MKs threaten to try to enter Temple Mount Sunday

April 8 2005

Internal security minister Gideon Ezra said Friday that Jewish Knesset members who have threatened to enter the Temple Mount on Sunday together with the Revava organization will not be allowed to, while Arab MKs will be permitted entry.

MKs Uri Ariel, Arye Eldad, and Michael Ratzon, have threatened that they will try to enter the Temple Mount in protest against Ezra's decisions to forbid Jews from entering the holy site.

Asked when the Temple Mount will reopen to Jewish visitors, Ezra said: "Jews will be allowed to visit on Monday, like all visitors who come not to pray." Jewish visitors are allowed to enter the Temple Mount in small groups, but are forbidden from praying, since it could provoke the Muslim Waqf that oversees the holy site.

On Friday, head of the Revava organization David Haivri met with Deputy Internal Securtiy Minister Ya'akov Edri in a last-ditch effort to allow the organization to bring the thousands of the Jews who they claim will gather at the Kotel on Sunday to enter the Temple Mount.

Haivri said that Edri rejected all of his attempts to reach a compromise. "We suggested that the police allow only Jewish men over the age of 40 to enter the Mount, just like they only allowed Muslims over the age of 40 to enter on Friday, " Haivri said. "Since they refused all our attempts to reach a compromise, Revava will not be responsible for the reactions of the worshippers who will come on Sunday."

Police Ins.-Gen. Moshe Karadi said that intelligence assessments indicate that Sunday's protest will pass quietly.

SOURCE: Jerusalem Post