(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is once again permitting Members of Knesset to visit Har Habayis after having a ban on their visits for about two years. According to an evening news report, in a letter sent to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Mr. Netanyahu informs him that MKs may once again visit Har Habayis once quarterly. The new provision applies to cabinet ministers as well.

In August last year MKs Yehuda Glick of the Likud and Shuli Moalem-Refaeli of Bayit Yehudi went up to Har Habayis as part of a pilot project to examine the possibility of renewing visits by MKs to the holy site.

Ichud Leumi Chairman Uri Ariel responded to the prime minister’s decision and said: “Har Habayis should be open to tefilos for Jews throughout the year, including elected officials. The Muslims are not the owners of Har Habayis and we must not accept the threats and violence that cause restrictions on the holy site. I call on the prime minister to open Har Habayis to unconditional Jewish tefilos for all who wish to do so.”

Chairman of the Lobby for Strengthening the Jewish Connection to Har Habayis, MK Yehuda Glick, said: “I congratulate the Prime Minister for stopping the illegal and unreasonable ban on the immigration of MKs to Har Habayis, and calling on him to complete the welcome change and to allow MKs to visit Har Habayis as every citizen or tourist is entitled to.

“Har Habayis is the place of all those who want to commune with the L-rd of the Universe, and not the place of those who incite, the violent and the terrorists.”

“The prime minister’s decision to allow Knesset members to go up to Har Habayis once every quarter is important, but still perpetuates the discrimination against the Jewish Knesset members in the holiest place,” said Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, who heads the lobby. After the pilot, MK Yehuda Glick and I went up to the Har and there were no unusual incidents.

“Security officials have stated many times that visits to Har Habayis by MKs do not constitute a risk, as opposed to the Arab incitement apparatus, which does not want a foothold of Jews on the Har. We call on the Prime Minister to follow the recommendations of security officials and permit every Jewish citizen in Israel to visit Har Habayis without restrictions.”

“On the day we mark the anniversary of the attack and the fall of the police on Har Habayis, this is an important message, which marks the positive direction on the way to the return of the Temple,” said Asaf Fried, spokesman for the joint headquarters of the Temple organizations.

It should be noted that Gedolei Yisrael throughout the generations along with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, have prohibited visiting Har Habayis as there is an Issur Kares.

Students for Har Habayis released the following video to show who is actually responsible for incitement on the holy site, the Muslims, and not the Jews.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)