The Druse can guard the Temple Mount, Sephardi Chief Rabbi tells 'Post'

Jerusalem Post ^ | Aug. 6, 2003 | ABIGAIL RADOSZKOWICZ

[yonif]

Reiterating the rabbinate's official position of the past two decades, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar on Wednesday forbade Jews from visiting the Temple Mount.

The Temple Mount certainly belongs to the Jews, Amar told The Jerusalem Post, but Halacha dictates that Jews are not permitted to enter it.

In the wake of Israel's sudden victory in the Six Day War of 1967 that brought the site of the Holy of Holies under its control, former chief rabbi Shlomo Goren ruled that Jews are permitted to congregate in certain areas of the Temple Mount without fear of violating halachic prohibitions.

However, Amar replied, most rabbis of our generation have not held by Goren's decision. Then-defense minister Moshe Dayan prevented Goren from establishing prayer services in the areas at the edges of the Temple Mount that Goren had determined were permissible to visit.

While police have forbidden non-Muslims from visiting the Temple Mount for almost the entire period since the intifada broke out in late 2000, they briefly reopened the site before ordering it closed again to Jews ahead of Tisha Be'Av the fast day, commemorated from Wednesday night to Thursday night, marking the destruction of the two Jewish temples on the site.

Also controversial have been Wakf-allowed construction works at the site, without archeological supervision, that Israeli groups have said have led to the destruction of ancient artifacts there.

Amar argued that the official rabbinical position has not given credence to the Wakf's claim that the Temple Mount belongs to the Muslims and not the Jews, saying, "There is no connection between the issue of ownership and the fact that [the site's] very holiness forbids us to enter it." Nor does Amar believe that the lack of a Jewish presence there means that the Wakf must continue its construction work unsupervised.

In fact, he offered an unconventional solution: "I was recently in Morocco [as a guest of King Muhammad VI]. Where there are no Jews left, the community hires Arab guards to watch over the Jewish graveyards. We have plenty of non-Jewish soldiers, such as the Druse, who can keep the Temple Mount from further destruction should a political decision to that effect be made."

In any case, Amar added, the destruction of archeological treasures does not carry much significance. He reiterated that Jews can only visit the site of the Temple Mount when the temple is rebuilt, when the Messiah arrives.

He acknowledged the miraculous nature of the stunningly swift victory of the Israeli forces over the armies of five Arab countries in 1967, but said that it is miracle enough that the Jews have control over the Western Wall.

[wideawake]

If I'm not mistaken, Druze units has served faithfully and with distinction in the IDF for some time. This might not be a bad idea for the time being.

[onedoug]

It's hard. But often harder still to bear that the truly sacred places are within us.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

The Druse are a fascinating Islamic minority. Those in Israel are hard-working, dedicated, trustworthy Israelis who have fought shoulder-to-shoulder alongside their Jewish brethren in Israel's army... even against blood relatives on the Syrian side.

I've often thought that the Druse are a model for peace in the Middle East. At a minimum, they show it can be done.