Breakthrough on Temple Mount

In a huge breakthrough triggered by Moshe Feiglin’s principled stand on the Temple Mount, the Knesset Interior Committee met on Jerusalem Day for a special meeting on Jewish prayer on the Mount. Deputy Director of the Religious Affairs Ministry Elchanan Glatt appeared before the committee to discuss the details.

In addition, as reported by Israel’s Channel 10/Nana news site:

MKs Demand of Netanyahu: Allow Feiglin to Ascend to Temple Mount

By Shai Doron, Nana 10 News

On the backdrop of tension between Israel and Jordan over the Temple Mount and Jerusalem Day celebrations, 17 MKs from the coalition sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday, calling upon him to remove the ban on MK Moshe Feiglin that prohibits him from entering the Temple Mount. MKs from the various parties signed a letter to Netanyahu, that will be handed to him when he returns from his trip to China. Among those who signed the letter are MKs Tzippy Hotobeli, Miri Regev, Gilah Gamliel, Chaim Katz and David Rotem from Likud Beiteinu, Orit Struck and Shuli Mualem from the Jewish Home and Elazar Stern from The Tnua.

"As an ordinary citizen prior to his election to the Knesset," says the letter that reached Channel 10, "Feiglin visited the Temple Mount hundreds of times. It is unthinkable that a person's election to the Knesset will impair his freedom of movement instead of affording him immunity and freedom of movement as is dictated by the law." The letter also says that "surrender to the demands of the representatives of the Moslem wakf not to allow his visit is a serious blow to our sovereignty in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount, and a serious blow to the sovereignty of the Knesset."

"The MKs from the various parties who signed the request to the PM to remove the ban that he placed upon me under pressure from the wakf are brave MKs who understand the severe nature of this restriction," said Feiglin to Nana 10 news. "When the wakf determines which MKs will or will not ascend to the Temple Mount - the very heart of Jerusalem - that means that the Temple Mount is not in our hands and the Knesset is not the sovereign in Jerusalem."

Moshe Feiglin’s “politically un-savvy” move to suspend himself from voting with the coalition until his legal right to visit the Temple Mount is reinstated is proving to be savvy, indeed. Ever since Moshe’s move, the issue of Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount has remained in the news and on the Knesset agenda. More in the Jerusalem Post article below. 


Jerusalem Post: Ministry to arrange Jewish prayer on Temple Mount