Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat (Safed) and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, on Friday morning appealed to the Prime Minister and government ministers to advance the establishment of a synagogue on the Temple Mount.
The call was issued against the backdrop of Jerusalem Day events, during remarks delivered by Rabbi Eliyahu opposite the Temple Mount.
"You see the here the mosque that is behind me, Al-Aqsa - that is from the exile," Rabbi Eliyahu said, referring to the existing structures at the site.
He added, "For 2,000 years we were in exile, so they built this structure here, but in truth, the First Temple and Second Temple were here, and the Third Temple will be here. That is a fact."
Rabbi Eliyahu stressed, "In the meantime, until the Temple is built, there needs to be a synagogue here. Now the Muslims already understand that it is not theirs; we need to take hold."
In his remarks, Rabbi Eliyahu mentioned his father, the late Sephardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who previously ruled that a synagogue may be established in areas permitted for Jews to ascend according to Jewish law.
Concluding his letter, Rabbi Eliyahu issued direct appeal to the political leadership, saying, "This is the role of the leaders, the government ministers, the Prime Minister. A synagogue on the Temple Mount - the time has come."