Public Security Minister Uzi Landau plans to reopen the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors - although he said that the government must approve the decision. Landau said this morning that if the police and Waqf allow everyone else to enter the holy site, he cannot understand why Jews should be any different. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres came out against the idea, citing security concerns. General Security Service head Avi Dichter, however, supports Landau\'s position, according to Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert. Olmert said last night that Dichter told him a few days ago that he fears the ramifications of the continued closure of the site to Jews. The Temple Mount has been closed to Jews for almost half a year, since the beginning of the Palestinian mini-war.
Minister Landau said, \"Wherever you give in to threats, you invite other threats in other places. My recommendation, therefore, is that it be opened to Jews. The government will have to either accept or reject my proposal.\"
New revelations about the petition submitted to the Supreme Court last week by the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities: The group presented evidence that the Moslem Waqf is attempting, by its illegal construction there, to turn the entire Temple Mount compound into one giant mosque. Dr. Shmuel Berkowitz, author of a thorough study on Jerusalem\'s holy sites and one of the group\'s leaders, accused Shimon Peres of giving his successor in the Prime Minister\'s office, Binyamin Netanyahu, false information about an alleged \"deal\" with the Waqf. Peres told Netanyahu, according to the suit, that the Waqf had agreed to allow Israel to open the Hasmonean Tunnels in exchange for unrestricted Moslem prayer rights in Solomon\'s Stables. The Palestinians later denied that any such deal existed. It will be recalled that 16 Israelis were killed by Arabs in the violence that followed the opening of the Hasmonean Tunnels.
Minister Landau said, \"Wherever you give in to threats, you invite other threats in other places. My recommendation, therefore, is that it be opened to Jews. The government will have to either accept or reject my proposal.\"
New revelations about the petition submitted to the Supreme Court last week by the Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities: The group presented evidence that the Moslem Waqf is attempting, by its illegal construction there, to turn the entire Temple Mount compound into one giant mosque. Dr. Shmuel Berkowitz, author of a thorough study on Jerusalem\'s holy sites and one of the group\'s leaders, accused Shimon Peres of giving his successor in the Prime Minister\'s office, Binyamin Netanyahu, false information about an alleged \"deal\" with the Waqf. Peres told Netanyahu, according to the suit, that the Waqf had agreed to allow Israel to open the Hasmonean Tunnels in exchange for unrestricted Moslem prayer rights in Solomon\'s Stables. The Palestinians later denied that any such deal existed. It will be recalled that 16 Israelis were killed by Arabs in the violence that followed the opening of the Hasmonean Tunnels.