non-Muslim prayer, while those who have been accused of prayer at the site – leading rabbis among them (including Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder of The Temple Institute and one of the paratroopers who fought that day with Motta Gur) – are served with illegal restraining orders, distancing them indefinitely from the Temple Mount? “Illegal” because they broke no law; Jewish prayer at the Mount is guaranteed by Israeli law. Evidence continues to mount that the police operate as a rogue agency – not like the official protectors of Israeli law, but like an independently owned and operated franchise. Or worse: Are they getting their orders from above? This mystery remains unsolved.

The Temple Mount is har habayit, the Mountain of the House – it’s not just another issue; it’shearts of Israel and of all humanity will remain in dire need of that healing.

About the Author

Rabbi Chaim Richman is the director of the international department of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. For over three decades the Temple Institute has been dedicated to every aspect of the Biblical commandment to build the Holy Temple. Through its research and educational programming, the Institute seeks to highlight the universal significance of the Holy Temple as a house of peace and prayer for all nations.