Israel preparing for likely Omar, Tlaib visit to Temple Mount – report

Israeli officials are preparing for the likelihood that two Muslim members of the US Congress who have backed the anti-Israel boycott movement, representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, may attempt to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during their upcoming visit to the country, Channel 13 reports.

The report claims that a “secret meeting” was held on the subject in Israel’s National Security Council led by Deputy National Security Adviser Reuven Azar.

According to leaks from the reported meeting, Azar said there was a high probability that both Omar and Tlaib will seek to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock shrine at the holy site.

When they do, the participants at the meeting agreed, it is vital that the Israel Police not permit their visit to be accompanied by officials of the Palestinian Authority, which would serve as symbolic backing by the US lawmakers to Palestinian claims of sovereignty at the site, the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam.

Israeli officials were unanimous, the report claimed, in their view that the two lawmakers should be allowed to visit Israel and the Temple Mount, as preventing the visits could hurt relations with the United States.