Jerusalem Court: Jews Can Pray on Temple Mount

Sunday, March 15, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court reaffirmed earlier this month that it is legal for Jews (and, therefore, Christians) to pray atop the Temple Mount, despite violent Muslim opposition.

That legal clarification came as part of a decision in the case of activist Yehudah Glick, who sued the Israel Police for banning him from the Temple Mount for a period of two years after he was filmed quietly uttering prayers while visiting the holy site in 2011.

Glick, who survived a recent assassination attempt by a Muslim terrorist, charged the police with failing to uphold Israel’s laws regarding freedom of religious expression.

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Don’t miss our interview with Yehudah Glick in the upcoming April issue of Israel Today Magazine. SUBSCRIBE NOW >>

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Israel’s Supreme Court had previously ruled that Jews do in fact have the right to pray in any and every place, as do adherents of all faiths, but that police could take measures to avoid violent Muslim backlashes atop the Temple Mount.

The Jerusalem court determined that the police had gone too far in its handling of Glick and other activists, and had crossed the line by impinging on Jews’ basic human rights.

Glick was awarded nearly USD $150,000 in damages. His lawyer further told The Jerusalem Postthat the ruling meant that “starting from today, all Jews are allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. There is no longer any crime in prayer itself.”

Still, many remained skeptical that non-Muslims would now be permitted to openly pray and worship atop the Temple Mount, especially after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year assured the Muslim world that Israel would maintain the status quo there.

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In the upcoming April issue of Israel Today Magazine, we spoke with Glick regarding the attempt on his life and his continued commitment to bringing Jewish prayer and worship back to the Temple courts. You don't want to miss it. SUBSCRIBE NOW >>

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