As support widens for Jewish prayer on Temple Mount, should we fear apocalyptic consequences? [View all]

Source: Times of Israel

With almost daily disturbances at the most contested and incendiary of holy sites, and with an increasing number of religious Zionists yearning for a Third Temple, Israeli activists walk a fine line between peaceful protest and provocation

All hell broke loose Tuesday on the Temple Mount as two white-clad Jewish men prostrated themselves in an overt act of worship. Face down on the ground, the men were immediately surrounded by a mix of Border and Israel Police — and an encroaching crowd of angry Muslim men and Jordanian Waqf officials.

The police, wearing bullet-proof vests and armed with stun grenades and tear gas, whisked the two men from the melee. A short brawl between Israeli forces and Muslim men ensued, and a total of eight men were ejected from the Temple Mount — or Haram al-Sharif as it is known to Muslims — before things returned to “normal.”

But “normal” is a loaded term on the Temple Mount, historically the preeminent Jewish holy site, and the Muslims’ third most revered spot.

“Normal,” according to the status quo agreement established by former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan 10 days following the holy site’s capture by Israeli soldiers during the 1967 Six Day War, means Jews may freely visit the Haram al-Sharif plaza. However, it also means that the site is to be administered by the Jordanian Waqf — and only Muslims are allowed to worship there. (The 1994 peace treaty with Jordan cemented this deal.) The Israeli government, at the time eager to quell Arab unrest in its newly conquered territories, reinforced that status quo agreement as a necessary security measure and nixed the few anguished voices who called for Jewish prayer.

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-support-widens-for-jewish-prayer-on-temple-mount-should-we-fear-apocalyptic-consequences/

Note: Long article, but with lots of info on what's going on with the Temple Mount.