Temple Mount entry restrictions

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A view of Temple Mount from south side
Israeli Police guard the entrance to the Temple Mount

Temple Mount entry restrictions are restrictions on entering the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is a holy place for both Jews and Muslims. The Israeli government imposes entry limits to Temple Mount for political and security reasons. In addition, Jewish law imposes restrictions on entering Temple Mount.

Restrictions during the Ottoman Empire

Until the mid-19th century entry to Temple Mount was forbidden to non-Muslim visitors. In 1839, following the Tanzimat reforms in the Ottoman establishment and legislation, non-Muslims were permitted to enter Temple Mount, but in order to do so they had to obtain special permit from the governor [1]

Restrictions under Jordanian rule

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Jordanian Legion captured the Temple Mount. From that date until the conquest of the mountain by Israel in 1967 during the Six Day War, Israeli Jews were not allowed to enter Temple Mount (as they were not allowed in any of the other territories controlled by Jordan, prior to the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty).

Halachic restrictions

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Sign on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, warning of the halakhic prohibition to enter the Temple Mount, with some ambiguity whether gentiles are supposed to obey this rule too.

After the conquest of the mountain by Israel in 1967, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel announced that entering Temple Mount is forbidden to Jews in contemporary days, in accordance to halakhic prohibition of temei ha'met (Impurity by contacting the dead, cemeteries etc.) on entering the Holy Temple (an Halachic status that applies for all Jews in our contemporary times), and the ambiguity on the exact location of the Temple in Temple Mount, with concern that someone will enter the Holy of Holies in error.

According to Maimonides, even during the destruction of the Temple the location preserved its holy status. There is an ongoing ideological and Halachic debate whether it is permissible or forbidden to enter Temple Mount. On one side stand those (mainly Haredi) who prohibit the entry to all persons in all areas of the mount, in fear the person will enter the temple location on Temple Mount. On the other side, there are those who do not see, based on the same Halacha, any wrong doing in Jews entering Temple Mount while observing the Halachic purity laws, and getting only to certain areas of the Mount. Additionally there are others who even see it as a Mitzvah (mainly Religious Zionists).[2]

Israeli Government Restriction policy

Jewish prayer on Temple Mount is completely forbidden. Jews may enter only to visit the place, and only at limited times. Muslims are free to pray on Temple Mount, however, Christians and Jews may only visit the site as tourists. They are forbidden from singing, praying, or making any kind of "religious displays".[3] During times of political tension, entry is limited on Fridays and some Jewish or Muslim Holy Days; entry is restricted to only allow Muslim men over a certain varying age and Muslim women of any age to enter.[4]

Following the assassination attempt on Israeli Right-wing activist Yehuda Glick in October 2014, Israeli Minister of Public Security, Yitzhak Aharonovich, ordered the prevention of all entries to Temple Mount - for both Jews and Muslims.[5] Due to Jordanian pressure, it was decided that the following day, a Friday, it will reopen for Muslim men over 50 and Muslim women only.[6]

Public discourse

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A number of Jewish movements demand "freedom of prayer to Jews on Temple Mount": "The Temple Mount Faithfuls" led by Gershon Solomon. This movement holds that the Temple Mount is the key to sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel. Other movements are: "The Temple Institute" established by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, "The movement for the establishment of the Temple." The main activity of these movements is to encourage private visits by Jews on the Temple Mount.

See also

References

  1. יהושע בן-אריה, גידולה של ירושלים במאה ה-19 - השפעות דתיות וחברתיות, בתוך: יואל רפל (עורך), תולדות ארץ ישראל, כרך ב', שער עשירי - "התקופה העות'מאנית", עמ' 544.
  2. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Part I - Rabbi Goren and the Temple Mount; Part II - inheriting the land of israel on the temple mount - on Arutz Sheva 618-619.
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