Mount; we see that there was no 'unusual security
event,' and yet he still did not allow us to enter. This has been the policy
ever since I remember on Tisha B'Av, and on many other holidays as well - not to
allow the Temple Mount Faithful to enter the holy site, and consequently other
Jews as well."
Solomon said that Franco's decision has "devastating political and security
ramifications, including increased Islamic violence and destruction surrounding
Temple Mount issues, as once again, threats of Islamic violence have achieved
their desired result."
Members of the Temple Mount Faithful marched instead around the outside of the
Temple Mount to signal their desire to ascend the Mount. The group had hoped for
a change in police attitudes following Franco's assumption of the
Commissionership, but the group says he seems to have adopted the approach of
his predecessors in banning Jews from the Temple Mount whenever Muslims threaten
violence against them.
Solomon said that the recent comments by Minister of Public Security Tzachi
HaNegbi (Likud) did not seem to have an effect on the decision today, "as
this has been the policy all along. But there is no question that he caused
damage to the People of Israel in giving ammunition to our enemies and in
'letting the blood' of Jews who ascent to the Mount." Minister HaNegbi said
three nights ago that he is certain that Jews are planning to carry out an
attack on the Temple Mount. His disclaimer that he has no concrete evidence to
support his claim was ignored by the Arab League and the Muslim Waqf, which
turned to international bodies to "prevent Jewish extremists from
endangering the Moslem holy sites on the Temple Mount."
Temple Mount supporters held a spontaneous protest demonstration in front of
Minister HaNegbi's home in Mevaseret Tzion today. Among the protesters were Jews
who had intended to visit the holy site this morning.
Health Minister Danny Naveh (Likud) said this morning that decisions made under
the threat of Arab violence are "intolerable." He expressed the desire
that decisions regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount should be transferred
from the authority of the police to a ministerial level. "The Temple Mount
is the only place in the world where Jews cannot pray," Naveh said,
"even though it is the holiest site to Judaism. Although there are
differences of opinion amongst today's rabbis whether Jews should ascend the
Mount, there are those who wish to, and it is their right. We cannot live under
the [Arab] threat that if we let Jews pray there, [violence] will occur. Jewish
prayer on the Temple Mount is a Jewish right that must be realized."
SOURCE: Arutz Sheva