Being Jewish Is The Problem

Did you know that

In Saudi Arabia, the public practice of any religion other than Islam is prohibited, and the government enforced restrictions on religious freedom. The government reportedly deported foreigners for worshipping privately…In Iran, the arrest and harassment of members of religious minorities, including Sunni Muslims, increased significantly. There continued to be reports that the government imprisoned, harassed, intimidated, and discriminated against people because of their religious beliefs.

That’s from the today-released US Religious Freedom report.

Also in there is this:

The 1967 Protection of Holy Sites Law protects the holy sites of all religious groups…A government policy since 1967, repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court and routinely enforced by the police, who cite security concerns, denies non-Muslim worship and prayer at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. While the government ensures limited access to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif to everyone regardless of religious belief, only Muslims are allowed to pray at the site, although their access is occasionally restricted due to security concerns. The Israel National Police regulates traffic in and out of the compound and removes non-Muslim visitors if they appear to be praying.

The Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem Islamic Waqf that manages the site generally restricts non-Muslims from entering the Dome of the Rock shrine and Al-Aqsa Mosque, a practice it started in the year 2000. The Waqf does not allow non-Muslim religious symbols to be worn on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif.

As I just blogged, UNESCO's delegation has been rebuffed, at present.

While this sounds encouraging, last week almost 100 schoolchildren could not enter the Temple Mount compound not because they were going to pray but because their visit was a learning tour to become acquainted with the Shavuot Festival Temple Service.

Members of Knesset virtually have to sneak up to the Mount and one is a target for discrimination.  The Knesset’s Interior Committee, headed by Miri Regev, after being forced to cancel a fact-finding tour,  discussed the issue of freedom of religion on the Temple Mount and was supplied with misleading information when told by a Foreign Ministry lawyer that Jordan possesses “international authority” to administer the site.  

Freida Yuval, deputy head of the Jordan desk in the Foreign Ministry, went on to say that allowing Jews free worship on the Mount would “awaken the entire world,” and bring about another intifada.  She did admit that 30 MFA staffers visited the Mount that week – unidentified – and managed to enter with no problems. 

Of course, that is the problem: you cannot be in any way Jewish there.

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