[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

On the morning of Sunday 9 Nissan, an Jewish man in his 40’s was detained on Har Habayis after explaining the verse “Ana HaShem Hoshia Na (Tehillim 118:25)” during a talk in English on the Torah portion “Acharei Mos” while speaking to a group.

When policemen heard the words “Ana HaShem”, a police officer approached the speaker and informed him that he was being detained on suspicion of praying. The police officer did not accept his explanation that he was not praying but rather giving an explanation of a Biblical verse to his group. The policemen interrupted him as he spoke in English, removed him from Har Habayis and detained him.

When other visitors on Har Habayis approached the officer and explained that there had been a misunderstanding, because it was not prayer but rather an explanation that had been said, the officer retorted that, “On Har Habayis I decide what is prayer.”

Honenu Attorney Rehavia Piltz hurried to the police station in order to give the detainee legal advice.

Honenu: “The conduct of the State of Israel and of the Israeli Police concerning the slightest suspicion of Jewish prayer on Har Habayis is first of all preposterous and additionally a heavy-handed form of discrimination. It is unacceptable for a law-abiding citizen to be detained as if he were a criminal, because he commentated on a verse from Tehillim. In other countries a detention such as this would be classified as antisemitism.”

It must be noted: According to the Poskei Hador one is absolutely forbidden to visit Har Habayis, and there is an Isur Karess for one that goes there.

A number of years ago on Sukkos, President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukkah of Maran HaGaon 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 HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ZT”L and many others.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)