Are Jews still restricted to prayng at the “Wailing Wall” (or do they have wider access) and Muslims at Masjid Al-Aqsa or have things changed in that regard? Is the Waqf still present in their capacity as security on Temple Mount or have israeli security forces taken over most or all of their responsibilities?
I should also point out here the Kotel Tunnels. There are tunnels paralleling the Western Wall north of the wailing wall. (an interesting tour)
When the temple was built, there was a gully running between the western wall of the temple and the city. Eventually, the residents wanted to take advantage of this prime real estate. In the days before dump trucks, when any fill had to be hauled in by man or beast, it was simpler to just build arches and build on top of them - leaving a series of hollow spaces along the wall under the edge of the Muslim quarter. (near the north end, the Romans put in a reservoir - in case you were wondering “what have the Romans ever done for us?”)
It’s an interesting tour. You will at one point pass a stone as part of the wall that’s about the size of a greyhound bus. How Herod ever managed to move that into place is a mystery.
When I took the tour, we passed a stairway on which a number of women were praying. I asked why, and they said it was because this was believed to be the point along the wall closest to where the main part of the temple -Holy of Holies - was believed to be located. So I asked “why only women?”
The guide replied “if you go up the stairs you can get to a higher level of the tunnel where you are right against the wall and closer to the Holy of Holies. So that is for men, women are not allowed.”
As I understand it, the prohibition against Jews entering the Temple Mount (and consequently, their restriction to praying at the Wailing Wall as the closest place they’re allowed to access) is not a consequence of security restrictions but of Jewish religious law, as interpreted by the chief rabbinate of Israel, itself: Non-priests were not allowed to enter the inner sanctuary of the Temple, and since (i) there are currently no Jewish priests that could perform Temple service, and (ii) it is not known where exactly on Temple Mount the inner sanctuary was, the conclusion is to err on the safe side and not allow Jewish people to enter the entire compound.
This is, at least, the chief rabbinate’s interpretation. To my knowledge, Israeli security forces do not exclude Jewish visitors who choose not to comply with the above religious restrictions, save for temporary restrictions that they occasionally impose at times of high interreligious tension.
Which Jewish sect is this whose rabbi prohibits them from entering the non-existent inner sanctuary of a non-existent temple?
However, one famous feature in Jerusalem is the “Foundation Stone” left over from the creation of the world, and the Well of Souls, which are currently located in an Islamic shrine so perhaps Jews, or tourists for that matter, would not be randomly walking in there.
AFAIK, Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount, subject to restrictions imposed by the Israeli military, but under no circumstances may they worship or perform any religious activity there, for reasons of national security.
A majority of Israeli Orthodox Rabbi have forbid entrance to the Temple Mount; a large dissenting minority have allowed it. It doesn’t matter that whether the Temple stands or not - the site itself is holy, not whatever building is or is not there.
This is the discussion I recall about the Temple Mount when I was in Jerusalem - exactly that; since there is considerable dispute exactly where is the site of the inner temple, safest is to not go to ensure one is not violating the requirements of one’s faith.
Some part of the tension arises from a faction that wants the Israeli government to ignore the Muslim claim and begin rebuilding the Temple.
Another problem appears to be visiting fundamentalist Christians who do not believe in the same restrictions, but will be trying to begin saying group prayers on the Mount.
All in all it is a very complex issue and of course, every side feels they are right and others are in the wrong.
No need to get snarky about it. As I said, the interpretation that Jewish law prohibits Jews from entering Temple Mount is not mine (I have no stake in this, I’m not Jewish myself) but that of the chief rabbinate of Israel. I understand that, like other religions, Judaism comprises many different groups (which you may or may not call “sects”, depending on whether you believe this word carries bad connotations), which may well differ in their interpretations of such religious commands; I do think, however, that it is fair to say that the chief rabbinate is broadly representative of mainstream Judaism as it is widely practiced in Israel.
Muslims and Jews on Temple Mount Who is currenty alllowed to pray where?
This is decided by counting the number of AK-47s waved in the air, on any given day.
Same as every other decision in the Middle East.
I apologize if I was snarky—I genuinely want to know the answer, which was answered clearly by @Alessan (“a majority of Israeli Orthodox rabbis”), who also summarized their reasoning (the site itself is holy).
Anecdotal evidence. I visited the Temple Mount plaza in 2018. Jews were allowed inside. I know this because our tour guide was Jewish. We were warned about prayerful displays. Only Muslims were allowed to go in or even near the entrance to the Dome of the Rock. I tried to look inside from a few meters away and was waved away. Funnily, I got a better look a while later when I helped a kid retrieve his kick ball. (He kicked it past his friend towards me, where I was well away from the entrance. I kicked it back. This inspired the kid to make another wild kick, this time towards the entrance. I walked over, picked the ball up, walked it back to the kid and dropped it in front of the nearest adult. But when I picked up the ball, I was able to face the entrance and get a good look inside.) The rest of the plaza was open to us, although I think there was a separate mosque/Islamic prayer area that we didn’t try to go inside. Religious Jews were also allowed inside the plaza, but they were escorted by Israeli police. These were men dressed all in black with wide brimmed hats. I asked about it afterwards, and was told they were allowed access to a sacred site with prior arrangement, but could only go to the site, pray, and then leave. I can’t remember any of the details.
OK, seems I misunderstood you, apologies for that. Anyway, the answer is clear now: The idea that entering Temple Mount is contrary to Jewish religious law is mainstream, though not undisputed, Jewish Orthodox teaching.
This is a bit misleading. Jewish law doesn’t specifically forbid Jews from entering Temple Mount. Jewish law pretty much prohibits anyone from entering Temple Mount, including Jews but all the more so Muslims or any other non-Jews. The reason this is enforced (to the limited extent that it is) for Jews and not Muslims is a political matter.
To repeat what was said above - not that Jewish law forbids entering the Temple Mount. IIRC it was that they could not enter the inner sanctum (?) of the Holy of Holies. Since nobody knows for certain exactly where that is, wandering the Temple Mount platform risks inadvertently walking through that area thus violating the religious law, so safest strategy to ensure compliance would be to stay off the entire top of the Mount.
Thanks Schnitte. What no one has addrssed yet is the role of the Jordanian Waqf in my question. Are they still involved and if so to what capacity ?
The Hashemite dynasty has donated lots of $$$$$ to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf over the past 100 years. Pretty close involvement.
Yes, I see reference in assorted news articles over the last few years that they (Jordanian supported Waqf) are responsible for “policing” the top of the Mount. That obviously has not stopped the Israeli government from sending in their own police when things get difficult, resulting in things like flash-bangs and rubber bullets and tear gas even in the mosque, and Muslims chucking rocks over the edge of the western wall. Then Jordan complains and things are tense for a while.
It’s no different than the rest of the region…
The Waqf is also responsible for administrating and maintaining the site.
No Kohens? What then would make a Jewish Priest?
There are Kohens (Kohanim), but AIUI being a Kohen is a necessary but not sufficient condition for full-fledged priesthood, and currently they only fulfil certain of its functions (such as the priestly blessing) but not the full range of it (which would require the Temple). But a practicing Jew is much better placed than I am to explain this.