Freedom of Religion in Jerusalem, Except For Jews

The Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, is the spot of today’s most blatant and obvious portrayal of anti-Semitism. The idea that a Jew, and only a Jew, is not allowed to utter even one word of prayer or bow his head while on the Temple Mount is a clear violation of religious rights. Whether a Jew should go up on the Temple Mount and cause “provocation” by just being there is an issue that many people debate. However, the fact that this status quo still exists is absurd.

“Over 500 people visited the Temple Mount on Tuesday, including 400 tourists. Eight, however, were forced off by the police for allegedly “violating the visiting conditions.”

Two Jewish visitors bowed down while on the site, in contravention of the status quo that bans Jews from praying while at their holiest site. After they did so, a number of Arabs attacked them, driving the pair to the ground. Police pushed back the rioters and forced the Jews to leave the site.”
Read more about this on Israel National News

Some may view Jewish visits to the Temple Mount as a peaceful protest and some may view it as a provocation. Regardless, it should be a human right to utter words, at least silently, when it harms nobody at all.

“Israeli public perception of the ban on Jewish prayer has shifted. Through the fruits of a long-term concerted PR campaign, now using updated jargon calling for “freedom of religion” and “human rights,” the previously fringe Temple Mount movement — while still intent on fighting the status quo that is preventing Jewish prayer there — is increasingly mainstreamed.”
Read more about this on TOI

“On the morning of Sunday, April 17, an Jewish man in his 40′s was detained on the Temple Mount after explaining the verse “Ana HaShem hoshia na (Please Lord, save us; Psalms 118:25)” during a talk in English on the Torah portion “Acharei Mot” while speaking to a group. When policemen heard the words “Ana HaShem”, a police officer approached the speaker and informed him that he was being detained on suspicion of praying. The police officer did not accept his explanation that he was not praying but rather giving an explanation of a Biblical verse to his group. The policemen interrupted him as he spoke in English, removed him from the Temple Mount and detained him.”

Read more about this story from Honenu

Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to reassure the Jordanian Waqf, which administers the holy site, that it will uphold the status-quo and constrain access to Jews.
Read more about this on Jpost

Israel Bans its own national anthem from the Temple Mount

Decades have now gone by since the immortal words of Motta Gur, “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” blared across Israeli radio. The world took a collective breath as the Jewish people regained their ancient capital.  Despite the miraculous victory, the secular elitists chose to hand the keys to the Temple Mount over to the Jordanian Wakf.  After all, the rabbis declared it forbidden to ascend to our holiest site. This is despite the fact that, rabbinic sages of the past like the Rambam ascended to the Temple Mount with no qualms.

Despite the security ban on public display of prayer on the Temple Mount, more and more Jews are ascending the mount.The issue has moved from the fringe of the Israeli body politic to the center.  Led by Rabbi Yehuda Glick and Rabbi Richman, the Temple Mount movement uses the most basic argument there is, freedom of worship.

This argument alone has compelled most on the right and many in the center to support Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount.  Even the Supreme Court, known usually for its leftward judicial activism has supported unhindered Jewish prayer at Israel’s most holiest spot.  The government though, through the security establishment has clamped down on Jewish prayer citing unofficial agreements with the Jordanians on following the legally fictional status quo.

Jews that pray are systematically hauled off the Temple Mount and arrested by security officials.  The arabs, who typically use the area to lay soccer or even urinate magically appear offended at the notion that Jews are using the area to serve the Creator. This plays into the security establishment’s fear of sparking more and more violence, when in fact there would be violence anyway.  What the arab street is done is use that fear to stake and hold de facto control over the Jewish Nation’s holiest spot.  Rabbinic leadership, mostly within the ultra Orthodox are happy to oblige the arabs.

Why?

The Temple Mount is the key to the next stage in the collective redemption of Israel and the world. The awakening in the world about justice, peace, and global rectification is due to the reconnection of the Temple Mount to its rightful caretakers.  The possibility of actual change brings with it an equal level of opposition.  Those groups that fear the unknown and the future, fear an open policy of prayer on the Temple Mount.

With all of this in mind, it is no wonder that even today the growing outrage by normal Israelis over  a lack of true freedom of worship on our holiest spot is on the rise. Nationally speaking, the dam is about to burst. Perhaps this is why even singing Hatikvah is forbidden.  For if those that fear the future agree to disconnect the nation from its source, then the present quagmire that all of us find ourselves in may just continue for the foreseeable future. In that kind of world, the injustices that have grown steadily will continue reign over us all.

Israel Behind the News [Dec 29, 2015]

Palestinian organizations call for escalation of ‘intifada’

It’s true, the Israeli government says there is no Intifada, but the Palestinians think otherwise.  If there is an escalation, it will move from knifings and the occasional shooting attack to full fledged gun battles and bus bombings.  The challenge for the Israeli government is to actually believe the words of the Palestinians instead of disregarding them as propaganda for the street.

After Nasrallah threats, Eisenkot says IDF ready for any challenge from North

The Israeli government and security apparatus has always been on the ball in relation to threats from the outside. The fact is now is the time for Nasrallah to attack in order to stay relevant in the fast changing Middle East. More importantly for Nasrallah is Putin’s growing influence in the region.  By harming Israel, Hezbollah can reinvigorate its value in Russia’s eyes, while lowering Israel’s stature.

Sanity still exists in a small part of Israel.  If the court did not rule in favor of being allowed to raise your hands on the Temple Mount, the next place the battle for prayer rights on the Mount or any rights for Jews and Christians are concerned is not being allowed to even look at up or worse not show concern for the holiest site in Judaism.  Thankfully the court ruled in favor of freedom of worship.

“I Pray to My G-d of Israel on the Temple Mount”

Listen to my inspiring conversation with Jane Kiel otherwise known as Jerusalem Jane. Her run in with Waqf police on the Temple Mount should inspire many many believers, both Jews and Christians to get involved. Jane is seriously a one woman army against the forces that are aligning to prevent Jews and Christians from praying at their most holiest spot.

Make sure to learn more about Jane and her work on her website Jerusalem Jane.

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