Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday slammed Knesset members who ascend the Temple Mount to pray. Liberman said that he considered the visits by MKs to be attempts to get some “cheap publicity.” Such MKs were taking “cynical advantage of a sensitive political and complicated political solution.”
Several MKs – notably Moshe Feiglin, Tzippy Hotovely, Ayelet Shaked, and others – have visited the Temple Mount recently, with Feiglin being the most-visited MK.
In the wake of the shooting of Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick last week, Shaked called on the government to announce new regulations regarding Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount.
"Yehuda would always ascend the Temple Mount without provocation. I hope the police will come around and let him hold tours on the Temple Mount, and that the Prime Minister will come to his senses and approve the regulations on visiting times to the Temple Mount, so that the Jews can continue to visit and pray there,” Shaked told Arutz Sheva.
Shaked added that there is no need to change the law in order to do this, but only to sign regulations already drafted by the Deputy Minister of Religious Services, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan.
For Liberman, such talk is anathema. “A large part of our ability to deal with tension and terrorism is based on our remaining united, and not to search for ways to enhance the differences between us or to use those advantages for political gain. Ascending the Temple Mount is something that can be done after calm is restored.”
"Undertaking such acts at a sensitive time like this – and in a sensitive place like the Temple Mount – will not increase security for Israelis," he added.
MKs, however, see things very differently. In the absence of the prime minister taking action to allow Jewish prayer and crackdown on Islamist incitement and violence, many view visits by elected officials as having important symbolism, explained Jewish Home party secretary general Uri Bank.
"In order to implement our sovereignty on the Temple Mount we need MKs to ascend regularly."