The following statement was released to the media by the Temple Institute following the attempted assassination of Har Habayis activist Rabbi Yehuda Glick after a speaking event at the Begin Heritage Center in Yerushalayim on Wednesday night the eve of 6 Marcheshvan.
“The Temple Institute condemns the shooting attack in Jerusalem against its former director Yehuda Glick, in a deliberate and calculated assassination attempt just moments after the conclusion of an annual conference on the subject of Jewish tefilla on Har Habayis.
“Yehuda is a selfless champion of the right for Jews to daven on Har Habayis who works tirelessly towards this goal, and together with all of Israel, we are deeply concerned for his welfare, and in prayer for his speedy and complete recovery.
Responsibility for this despicable act rests squarely upon the government of Israel and the Israel Police, who have allowed Har Habayis, Israel’s holiest site, to degenerate into an arena that hosts daily occurrences of unbridled and heinous expressions of Jew-hatred. From organized, Hamas-funded incitement, to ambushes against Jewish visitors, to Molotov cocktails and rocks, to spray-painted swastika graffiti. While in the political arena, PA Chairman Abbas’ recent statement that Jewish visits should be stopped ‘by all means,’ and PM Netanyahu’s ‘assurances’ to Jordon’s King Abdullah that he will not allow Jewish prayer on Har Habayis — all this has proven that violence against Jews pays and has paved the way to the attempted murder of Yehuda Glick.
“The Israeli government’s response to the attack is criminal and yet another gift to the Muslim agitators. While they have announced that the Temple Mount will be closed to both Jews and Muslims, pictures have already emerged showing known Muslims troublemakers roaming freely on the site, while Jews are locked out. We call upon our government to enforce full entry and full Jewish prayer rights immediately.
“It must be stated clearly that Jewish visitors to Har Habayis simply come to be seen by G-d in the holiest place on earth. We seek no conflict with anyone and merely want to exercise our right of freedom of worship in the heart of Jerusalem. Har Habayis should be a symbol of universal unity, peace and brotherhood of mankind
“Har Habayis is prophesized to become ‘a house of prayer for all nations’ (Isaiah 2). The attack against Yehuda Glick is an attack against every Jew who seeks to daven on Har Habayis, who seeks peace for all nations, and against every civilized human being who cherishes religious freedom and expression. To gun down a peaceful advocate for the right to pray is attempt to silence man’s hope for equality, and attempted murder against the Divine image in which all men were created”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Whilst not minimising the tragedy or the criminality of the attack, will someone please tell me if we are actually allowed in Halacha to go on the Har Habayis.
“Those religious Jews who ascend Har HaBayit today abide by the ruling of Rambam, who states that entering the areas where the Azarah and the Beit Hamikdash itself stood still incurs the punishment of karet.[18] However, there is one important aspect of this discussion that has not yet been addressed: the exact location of the historical Har HaBayit (the area referred to as Har HaBayit during the time of the Beit Hamikdash). Where exactly was the historical Har HaBayit located?[19] The mishnah in Middot (2:1) states that Har HaBayit was 500 by 500 amot, an area of approximately 62,500 square meters. (An amah is roughly a half-meter.) Today the area referred to as Har HaBayit is a rectangle that is twice as long north-south as it is east-west, covering an area of about 145,500 square meters. Herod had built additions to Har HaBayit in the north and south, creating “spectator” sections for non-Jews. Thus, those who permit entry to the area suggest there are regions in the south (near the El-Aqsa mosque) and north that were clearly added by Herod. If this is correct, then anyone can enter those areas, even one who has not gone to a mikvah. Those who object to ascending Har HaBayit at all assert that there is no way to know with certainty—and archeological evidence can never definitively determine—the precise location of the Beit Hamikdash. Thus, even though a tamei met may technically ascend Har HaBayit, because of the severe punishment (karet) he would face were he to mistakenly enter the Azarah, one should avoid the entire area.[20] Therefore some authorities (such as Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef ) state that one should not ascend Har HaBayit because we are in a state of tumat met; these authorities agree that a tamei met is not barred from the peripheral areas of Har HaBayit, but they maintain that when one is in a state of tumat met, he should avoid all of Har HaBayit lest he stray into forbidden areas.” Taken from Orthodox Union website
The shooting of any Jew is tragic – but ignoring the ruling of all our Gedolei Haposkim of today and previous generations is no less tragic and will in no way help the victim or bring peace to the nation.
In addition to the halachic issue our Gedolim have also declared that for Jews to ascend the Har Habayis is unnessary provocation which can and has cost human live HY”D and must be avoided at all cost.
The Government should declare the Temple Institute as illegal as the Kach movement.
dlkanoi – Let it also declare your version of Chareidism illegal as well, if you’re condemning things to that list.
#4 The chareidim don’t provoc the arabs in a way that has already costs us several Korabnot HY”D.