Police sources reportedly cautioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against appointing Union of Right-Wing Parties No. 2 Bezalel Smotrich or current culture minister Miri Regev (Likud) as the next public security minister, due to their views on the Temple Mount.
Anonymous police sources are quoted by Channel 12 news as saying that if Regev or Smotrich are appointed, “within a year Jews will be allowed to perform ritual animal sacrifices” on the Jewish festival of Passover.
Both candidates have supported increased religious freedom for Jews on the contested site in Jerusalem’s Old City, the holiest spot in Judaism and the third holiest for Muslims, who refer to it as the Noble Sanctuary or the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Jews are allowed to visit the site at limited times and under close supervision, but not pray there. Jewish and Israeli police presence is opposed by Muslim authorities and the Palestinian public, and has led to numerous flare-ups.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 18, 2019
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