Rabbis Want Justice, Not Harrassment - And So Does Someone Else

Reported:

Jerusalem rabbis call for mass protest over Temple Mount 'harassment'

Religious Zionist rabbis have called for a mass demonstration in Jerusalem on Monday night to protest what they say is police harassment and an attempt to keep them away from the Temple Mount. The organizers want to stage the protest at the Old City wall's Golden Gate and are arranging buses to bring in demonstrators from all over the country.

"Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen a decline in the realization of Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem in general and on the Temple Mount in particular," organizers said in a statement announcing the rally.

...Supporters of the rally say the police have been trying to keep Jews out of the Temple Mount. They say the police prevented a group from marching through the Old City's Lions Gate to the Western Wall plaza on Jerusalem Day, which took place in May. They also complain about restrictions on the practice of some to walk along the Old City walls and stop at each gate to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, which marks the beginning of each Hebrew month.

The sources said tension is running high between religious Zionist figures and the commander of the Jerusalem District police, Maj. Gen. Aharon Franco, and the officer in charge of the Temple Mount, Commander Avi Roif...

Now, just in case you begin muttering something about 'fanatical obscurantist Rabbis' stirring up troube, try reading this by the former head of the Mossad, quite irreligious and secular:

Is Temple Mount in our hands?

Renouncing Jewish right for Mount paves way to losing right for entire land

The many statements recently issued by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas included one where he expressed his willingness to let Israel maintain its control over Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall. Various Palestinian spokespeople and Knesset Member Dr. Ahmed Tibi were quick to stress that this willingness comes with an unequivocal Palestinian position demanding full, exclusive sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

Whatever Israel’s position on other territorial issues, we must warn against such a “deal” with the Palestinians. Moreover, during negotiations with the Palestinians in the framework of the Geneva Accord, they fought for ensuring that the term “Kotel” refer only to part of the Western Wall – the small section where Jews pray today. Hence, Abbas’ words only refer to the limited plaza at the Wailing Wall and not to the entire Western Wall, let alone the Kotel tunnels.

Israel’s demand for the Western Wall is not premised on the Kotel being a holy Jewish site in and of itself. The demand is premised on the Kotel being a remnant of our Temple. Anyone recognizing our right for the Western Wall must recognize the fact that the Kotel is part of a structure or several structures that Jews have no less attachment to than the Muslims. One who has no right for the structure has no right for any wall of that structure.

The 2000 Camp David talks failed, among other reasons, because Yasser Arafat argued that Israel had no right whatsoever to Temple Mount. He rejected any historical attachment between the Israel of the First and Second Temple era and the site. Prime Minister Ehud Barak rejected this approach out of hand, and rightfully so. One who agrees to repudiate Israel’s attachment to Temple Mount opens the door for denying the Jewish people any right for any part of the Land of Israel. Hence, Israel’s firm stance in respect to this attachment is more vital and fateful than any struggle for any Judea and Samaria community...

What remains for us now, after the methodical acts of destruction in Solomon’s Stables and other sections of the site, is to firmly insist on our equal sovereign rights for Temple Mount. Even the slightest concession will mark the beginning of the countdown on any Jewish right for this land...

So, the Temple Mount is not solely a religious issue but one of deep historical, cultural and national legacy value, and for the future, as well.


UPDATE


Seems that, after speaking to the reporter, that this is an activity linked with the "Round-About-the-Gates" walk that begins at 7 PM from the Kotel Plaza and they are calling it a "Swearing of Allegiance".

It's on page 15 of the Bet-El weekly bulletin.

The ceremony will take place opposite the Golden Gate (Sha'ar HaRachamim) on the Ophel Road at 20:15 PM.


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