ByLior Schillat, Lior Schillat
The power struggle over the Temple Mount is on hold — for now
The coronavirus has paused the struggle for power and control of Jerusalem’s holiest sites for the moment, says Lior Schillat
April 3, 2020 15:21
2 min read
ByLior Schillat, Lior Schillat
The coronavirus has paused the struggle for power and control of Jerusalem’s holiest sites for the moment, says Lior Schillat
April 3, 2020 15:21Jerusalem’s most distinctive attribute, which has shaped the city more than any other, is its holiness to the three major monotheistic religions. Within its bounds are some of the most important holy sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These have often been a source of controversy and struggle between different religions, different sects of the same religion, and throughout the international community as a whole.
But by March 26 the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, and the Holy Sepulchre were all closed due to the coronavirus crisis. The history of each of these, visited by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world each year, continues to shape how they respond to the developments of the last month.
While the shutdown of the Western Wall and the Holy Sepulchre was relatively low key, it was the closure of the Temple Mount that reminded us of the ongoing struggle of power and control — as noted by Dr Amnon Ramon, an expert on contemporary Jerusalem and its holy places.
There were confrontations on Friday, March 20, at the main entrances to the Old City and the Temple Mount, with hundreds of young Muslims clashing with police officers enforcing the health regulations. By last Friday, under orders of the Jordanian and Palestinian authorities, guards from the Islamic waqf foundation closed the mosques and prayer rooms, leaving hundreds of young Muslims seeking refuge from the rain to pray in front of the locked doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Their refusal to leave was from a fear that the site would remain open only to Jewish visitors.
The shared motivation to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the region brought Israeli police and the waqf to a silent agreement. The police prevented all Jewish visitors from entering, which allowed the waqf to close the compound to Muslim prayers on Laylat al-Miraj, the Muslim holiday marking the ascension of Prophet Muhammad.
By Sunday, the Temple Mount’s doors were closed to Muslim and Jewish visitors, as well as any tourists, for an indefinite period. For the first time in 17 years, the holy complex that is a symbol of Jerusalem is closed to all.
But the situation is yet to be resolved: citing the principle of equality, Jewish activists argue to be allowed to visit the Mount in small groups in compliance with health regulations. They have threatened a Supreme Court petition on the basis that dozens of Muslim waqf guards are still allowed to enter and pray.
As has been the case for decades, the Temple Mount is at the centre of a power struggle. This new consensus between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority in light of the virus may mark a new era in this ongoing tug-of-war, or perhaps once the crisis is over the struggles will resume. Only time can tell.
Lior Schillat is Director-General of the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, supported by the Jerusalem Foundation