From. R Froikin
           Reuven Efraim



THE TEMPLE MOUNT
AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

I’ll begin by noting what I will not write about.   I will not, in this article, rehash the past to place blame for anything.  I will not discuss whether, from a religious standpoint,  there should be a rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash (the Temple),  whether it is needed, and who should build it.  I will not discuss the historical and archeological concerns nor the debates over where the Temple might be built.   All those issues are for another time and place.

What is undeniable today, is that the Temple Mount, is a central issue for the Jewish People,  for the State of Israel, and for those who oppose both.   That is what this article will address.

They say the Temple Mount is a place of importance to three faiths.  That may be true, but the fact is that it does not mean the same thing to all three, nor is it as important to all three.   For Christians,  the Temple Mount is important as it is the site of the Temple where their Jesus prayed -- in short it has importance because it was the center of Jewish worship.  For Muslims, it was an important place to which they believe Mohammed went and from which Mohammed ascended to Paradise,  again it was special because it was where the Jewish Temple stood until destroyed by Rome.  In short, the significance for both stems from the significance for Jews.  For Jews, the place is important culturally, spiritually, historically, and today, it is important as a symbol of the Jewish Nations’ reestablishing its rights long denied by persecution.  To deny Jewish rights to the Temple Mount is to deny Jewish rights to all of the Land of Israel, because it is the historic and spiritual focal point for Jews to which we face 3 times daily for prayer.

The Basic Law,  the de facto Constitution of the State of Israel,  affirms the rights of all to have access to all historic and religious sites as long as their behavior is respectful and non-violent,  regardless of religious affiliation.  

What about the Temple Mount?  Well, it is thought in some quarters that Basic law should be suspended when it comes to the Temple Mount because the mere presence of Jews,  particularly if a Jew dares to say a prayer, might cause violence by objecting Muslims.  And,  yes,  there is plenty of evidence that the presence of Jews will lead to Muslim violence.  It is irrelevant whether the Muslim violence is because they have been told by their Muslim leaders that Jews will try to destroy Islam in that place or whether they riot and throw stones because they simply think they are having fun.  The fact is that Muslim violence against Jews in that place is common enough and becoming more common.

So, the question comes to this:  Should Jews back off,  retreat, give up their rights, to avoid Muslim violence?   Or should Jews insist on their rights being respected and that those Muslims (or anyone else) who act with hate and violence be penalized?   In short, should the bully be punished or should the victim of the bully be forced to withdraw and back off?

There is an old rule of human behavior.  The behavior that is rewarded gets repeated.   The Muslims on the Temple Mount, are being rewarded by having the Jews back off,  by having the Israeli authorities ban Jews, by having Jews arrested for the crime of praying over the objections of the Muslim mob.   And, just as the rule says,  the level of violence is getting worse and worse.  All the current Israeli rules are doing is making matters worse while denying Jewish rights.

The solution?   Easy.  Enforce the law.  Enforce open free access to all who want to visit, to pray, to dream, and punish those who cannot use the space respectfully -- regardless of who they might be.

Now, considering that the Israeli authorities are not stupid,  nor completely ignorant of sociological and psychological concepts,  why have they decided to replace good sense with a policy of backing off and denying Jewish rights,  or giving in to the Muslim bullies?   The anything for peace was fine when there was no Israel and Jewish survival depended on backing down, accepting a second class status or having no rights at all.  That was supposed to end with the creation of a political state.   The Ghetto is gone.  Or is it?

Or is it that the Government of Israel is not confident that it has the backing of the Jewish People to assert and maintain Jewish rights?  Perhaps our disunity means no decisions, no assertions?  

Because when it comes down to it,  we cannot deny the fact that if Jews have no rights to the Temple Mount,  then Jewish rights to Jerusalem are questionable, and if Jewish rights to Jerusalem are questionable, Jewish rights to any of Eretz Yisrael are also questionable.   BECAUSE IN EACH CASE, THOSE JEWISH RIGHTS UPSET MUSLIMS AND SOME CHRISTIANS.  So where do we draw the line?   Simple.  Israel Basic Law already states where the line should be drawn.  No limits on access for anyone as long as they behave with respect and peace.  

So, what’s next?

Jewish rights must be asserted.  Jews must have access to the Temple Mount and anywhere else in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel), and to limit those rights in any way is to deny Jewish rights to the whole.   And delay in asserting and protecting those rights makes it more and more difficult with time.

The Israeli Government has an obligation to assert those rights or let the Jewish People assert those rights, just as it has the obligation of a Sovereign Nation to protect its people from foreign threats of violence.  And if the Government fails,   the people need to change it, or to find some other way of asserting their rights.

ON June 5TH, 2016  --   IYAR 28, 5776
JERUSALEM DAY

500,000 Jews from all over Israel come to Jerusalem to celebrate Jerusalem Day,  armed with flowers,  lots of flowers.  And in masses of people,  go up to the Temple Mount,  masses of people,  too many for the police or government or anyone to stop.  When encountering police,  give them flowers, hug them.  They are our people.  When encountering protesting Arabs, give them flowers and hug them.  Make it a holiday of love and peace and prayer.

And force a debate and force change.