Women praying at King David's Tomb
Women praying at King David's TombFlash90

Rabbi Eldad Shmueli, an activist for the Jewish rights to King David's Tomb in Jerusalem, called on all visitors to the Western Wall (Kotel) to also visit King David's Tomb to increase Jewish presence there. 

"We do not want what happened to the Temple Mount to happen [at David's Tomb]," he stated in an interview with Arutz Sheva Sunday morning.

"To our delight the Israeli public has visited en masse, the publication of the agreement with the Vatican has given us a boost [in attendance] - there are many [Torah] lessons, prayers, and melave malka [Saturday night gatherings, often featuring Torah topics or speakers - ed.]."

"The place is alive and vibrant - everyone should come here and help maintain the spiritual essence of this place," he added. 

King David's Tomb on Mt. Zion became the subject of speculation last summer, after government agencies and activists gave differing reports on whether the Vatican had been given more control over the site.

Following Pope Francis's Israel visit in June and controversial Mass prayer services at the site, reports alleged that Christians were regularly holding fixed prayers at the Compound, in the "Room of the Last Supper" on the second floor and even in the very room of King David's Tomb marker.

The institution of regular Christian prayers at the site has been raised by rabbis as a move changing the Compound's status, and one that could prevent Jews from entering the holy site altogether, given that Jewish law forbids entering a Church.

Now, six months after the last full report on the site, Shmueli said that the masses of Jewish worshipers may single-handedly be keeping the site Jewish. He noted that the government was "surprised" by the backlash from the agreement, which had been on the drawing board "for many years."

"We might have reached a situation as bad as the Temple Mount, where every Jew who steps there is in danger - that's what might have happened on Mt. Zion," if Jewish worshippers had stopped attending the site, he said.  

Rabbi Shmueli notes that Christians continue to frequent the place, and asked Jews to keep visiting the site.