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 kestenbaum@forward.com 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, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
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.
