The Temple Mount (or Har HaBayit in Hebrew, Haram al Sharif, the Holy Sanctuary in Arabic), the holiest place on earth in Judaism, is a site of great religious importance and political sensitivity to Jews, Muslims and Christians the world over. Recent Arab violence and rioting on the Temple Mount, and visits to the site by Israeli politicians and activists, have increased tensions in Jerusalem already high following recent Arab terror attacks on Jewish and other civilians. Calls for freedom of worship for all have been regarded by Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian leaders as a threat to the “status quo” on the Mount.
The site of the Al Aqsa Mosque is administered by the Waqf Islamic Trust, overseen by Jordan per the Jordan-Israel peace treaty of 1994. Access to the compound is limited by the Israeli police in conjunction with the Waqf; Jewish prayer is permitted by law but restricted by the government and police in the interest of “public security”. Due to Arab rioting following the assassination attempt on Rabbi Yehuda Glick, an advocate for expanded Jewish access and prayer on the Mount, the compound was closed to all visitors for one day last week, for the first time since 2000, prompting Mahmoud Abbas to accuse Israel of a “declaration of war” against all Muslims.
Our tour will explore the history of the “holy basin”, its significance to the three religions, reasons for the tensions and perceptions of the situation here and abroad, and will include:
A briefing from National Police Spokesman Chief Inspector Micky Rosenfeld
A meeting with Yaakov Hayman of HaLiba, the Temple Mount prayer-focused NGO of which Glick is a leader
A tour of the Temple Mount with licensed tour guide
