Gate of Mercy
Gate of MercyNoam Moscowitz/Flash 90

Jerusalem Magistrates' Court judge Dorit Feinstein ordered the closure of the Bab al-Rahma (Golden Gate, or Gate of Mercy) compound on the Temple Mount, where the Waqf recently erected a mosque illegally.

The case was heard behind closed doors, and with the approval of the court, only the following sentence can be published: "The court extended the temporary injunction to close the compound until a hearing on the main case."

In recent months, the Jordanian Waqf, operating on the Temple Mount, has carried out construction the compound adjacent to the Golden Gate to facilitate Muslim worship at the site in violation of the law.

The site became a mosque and Israeli authorities worked to shut it down because the work was carried out illegally. Arabs then broke into the site by force.

This morning, the court accepted the state's position and ordered a closure order to be issued, despite the Waqf claims that the Israeli courts are not even authorized to discuss the matter.