Jews ascend Temple Mount - sans Waqf
Jews ascend Temple Mount - sans WaqfArnon Segal

Israeli police permitted Jews to visit the Temple Mount Monday, despite the absence of Waqf officials, marking the first time in years that Jews have been able to visit the holy site without being escorted by representatives of the Jordanian organization.

Monday’s visit was the first by Jews since a terror attack on Friday left two Border Police officers dead and a third wounded.

Officials from the Waqf – the Jordanian trust which manages Muslim holy sites on the Mount – typically escort Jewish visitors to ensure compliance with regulations prohibiting Jewish prayer on the Mount. Waqf officials have refused to comply with new security measures put in place after Friday’s attack.

In the wake of the attack, in which three Israeli Arab terrorists used automatic weapons which had been smuggled onto the Mount, Israeli police have placed magnetometers (advanced metal detectors which are selective in which metals they react to) and additional security cameras around the entrances to the holy site. The new security measures prompted an outcry from the Palestinian Authority, the Jordanian Waqf, and the Jordanian government, which demanded a return to the status quo ante.

Over the weekend, police arrested three Waqf officials suspected of aiding the terrorists.

On Sunday, the lower chamber of the Jordanian parliament held a memorial ceremony led by the Speaker of the House in honor of the terrorists.