Jordan has just complained publicly about what it calls an Israeli “invasion of Al-Aqsa Mosque.” The preposterous complaint is here.
Jordan reiterates to Israel: Al-Aqsa is a place for Muslim worship only.
The ministry’s spokesperson Deifallah al-Fayez condemned the “continued Israeli violations.”
The Kingdom of Jordan has requested that Israel “respect the sanctity” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the status quo, after it recently reopened to Muslim worshipers following a two-month hiatus amid coronavirus lockdowns.
According to Jordan’s official news agency Petra, “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has sent Israel, via diplomatic channels, a memo calling on Tel Aviv as an occupying power to respect the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and end all provocations and violations there.”
There have been no “provocations and violations” that the Israeli police have permitted. The rules are clear: Jews are not allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque, so could not possibly have interfered with Muslim worshippers, unless we are to accept the notion that their mere presence on the Temple Mount somehow “interferes” with the prayers of Muslims inside Al-Aqsa. The Jews at all times “respect the sanctity” of the mosque.
Jews can visit Temple Mount only on five days a week, from Sunday to Thursday. Visits must take place in the summer (from April through September) — between 8:30 and 10:30 am, and between 1:30 and 2:30 pm, and in winter (from October through March) between 7:30 and 10:30 am and 12:30 and 1:30 pm.
That is, Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount for only three hours a day, five days a week. That’s only 15 hours a week during which they can visit the holiest site in Judaism.
Furthermore, Jews are forbidden to pray, aloud or silently, or to engage in any other religious activity. Nor can they have on their person anything of a religious nature, such as prayer books or tallit, when visiting the Temple Mount. This rule is strictly enforced by the Israeli police.
On the latest Tisha B’Av (July 30), there were far more Jewish visitors than usual. Some 800 Jews entered the Temple Mount Thursday morning, with police admitting them not all at once, but in staggered groups of 20. There was thus no sudden rush of a large number of Jews onto the Temple Mount; they were admitted methodically, steadily, in those small groups, so as to prevent the total number of Jewish visitors on the Temple from suddenly becoming unmanageable. Once a certain number – 100? 200? — had been let in, the rest of the Jews waiting to be admitted were let in pari passu with the number of Jews who had come and gone.
When the Jordanian spokeswoman called for an “end to all provocations and violations there,” the “there” she was referring to was the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where — as she knows perfectly well — Jewish visitors do not go. But she also knows that very few in her worldwide audience will know that. And how many people, other than Jews (and by no means all of them), realize that Jews are not allowed to pray – not even silently – on the Temple Mount?
The ministry’s spokesperson Deifallah al-Fayez condemned the “continued Israeli violations,” the most recent example given being the “Israeli occupation forces allowing hundreds of Jewish extremists to storm the mosque” on Tisha B’Av.
As already noted, the claim that “hundreds of Jewish extremists” had been allowed to “storm the mosque” is a flat-out lie. There was no storming of the mosque. There never has been any storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque by Jewish visitors. Nor was there any “storming” of the Temple Mount itself. Israeli security made sure of that.
The spokesperson reiterated, in a note of exclusion, that the Al-Aqsa mosque is a place of worship for Muslims only and that the Jerusalem Waqf Department, run under the auspices of Jordan, “is the sole institution responsible for administrating the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque.”
It’s not just Al-Aqsa that is a place of worship “for Muslims only.” It’s the entire Temple Mount that is a “place of worship for Muslims only.” Jews who violate that rule and dare to engage in prayer, including silent prayer, are removed by the Israelis themselves. How many people realize that at the holiest site in Judaism, Muslims but not Jews may pray?
There was one small violation, by a handful of visitors to the Temple Mount, on Tisha b’Av.
Of the nearly 1000 Jewish visitors on that day, exactly ten were found to have prayed (it’s unclear if these were spoken or silent prayers), and they were promptly detained, and removed, by the Israeli police. 10 out of 1000 – 1% of the Jewish visitors – dared to pray and were taken away. Yet the Jordanians have charged the Jewish visitors with failing to “respect the sanctity” of the mosque, which they did not get near, and of being guilty of “violations and provocations” which the Jordanian spokesman did not detail, because noting the only “violation” — the 1% of Jewish visitors who attempted to pray on the Temple Mount — would have made clear what strict limits the Jews had placed on themselves. Better to simply accuse them of “violations and provocations” that are left unspecified, save for the charge that the “Jewish extremists” were allowed “to storm the mosque.”
Israel does not interfere in any way with the Waqf in its administering “the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque.” The Israeli police are there to provide security, to prevent violence, and above all, to ensure that Jewish visitors respect the limitations imposed on them.
Here’s an answer the Israelis might make to the Jordanian complaint:
On Tisha b’Av, 978 Jews visited the Temple Mount during the three hours they are allowed. Israeli security allowed them to enter the Temple Mount only in groups of 20, staggered in time so as to prevent congestion. The Jews did not enter either the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock, but – as always –confined themselves to the Temple Mount itself.
They did not pray aloud. They did not pray silently. They did not carry prayer books, tallit, or any other religious articles.
However, ten of the 978 Jewish visitors did start to pray. They were soon observed, detained, and removed by the Israeli guards. Those guards were following the rules laid down for Jewish visitors that Israel has undertaken to enforce, even though – please remember – the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. We think the fair-minded, properly informed, will reject the baseless accusations made against us, and appreciate the policies we have adopted to minimize conflict at this holy site.
Westman says
After a while it becomes noticable that Jordan only makes noise and accusations; being quite unable to equal Israeli abilities despits having a larger population. False accusations are a sign of fear and the ubiquitous habit of dishonestly playing the victim.
CogitoErgoSum says
No one should be stopping the Jews from praying on the Temple Mount. If they can’t pray there then no one should be allowed to pray there. Make that entire area off limits to every human being on the planet. Let that entire Temple Mount belong solely to God. If the Muslims want to fight about it, let them. They have said they are going to wipe out all the Jews one day anyway. The best time to fight an enemy is when you are stronger than he is.
Robert Porter says
CogitoErgoSum – How absurd, the Muslims have every desire and intent to wipe out all Jews, yet Israel did not demolish the mosques on Temple Mount and restricts Jewish presence there! Why?
When Jordan over-ran parts of Israel in 1948 it demolished synagogues and destroyed Jewish cemeteries. I failed to understand why Israel did not destroy mosques – that have proven a thorn in the flesh for Israel!
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, it is absurd when you think about how open Islam is about wanting to wipe out the Jews and yet the Jews and everyone else seem to think the Muslims will just forget about it if we are nice to them. That’s why the Israelis don’t wipe out the mosques. It’s the idea of “be nice to them and they will be nice to you.” However, that’s not the way verse 9:29 of the Koran tells Muslims to act toward Infidels. Treating the enemy with love would seem absurd to them; and actually helping the enemy with his plans to wipe you out would seem even more absurd.
My idea would require neither love nor hate and immediate destruction of the mosque would not be necessary. Just make the area around it a forbidden zone to all human beings. The mosque would never have any work done to it to repair damage from storms and normal deterioration over time. Earthquakes have happened in Jerusalem and will happen again. It may take many years but the mosque would eventually crumble to dust and the Temple Mount would be holy ground, off limits to any human being. The Muslims would not like the idea, of course, but making the Temple Mount a place reserved for God alone seems no more absurd to me than what has been happening all over the world so far this year. (And most absurd of all, no one will pay any attention to what I think anyway.)
The Political Oracle says
On 23 March 1976, Jordan entered into full force the ICCPR. On 2 July 2014, Palestine entered into full force the ICCPR. On 3 January 1992, Israel entered into full force the ICCPR. All three countries are in violation of the ICCPR.
“Jews can visit Temple Mount only on five days a week, from Sunday to Thursday. Visits must take place in the summer (from April through September) — between 8:30 and 10:30 am, and between 1:30 and 2:30 pm, and in winter (from October through March) between 7:30 and 10:30 am and 12:30 and 1:30 pm.
That is, Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount for only three hours a day, five days a week. That’s only 15 hours a week during which they can visit the holiest site in Judaism.
Furthermore, Jews are forbidden to pray, aloud or silently, or to engage in any other religious activity. Nor can they have on their person anything of a religious nature, such as prayer books or tallit, when visiting the Temple Mount. This rule is strictly enforced by the Israeli police.”
If Israel is enforcing this oppression, I will be writing my congressman to withhold any Israeli funding and aide to Israel until Israel complies with the provisions of the ICCPR, which it had agreed to on 3 January 1992. Furthermore, I will request withholding of any aide to Jordan until it complies with the ICCPR it had agreed to on 23 March 1976.
What we are seeing is cruel and unusual punishment of Jewish communities by muslim-run agencies and organizations. If this is the case at Temple Mount, islam is truly a racist and oppressive organized religion and cannot be tolerated as any form of free expression or religion. The religion of islam cannot be protected under the ICCPR, If islam sanctions the deliberate violation of other religions and practicing communities that are protected under the ICCPR.
Write your congressman or congresswoman as soon as possible! This oppression must end immediately! Signatories to the ICCPR must be held accountable!
The Political Oracle
The Political Oracle says
Please download and read this journal article. Very important to understanding what is going on in Israel!
Chicago Journal of International Law
Volume 18Number 1 Article 6
7-1-2017
So Made That I Cannot Believe: The ICCPR and the Protection of
Non-Religious Expression in Predominantly Religious Countries
Devin Carpenter
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1723&context=cjil
gravenimage says
I don’t think that Israel protecting non-religious rights is a bad thing.
Kowtowing to aggressive Islamic supremacy is a different matter.
The Political Oracle says
The article also discusses religious rights. Looks like the article boils down to forcing Israel to capitulate to islamic sensibilities under the ICCPR. ICCPR requires that governments choose the least resistive solution to religious disputes. In this case, practicing Jewish community members are thrown in a cage, in alignment with the ICCPR. The action, by Israeli police, pacified the outcry of islamist supremacists. So, this article is relevant in that we can see the ICCPR in action.
gravenimage says
The Political Oracle, enabling aggressive Islam is not actually protecting the rights of those who are not religious. In fact, Islam hates Atheists and Agnostics as it does Jews and Christians and other people of faith.
The Political Oracle says
Per your latest comment, I am not advocating violent islam in any way. I am pointing out the severe weakness of the ICCPR as islam has muslims portray themselves as victims in every way possible. I am trying to point out that the ICCPR is used against the majority. Forget what the title of the article says, just read the article. Won’t be long before Israeli police begin arresting and jailing Non-Religious people under the guise of sanctity. The religion of islam sees Non-Religious people as a potential path to advance the cause of islam through conversion. The ICCPR is used to bring infidels and the kafir to their knees. It’s time to read the ICCPR and scrutinize it.
The Political Oracle says
Correction of aide to aid…
Carl -stealth Infidel- says
The mosque needs to be torn down, and the Jews given their Holy Site back.
The Political Oracle says
Please download and read this journal article. This is an addendum to the post above.
Chicago Journal of International Law
Volume 18Number 1 Article 6
7-1-2017
So Made That I Cannot Believe: The ICCPR and the Protection of
Non-Religious Expression in Predominantly Religious Countries
Devin Carpenter
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1723&context=cjil
John says
‘Respect the sanctity of the mosque…….’ using Muslim logic the mosque should be turned into a synagogue. Israelis conquered it, as the Muslims conquered the Hagia Sofia.
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, the Israelis conquered it in 1967 war and should have kept full control of it. Instead they turned administration of it over to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. The King of Jordan currently supplies all of the funding for the operation of the Waqf.
Giving anything to Muslims is a big mistake. They will gladly take it and still treat you as a dhimmi and seek to humble you even more … and if they ever take anything from you, they will never give it back.
Terry Gain says
I do not understand why Israel agreed to such ridiculous restrictions on the right of Jews to worship. If Islam was merely a religion rather than a totalitarian conquest ideology it would not care what Jews do in their temples.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Terry. I’m sure the Israelis thought they would have peace if only they appeased the Muslims enough. This *never* works.
somehistory says
Governments change laws every day. Why does Israel not just change the law that allows Jordan to have any say in what they do regarding the war barracks of islam where moslims go to plan and declare aspects of their continual war against the Jews, Christians and everyone else?
Sure, there would be a multitude of complaints if they did this, but they get complaints by the shipload for not having done anything to upset any applecarts. If moslims do not like restrictions placed upon them by other ruling parties, they can all go live in the moslim countries that follow their brand of islam lawlessness and depravity.
gravenimage says
Jordan Complains About Israelis Who ‘Storm the Mosque’ of Al Aqsa
………….
What a ludicrous claim. In fact, the Muslim Waqf has almost total control of the Temple mount.
Idol and Icon says
This is madness. The mosque itself is a blot on the landscape, it should be destroyed and no Muslim should be allowed anywhere near the Temple Mount. Hasn’t Islam fouled enough of the place.