National Union chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and asked them to permit Jews to ascent the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day.
"There is no need to talk at length about the simple obligation of the Israeli government to order the police to open the Temple Mount during regular days, and certainly on Jerusalem Day, for the entry of Jews," Smotrich wrote to Netanyahu and Erdan.
"In addition, there is no excuse as to why the Temple Mount should be closed to Jews because of threats of violence and public disorder by extremist Muslim elements. This case is one of the cases in which the State of Israel must not surrender to threats of violence," he continued.
"Even though 52 years have passed since the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and our return to the inheritance of our forefathers and the place where the Temple stood, the time has come for the Temple Mount to really be in our hands,” concluded Smotrich.
The Israel Police announced earlier this week that the Temple Mount would be closed to Jews for several days, including on Jerusalem Day, citing “reasons of public safety and security and public order.”
The Temple Mount was left in the hands of the Jordanian Waqf following Jerusalem’s reunification in the Six Day War in 1967. The Waqf has taken advantage of this and removed every sign of ancient Jewish presence at the most Jewish holy site.
Police, in an attempt to appease the Waqf, discriminate against Jews. They limit the number of Jewish worshippers allowed on the Temple Mount at one time in order to prevent conflict with Muslim worshippers. They often close the Mount to Jews in response to Muslim riots – despite evidence that Muslim riots have been planned in advance for the specific purpose of forcing Jews out.
Despite this, Palestinian Arabs regularly blame Israel for the Arab riots and violence on the Temple Mount and, in general, falsely claim that Israel is trying to "Judaize" the compound.