A group of Jews that included leading rabbis managed to enter the Temple Mount and tour it for 17 minutes before being instructed to leave by the police. For much of the time, they were accompanied by a Muslim throng that shouted “Allahu akbar!” over and over again, to disturb and dishearten them.
However, some of the rabbis saw the Muslim agitation as a sign that they were doing something right.
Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, told Arutz Sheva atfter the tour: “Yesterday I went up with a group of 30 rabbis and everything was as calm as could be and very sweet. So that suggests to me that the Muslim waqf's opposition today was very intentional and that they understood the significance of the day. The police guided us along an improvised path. We were pursued by hundreds of men, chanting and even throwing rocks and chairs at us.
"It was a very great joy to be in the Mount, especially on the anniversary of the Six Day War – which was the very definition of a miracle: we took a stand for what we believed in and G-d blessed our efforts. That's the Jewish definition of a miracle; we make them happen. And so, too, when we take a stand and show that we are ready to begin the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, if we stand up for our rights, G-d will do His part as well. But not until we show Him a sign of life. The Muslims understand this, which is why they violently oppose us. Seeing the opposition makes us laugh, because it is clear that they see that the Jewish people are returning to the Temple Mount and that makes them afraid. They know that it is only a matter of time until we rebuild the Holy Temple.”
The Temple Organizations' HQ demanded Wednesday that the police “do their job, enter the mosque if necessary, and remove the rioters from the place, so as not to interfere with the public order and the holiday spirit of multitudes of Israelis who seek to ascend to the the Temple Mount.”