Rabbinate to consider establishment of synagogue on the Temple Mount

By Nadav Shragai (Ha'aretz August 6)

The Chief Rabbinate Council will today consider a proposal by Rabbi She'ar-Yishuv Hacohen, the chief rabbi of Haifa, to establish a synagogue on the Temple Mount.

She'ar-Yishuv will present historical findings regarding the existence of a synagogue on the Temple Mount after the destruction of the temple, as well as material from research studies by former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren.

The late Rabbi Goren (She'ar-Yishuv's father-in-law) favored permitting Jews to visit the Temple Mount, a contrary position to that of the majority of Israel's senior rabbis.

Today's discussion by the Chief Rabbinate Council has drawn a warning from the Mufti of Jerusalem, Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, who said yesterday that "if the Al-Aqsa Mosque [on Haram al-Sharif, meaning the Noble Sanctuary, as Muslims refer to the Temple Mount] is harmed, not only the Muslims here but the Muslims all over the world will not sit idly by."

Today's discussion by the Chief Rabbinate Council has drawn a warning from the Mufti of Jerusalem, Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, who said yesterday that "if the Al-Aqsa Mosque [on Haram al-Sharif, meaning the Noble Sanctuary, as Muslims refer to the Temple Mount] is harmed, not only the Muslims here but the Muslims all over the world will not sit idly by." Sabri, who was interviewed on the Voice of Palestine, called today's discussion "a very dangerous precedent, which proves that the Jewish clerics and politicians do not want peace but capitulation, but with the help of Allah that will not come to pass."

Israel's two chief rabbis, Yisrael Meir Lau and Eliahu Bakshi-Doron, are both against reversing the halakhic stricture against Jews entering the Temple Mount compound for reasons related to ritual uncleanliness. Most of the country's leading rabbis, both Orthodox (religious Zionists) and ultra-Orthodox, have supported this approach for years.

Israel's two chief rabbis, Yisrael Meir Lau and Eliahu Bakshi-Doron, are both against reversing the halakhic stricture against Jews entering the Temple Mount compound for reasons related to ritual uncleanliness. Most of the country's leading rabbis, both Orthodox (religious Zionists) and ultra-Orthodox, have supported this approach for years. As far as is known, the members of the Chief Rabbinate Council are also against any change in the religious ruling on the Temple Mount. Today's discussion will be the second in a month by the council concerning the possibility of permitting Jews to enter the Temple Mount. The first discussion ended with a resolution to abide by the longstanding halakhic ruling, but since then the Chief Rabbinate has come under pressure to reconsider the matter and relax the prohibition.

A few years ago the rabbis of the Yesha Council of settlements in the territories issued a letter implying that Jews could enter the Temple Mount compound. Part of the pressure currently being exerted on the Chief Rabbinate emanates from those rabbis.

The Mufti of Jerusalem said that Israel would bear responsibility for any changes at the Temple Mount. Today's discussion by the Chief Rabbinate Council, the march of the right-wing Women in Green movement - who will be joined by Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert - on the fast day of the Ninth of Av (this Thursday) and the intention of the Temple Mount Loyalists to pray at the site, are generating concern among senior officials of the Palestinian Authority that violence could erupt in Jerusalem because of what they regard as the provocations of extremist Jews.

PA Chairman Yasser Arafat hinted to Turkish leaders on Saturday that "dangerous changes are occurring" since the Camp David summit, particularly at "the sacred Christian and Islamic places" in Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa.

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