The Minister of Internal Security, Amar Bar-Lev, today (Sunday) held a discussion in his office in Jerusalem to summarize the period of the holidays and the conduct on the Temple Mount.
The discussion was attended by the Israel Police Commissioner, Superintendent Yaakov (Kobi) Shabtai, the Jerusalem District Commander, Superintendent Doron Turgeman, the Commander of the David Region, Deputy Superintendent Nati Gur, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council and the General Security Service. .
During the discussion, Minister Bar-Lev was presented with the "customary situation" regarding the prayer of Jews and Muslims on the Temple Mount, as determined by the Israeli government in 1967, according to which Jews will pray next to the Western Wall and Muslims in mosques on the Temple Mount. According to this situation the Temple Mount will be open for the visit of non-Muslims but not for prayer. The above "customary situation" has been approved by all Israeli governments since then, except for limited periods in which certain restrictions have been imposed.
At the end of the discussion, Minister Bar-Lev concluded that, "The Israel Police strictly adheres to the current situation on the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is sacred to Jews and Muslims, hence the sensitivity and explosiveness of any deviation from the current situation." "In 1967, immediately after the Six Day War and adopted by the Israeli government ever since."
The Minister added, "The Israel Police has maintained the current situation on the Temple Mount, except in exceptional cases, which it quickly identified and acted against. There is also a clear interest of the State of Israel in continuing to maintain cooperation with the Jordanian Waqf."
"Jews are discriminated against on the mountain"
The meeting between Bar Lev and the commissioner on the issue of visits to the Temple Mount came after a movement in our hands on Tuesday - for the Temple Mount - sent a letter to the Minister of Internal Security and the Jerusalem District Commander regarding the intention to close the visits to the mountain this coming Tuesday.
The letter claims that last week some of the Temple Mount immigrants learned that the Temple Mount is expected to be closed to Jews this coming Tuesday due to a "Muslim holiday."
"First of all, it should be protested that the Israel Police or the Ministry of Homeland Security do not bother to issue orderly spokespersons on the subject," the letter said, noting that the Jordanian Waqf in Jerusalem today published a flyer announcing "the birth of Muhammad in the Al-Aqsa Mosque plaza on Tuesday, October 19. 21 from 11:00 until after the end of the noon prayer. "
It is also claimed that the noon prayer according to Islam in Jerusalem these days takes place a little before 12:30.
"As is well known, the limited hours of ascent for Jews to the Temple Mount are between 07:00 - 11:00, 13:30 - 14:30. There is no justification for closing the Temple Mount for Jews to enter their holiest place, even if the Waqf were
organizing events at the same time The movement claims that "even more so, even according to the Waqf's publication, no conflict is expected between the events,
there is no justification for preventing Jews from ascending the mountain on this day. Closing the Temple Mount out of habit or recklessness is an unreasonable act that severely harms the immigrant public. The Jews on the Temple Mount who are being discriminated against on the Temple Mount anyway. "
Members of the movement sign the letter stating that "there is no reason to close the Temple Mount on Tuesday for the aliyah of Jews, and you are asked to cancel this decision, as long as it has been made."
Participated in the preparation of the article: Efrat Forsher
