Journalist Yotam Zimri recalled a past interview, in which opposition leader Yair Lapid supported the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount.
“I was the prime minister on Tisha B'Av two years ago," Lapid told Channel 12 News. "Security officials told me, ‘We are not sure it is a good idea to approve the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount,’ and I said, ‘No, I insist on it, we will approve Jewish ascent to the Temple Mount’."
Lapid continued and explained: "Why? Because it's our sovereignty, because it's ours. You don't have to be Ben Gvir to think that Jerusalem is ours. The Temple Mount is ours."
Zimri responded sarcastically: "Well done to Yair Lapid who, despite the controversies, supports Ben Gvir when talking about the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount."
The responses were republished today following the report of a collaboration between Shas Chairman, Aryeh Deri, and Yair Lapid to jointly promote a bill that would adopt Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's halachic ruling, forbidding Jews to ascend the Temple Mount.
According to the Channel 12 News report, the unusual collaboration was a result of the tensions between Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the haredi parties, following his visit to the Temple Mount.
In the conversation that took place between the two rival politicians, they agreed that Aryeh Deri would support Yesh Atid's law that would be brought up after the Knesset break.