Israel’s High Court of Justice rejected a petition filed by MK (Likud) Yehuda Glick) against the prohibition against Members of Knesset and cabinet ministers visiting Har Habayis. He was asking the court to issue an interim order prohibiting Prime Minister Netanyahu from preventing from elected officials from visiting the holy site, which he used to do regularly before becoming a MK.

While the court did not agree to issuing the order immediately as requested, it did instruct respondents to submit their statements to the court within two weeks.

The petition mentioned not only PM Netanyahu but Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Police Chief Roni Alsheich and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

Glick wanted to have the matter adjudicated before Pesach so he and other elected officials who visit the site on Yomtov could do so.

It is added that Gedolei Yisrael over the generations and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel prohibit visiting Har Habayis.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)