One morning in July, on a pathway atop Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, eight barefoot men lay spread-eagled, faces pressed to the ground, as four police officers stood by and watched.
Just two years ago, this act—part of a mitzvah, a religious commandment known as Hishtachavaya—would have led to immediate ejection. For decades, authorities restricted Jewish prayer at the site, which houses the Al-Aqsa mosque and the remains of the Second Temple, making it one of the most sensitive and contested religious spaces on earth.
Often described as a powder keg, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism—the location of the two ancient Jewish Temples, the last of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. That destruction is mourned annually on Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av), a day of fasting and lamentation, which this year begins on Saturday night, Aug. 2.
Under Israel’s current government, Jewish prayer on the Mount has been liberalized in scope and frequency like never before. Visits by Jews have surged. Supporters of this shift cite its spiritual and ideological significance for future generations. Critics, however, argue it provokes Muslims, contravenes religious law and escalates tensions. (Read More)
