News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) The Israeli Supreme Court has given the state 45 days to answer a petition which claims the State of Israel does not protect Muslim "holy places" and demands official guidelines for such be set. The petition was first made in November 2004 by the Adbala Arab rights group and Muslim activists. The government says no guidelines are needed as the state has already expressed willingness to allocate over 2 million shekels for this purpose.

The Supreme Court has come under severe criticism by Jewish rights groups for allowing the Muslim Wakf to destroy large parts of the Temple Mount – Judaism holiest site and for failing to protect the rights of Jewish worshippers on the Mount.