Despite several Israel Police announcements last week that the Temple Mount would be open to Jewish visitors on Tisha B’Av, hundreds of Jews were deeply disappointed this morning to discover that the police have reneged on their promise.
Yosef Rabin, who was at the blocked entrance, told the Jewish Press that the disappointment felt by everyone was “unbearable.”
“We discovered that once again we were deceived by the police,” Rabin said.
Yehuda Glick, spokesman for the joint staff of Temple organizations, pointed out that “among the hundreds of Jews who have assembled this morning there is a sense of grave disappointment. Despite all the attempts made by the Temple Mount activists to coordinate our activities with the police, time after time we are slapped in the face.”
A spokesman for the Jerusalem Police told the Jewish Press that entrance to Temple mount was barred for all visitors, Jews and non-Jews alike. According to the spokesman, Police have received intelligence regarding a planned attempt by Jewish activists to pray on Temple Mount, which would have been a violation of the status quo. The spokesman cited right wing Jewish websites which incited their followers to conduct prayer on the mount.