Har Habayis at the heart of a controversy in Israel as well as some attributing the increased Jewish presence on the hoy site for the current sharp increase in Islamic violence.
On the background of his recent meeting in Berlin with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released a statement in which he states in line with the status quo, non-Muslims may pray on Hat Habayis.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on motzei Shabbos parshas Lech Lecha made the following statement regarding Har Habayis.
“Recognizing the importance of the Temple Mount to peoples of all three monotheistic faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians: Israel re-affirms its commitment to upholding unchanged the status quo of the Temple Mount, in word and in practice.
As we have said many times, Israel has no intention to divide the Temple Mount, and we completely reject any attempt to suggest otherwise.
We respect the importance of the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as reflected in the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, and the historical role of King Abdullah II.
Israel will continue to enforce its longstanding policy: Muslims pray on the Temple Mount; non-Muslims visit the Temple Mount.
Israel believes that those who visit or worship on the Temple Mount must be allowed to do so in peace, free from violence, from threats, from intimidation and from provocations. We will continue to ensure access to the Temple Mount for peaceful worshippers and visitors, while maintaining public order and security.
We welcome increased coordination between the Israeli authorities and the Jordanian Waqf, including to ensure that visitors and worshippers demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area, and all this in accordance with the respective responsibilities of the Israelis authorities and the Jordanian Waqf.
We support the call for the immediate restoration of calm, and for all the appropriate steps to be taken to ensure that violence ceases, that provocative actions are avoided, and that the situation returns to normalcy in a way that promotes the prospects for peace.
We look forward to working cooperatively to lower tensions, stop incitement and discourage violence.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
If the Haredi world was consistent, they would protest this outrageous Chilul Hashem. Even if they feel that Jews should not ascend, they should still push for the site to be closed off entirely. And if they think that we must capitulate to Arab and American demands, then it is time to stop playing games and give the land over to the Palestinians entirely. The Haredi world must decide what its positions are and stop sitting in the comfortable middle.
Does it not seem like the Israeli government preventing Jewish prayer on Har HaBayis is an odd example where the Israeli government is coincidentally in line with main stream halacha but fundamentally against ratzon Hashem?!? After all, since the Israeli government is not trying to implement halacha, they should not feel bound by the psak of the gedoli dor that pasken it is assur. What does it say about the government that is supports prohibiting Jews from praying on Har HaBayis? What would have happened had the Israeli government been moved by the UN prospect of classifying the Kosel plaza as muslim and then also there prohibiting Jewish prayer?!? It feels liek we should not be happy about this government endorsing halachic practice for the wrong reasons…
Bibi is 1000 percent correct. When all gadoyley yisroel (with the exception of a few second tier rabbonim and their political hacks) say it is is assur to go up to har habayis to daven and those who do are chaya kores, WHATS THE QUESTION?? In EY, you cannot go 5 meters without coming upon some makom kadosh and there is no shortage of places to daven. Anyone who insists on going up to har habayis is only interested in provoking the Muslims and should be forcibly restrained since he/she is no better than the terrorists and their actions will spill yiddeshe blood.
Hello, Mr Gadol Hadorah. I’m not a great talmid chacham, but are MUSLIMS allowed on the holy site according to halacha? Even when non-jews brought karbanos, weren’t they forbidden to go past a certain spot? And according to the gdolim, jews aren’t allowed to go on the har habayis at all, whether they pray there or not.
So, אין מה לפסוח על שתי סעיפים
If jews aren’t allowed, muslims certainly shouldn’t either.
Maybe the charedi gedolim are right, maybe the dati rabbis who permit ascending the Har HaBayit are right.
But the idea that restricting what Jews can do is going to placate anti-Semitic murderers is delusional.
People need to understand – when the time comes for us to return to the Har Habayis, Hashem will clear the way for us. The fact that these animals are up there and killing Jews means that Hashem is not with us on this issue. Just like the Jews who got massacred because they wanted to Eretz Can’aan after the Chait of the Miraglim after Moshe warned them that Hashem did not wish it, we are getting killed today because we are trying to enter a place we cannot be yet. Let the Arabs have the Har Habayis – one day it will return to us if we merit it.