Hotovely ascends Temple Mount ahead of wedding

“Going up to the Temple Mount is important to me, as I am getting married,” Hotovely explained.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Tzipi Hotovely at the Temple Mount 370 (photo credit: Ezra Gabay)
Tzipi Hotovely at the Temple Mount 370
(photo credit: Ezra Gabay)
Some brides-to-be drink and party the night before their wedding, but Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely chose a spiritual experience over a bachelorette party, visiting the Temple Mount with her family on Sunday.
In a trip guided by Nadav Shragai, a journalist and researcher of Jerusalem, Hotovely followed the religious tradition of ascending the Temple Mount before her wedding, which was set to take place on Monday night.
“Going up to the Temple Mount is important to me, as I am getting married,” Hotovely explained. “Establishing a home and a family unit is not just a private event, but has a public and national dimension of rebuilding from the ruins of Jerusalem.”
In addition, Hotovely pointed out that the Temple Mount is the holiest place for the Jewish people, and called for every Jew to have free access to the site.
“Limitations on public figures visiting the Mount are not appropriate,” she added, a reference to MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud Beytenu), who was banned from visiting the holy place.
Hotovely coordinated her visit in advance with the police, explaining that it is personal, not political.
The Likud Beytenu deputy minister will marry Or Alon, a lawyer. Over 2,000 guests were invited, but Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decided not to attend in order not to require all attendees to go through security checks.