Arab MK challenges Temple Mount ban, is rebuffed by police

MK Jamal Zahalka of the Joint (Arab) List attempted to visit the Temple Mount on Thursday afternoon in protest over a new ban on lawmakers entering the contested Jerusalem holy site.

“I went up to the Temple Mount as a natural act,” he said in a statement.

“I thumb my nose at [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his directive,” he added. “And the directive hasn’t yet been issued.”

Zahalka was referring to Netanyahu’s order to police to prevent the entry of political leaders to the sensitive site in a bid to calm tensions and escalating violence. The decision to issue the ban was made in late September, but police began implementing it Thursday. It originally banned only Jewish lawmakers from the site, but, after protests from cabinet ministers, was expanded Thursday to include all MKs, including Arabs.

Under a longstanding arrangement administered by Islamic authorities, Jews are allowed to visit the site during certain hours but not to pray there. Muslims may visit and pray.

“I stand now at the Lions’ Gate and [police] are denying me entry to the Temple Mount, in contravention of the law. There is a gap in time between Netanyahu’s decision and the directive being issued, and the directive has not gone out. I’m not moving from here until they show me the order preventing me from entering,” Zahalka announced, according to the Walla news site.

He blamed Netanyahu himself for instigating a recent wave of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, which included several deadly terror attacks in recent days.

“Netanyahu’s decisions are responsible for inflaming the situation, including the demand to divide the al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said, a reference to Palestinian claims, repeatedly denied by Israel, that Israeli leaders were secretly planning to divide the holy site between Muslims and Jews.

“I think it’s important to preserve the status quo,” he concluded.

Zahalka remained at the site Thursday afternoon, but has not been allowed to enter the Temple Mount.

After Netanyahu expanded the ban on Temple Mount visits to all lawmakers Thursday, Arab lawmakers vowed to visit the site’s al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers.

“This is an insane and illegal decision,” Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi fumed. “No Netanyahu and no right wing can prevent us from entering our al-Aqsa Mosque. Those who initially decided to prevent right-wing provocateurs like [Agriculture Minister] Uri Ariel [from visiting the holy site]… are now making a U-turn and flipflopping and deciding at the drop of a hat to escalate the situation.

“Tomorrow all of us will be there in the al-Aqsa Mosque, because it’s our mosque. To equate Arab and Muslim MKs with Ariel… is like saying the homeowner and the burglar are equal.”