Jewish prayers on the Mosque esplanade in Jerusalem: justice rolls back
The Esplanade des Mosques in Jerusalem.
Reuters / Baz Ratner
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Israeli justice is backtracking and reiterates the ban on praying for the Jewish faithful on the Mosque Esplanade in the old city where stands the 3rd holy place of Islam, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The decision of a lower body earlier this week provoked strong reactions in the Muslim world.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Michel Paul
Esplanade des Mosques for Muslims, Temple Mount for Jews, this holy place is the most explosive site in the city of Jerusalem.
And this is the reason why the Israeli justice system reacted so quickly.
The city's peace court ruled a few days ago that silent Jewish prayers were acceptable.
The Israeli police appealed and another higher court judge simply overturned the decision.
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To read also:
An Israeli court opens the way for Jewish prayers on the Mosque esplanade
A new appeal, before the Israeli Supreme Court this time, could challenge the
religious
status quo
in force since 1967 which prohibits non-Muslim prayers on the Mosque plaza which has experienced numerous incidents over the years.
Just 21 years ago, the visit to the site of Ariel Sharon, then leader of the opposition, was followed by the second intifada, an uprising that left thousands dead.
The main rabbinical authorities oppose prayers and even visits to the Temple Mount so as not to trample on the area where the most sacred part of the temple was located.
But a growing number of nationalist Jews regularly visit the area, closely watched by the police.
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