A group of Temple Mount activists were spotted dressed up as Arabs on Friday in order to be able to enter the compound.
The Jewish activists did not do this in the spirit of Purim, which was celebrated in the capital on Friday. They did it in order to get around a ban on Jewish prayer which was imposed by the police.
Despite a court ruling earlier this week which said that police “must make sure that Jews are able to pray on the Temple Mount”, officers have been restricting Jewish prayer at the compound since Wednesday, telling worshippers that the restrictions are in accordance with a decision by the political leadership following pressure from Jordan.
On Friday, Jews who wanted to visit the Temple Mount were told by officers that on Fridays the Temple Mount must be free of Jews regularly, even on Purim.
The worshippers who were forced to dress up as Arabs said, “It is inconceivable that we cannot be on the Temple Mount on a day like today.”
Temple Mount organizations called on the Prime Minister to stop applying leftist policies on the Temple Mount.
“Starting with Moshe Dayan, who treated the compound as unnecessary excess baggage, governments have turned their backs on the Temple Mount and gave it away to Muslims. Netanyahu must allow free Jewish entry to the Temple Mount every day of the year and especially during Jewish holidays,” they said.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)