United States of Israel

Erdogan in the north,

Assad just below,

Kurds in the purview,

Looking for the venue.



Mountain in the center,

Israel toward the west,

Palestinians in the east,

Can the two coalesce? [like a woman with her breasts, or a mother with two daughters]



The united states of Israel,

Can we look to be?

A hope for the future,

From sea to shining sea. 



A Woman among the Gentiles,

Patron of humanity,

A sign among the nations,

World with centrality.

Muslim educator from Israel argues Jews have a right to pray on the Temple Mount.

Nahil Zoabi, who is a Muslim educator from Northern Israel, periodically visits the Temple Mount.  Although he himself prays at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he holds the view that all people, including Jews, have a right to pray on the Temple Mount if they choose to do so.

Nahil Zoabi on the Temple Mount (photo credit: N. Zoabi)

There have been several developments surrounding the Temple Mount.  It appears that there is a secret room at the location where Jews pray on Yom Kippur and the Tisha B’Av.  Jews have been praying in the room since 1971.  The room, called Machkamah, is located on the western side of the Temple Mount between the Chain Gate to the north and the Western Wall to the south.  I found a blog dated July 20, 2010 in which YMedad briefly discusses his participation in prayer services on the Tisha B’Av in the Machkamah.

The former head of the Israeli Shin Bet Avi Dichter recently visited the Temple Mount and discussed the history of the tensions and status quo at the location.  Among the various events that have happened since the founding of Israel, Dichter addressed the Al-Aqsa Mosque fire in 1969, the Second Intifada that began after Ariel Sharon visited the mount in 2000, and the murder of two Israeli police by three Israeli Arabs in July 2017.  This happened after the individuals snuck weapons onto the Temple Mount and into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Dichter argues that the Palestinians use the Temple Mount as an instrument for conflict, that Israel should assume presently there are stockpiles of weapons at the location, and that Israel must do all it can do to prevent another uprising at the location and from allowing the Palestinians from claiming exclusive rights to the entire mount.     
    

Chain Gate viewed from the Temple Mount (Summer 2017) LFL

Israeli Police shields used during the Second Intafada in 2000.  These were on display near the Mughrabi Gate, which I entered in 2017 in order to reach the Temple Mount.  I heard that they were placed at that location as a reminder of the conflict in 2000. 

Avi Dichter (former head of Shin Bet) on the Temple Mount (photo: Oren Ben Hakoon) 

Vatican Delegation visited Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa on Thursday

A Vatican delegation, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri (Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches) and Francesco Patton, OFM (Custodial Vicar of the Holy Land), visited the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa on Thursday.  They were welcomed by members of the Waqf council and several Palestinian leaders.  Ramzi Khoury said, 

We celebrate together with our fellow Palestinian Muslims the anniversary of the Custodians of the Holy who have played a crucial role in protecting holy places and in supporting the Christian presence in Palestine. The visit to Al-Aqsa has valuable meaning to the importance of Christian and Muslim coexistence in our homeland Palestine.   

Wasfi Kailani, director of the Royal Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al-Aqsa, commented on the meeting saying, “This high-level visit to Al-Aqsa and the words of solidarity and support is a true reflection of the 1,400 years of Muslim and Christian coexistence in the holy city of Jerusalem,” also adding, “We are recognizing 800 years of the important role of the Franciscans, whose role in education and guarding holy places is appreciated.”

Southwest Corner of Temple Mount (Summer 2018) LFL

View of the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Complex and Dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Summer 2018) LFL