Har Habayis activists, those who visit the holy site in line with the ruling of rabbonim permitting so, adhering to Halachic restrictions, are complaining of police discrimination against them.
Yehuda Glick and his followers report that Israel Police have decided to begin conducting selective inspections of visitors, generally those who appear religious or a ‘threat’. Police randomly compel some to disrobe fearing they may be hiding an Israeli flag under their garments.
Those who have been subjected to such an inspection explain for comparison sake that inspections for passengers at Ben-Gurion International Airport are far less stringent than for a Jew wishing to visit Har Habayis.
Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) adds that in the case of Yehuda Glick, when he visits, police and Waqf cameramen accompany him and film his every move. When asked to comment by Israel Police, police officials are quoted explaining they video for the protection of all involved, to provide evidence in the event of a confrontation. The Galei Tzahal report adds “police’s biggest fear is someone has an Israeli flag upon which “Har Habayis is in our hands” on it is on someone’s body. Galei Tzahal adds that while an Israeli flag if prohibited, one regularly sees PLO flag along with flags “belonging to Arab terror organizations”.
Retired Jerusalem Police Chief Aryeh Amit told Galei Tzahal that after the Six Day War in 1967, Moshe Dayan returned control of Har Habayis to the Islamic Waqf and Jordan and while Israel claims to be in control, the Waqf essentially calls the shots.
Amit points out there are a growing number of Jews wising to not just visit Har Habayis, but to daven as well, and davening and bowing is strictly prohibited by the Waqf and that prohibition is enforced by police.
Amit feels the government must make the correct and necessary decisions but the ministers are “too scared and they do not know how to deal with the hot potato”.
Amit feels the government should and must rule in the matter and when asked “How would you act if you made the decision today” he explained the political situation today is a complex one, involving US Secretary of State John Kerry, “However I feel we must reach a decision for if the current situation continues, one will not be hit in the face with a flag but a hand grenade”.
Amit served as Israel Police Jerusalem Police Chief from 1994-1997.
It must be noted that according to the Poskei Hador one is absolutely forbidden to visit the Har Habayis, and there is an Issur Kares for one that goes there.
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.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
I just wanted to say thank you to YWN for writing that there are Rabbanim who allow one to go up to Har HaBayit. Thank you.
Given that a “religious” Jew entering the Har ha-Bayis, is contrary to Jewish law, the police have good reason to suspect something.
RabbiYoni, there are “rabbis” who allow lots of things that they shouldn’t. Why would you be thanking YWN for writing this, as if they are endorsing this?
They are presumably writing this for story context, not to give halachic legitimacy to those who err in allowing this against the known ruling of the Poskei HaDor.
what ywn did leave out.. is that the knesset will talk in the main chamber about the verbal assualt to visitors and the threats and abuse that is there when trying to utter a prayer at the yiddens holiest spot
tuesday
Gadoylei yisroel have said it is assur to go up to har habayis. Period. End of story. Yes, you can find some rav who says its ok to marry a goat but that doesn’t make it mutar. On top of this the security forces have said that anyone attempting to daven on har habayis would trigger rioting a bloodshed. Why is there always someone who feels the need to create even more sakanah for the security forces, especially those who refuse to serve in the military and attack those who do.
At the end of the day the people who do this are no beter that the women of the wall, rabbis who allow women to putbon tefillin, people who beat up developers in the name of judaism, or those who just have an entire misguided view of life and are just relatively bored so need to do something for attention even though they have zero realistic gain. Its a very sad world we live in.