Israel Matzav

Hamas takes over Temple Mount, Jews and tourists banned

Those of you who hope to ascend the Temple Mount this holiday may be disappointed. Hamas had taken over the Mount, and the Israeli police are too inept to do anything about it.

Let's go to the videotape.



What's worse is that the police are helping Hamas.

“Hundreds of Jews who came to the Temple Mount for Pesach were astonished to find a police representative standing at the entrance gate and announcing that the Mount had been closed off to Jews after Hamas had taken over the Mount and threatened violence against any Jews who enter,” the Temple organizations reported in a news communique.

The Temple organizations called for the police commissioner to resign, following his failures on the Temple Mount.

“Time after time, the police abandon the Mount to hostile hands – especially on Jewish holidays," they charged. "Then the same commanders come to the Knesset and the Interior Committee, and lie that the Mount was open.”

...

Despite being the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount is administered by the Islamic Waqf foundation, and Jewish visits are subject to strict restrictions including a blanket ban on prayers or other forms of worship, under pain of arrest.

Jewish groups have long condemned the discrimination as a surrender to Muslim extremism; a new bill proposed by the Jewish Home party is currently being debated to grant equal prayer rights to Jews and Muslims on the Mount.

Hamas flags are allowed on the Temple Mount but Israeli flags and any form of Jewish prayer are banned. What could go wrong?

Labels: Hamas, Israel police, Jerusalem police, Palestinian terrorism, Temple Mount, Wakf

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:45 AM