Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) excoriated Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount in an interview published Monday, blaming Jews who ascend the Mount for sparking a new intifada.
Gafni, who has expressed dovish positions vis-à-vis land for peace and criticized “right-wing” legislation pushed by the Netanyahu government, told the haredi daily Yated Neman that Jews who visit the Temple Mount were violating Jewish law and threatening Israel with disaster.
“There is a serious prohibition in Jewish law against visiting the Temple Mount,” said Gafni.
“It is precisely because it is the holiest site in Judaism,” that Jews are prohibited from ascending the Mount, Gafni continued.
The case against visiting the Mount, Gafni argued, was strengthened because such visits “create problems leading to loss of life and the creation of an intifada, as has been shown in the past. And this [visits to the Mount] turns the worldwide Muslim population against us, including those who are not against Israel, making them all anti[Israel], out of a fear that the Muslim [holy] sites will be harmed.”
Gafni’s comments came after Knesset security officials announced the beginning of a pilot program which would allow MKs to visit the Mount, following a ban put in place in November 2015.
On Tuesday, MKs – but not government ministers, will be permitted to visit the Mount as part of the pilot program. MKs will be required to schedule their visit with police.
MK Gafni blasted the pilot program, calling those pushing for greater visitation rights “foolish, nationalistic, [and] ignorant”.
“I strongly condemn this terrible decision and protest it. It testifies to the foolishness, nationalism, ignorance, absolute irresponsibility, and more than anything the reverence for God.”