JERUSALEM — Reports of Jewish groups praying at a volatile Jerusalem holy site, in contravention of a longstanding ban, have shined a spotlight on the erosion of a delicate, decades-old arrangement meant to keep the peace. The Israeli government denied on Monday that there had been any policy change, but appeared to be sending mixed messages. A television report over the weekend by Israel’s N12 news channel revealed the proliferation of quiet prayer gatherings in the courtyards of the sacred compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, as the police looked on. Some religious Jewish groups who yearn to rebuild a Jewish temple at the contested location, where the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located, are now openly advertising the holding of daily prayers at the site. Further questions about a policy shift arose on Sunday, when hundreds of Jews marked the holy fast day of Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the destruction of the first two Jewish temples, by ascending the mount, a frequent flash point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Source: New York Times July 19, 2021 18:56 UTC