Temple Mount Updates

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147839

Women on Temple Mount

Arutz Sheva

A Jewish man who accompanied his daughter to the Temple Mount on the morning of her wedding day was arrested and detained for three hours. His crime – putting a pinch of dust in a matchbox as a keepsake.

The incident took place on Monday, when Shlomo Neeman took his daughter Rivka to the Temple Mount. Shlomo is a senior employee with the Jewish Agency who lives in Carmei Tzur; Rivka, his oldest daughter, was just hours before her wedding.

The two were approved by police to ascend the mount, which according to Jewish tradition is the holiest site on earth. However, when Shlomo picked up a small quantity of dust, three police officers immediately arrested him and accused him of carrying out a religiously significant act – which when done by a Jew, is considered to have “potential to disturb the peace,” and is thus forbidden.

Shlomo was detained for three hours while his daughter waited. He was ultimately released with a warning that he is barred indefinitely from accessing the Temple Mount.

He has visited the Temple Mount regularly for more than 20 years.

Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick accused police of behaving like “bullies” at the holy site, and of “doing everything to make life difficult for Jews who ascend the Mount.”

At least six women have been arrested on their wedding day over the past two yearsfor allegedly moving their lips in prayer while visiting the holy site, he added.

Monday’s incident followed a police promise to provide Jews with greater access to the site after protests over widespread anti-Jewish discrimination.

Monday, September 12th, 2011 Mass call-in to the Orthodox Union:

Defend Jewish Prayer on the Temple Mount

On Monday, pick up the phone and send the Orthodox Union a message: We want them to take a public stand for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount! – OUR GOAL 5,000 CALLERS!

For direct lines, dial 212-613-8, followed by the extension number.

Executive Vice President Rabbi Steven Weil (ext.101)
rabbiweil@ou.org

Public Relations Director Stephen Steiner (ext. 318)
steiners@ou.org

Institute for Public Affairs/IPA Nathan Diament 202-513-6484
ipadc@ou.org

We sent a very strong worded letter to the Orthodox Union, the largest Rabbinic organization in North America and urged them to take action to defend Jewish Rights on the Temple Mount.

“I am urging and pleading for a united statement from rabbinic leadership around the world to demand that the State of Israel restore Jewish rights on the Temple Mount in accordance with Torah law.”

Mr. Steiner wrote us back that he had forwarded the email to  Rabbi Steven Weil, but that “any response would  come from him”.

We responded by writting the following:

“The only hope is for large Jewish organizations outside of Israel to stand up and speak out on this issue. Our only crime is wanting to pray on the Mount and to bring the Korban Pesach on erev pesach, like we are commanded to by our Torah.  Therefore it has been decided if we do not get a serious response from Rabbi Weil, we will have no choice starting Monday to organize a mass call-in/email campaign to the OU.”

We are calling on everyone around the world to take one moment and sign the petiiton for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount.

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/tmount

Today on the 9th of Av, the day marking the destruction of the first and second Temple, over 500 Jews ascended to the Temple Mount to mourn over the destruction and try to begin a process of rebuilding. The police were generally cooperative and allowed groups of up to 50 to enter into the Mount and did not bother Jewish worshipers who prayed quietly.

However the day did not pass without incident. Two young men were arrested for bowing down and a group led by Moshe Feiglin, Head of the Likud Manhigut Yehudit faction, was physically and verbally attacked by a Arab women and Muslim WAKF officials, the police did not intervene and even tried to convince the group to “leave for their own safety”. The group rejected the police request and continued.

In an unusual step the Israeli police allowed Jewish groups who crossed paths with each other to speak with each other, generally all groups must stay completely separate throughout the entire stay on the Mount.

Tonight on the most tragic day of the Jewish calendar, the day of commemoration for the two Holy Temples and all the other tragedies that occurred to the Jewish People throughout history, a rally will be held in the Ultra Orthodox community of Geulah in Jerusalem.

The rally set to begin at 9:30 in the evening is expected to draw tremendous opposition within the community that  believes that the Temple will descend from heaven only after the Messiah has come. The rally which is being organized by members of the ultra orthodox community will be held with a police permit.

Here is a translation of the poster:

On this night we cry over the Temple!

Tonight Mass rally!

Yaakov Meir Street, Geulah in Jerusalem

Calling for the construction of the Temple and mass Jewish ascent in accordance with Torah Law. Will be discussing the opinions of the great Torah Sages of Israel.

 Rally Begins at 9:30 with the participation of great Rabbis of Israel.

Tonight for 24 hours the entire Jewish nation will join together and remember the loss of our two Holy Temples.  Through fasting (no drink or food) and through the retelling of the story we hope to bring ourselves to the realization of what we have lost and to motiavte oursleves to return “our days as of old”.

The Fast of the 9th of Av starts Sundown Monday  - 7:31 pm

The fast of the 9th of Av ends shortly after Sundown Tuesday – 7:48 pm*

(*For those who need; may end the fast at sunset at 7:30 Tuesday)

PLEASE WATCH THIS EMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR 9TH OF AV

CREATED BY EYE ON ZION.

Secular gentleman registers for "Nation with the Mount"

Today members of the “Nation with the Mount” movement went to the center of Jerusalem to register people to the movement and to begin preparing for a large pro-Temple Mount rally, which is set to take place at the entrance to Jerusalem next Thursday. According to activists 200 people have declared their intention to come to the rally and many also intend to bring friends and family. The enlisted represent a cross section of Israeli society, “secular”, “national religious” and even “ultra orthodox”. Many older people described their experiences in the liberation of Jerusalem in 1967 and were moved by the fact that that young people are now working to try to reverse the anti-Jewish policies of the Israeli government on the Mount.

A group on the Temple Mount this morning

The scene repeated itself over and over this morning groups of Jewish pilgrimages of  20  or more entered the Temple Mount through the Rambam gate, according to the police over 100 in all. People came from all over the land of Israel to make pilgrimage before the 9th of Av, which marks the day of destruction for both the first and second Holy Temples.

Women of the Mount

The Women of the Mount made their second large visit with over 20 women participating. In addition Rabbi Moshe Tendler, Yeshiva Head at Yeshiva University, professor and community Rabbi in New York also visited the Mount with a separate group. As the Women of the Mount passed the Rabbi, he stopped and blessed their efforts and spoke about the holy duty of ascending the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Moshe Tendler Blesses the Women of the Mount

In addition a member of the priestly tribe, who accompanied the women raised his hands and pronounced the priestly blessing for all to hear. After the priestly blessing  women responded with signing Psalm 126 “A song of the ascent. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were in a dream“.

While the police were upset with the prayers no arrested were made.

Many good people are upset with Tmount.org for they feel we have jumped the gun on reporting Netanyahu’s acceptance of Obama’s demand that Israel return to the 67 Lines. Furthermore people were furthered angered by our linking this with the Temple Mount. They felt we had created false crises and were trying to milk people for the ongoing campaign.

Our Response:

The story first broke on Israel Radio and Channel 2 TV when the reported the National Security  Advisor Jacob Amidror had sent a letter to the US revealing that Netanyahu would begin negations on the 67 Lines.  We then began to look through the internet and found a small story on Israelnn.com. As the hours past more stories began to pop up.

Washington Post just ran an article by Adam Serwer “Is Bibi anti-Israel?”  “Israel will resume peace talks based on its 1967 borders if the Palestinian Authority stops seeking U.N. Palestinian state recognition, Israel’s leader said.”

Bloomberg.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’sgovernment may be willing to accept a U.S. proposal to resume peace talks that uses the 1967 borders as a basis of negotiations in order to counter a Palestinian bid for UN recognition.

Of course all the Jewish sites including Israelnn.com, Jpost.com, Haaret, Ynet all carried the report as well.

Now why do we link this to the Temple Mount?

The idea behind Obama’s initiative is very simple. The final deal will be based upon the 67 Lines, with minor swaps, which  means as follows: If there is a small consolidated area over the “green line” that is majority Jewish it will be incorporated into Israel and if there is a small consolidated area within the green line that is majority Arab it will be incorporated into Palestine.

Now the Temple Mount is defacto already under Arab rule. During the camp David accords Arafat turned to Barak and asked him why should Israel maintain sovereignty over the Temple Mount, when there are no Jews there and even furthermore Israel forbids Jews to pray there! After calling the head of the Israel Secrete Service (ISS – Shabak) Barak gave a feeble response that “A group of religious Jews ascend once a week. That religious group is the “Organization for Temple Renewal” lead by Rabbi Yosef Elboim. It was Rabbi Elboim that relayed to us this story that he himself heard from the former head of the ISS. Do you really not think the same argument will come up again?  Logically if Israel does not use this holiest of places and even arrested Jews who try to pray there, why is there any logical reason for the world to accept Israel position regarding the Mount. There is great fear Obama and the world will put such pressure that Israel will cave on that point as well.

Netanyahu does not have a good track record for keeping his promises. In 1996 Netanyahu was elected under the slogan “Bibi – Good for the Jews”. He swore not to give back anything and then went and signed the Wye Accords with Clinton and cut off 97% of the second holiest Jewish city of Hebron. In 2009 Bibi was elected for a second term he promised to reject a Palestinian State. Well he then went and made a speech at Bar Illan University and then latter in front of Congress accepting on principle a Palestinian State. First he rejected the 67 Lines and gave Obama a public smacking and lo and behold now it appears according to many reports (Netanyahu has yet to deny it) that he will accept more or less on the 67 lines. Will Netanyahu also flip flop on Jerusalem and the Temple Mount?

Would there be a coalition crises?

-The Ultra Orthodox parties do not care if the Mount stays under Jewish control as they think its forbidden to go there, and after 1967 it was the Ultra Orthodox leadership that requested that Dayan return the Keys to the Muslim Control. Their position has not changed.

-The Left parties like Labor, they  also would not be against it. After all it was the same Ehud Barak and general left leadership that negotiated on the Mount at Camp David. They had all kind of cray planes like give the Palestinians control of the top of the Mount and Israel will take the Mount underground (remember that one?).BTW that would not work now because the Palestinians have built a massive underground Mosque on the Temple Mount.

- The Likud – Well some ministers would go nuts and get fired and others would be bullied into keeping silent.

- Israle is our home (Russian Secular, right wing) It depends what kind of payoff Liberman gets he is a mafia like guy who only cares about getting ahead and being that he is under investigation for a whole bunch of things, they would get him to shut up and play along.

Friends, unless we create a new reality on the Mount, the future of the Mount is in grave danger.

Israel Radio and Channel 2 reported that Netanyahu had agreed to negotiate a possible withdrawal to pre-1967 lines.

After searching the internet and keeping close eye and ear on TV and Radio, everyone is talking about 67 Lines, but talk of retaining Jerusalem is never mentioned. Could it be hat Netanyahu will divide the City of God and finally give over His Holy Mount?