Muslims aiming to block Jews from Temple Mount on Sunday, Tisha B'Av

This year Tisha B'Av, the Jewish fast day that commemorates the destruction of both Temples, comes out on the same day as the first day of the Islamic feast of Eid al Adha - this Sunday.

Jewish organizations that support Jews visiting the Temple Mount are pushing for large numbers of Jews to ascend the Mount on that most appropriate day.

Muslim leaders are very upset over the possibility of Jews visiting the Temple Mount on Eid, and they are trying to force all Jerusalem Muslims to go to the Al Aqsa Mosque to block the Jews:

The Higher Islamic Commission (HIC) in Occupied Jerusalem, the Council for Waqf and Islamic Affairs, and the Supreme Council of Fatwa, an Islamic body based in eastern Jerusalem, called on all mosques around the city to close on Eid al-Adha, and for Muslims to head toward al-Aqsa mosque compound to perform the Eid prayer.

The three Islamic bodies in a statement issued today stressed the need for Muslims to head toward al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site, on Sunday, first day of Eid, in response to calls made by Jewish groups, known as 'Temple Mount’ organizations, to prevent Muslims from entering the mosque and allow the intrusion of settlers to mark the so-called Tisha B’Av, which coincides with Eid al-Adha, to mourn the destruction of the biblical temples.

These organizations are even telling Muslims to delay slaughtering cattle, one of the main customs on Eid al Adha, until Monday in order to maximize the number of Muslims on the site on Tisha B'Av.

Notice the blatant politicization of Eid by these Muslim groups, calling to stop people from praying in local mosques to force them to make a political protest.

There are early reports that Israeli police will not allow Jews to enter the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av, but sometimes they change their minds as they did on the  last days of Ramadan when originally Jews were barred but  an assessment was made to allow Jews to ascend before Jerusalem Day that coincided with Ramadan.

Jews will not be allowed to visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Sunday because that is one of the holidays that Muslims have exclusive access to the divided holy site. In response, organizations are organizing prayers immediately outside the site in tents.

(I will not be posting from Saturday night through Sunday morning because of Tisha B'Av, so any news about the Temple Mount that day will be delayed.)

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