After the Prime Minister last week eased his objections to Knesset Members and ministers ascending the Temple Mount, MKs today began visiting the holy place.
Knesset Member Sharren Haskel, who wasted no time and made the visit immediately upon its opening this morning, said her last visit to the Temple Mount was two days before she was sworn in to the Knesset. "I knew that MKs weren't allowed up. And it makes me very excited to return to the holy place. Here we connect with our people, our tradition, our culture, and our religion," said Haskel.
She met a bar mitzvah boy who ascended the Temple Mount and congratulated him on continuing Jewish tradition and strengthening the connection to the place.
Prior to Haskel, Minister Uri Ariel ascended. Because of his status as minister, Ariel had been barred from the Temple Mount for almost three years. Ariel made haste to the Temple Mount as soon as it was opened this morning.
Temple organizations expect a wave of Knesset Members to ascend the Temple Mount in coming days leading to Tisha B'Av and the three weeks of mourning the destruction of the Temple.