Court won't open Temple Mount to 'Faithful' group

Jerusalem Post ^ | Aug. 6, 2003 | ETGAR LEFKOVITS

[yonif]

The Supreme Court rejected a petition by members of the Temple Mount Faithful to ascend Jerusalem's ancient Temple Mount Thursday for the Tisha Be'Av fast day.

The court accepted the government argument that it would be dangerous to allow Jews on the mount for diplomatic and security reasons.

The petition by the small, ultra-nationalist group had argued there was no justification for the decision to close the mount to Jews again after the site had successfully been reopened to visitors last month without causing any violence.

Two lawmakers vowed Wednesday to visit the Temple Mount, despite the renewed police ban on trips to the site by non-Muslims. Police said they would stop them.

MK's Inbal Gavrieli and Yehiel Hazan from Likud said they would not be deterred from visiting the site Thursday to mark the destruction of the biblical Jewish temples.

Earlier, police had reached a partial agreement with members of the group whereby they would be able to drive their "temple cornerstone" on a truck through central - but not east - Jerusalem without making any stops on the way.

The group will also hold a march Thursday from the city's Givat Hamivtar to the Dung Gate in the Old City, but will not be allowed to visit the Temple Mount.

While there is widespread public support in Israel for reopening of the mount to visitors in general and in coordination with police, in the past only dozens of people have turned out for the event sponsored by this group.

Fearing renewed Palestinian violence, police have barred non-Muslims from entering the Temple Mount since Ariel Sharon's controversial visit in September 2000. Aside from the brief reopening last month, the 33 months since has been the longest period the site has been closed to Jews and Christians since the unification of Jerusalem in 1967.

Tisha Be'av marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples built at the site, as well as a series of other calamities in Jewish history. It is considered the darkest day on the Jewish calendar.