[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Following an incident in which policemen prevented Jews from drinking from public water fountains on Har Habayis, Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado demanded to know if this is a new regulation designed to limit the presence of Jews on the holy site.

On Sunday 26 Adar-I, during a visit on Har Habayis three Jews, including Tom Nisani, a spokesman for the “Students for the Temple Mount” organization, requested permission to drink from a public water fountain. For no apparent reason, policemen prohibited them from drinking and physically blocked them from reaching the water fountains.

The three visitors repeatedly requested to either be allowed to drink or to receive an explanation for the prohibition. However, the policeman, led by Har Habayis Commander Lieutenant Shlomi Tubul, refused to justify their actions and demanded that the group of Jews continue their tour otherwise their actions would be considered disturbing a policeman in the line of duty, an act for which Jews are detained on Har Habayis or are given orders, without a trial, banning them from entering Har Habayis.

Following the incident Honenu Attorney Menashe Yado sent a letter to Lieutenant Tubul, requesting clarification of the matter and a reply as to whether or not Jews are forbidden to drink water from the public water fountains on Har Habayis Mount.

“On March 6th you prohibited Tom Nisani and other visitors from drinking water from the water fountains on Har Habayis, and did not answer their questions about why you prohibited them from drinking,” wrote Yado to Tubul.

“In their [the visitors’] name, I request an explanation as to why you prohibited them from drinking water from the water fountains on Har Habayis, or if there was a concrete cause to prevent my client and his friends from drinking on that morning, and if so, what the cause was,” added Yado.

The “Students for the Temple Mount” organization has posted two videos on YouTube documenting the refusal of the police to allow Jews to drink from public water fountains on Har Habayis.

It must be noted: According to the Poskei Hador one is absolutely forbidden to visit the Temple Mount, and there is an Issur Kares for one that goes there.

Six years ago on Sukkos, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukkah of Maran Hagon Rav Elyashiv ZATZAL, where Rav Elyashiv called on the President to prevent Jews from visiting Har HaBayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. Maran stated everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire.

Maran is quoted as explaining to the president that Halacha forbids going onto Har HaBayis but today, it is more than this, it is an act that may lead to a religious war and bloodshed.

This is and remains the view of poskei hador. This is also the view of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Among the rabbonim who share this view are HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Halevy Wosner ZATZAL, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, Maran Hagon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ZT”l and many others.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Videos: Students for the Temple Mount)