News Digest: Netanyahu allows MK’s to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
#0202_A_View_From_East_Jerusalem
“Due to stability in Jerusalem and the disappearance of resistance attacks, Netanyahu has decided to allow Knesset members once again to infiltrate Al-Aqsa Mosque once every three months.
This extreme Zionist decision comes after assurances given by the Israeli Minister of Public Security, to uphold security inside and outside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This extreme decision comes right before the anniversary of the destruction of the [Jewish] Temple [1] which is 20 days away.
Al-Aqsa Mosque will witness infiltrations by many extremist members of the Knesset most notably Ori Ariel, Yahuda Glick, Shuli Mualem and Ze'ev Elkin [2] on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple due to Netanyahu’s decision."
– Jerusalem First
#0202_A_View_From_West_Jerusalem
"The Council of Temple Organisations [3] welcomes the return of Knesset Members to the Temple Mount.
'On the first anniversary of the terror attack and the death of the policemen on Temple Mount, [4] this is important news and a positive message that signals positive steps towards the return of the Temple', said Assaf Fried, spokesperson for the Council of Temple Organisations."
– Council of Temple Organisations Facebook Page
[Selected Comments:]
-"A question that ought to be raised: Is this a one-off moment of kindness from Bibi that will pass too quickly, or is he finally building a backbone, and this isn't a momentary change, but a sign of good intentions for the future."
-"If I was a MK, I would go to Temple Mount tomorrow because Bibi will probably bring back the restriction without any prior warning because of some sort of incident".
#0202_A_View_From_Haredi_Jerusalem
"Netanyahu renews permission to ascend Temple Mount. Arab MKs are furious.
Change of policy: For more than two years after the Knesset members were forbidden to enter the Temple Mount compound which aroused harsh reactions from the right, tonight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially announced that he is allowing politicians to return to the site of the Bet HaMikdash [5].
Netanyahu, who made the announcement in a letter he sent to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, days after the start of the Three Weeks, made it clear that according to his new policy, each member of Knesset would be allowed to visit the Temple Mount once a quarter.
The move, which comes after a pilot program a year ago in which religious MKs Yehuda Glick and Shuli Mualem were allowed to ascend the mountain, apparently angered the Arab legislators in the Knesset, who hastened to clarify that they did not intend to take advantage of the right granted to them.
MK Haneen Zuabi, for example, said: 'Netanyahu will not tell Muslims, MKs and others when to enter and when to pray. There is nothing there to look at for non-Muslims… Netanyahu wants to start a controversy in order to escape his criminal cases.'
MK Ahmad Tibi, for his part, added: 'Members of the Knesset from the Joint List will not come today to the Al-Aqsa Mosque as part of the provocation and conditions of Netanyahu and the Israel Police. The Arab MKs will enter whenever they want and not when Netanyahu wants them to, as it was in the past and will be in the future. "
The protest did not end with Arab politicians. The extreme left organization Peace Now sent activists to the entrance of the compound and held a protest rally against the decision. 'The Temple Mount is the most explosive place in the Middle East, and it's a shame that MKs are turning it into an arena of demonstrations and provocations,' the organization said. 'If Netanyahu were a responsible leader, he would not have succumbed to pressure and would have allowed this pilot. Apparently he is deep in investigations and can not resist a pair of provocateurs from the back benches."
-BeHadrei Haredim
—-
0202 Editor’s Notes:
[1] The anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred. This includes the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians and the Second Temple by the Romans. Jews believe the destroyed Temples stood where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located today.
[2] All these members of the Knesset call for the ability of Jews to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. This is highly provocative to the Muslim community which views Jewish prayer at Al-Aqsa as a breach of the status quo, and an attempt to take over the mosque.
[3] Temple organizations are Jewish organizations that advocate for the establishment of the Third Temple in the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound.
[4] In July 2017, two Israeli border police officers, Haiel Sitawe and Kamil Shnaan, were killed in a terror attack on Temple Mount.
[5] The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.
#Temple_Mount_and_Al_Aqsa #Netanyahu #Knesset_Members #Temple_Organizations
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