Unholy Discrimination on the Temple Mount
This week, much of the world got uptight over the visit of a Jewish man to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jordanian, Palestinian, and other Arab leaders and entities referred to it as the “storming of Al-Aksa” and “violating its sanctity.” Itamar Ben-Gvir is a newly installed cabinet member of the Israeli government, however its not the first time that he’s visited the site, and it’s not the first time that a minister in Israel’s government has done so. So why all the fuss now?
After reuniting Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War, Israel restored custodianship of the Temple Mount and the Islamic holy site (Al-Aksa mosque) to the control of Jordan. In retrospect, while this was arguably a mistake, there were many reasons to do so.
First, in the wake of its sweeping military victory, Israel did not want to create wider problems with the Arab and Moslem world. Second, Israel held to the naïve belief that in doing so, and also offering to return territory conquered by Israel to Jordan, Egypt, and Syria respectively, there would be peace. Third was that Jordan’s Hashemite King Hussein staked a large part of his legitimacy on being the custodian of the Al-Aksa mosque. In a country where the Hashemite minority rules over an ethnic Palestinian Arab majority, removing that pillar of Hussein’s legitimacy could have undermined his rule and brought a Palestinian Arab terror state.
What’s happened since is that the Temple Mount has been governed by the Jordanian backed Islamic Wakf under what’s known as the “status quo.” The status quo is a biased model, discriminating against billions of Jews and Christians. It’s a wonder that any liberal western country would back, much less outright support such a policy.
The status quo says that Jews and Christians have no legitimacy and cannot pray on the Temple Mount. Considering that Jerusalem and the Temple the cornerstones of Judaism and Christianity, to say that’s absurd is absurdly polite.
But since 1967 when “status quo” was established, the Wakf and the Palestinian Authority have competed in their blatant disregard of that, while competing for influence against one another.
In general, they have widened their influence over the entire Temple Mount, hijacking the entire 35 acres as holy Al-Aksa, while desecrating it themselves. In fact, it is only the Al-Aksa mosque that is their third holiest site, yet not holy enough to be mentioned in the Koran. The more magnificent seventh- century Dome of the Rock is not a holy site. But by divine miracle, now, the whole Temple Mount is holy to Islam.
Generally, they have tried to erase Jewish history in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount in specific. They accuse Israel of trying to “Judaize” Jerusalem. This is in direct violation of good faith, and of anyone whose faith is rooted in the Bible. It is a direct contradiction to the Wakf itself publishing a document 100 years ago, recognizing the Temple Mount as the site of Solomon’s Temple. Now, that is not only nowhere to be found, but the Wakf and Islamists worldwide deny it to be true.
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