http://www.templeinstitute.org/archive/02-01-08a.htmIsrael bars Jews from moving lips in prayer on Temple Mount
reprinted from World Net Daily
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Even slightest 'sign' of Jewish worship prohibited at Judaism's holiest site
by Aaron Klein
Temple Mount in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM - Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount in any way whatsoever, even if they only move their lips or demonstrate other "signs" of prayer on Judaism's holiest site, ruled Avi Dichter, Israel's public security minister.
Dichter was responding to a recent decision by two Knesset members who said they would ascend the Temple Mount quietly - without informing the media or making any protest - and attempt to pray on the holy site.
The lawmakers, Uri Ariel and Aryeh Eldad from Israel's National Union Party, said Muslim prayer services take place throughout the day in the many mosques and Islamic religious schools situated on the holy site, and Jews should be able to pray as individuals on the Mount.
In a letter to the lawmakers, Dichter, Israel's highest ranking public security officer, wrote that while police cannot generally arrest a person "conversing with his maker ... however it is possible to carry out an arrest for expressions of outward and demonstrative signs [of prayer on the Temple Mount]."
Dichter's use of the phrase "conversing with his maker" mimicked the terminology used by Ariel and Eldad to describe prayer.
Dichter wrote his interpretation of Israeli law "is in line with the rationale that bans Jews from praying at the site, in light of serious concerns that this will serve as a provocation, resulting in disorder, with a near certain likelihood of subsequent bloodshed."
Israeli restrictions bar Jewish groups from praying on the Temple Mount and only allow Jews to ascend for certain hours on some days, while the Mount is open to Muslims all year.
According to strict interpretation of a 1973 Israeli law, a Jew as an individual can pray on the Temple Mount as long as the prayer is not uttered as a protest of Jewish rights to the holy site. But Israeli police forbid all Jewish prayer at the site, although there have been a few instances recently in which Jews prayed there without being arrested.
While Dichter vehemently opposed even the slightest pretence of a Jew praying on the Mount, his security ministry and the Israeli police have not acted to halt the Hamas terror group's daily broadcast of Islamic prayer services from the Mount's Al Aqsa Mosque, considered the third holiest site in Islam.
WND broke the story that Hamas last month starting broadcasting the Mount's daily Muslim prayers on the group's official radio station, Al Aqsa Radio. The services are broadcast alongside anti-Semitic commentary, including incitement against Jews.
The official Hamas radio network announced it would continue airing exclusive daily streams of Muslim morning services from the Temple Mount, and, indeed, the broadcasts have continued as scheduled, with this morning's prayer services streamed live by Hamas.
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