In a move described by equal rights activists as a capitulation to Islamic supremacism, Israeli authorities have decided to close one of Judaism’s most holy sites, the Temple Mount, to Jews until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Practicing Israeli Jews were upset on Tuesday after they were met with a notice at the Temple Mount telling them they would not be able to visit the site during the final 10 days of Ramadan, Israel Radio reported.
The notice, which was only posted in Hebrew, apologizes for the closure but offers no explanation as to why the policy continues.
By posting the message in Hebrew, “This made it clear that (1) the prohibition is specific to Israeli Jews, and (2) the Israeli government is clearly aware of just how antithetical to a democratic society such a decision [sic] would appear to foreign tourists,” commented Hana Levi Julian at the Jewish Press.
Equal rights activists have condemned the decision, calling it a “surrender to terrorism,” the Times of Israel reported. However, police noted that the policy is not new and is upheld every year during the final days of the Muslim holy month.
Meanwhile, an advocacy group called Students for Temple Mount have published a new report documenting the anti-Jewish harassment at the Temple Mount by Muslim activists.
Palestinian radicals are often found intimidating and bullying Jews who decide to visit the Temple Mount, leading to a common environment where police are forced to provide security escort for Jews through the grounds of the holy site.
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