Sheikh Raid Salah, who heads the northern branch of the Israel Islamic Association, a registered Israeli non-profit, continues to release calls to fellow Muslims to come to the Temple Mount to prevent the intruders from visiting the Islamic holy site. The calls bellowed clearly on Sunday as police were once again compelled to confront violent Muslim protests and rock, bottle and firebomb attacks in eastern Yerushalayim.

The situation since the start of the latest wave of Arab violence on erev Yom Kippur continues to escalate, and unfortunately, police seem to feel placing restrictions on visits by non-Muslims will calm the situation rather than confronting the hoodlums who feel they can target innocent people at will, acting with total impunity, as security forces continue efforts to maintain law and order during the yomtov week.

Police continue setting restriction for Islamic worshipers permitted on Har HaBayis while banning all non-Muslims, the nice way of saying “no Jews allowed”, all in the hope of avoiding an escalation in violence. Salah on the other hand has a clear agenda, renewing calls for Arabs around the country to make their way to the Mount, to defend it against the Zionists, stating unequivocally that no one has any legitimate claim to the Mount other than Muslims. 

Many of those who feel that in adherence to the p’sak of gedolei yisrael shlita, that going onto Har HaBayis is prohibited, they maintain the holy site should be closed to all, including Muslims and Jews, pointing out the Muslims should not be permitted to use the site to incite violence against Jews as well as a springboard for attacks on mispalalim at the Kosel below.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)