Temple Activists Decry Israel’s ‘Capitulation’ In Jerusalem
Image by Facebook
By Sam Kestenbaum July 28, 2017
Members of the a movement advocating for greater Jewish access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are upset about the removal of metal detectors outside entrances and the return of Muslim oversight to the complex — viewing the move as a betrayal on the part of Israeli leaders.
“Bibi doesn’t have the heart to place the Temple Mount at the top of our national identity and ethos, but we do!” the Temple Institute wrote on Facebook, using a common nickname for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Temple Institute is a prominent organization in what is known as the Temple Mount movement, which is made up of Jews who advocate for greater Jewish access and prayer at the site. The institute advocates for the rebuilding of the Temple and the “clearing” of the Muslim houses of worship from the site.
Jews are prohibited by law from praying on the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram ash-Sharif, and the Israeli security establishment believes that any change in that status quo could cause a major rift with the Palestinians.
But amidst recent tensions, members of this movement have capitalized on the absence of Muslim oversight by visiting the Mount in larger numbers, writing on Facebook: “Ascend the Temple Mount today! Join the quiet revolution!”
Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
