Following the escalation of violations by occupation ministers against the sanctity of Al-Aqsa, a Hebrew newspaper that speaks on behalf of Western Orthodox Jews (Haredim) published a new fatwa in Arabic and Hebrew that prohibits Jews from visiting the Noble Sanctuary.

On its front page, and in a prominent place, the newspaper “Yated Ne’eman,” which speaks on behalf of the “Yehudat HaTorah” movement (Western Haredim), published today a fatwa by the movement’s rabbis, which comes against the backdrop of the call by Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben Gvir for Jews to pray in Al-Aqsa and build a synagogue in the sanctuary. It stated: “It is strictly forbidden for Jews to ascend to the “Temple Mount” (Al-Aqsa courtyard). This is the opinion and fatwa of all Jewish jurists and muftis throughout the ages, and this opinion has not changed, and is still in effect to this day.”

In addition to this headline, the Hebrew newspaper published a picture of the minister convicted of terrorism, Ben Gvir, under the title “The Arsonist.”

A cartoon published today by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed Ben Gvir looking out from a balcony and pouring a can of gasoline on a blazing fire, saying: “If you want, this is not a myth,” referring to his provocative statements in which he proposed the idea of building a synagogue. The cartoonist here is writing with a historical quote by the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, who is present in the collective memory of Israelis, as he looks out from a balcony with contemplative eyes, talking, a century and a half ago, about the idea of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine: “If you want, this is not a myth.”

The “status quo” theory

It is worth noting that dozens of rabbis had issued, decades ago, fatwas prohibiting Jews from visiting the Noble Sanctuary, which were confirmed collectively after the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, when hundreds of them confirmed that such violations of the sanctuary are considered, according to Jewish law, to be major sins.

These rabbis, past and present, rely on two basic ideas: Jews are not allowed to enter the Noble Sanctuary because it is the site of the alleged temple, the exact location of which is unknown before its demolition. Therefore, Jews entering means violating its sanctity by trampling on its traces as the “Holy of Holies.”

According to Jewish law, it was originally forbidden to enter the temple without purifying oneself by wiping one’s body with ashes from the burning of a red cow before visiting. Against the backdrop of the desire to carry out these incursions, groups from the extremist, metaphysical, settler right sought to search for red cows. Six red cows were even imported from the United States years ago for this religious purpose.

The second idea of the fatwas of prohibition is security-related, as the rabbis agreed with the vision of the late Israeli Minister of Security Moshe Dayan, the founder of the “status quo” theory in the Noble Sanctuary, where he determined, after the occupation of 1967, that the sanctuary would be managed by the Islamic Waqf Committee affiliated with Jordan, while sovereignty over the place would be Israeli, and prayer in the place would be for Muslims only, while Jews would be allowed to visit as tourists only.

Netanyahu is the first responsible

However, the incursions and violations of the Noble Sanctuary are not limited to extremist groups and supporters of Ben Gvir and Smotrich, as there are increasing Israeli circles, for about three decades, that adopt their dangerous vision, and this is evident in the number of participants in the incursions.

Yesterday, it was revealed that a record number of Jews participated in these incursions: about 44,000 Jews participated in the violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa in the past year.

The successive occupation governments are also responsible for this dangerous provocation. An investigation by the Israeli human rights organization “Ir Amim” revealed, 15 years ago, that the occupation government supported 27 associations that built the temple on the ruins of Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock.

Yesterday, it was revealed that the Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, had allocated a budget to finance Jewish violations of the Noble Sanctuary, and his Prime Minister Netanyahu bears the greatest responsibility, as he allows this dangerous attack that attempts to replicate the division of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, by gradually normalizing the idea of dividing Al-Aqsa.

Netanyahu is content with brief, lukewarm statements claiming his refusal to change the “status quo,” without intervening to actually prevent violations, while the Temple associations continue to fund his government’s “union of hearts” project through lectures in schools and clubs for Jewish youth, and organizing “trips” for them to the sanctuary as part of convincing them of the idea of rebuilding the Third Temple, an idea that finds supporters within the government and in the parties. Is it not just a populist idea behind which are political, partisan and personal ambitions, but rather an ideological one that indicates that the conflict has also become religious?

Populist statements

In an interview with the Hebrew radio, the Minister of Education in the occupation government, Yoav Kish, was asked about the right of Jews to visit Al-Aqsa and pray, and he expressed his agreement in a twisted and indirect manner: “I was raised in a home that opposes Jews visiting the Temple Mount, but I am a liberal man, and I support freedom of worship for Jews in the world and the country as well. The status quo in the place can be changed, but it must be done in a calculated and thoughtful manner, and in official decision-making circles, taking into account the consequences of changing the status quo.”

Earlier, Kish tweeted: “Any change to the ‘status quo’ on the Temple Mount, with an emphasis on the current period, the period of war, must be done professionally within the security cabinet, with all the implications and implications studied. Ben-Gvir’s statements are irresponsible, overly populist and stupid.” Asked whether Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount was conditional on the nature of the security implications, Kish evasively replied: “I expressed my principled opinion, and that’s enough.”

In contrast, circles in the coalition, the opposition, and public opinion are accusing Ben Gvir of playing with a powder keg and igniting a religious war that poses an existential threat to Israel, as it is inciting Muslims around the world against it and against Jews wherever they are, and pouring water on the mill of Hamas, which is seeking “unity of arenas.”

Interior Minister (Shas Party - for the Eastern Haredim) Moshe Arbel took Netanyahu to task, saying that the prime minister must intervene to immediately rein in Ben Gvir, after his irresponsible statements that challenge our strategic relations with Islamic countries that want to participate in a regional and international alliance against Iran and its camp.

Arbel continued, in a statement: “Ben Gvir, with his stupid statements, is igniting a dangerous fire.”

A small number of representatives and ministers have announced their opposition to Ben Gvir’s statements and his violations of the sanctuary.