Worthy Christian News > Israel-Palestinian Conflict > Israel Will Allow Unrestricted Muslim Access to Temple Mount During Ramadan, Netanyahu Says

Israel Will Allow Unrestricted Muslim Access to Temple Mount During Ramadan, Netanyahu Says

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – This week, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that during the first week of Ramadan, the level of access for Muslim worshippers to the Temple Mount would remain unchanged from previous years. The decision was made against the backdrop of concerns about attempts by terrorist organizations to provoke violence at the holy site following calls for a “month of terror” during the Muslim holy month.

Netanyahu made the announcement before the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that will be held from March 11 to April 9 this year.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s office, “Israel strongly safeguards freedom of worship for all faiths at all sites in Israel, especially the Temple Mount. Ramadan is sacred to Muslims. Its sanctity will be upheld this year, as it is every year.”

During Ramadan, when religious tensions often heightened, hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshippers are anticipated on the holy site, which is considered the most contested piece of real estate in the world. The Temple Mount is regarded as the most sacred site in Judaism, the location of the two biblical Temples, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third holiest shrine in Islam.

The decision made by Netanyahu met with strong disagreements within his cabinet as National Security Cabinet Minister Itamar Ben-Gviv, who oversees the police, wanted to ban access to the Temple Mount to anyone under the age of 70 from accessing the holy site.

On Tuesday evening, Ben-Gvir warned that the decision made by the cabinet might “endanger the citizens of Israel and allow a victory photo for Hamas.”

“The decision to allow an ascent to the Temple Mount during Ramadan, similar to previous years, contrary to the police’s and my position, shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the small cabinet believe that nothing happened on Oct. 7,” Ben-Gvir said.

Ben Gvir expressed his disapproval on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, regarding the decision, stating that “Hamas celebrations on the Temple Mount” do not represent the “total victory” Israel had promised its citizens over the terrorist organization.

Over the weekend, Hamas called on its supporters “to mobilize and march to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, to protect it from the desecration of the usurping settlers, and to thwart all fascist plans targeting the Holy Mosque and the Holy City.”

The Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad joined Hamas in urging for a “month of terror” and advocating for the “continuation of the Battle of al-Aqsa.” They called upon Muslims worldwide to join the conflict against Israel.

In the past, due to concerns over potential stability issues and the risk of a catastrophic collapse, Israeli authorities have restricted the number of worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount. These concerns stemmed from constructing the Al-Marwani Mosque in an area referred to as “Solomon’s Stables,” where several supporting structures were removed from the Temple Mount platform to make space for the mosque. [Sources: Israel National News | Daniel Pipes ]