WhatsappThe Temple Mount continues to be the center point of the conflict between Israel and the Arab “Palestinians.” In recent years more and more Israeli Jews have ascended the Temple Mount in an attempt to find connection and meaning at Judaism’s holiest spot.
This year on Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning over the destruction of the first and second Temples, Jews from across the spectrum attempted to ascend the Temple Mount. Despite threats of Arab violence, Jews attended in relatively numbers.
In the past Jewish visitors have been prevented from praying and showing outward displays of religiosity, but lately that has changed. The police have been told to look the other way.
This policy is fairly new and is being driven by the steady growth in Jewish visitors. Israel liberated the Temple Mount from Jordan in 1967, but quickly let the radical Muslim Wakf take control. Only in recent years, through the work of dedicated activists has the Jewish people returned to the most holiest site in Judaism.
