In the photo — a rehearsal of the construction of the altar on the «Temple Mount».
While Islamic religious institutions in Palestine and the Middle East are implementing responsible restrictive measures to prevent the coronavirus pandemic, extremists and fanatics who are increasingly setting the tone in the Jewish religious environment in Israel are carrying out actions that can only be described as religious provocations.
Thus, last Sunday, the leadership of the Waqf Al-Aqsa decided to suspend collective Muslim worship in the mosque during the quarantine period. During this period, prayers can only be held in the courtyards in the open air and with the necessary distance.
Israeli Jewish fanatics decided to take advantage of this reduction in the number of Muslims to increase their visits to the so-called Temple Mount. According to their representative, Elishama Sandlerman, there have been more Jewish pilgrims to the Temple Mount in recent days than in any previous year.
In addition, the so-called Sanhedrin, which was founded in 2004 and unites extremist rabbis who want to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple, has appealed to the Israeli authorities for permission to build an altar on the Temple Mount for the Jewish Passover (Pesach), where a sacrifice will be offered for the first time since the destruction of the Temple.
These extremists argue that they are complying with the so-called «deal of the century» by Trump and Netanyahu (rejected by all Palestinians), which guarantees equal access to places of worship for both Muslims and Jews. Moreover, they tactically try to hide these plans by claiming that this altar will be temporary and will be dismantled immediately after the sacrifice. However, on their websites and in their publications and statements, these circles do not hide the fact that the ultimate goal of their actions is the construction of a permanent Jerusalem Temple and the liquidation of Al-Aqsa.
These plans have long been no secret to the Muslim world, which will undoubtedly consider any attempt to destroy or divide Al-Aqsa as a declaration of war against all Muslims. What is telling, however, is the jackal-like behavior of these provocateurs, who seek to exploit the solidarity of Muslim leaders with all humanity in the fight against a common threat to achieve their goals, regardless of any limitations and consequences.
Meanwhile, as recent investigations by Israeli authorities have shown, the threat to both Muslims and Israelis comes precisely from these circles. According to the Israeli National Information Center for Coronavirus, the majority of Israelis (29%) were infected at synagogues and other religious events where the quarantine was ignored after it was announced by the authorities (similar to the Russian Orthodox Church).
Even after the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau and the Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef issued orders to stop prayers in synagogues last Thursday, the extremists of the Movement for the Restoration of the Jerusalem Temple continue to claim that they do not apply to the so-called Temple Mount and have only increased their infiltration there.
In this context, the behavior of the Israeli authorities will be decisive in clarifying what and who is behind these provocations. If all this is the initiative of purely marginal circles, then their request should be rejected and they should face resistance from the civil authorities. But if they get the green light, it will be a proof that the plans for a new stage of aggression against the Muslims, not only in Palestine but also in the whole world, are coming from the ruling circles of Israel, which are provoking the Muslims to war against the background of the UN call for a global ceasefire.