To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Muslims on Temple Mount call to massacre Jews

“If this is the religious worship of the Muslims, the State of Israel should close the mountain to the ‘religious worship’ of the Muslims,” said Religious Zionism MK Ofir Sofer.

 By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Muslims gathering at the Temple Mount on Wednesday night for the Laylat al-Qadr events marched while calling for the massacre of Jews, as the State of Israel commenced with events marking Yom HaShoah, its national Holocaust remembrance day.

Waving Hamas and PLO flags, the thousands of marchers chanted slogans in support of the Hamas terror organization, called “in spirit and in blood we will redeem Al-Aqsa,” and “Khyber, Khyber al-Yahud “- an explicit call for the massacre of Jews as occurred in the Khyber battle in 629.

The police, who deployed some 3,000 officers to secure the event, did not respond.

The police stated that its boosted deployment “to maintain public peace and security” enabled tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers to reach the Temple Mount to perform the night prayers safely, and the various prayers were held in order. It estimates that some 150,000 Muslims visited the Temple Mount.

Early Thursday morning, after the Fajr prayer and during the dispersal of the worshipers, several dozen rioters disturbed the order, but within a very short time, they were confronted by the police with riots dispersal means while many worshipers at the holy site acted to repel them without the need for police.

At the Western Wall, Border Police were seen acting to repel rioters from throwing rocks at Jews praying at the plaza below.

Police have arrested one suspect and further arrests are expected later.

Member of Knesset Ofir Sofer (Religious Zionism) stated in response to the events on the Temple Mount that “during the important holiday for the Muslims, they exploit the Temple Mount plaza and mosques for the benefit of incitement and violence. If this is the religious worship of the Muslims, the State of Israel should close the mountain to the ‘religious worship’ of the Muslims.”

“This is not how a holy place is treated. History has taught us that disregard and denial are not a solution,” he added, apparently alluding to the Holocaust.

MK Itamar Ben Gvir (Religious Zionism) stated that “the heart explodes when we hear the shouts of profanity on the Temple Mount, the holiest place for the Jewish people, and the call to annihilate Israel, on the day we commemorate the six million who perished in the Holocaust by the Nazis, we realize how much Israel is on the verge of disaster.”

He accused Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Minister of Public Security Omer Barlev of “containing hatred, incitement, and calls for murder. Even on Holocaust Day, the police are unable to make arrests and disperse the rioters.”

The country’s security establishment is bracing for further violence, especially toward the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan.