Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday decided to maintain a ban on Knesset Members visiting the Temple Mount, leading MK Yehuda Glick to hint that he would consider taking action against the ban if it remains in force for much longer.
Netanyahu's decision came following a meeting to assess the security situation ahead of the Tishrei holidays.
Netanyahu instructed, among other things, that police forces be increased, especially in the Old City and around the Temple Mount, and ordered that the Knesset Speaker be requested to act to continue to prevent MKs and ministers from going up to the Temple Mount during this sensitive period.
The Prime Minister also directed that activity be increased against Palestinian incitement on social networks, including expanded action vis-à-vis Facebook and other platforms, with the goal of removing inflammatory content. He also instructed that a response team be established to refute disinformation about Israeli policy on the Temple Mount.
“As long as this is the instruction, I will of course respect it,” Glick said on Sunday, but added, “It is very unfortunate that following several acts of incitement against the State and provocation of violence by Arab MKs, all the MKs are forced to pay the price.”
He expressed hope that reason and common sense will prevail and that MKs will not be punished collectively because Arab Knesset Members who came to the Temple Mount in the past contributed to the incitement to terrorism against Jews.
“At the same time, if this order will last a long time, it is not impossible that I will look to take action against the decision,” Glick continued. “I will not reject any action - public, political and legal.”