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A New Status Quo for the Temple Mount

(Israel Hayom) Amb. Alan Baker - The right of worship - including by Jews - is an internationally recognized universal right that should be applied equally and without discrimination on the Temple Mount to worshippers of all religions. Without wishing to impinge in any way on the recognized and accepted historic prerogative of Muslims to pray at the Muslim sacred sites within the Temple Mount compound including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, it is nevertheless inconceivable in the modern age of accepted international norms and concepts of equality, human rights and freedom of religion and worship, that Jews should be prevented from exercising the right of worship at the very epicenter of the Jewish faith within the same compound on the Temple Mount, parallel to exercise of the same right by Muslims. Such discrimination runs counter to accepted norms of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance, understanding, and cooperation. The problem centers around the age-old Ottoman "status quo" governing custodianship, worship, and visits to the Temple Mount. This status quo, formalized by Ottoman imperial decrees stemming from the 18th and 19th centuries, restricted prayer on the Mount by non-Muslims. In the then-existing social hierarchy within Ottoman society that governed the area, an institutionalized second-class status was applied to non-Muslim subjects, whether they be Jews, Christians, or other minority religions. In the present ambiance in some extremist Muslim quarters of heightened sensitivity, incitement, and political manipulation, any realization of the rights of Jews to worship on the Temple Mount appears to be unrealistic. That being said, in the 21st century, the dichotomy between an ancient, discriminatory, and anachronistic status quo and the fundamental international right of worship for all calls for a practical and honorable resolution that respects the rights of all. The writer served as Legal Adviser and Deputy Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2023-05-11 00:00:00
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