Dichter: No 'Overt' Prayer on Temple Mount

reprinted from Arutz 7
24 Tevet 5768, 02 January 08 08:22

(IsraelNN.com) Public Security Minister Avi Dichter sent a letter to MKs Aryeh Eldad and Uri Ariel (NU/NRP) recently explaining that Jews may not pray in an "overt" manner on the Temple Mount. "Overt," according to Dichter's interpretation, includes a Jew moving his lips in a manner that indicates prayer.

Prayer would be considered "altering the status quo at the site," Dichter said, and could easily provoke Arab Muslims at the site into rioting, "with a near certain likelihood of subsequent bloodshed."

Dichter wrote the letter of explanation after Eldad and Ariel said they planned to pray on the Temple Mount. The two said they would not inform the press of their plans, and would not bring any ritual items that would indicate prayer such as a tallit, tefillin, or a Torah scroll. They argued that a person should not be arrested for "conversing with his Maker."

No moving Jewish lips in prayer on Temple Mount, says Dichter

reprinted from Haaretz
02/01/2008

by Nadav Shragai, Correspondent

A Jew is not allowed to pray in any overt manner whatsoever on the Temple Mount, even if he is just moving his lips in prayer, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter recently wrote MKs Uri Ariel and Aryeh Eldad (National Union-NRP).

In 1976, the Supreme Court ruled that it accepted the government's position that it was not opposed to individual Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, providing that it was not of a demonstrative nature that could lead to public disorder. High Court rulings in recent years have also been seen to support individual, as opposed to group prayer on the Mount.

Ariel and Eldad recently decided to test the State's position on this issue. They informed the police that "they intended to manifest this right" [to non-demonstrative prayer] by first coordinating the best time and place to enter and exit the Temple Mount complex.

The two MKs explained that all they intended to do was to pray, without informing the media of their plans, or wearing a talit or tefilin, or bringing a Torah scroll with them.

"It is not possible to arrest a person for 'conversing with his maker,'" Dichter replied, using the same terminology of the MKs' letter.

"However it is possible to carry out an arrest for expressions of outward and demonstrative signs [of prayer]."

This interpretation, Dichter continued, "is in line with the rationale that bans Jews from praying at the site, in light of serious concerns that this will serve as a provocation, resulting in disorder, with a near certain likelihood of subsequent bloodshed."

It was further explained to the two MKs that from the police's point of view, there is no substantive difference between the prayer of an individual and group prayer, since the threat to public safety is the same. Such act would be considered "altering the status quo at the site."

Dichter stressed that the state's decision to ban Jewish prayer from the Temple Mount does not distinguish between an individual praying and that of a group, and that this has been the basis of the status quo since 1967.

The Temple Institute website is an ongoing project of the International Department of the Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel.
Web site hosting and programming copyright ©2000-2012, graciously provided by Electric Scribe (SM).

Web site contents, including all text and images, copyright ©1991-2012, The Temple Institute.
Reproduction in any form whatsoever, for any purpose, is strictly forbidden without written permission of the copyright holder.