Police arrest 3 activists praying on Temple Mount

National Union MKs join right-wing activists praying at Temple Mount in honor of Jerusalem Day.

By MELANIE LIDMAN
Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount 390 (photo credit: Ilan Evyatar)
Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount 390
(photo credit: Ilan Evyatar)
Police arrested three right-wing activists on the Temple Mount on Sunday morning, after a group of activists started praying on the holy site in honor of Jerusalem Day.
MKs Michael Ben Ari and Uri Ariel (National Union) joined the activists in the pilgrimage to commemorate the anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israeli soldiers liberated Old City and the Temple Mount from Jordanian forces.
During the tour of the site, Ben Ari and a number of the other activists started praying out loud.
Police immediately asked Ben Ari to stop. After a number of the activists refused to stop, they were arrested by police. The rest of the tour continued as planned.
Due to delicate status quo agreements, Jewish worshippers are allowed to visit the Temple Mount during certain hours but are not allowed to openly pray at the site.
Itamar Ben Gvir, an activist an the spokesman for Ben Ari, accused the police of incitement. “Police are doing the work of the Waqf,” he said.
“We came today in order to remind the entire world what Mota Gur said – ‘The Temple Mount is in our hands!’” Uriel said in a statement released by his office. “The site is under Israeli sovereignty and therefore the Israeli government must allow every Jew to realize his autonomous rights and to go up to pray on the Temple Mount,” he added.