Kerry Calls for Re-Opening Temple Mount for Muslim Worship Only

Michael L.

Writing in Arutz Sheva Ben Ariel quotes Kerry directly:

“The Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount must be re-opened to Muslim worshipers and I support the long-standing practices regarding non-Muslim visitors to the site, consistent with respect for the status quo arrangements governing religious observance there,” said Kerry.

Who the hell is the US Secretary of State to demand of Israel that it must open its holiest site to Muslims, but not to Jews?  What kind of obviously bigoted thinking could be behind this?

Kerry’s comments came after Israel temporarily closed the Temple Mount for Jews and Muslims, following the assassination attempt on Glick the night before. His call essentially repeats comments made earlier Thursday by Psaki in a press briefing.

Psaki criticized Israel for closing the compound and urged the Jewish state to reopen the Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims, in a show of concern for prayer rights that may seem ironic to many given the lack of criticism on the Jordanian Waqf's (Islamic trust) ban on Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism.

This administration is absolutely no friend or ally to the Jewish people.

For Psaki to criticize Israel for closing the Temple Mount - despite the attempted murder of Yehuda Glick by an Arab terrorist racist who put the man into a coma - and then to suggest that Muslims, and only Muslims, be allowed to pray there is highly discriminatory against Jews and all non-Muslims.

It is almost as if this administration believes that Arabs have every right to try to murder Jews and if we Jews do anything whatsoever in our own self-defense, we get condemned for that self-defense which almost inevitably get painted as aggression.

In my opinion, it is long past time that Israel took over full sovereignty of the Temple Mount and liberalized access policy, just as Yehuda Glick wanted and for which he was almost murdered.  Anyone should be allowed on top of the Mount for peaceful purposes, including prayer.

And however critical I might be of the current US administration's unfortunate biases concerning Israel and Jews, it is the Israeli government, itself, which is discriminating against all non-Muslims in its access policy to the Mount.

Have the centuries of diaspora and abuse made us so cringing as a people that we cannot even bring ourselves to protect our rights of access to our own holy places within the Jewish State?  You know, they say that the Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Islam.  Well, whatever that means, exactly, the fact remains that it is the Number One holy site for Jews the world over and it just happens to be in Israel.

Thus Israel can, and should, end the current policy which is discriminatory against all non-Muslims.

From the comments:

George Weiss ·  Top Commenter · Columbia University

But Mr. kerry, the status quo is discriminatory against Jews and Christians. How can you suggest that it be continued? Where are your American values?

Indeed.