What's Happening With the Temple Mount?

24 Iyyar 5780
Day 39 of the Omer

Yehudit's Prophecy: "The Erev Rav government will deceive the nation and secretly weave dangerous deals. They will hand over holy places, including Yerushalayim, and this will cause a 'storm' in Am Israel."

While everyone is distracted by the pandemic, what kind of secret deals have been in the works? Are revelations coming? Will news about the Temple Mount be the first test for the stability of the new Israeli government?

Israel's Supreme Court to hear Temple Mount access petition

Israel's Supreme Court is due to hear a petition Monday to allow Jews to once more ascend to the Temple Mount, which has been temporarily prohibited during the coronavirus crisis.

A recent Jerusalem Post article highlighted the petitioners' - Yehuda Etzion and Arnon Segal - claim that Israel activated a secret arrangement with the Kingdom of Jordan to keep both Muslims and Jews off the Temple Mount while the coronavirus pandemic was at its height.

The applicants' lawyer, activist Itamar Ben Gvir who also leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party maintained that Jordan's Waqf (Islamic religious authority), which has day-to-day control over the Temple Mount, was allowed back, while Jews were still banned.

The petitioners argue that preventing Jews from ascending, while Muslims are allowed up is unconstitutional. They further claimed that banning Segal, who is also a journalist, was a violation of the freedom of the press.

Ben Gvir added that the state's request to not allow the petitioners to be present at the hearing and a refusal to publicize its policy was a tacit admission that the secret deal with Jordan was in effect.