This AI-generated video depicts historical antisemitic persecutions—Nazism, the Spanish Inquisition, and the destruction of the Temple—and contrasts them with the success of modern Israel.

Whoever made this deserves an AI award.
MUST WATCH pic.twitter.com/0N3vhQUC64

— Moshe (@IsraelIDFend) June 25, 2026

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Antisemitic far-right online influencer Tucker Carlson denounces Jews and Christians who believe in biblical prophecy of a third temple in Jerusalem, claims Iran war is Israeli plot to lay foundation for Israel’s conquest of the Middle East.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Far-right podcaster Tucker Carlson denounced the strikes on Iran in the latest episode of his eponymous show this week, blaming Israel for America’s involvement in the conflict while also denouncing traditional Jewish beliefs regarding the Temple Mount and biblical prophecies.

In the one-hour-forty-five-minute monologue, the 56-year-old former Fox News host claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forced President Donald Trump to order US strikes on Iran.

“Benjamin Netanyahu, Bibi, demanded it,” Carlson claimed. “Seven trips to the White House over the last year. And the point of those trips never varied. The United States needs to commit to regime change in Iran. We need the US military to overthrow the government of Iran.”

Israel is “manipulating the US government,” Carlson continued, in order to remove Iran as the final obstacle to massive “territorial expansion” across the Middle East.

“They want parts of Libya – excuse me – they want parts of Syria, parts of Lebanon. They’re an expansionist power like most powers.”

Carlson then excoriated Jews and Christians who believe in the biblical prophecy of a third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, calling them the “craziest, darkest people.”

“Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which was built on – apparently built on the site of the Second Temple,” Carlson said. “A big gold dome, a whole complex. And that is one of the holiest sites in Islam.”

“It appears to be coequal in Islam with Mecca and Medina. It’s a huge deal. And since 1967 it has been under the military control of Israel. It is actually controlled legally by Jordan.”

“But it is a holy place for every Muslim, about two billion of them. And there are some people, Orthodox Jews in Israel – not all, some – and some Evangelical Christians in Texas – not all, some – who would like to see it blown up and replaced by this Third Temple.”

The Book of Ezekiel references prophecies about a future temple in Jerusalem,and offers an outline of the structure’s design, which is notably different from Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple.

Carlson denounced belief in the prophecy – which is an article of faith among Orthodox Jews and is shared by some Christians – as “demonic.”

“I’m not going to go into the theology of it, which is deranged and demonic, actually. But it is a fact that people want this. And that is the beginning of really the end of the world as we know it.”

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A Hasidic reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if President Donald Trump plans to rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem, to which she responded that he does not have plans to do so at this time.

The post WATCH: ‘Will President Trump build the Third Temple in Jerusalem?’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Their source is a report on government funding a project to raise a red heifer, whose ashes, according to Torah law, can purify Jews so they can bring sacrifices again.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Arabs are up in arms over a supposed Israeli government plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque by rebuilding the Third Temple in its place in Jerusalem, following a Saturday report on Channel 12 that several ministries are funding efforts to raise a red heifer, which is considered a prerequisite for the coming of the Messiah.

Palestinian officials and commentators in Arab media from Al Jazeera to Jordanian news sites and Gazan TV wholly accepted the report, which centered on the supposed danger of the right-wing-religious coalition turning Israel into a halachic (run by Torah law) state.

Al Jazeera cited Dr. Saleh Lutfi, “a researcher in Jewish, Zionist, and political affairs,” as saying that in light of the current Palestinian and regional circumstances, the Netanyahu government the time is ripe to “realize the myth of building the alleged ‘Third Temple.’”

Lutfi also claims that the idea of rebuilding the Temple “has become rooted even among large segments of the Israeli secular and liberal movement, as well as among the circles of the so-called Jewish Zionist left.”

Palestinian Shehab News reported that the deputy director of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, Najeh Bakirat, “confirmed that the occupation government adopted the project to build the Temple in the place of Al-Aqsa, to make Jerusalem a Jewish capital…through several steps and nonstop violations against the mosque.”

On Hamas station Al-Aqsa, Dr. Shihab went even further, stating that “the Israeli government has a plan to cause a religious war in the region” and that bringing red heifers to Jerusalem shows that “the fascist Israeli government encourages the settlers to continue harming Al-Aqsa mosque.”

Five red heifers were brought to Israel in September 2022 after being raised by a Christian Evangelist in Texas. One of them was brought last month to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for over 300 years prior to the first Temple’s construction. Along with two others, the heifer will be at the heart of a planned Heritage Center to attract tourism to the site.

According to Jewish tradition, a purely red heifer is the only animal whose ashes can be used to purify Jews so they can serve in the Temple and bring sacrifices. There is a host of requirements that the animal must meet, and none has been found in 2,000 years.

The Channel 12 report said that “millions of shekels are transferred to organizations that promote the issue.” It listed several ministries that have helped in “the frantic search” for a red heifer, including the Agriculture Ministry that granted the exemption for last year’s import of the live animals. The Religious Services, Education, and Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage ministries “are also in the picture,” according to the report.

The red heifer project is under the auspices of the Temple Institute, which has constructed many of the implements that would be needed for the Third Temple according to the Bible’s instructions, including its solid-gold Menorah and the priestly garments. The national-religious organization believes that everything that can be done ahead of time, should be done. It has never promoted the idea that existing structures on the Temple Mount should be destroyed.

The post Scared of a baby cow? Palestinians say Israel is planning to build the Third Temple, destroy Al Aqsa Mosque appeared first on World Israel News.

Tonight begins the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, marking the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the beginning of the millenia of suffering endured by the “wandering Jew,” among other national tragedies.

By World Israel News Staff

Tisha b’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, begins Wednesday evening, according to the Jewish calendar – which is lunar, and therefore the ‘day’ begins and ends at sunset.

The most famous events that occurred on that infamous day were the destruction of both the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem, in 423 BCE and 69 CE, respectively. Since then, Jews have been wandering from place to place and have lived in various countries across the globe.

An earlier event, known mostly by those familiar with biblical text, was the “sin of the spies” in 1313 BCE, not long after the exodus from Egypt. On the eighth day of Av, spies who were sent to scout the Land of Israel reported back that the land was inhabited by giants and could not be conquered – despite the Divine promise that they would indeed succeed. Later that night, on the ninth of Av, the Israelites cried and said they would prefer to return to Egypt rather than be murdered by the Canaanites.

As recounted in the bible, God was angered by this lack of faith and punished that generation, saying only their children would merit to enter the Promised Land – 38 years later.

In 133 CE, on the ninth of Av, the Jews who rebelled against Roman rule, believing that their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would be victorious and usher in the messianic era, were slaughtered in the final battle at Betar, southwest of Jerusalem.

On the same Hebrew date, the Jews were expelled from England in 1290 CE and from Spain in 1492. It also marked the beginning of World War I in 1914, when Germany declared war on Russia, which ultimately led to World War II and the Holocaust.

Finally, Tisha b’Av is the culmination of the “Three Weeks” of mourning observed by religious Jews the world over, beginning with the fast of the 17^th day of the month of Tammuz, when the walls surrounding Jerusalem were breached during the First Temple-era. While weddings and other joyous occasions are not held during this period, the restrictions become more intense during the last nine days, during which Orthodox Jews refrain from eating meat (except for on the Sabbath) and from wearing new clothing.

On the fast day of Tisha b’Av, the Book of Lamentations is recited at synagogue, and congregants sit on low stools.

Legend has it that Napolean, upon observing Jews crying on Tisha b’Av and learning the reason why, said that “a nation that cries and fasts for over 2,000 years for their land and Temple will surely be rewarded with their Temple.”

According to Jewish tradition, Tisha b’Av will become a day of celebration after the arrival of the Messiah.

The post Explainer: Tisha b’Av, the saddest day on the Hebrew calendar, begins Wednesday evening appeared first on World Israel News.

“This exceptional event signifies an exciting period for the entire Jewish People.”

By World Israel News Staff

A rare and unblemished red heifer was recently transported to Israel and showcased at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, where it will be joined by two other heifers of similar purity.

The heifers, whose color and condition are considered spiritually significant in accordance with Jewish law, will reside at the Shiloh biblical heritage site and be at the heart of a newly planned Heritage Center dedicated to furthering research on the Red Heifer, Israel National News reported.

The centerpiece of this unusual spectacle, a heifer of one year and ten months, has never been put to work in accordance with religious mandates. The untouched beast made its journey to Israel under special provisions arranged by the team at site of Ancient Shiloh. The heifer is set to be kept within a guarded pen to ensure her safety, while visitors may observe from a distance.

As a testament to the stringent attention to ritual cleanliness, the red heifer has been raised with scrupulous care, under conditions that guarantee her purity. The arrival of the red heifer and the establishment of the center are expected to draw international attention, with the Binyamin Regional Council hoping to attract up to a million visitors annually, thereby boosting local tourism and economy.

The Binyamin Regional Council leader, Israel Ganz, hailed the development as not only significant for the Jewish community, “but also for researchers and scientists worldwide.”

“We are privileged to be part of this historical moment,” he said, according to the report.

Echoing Ganz’s sentiment, Ancient Shiloh CEO Coby Mamo expressed, “This exceptional event signifies an exciting period for the entire Jewish People. The upcoming center, where the heifers will be housed, will offer an immersive experience transporting visitors back to the ancient Jewish world. We are liaising with researchers and promoters globally who eagerly await the opportunity to visit in large groups. By bringing back the past to the site of the Tabernacle in Shiloh, we are laying the groundwork for the future of our people.”

The post ‘History-making’: Biblical red heifer displayed in ancient holy site appeared first on World Israel News.

A Christian evangelical farmer donated the cows, which rabbis ruled as eligible for a biblical purification rite that allows service in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Excitement and joy abounded last Thursday when five red heifers landed at Ben Gurion International Airport, causing some of their 300 greeters to weep from emotion.

Reason for the exhilaration? According to Jewish tradition, the appearance of a 100%-red cow – which is extremely rare – is a sign of the imminent arrival of the Messiah. In Jewish law, this is the only animal whose ashes can be used to purify people who had been in contact with the dead – and all Jews today are considered to be in this state of impurity. Yet only those who have been purified can serve in the Temple and bring sacrifices to the holy site.

The criteria for the cow to meet the requirements is so rigorous that there has not been a documented case of such an animal in 2,000 years. It must be a particular shade of brownish red; it cannot have more than one white or black hair in its pelt; it cannot have any one of dozens of kinds of defects; and it must never have worked even a day of its life.

Several rabbis laboriously examined the five arrivals and pronounced them kosher, an announcement that brought some viewers to tears.

“It is very gratifying that we have red cows ready both for the building of the Temple with God’s help, and in the meantime to study,” said Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, the chief rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council. “The building of the Temple is approaching, we need to know, to prepare, and that is one of the things” that is needed.

The five heifers were the generous donation of a Christian Evangelical farmer named Byron, who raised them on his farm in Texas. They were driven to New York by truck and then put on an American Airlines cargo flight to Israel.

The arrivals are currently in a mandated quarantine, but they will ultimately be brought to their new home in the northern Beit She’an area, a breeding farm where it is hoped that their numbers will expand greatly.

Since their existence is such a rarity, the facility also expects to become a tourist site for both religious Jews and Christians from all over the world, as well as a draw for Jewish schoolchildren throughout the country.

Ordinarily, Israel forbids the import of live animals from the U.S., fearing the transmission of disease, but “these cows have undergone over 10 blood tests in the last year and have been in isolation for four months,” a spokesperson said.

According to Maimonides (1138-1204), one of the greatest rabbis and philosophers in Jewish history, there have been only nine red heifers used to purify the nation from the time the Torah was given on Mount Sinai until the destruction of the Second Temple. The 10th, he wrote, will be used by the “King Messiah.”

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As of 9 a.m. Sunday morning, over 1,000 Jews had visited the Temple Mount since the day began. Hundreds – among thousands more – are seen standing in line waiting for their turn.

Tisha b’Av is the Hebrew date of the anniversary of the destruction of both the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site.

The post WATCH: Jews visit Temple Mount en masse on Tisha b’Av appeared first on World Israel News.

This coming Sunday is Tisha b’Av – the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem. Apropos, Tel Aviv University Professor of Archaeology Yuval Gadot describes the exciting discoveries at the City of David excavations in the summer of 2018.

The post WATCH: The most exciting moment in unearthing Jerusalem appeared first on World Israel News.

There’s a common denominator among the five specific events that happened on this date.

By Pesach Benson, World Israel News

The 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz is a sad day of fasting because of five specific events that happened on this date.

1. Moses broke the original tablets given to him by God after seeing the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The nation wasn’t worthy of having tablets carved by the finger of God.

2. King Menashe placed an idol in the Temple. Although Scripture describes the tribes of Israel being enticed by idolatry for centuries, nobody had ever dared to place an idol in the Temple itself.

3. During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the daily sacrificial service was interrupted. From the time of the very first daily communal sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the sacrificial order had never been disrupted.

4. It was on the 17th of Tammuz that a Torah scroll was burned for the first time. It’s unclear if the man — identified as Apostomos — was Greek or Roman. Regardless, it marked the end of a certain awe that the nations of the world had for the Torah and its scholars.

5. On this date, both the Babylonians and Romans besieging Jerusalem made the first breaches in the city’s walls. Although the First and Second Temples would be destroyed three weeks later, the enemies succeeded in taking the fight into Jerusalem.

The Jewish people lost a certain closeness with God, sullied the Temple and set in motion its destruction, and lost its exalted stature among the nations of the world.

On this date, Jews who are healthy enough to do so fast during the daylight hours, and extra penitential prayers are part of the prayer service.

There is a direct line between the events of the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, which is why the three weeks are known in Hebrew as “Bein HaMetzarim” (literally, narrow or dire straits).

Reflecting on this difficult time, rejoicing is curtailed. Starting from the 17th of Tammuz, Jews refrain from listening to music, holding weddings, wearing new clothes or cutting hair. Later, as the 9th of Av gets closer, other restrictions, such as abstaining from meat and wine or bathing for pleasure will begin.

However, on a more optimistic note, Jewish tradition also teaches that “Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit seeing its joy.”

The post The historic significance of the 17th of Tammuz – today’s Hebrew date appeared first on World Israel News.

“The police should protect us and help us bring the sacrifice rather than stop us. That’s the real job they’re supposed to do,” said Rafael Morris, head of the Returning to the Mount movement.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A group that wants Israel to take back full control of the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism and Islam’s third-holiest, is offering a substantial cash reward to the person who manages to perform the Passover sacrifice this Friday on the Mount.

Friday night is the first night of Passover. One of the main commandments of the holiday is to bring a sheep or goat to the Temple to be sacrificed earlier in the day and eaten in large family groups.

The Returning to the Mount movement has publicized a cash prize of 10,000 shekels for a successful sacrifice.

If a person is stopped on his way to make the attempt with a goat or lamb, he will receive a consolation prize of 800 shekels. Even those who are stopped without an animal in tow will get 400 shekels.

“It is time to change the rules of the game,” the movement said in a statement. “Neither Hamas nor Jordan will decide whether the offering of the sacrifices will be resumed – it depends solely on us. This coming Friday, Passover eve, we will reach the Temple Mount from all parts of the country with goats and sheep demanding the sacrifice at its appointed time.”

The group asked the Israel Police for permission to bring the sacrifice, as they have done every year for the last decade – including during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have been consistently refused, as the police have deemed it an act that could incite violence.

This is no idle supposition, as when this year’s request became known, Kamal al-Khatib, deputy leader of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, warned about the “danger” of “extremist settlers” having the ritual ceremony “on the plaza of the Al-Aqsa Mosque” during Ramadan. This is the way that Israel, he said, wants to begin the process of “building the Temple.”

The First Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed in 586 BCE; the Second Temple, built on the same site, was destroyed in 70 CE.

Although early Arab historians acknowledged that the Temple Mount was the site of the temples holy to Judaism, revisionists have since denied that anything Jewish had ever existed there.

In a barely veiled threat of violence, al-Khatib said, “Our people know exactly what is demanded of them to foil the plans of the Jews.”

Rafael Morris, head of the Returning to the Mount movement, has been banned by authorities from entering the Old City.

In a formal step prior to issuing the order, Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordon sent a letter to Morris asking why he should not be banned, considering that he has “participated in a number of provocations in front of the Temple Mount.”

In 2016, Morris spent the Seder night in jail after being caught that morning with a goat that he was attempting to bring into the Old City for the sacrifice.

Morris answered in part, “These are acts that I stand behind and am proud of …. [I] even proudly challenge the anti-Jewish law enforcement system that prohibits -without any legal cause – the realization of full Jewish worship on the Temple Mount.”

“The state has no legal cause to distance me or my friends,” he added. “And therefore, unfortunately, the state has chosen the permanent solution of expulsion and war on Jews while legitimizing Arab violence and terrorism.”

World Israel News reached out to Morris, asking for his reaction to al-Khatib’s threat.

“Every move that the Jews want to do regarding the Land of Israel, the Arabs react with violence and terror,” he said. “That never was and never will be a reason not to live in the land and be proud Jews. The police should protect us and help us bring the sacrifice rather than stop us. That’s the real job they’re supposed to do.”

He said that he had indeed received the expected restraining order, but it does not matter to him.

“Yesterday, an hour and a half after publishing the reward offer, I got the administrative order banning me from the Old City – for two months. I’m planning to go anyway and am inviting people to come join me because it’s one of the most important commandments of the Torah.

“The distancing order won’t stop us from actualizing our rights on the Temple Mount.”

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Palestinian Islamic academic denied the Holocaust while claiming at the same time that Jews were responsible for it.

By The Algemeiner

A leading Palestinian Muslim scholar went on a bizarre rant on Turkish television, claiming that the Jews started the war in Ukraine in order to establish a new Jewish state there and “are now saying that the Temple and biblical Jerusalem are located in Ukraine and not in Palestine.”

According to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Mraweh Nassar, the Secretary-General of the Jerusalem Committee of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, made the statements on Turkey’s Channel 9, an Arabic-language outlet affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Nassar claimed that Israel now wants to align with Russia and China because “America has forsaken them,” with the U.S. supposedly telling Israel, “your [Zionist] project is a failure, and you are bound to come to an end — if not this year, then the next.”

As a result, he claimed, “even the Jews themselves” — including Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu  — “are now convinced that Palestine cannot be the state for the Jews. So, they started saying that holy Jerusalem is in Ukraine and not in Palestine. Ukraine is now the candidate to become the future Jewish state.”

“They are now saying that the Temple and biblical Jerusalem are located in Ukraine and not in Palestine,” Nassar said. “If this does not work, tomorrow they might say that they are in the Netherlands.”

Neither Lieberman nor Netanyahu has made such a statement.

“Perhaps one of the reasons [the Jews] instigated this war was to empty out Ukraine,” Nassar mused.

The cleric also appeared to falsely claim that a Jewish state already exists in Ukraine, saying, “The whole world knows about the Jewish state in eastern Ukraine. I remembered that there were 43,000 [Jews] there, but now they say 200,000.”

“It is an independent state, and they did not want to spread the word about it, so they would not be told to go there rather than come to Palestine,” he claimed.

Nassar also simultaneously denied the Holocaust and falsely claimed that Jews were responsible for it, saying, “Even in the false Holocaust… There is a book written by a Jew, which asks ‘Who killed the Jews?’ They were offered to take the Jews for five dollars each. They took one look, saw that most of them were old, and said: ‘We don’t want them.’ A Jew wrote this book and said: ‘We killed the Jews’ — that is what he means — ‘because we refused to accept 100,000 or 200,000 Jews who were in Germany, in exchange for a handful of dollars.’”

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The topic of the Temple Mount is “swept under the table,” one MK said. 

By World Israel News Staff

The Knesset on Tuesday debated the need to teach students more about the Temple Mount in schools, including having children visit the holy site.

“Find a way to ensure that every student studies and visits the Temple Mount,” said former Knesset Member Yehuda Glick during the session.

The committee discussion was attended by MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and MK Amir Ohana, among others. The group was also addressed by Lt. Col. Nati Gur, who oversees the area for the Israeli Police.

“Schools can go up to the Temple Mount without any exceptional conditions,” Gur clarified after several MKs expressed concern that children had not been on the mount. “The police secure any group that ascends the Temple Mount and there is no need for private security on the Temple Mount. The security guard that accompanies the class can wait for them at the entrance, and guide them afterward through the Muslim Quarter.”

For his part, Ben-Gvir said he believes that the topic of the Temple Mount is “swept under the table” and that most students do not understand that it is as sacred and relevant today as in the past.

”The place of the Temple Mount needs to be understood,” stressed MK Nir Orbach. “Even if there is disagreement on the sides of Jewish law and politics, one should know that the Temple Mount is the holiest place for the Jewish people.

“We flock to the Western Wall, but we should know that it is of a lesser significance than the Temple Mount,” he continued. “There is public confusion and a lack of knowledge on the subject. I hope there will be a change in the education system on the subject of the Temple Mount.”

No conclusion was reached at the end of the meeting.

The Temple Mount has been a point of contention lately, as more Jews have ascended to pray on the mount, which is overseen by the Muslim Waqf.

In 1967, when Israel triumphed over its Muslim enemies and reunited Jerusalem, it also gained control of the Temple Mount. However, it allowed for the Waqf to maintain religious authority over the holy site and the Waqf does not allow Jews to pray there.

The post Will Israeli students soon study, visit the Temple Mount? appeared first on World Israel News.

“We wanted to stop and pray and study [but] the Waqf arrived and screamed we had to keep moving forward,” said a Jewish visitor.

By World Israel News Staff

Thousands of Jews ascended the Temple Mount on Sunday morning on the fast day of Tisha b’Av, a day of mourning over the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.

The Temple Mount, where the temples stood, is Judaism’s holiest site and Islam’s third-holiest, after Mecca and Medina.

Hamas and other Gaza-based terror organizations had warned Jews not to ascend the Mount, but the threats were ignored by the visitors. Muslims at the site also attempted to “block the settlers,” TPS reported.

Hamas called on Muslims to stream to the Temple Mount and “block the settlers’ storming of the site.”

One Jewish visitor, Nehama Dina Ernstoff, told Arutz 7 about her experience, saying Muslims were throwing stones while police prevented the assailants from hitting them.

“We wanted to stop and pray and study [but] the Waqf arrived and screamed we had to keep moving forward.”

The Waqf is the Jordanian Islamic Trust that administers the site.

“Instead of letting the Jews mourn in front of the Holy of Holies, the police took us out and submitted to the demands of the Waqf,” Ernstoff said.

“If I have not felt the destruction until now – today I am sure of what I am mourning, for the fact that the State of Israel is sovereign on the Temple Mount but in practice succumbs to the demands of the Waqf and the fickle moods of the Israel Police, she added.

Bennett assures Muslims of freedom of worship on site

Also on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held an assessment of the situation with the participation of the Public Security Minister and the Israel Police Inspector General regarding events on the Temple Mount.

Bennett, who was receiving updates throughout the day, instructed that the organized and safe visits by Jews to the Temple Mount continue, the prime minister’s media adviser said.

Later in the afternoon, Bennett  thanked the Public Security Minister and the Israel Police Inspector General for managing the events on the Temple Mount “with responsibility and consideration, while maintaining freedom of worship for Jews on the Mount,” his spokesperson said.

Bennett emphasized that freedom of worship on the Temple Mount will be fully preserved for Muslims as well.

On Saturday night, several hundred Jews took part in an annual protest march organized by “Women in Green” around the walls of the Old City, calling on the government to make the Temple Mount under Israeli control  and allow Jews to pray there.

The post Hamas activists threaten Jews ascending Temple Mount appeared first on World Israel News.

The fast is one of four which relate in some way to the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

By World Israel News Staff 

Jews around the world are marking the 10th day of the month of Tevet on Tuesday, one of the six fast days on the Jewish calendar and one of four which relate in some way to the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

On this date in 588 B.C.E, the armies of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem ultimately leading to the destruction of the first Temple in 586. The fact that several fasts are marked each year to remember the destruction of the first and second Temples, the latter in 70 C.E. by the Romans, is a manifestation of the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish people.

The Temples were both located on what is known today as the Temple Mount. According to Jewish belief, its holiness is maintained.

Despite the prohibition by Jewish law against entering the inner sanctuary known as the Holy of Holies, growing numbers of religious Jews have been ascending the Mount and taking care, they say, to stay away from the prohibited spot.

The Waqf Islamic Trust closely watches Jewish visitors and often tries to ensure that no Jewish worship takes place. Israel maintains sovereignty over the location and Israel Police also keep a watchful eye and step in when it is deemed necessary.

Large numbers of Jews pray down below at the Western Wall, which was an outer wall of the Temple complex.

On the ninth of the month of Av, the destruction of the Temples is commemorated with a fast that lasts more than 24 hours, from sunset to the next day’s nightfall, as opposed to most other fast days on the Jewish calendar, such as the 10th of Tevet, which do not start until dawn and last until nightfall.

In addition to various ancient associations with the 10th of Tevet fast, this date is also marked to remember those who were murdered in the Holocaust whose actual date of death is not known. On this date, the Kaddish memrial prayer is recited by family members of those victims of the Nazi atrocities.

According to Jewish belief, the four fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple will become joyous holidays with the building of a third Temple, which will never be destroyed. Jewish sages disagree on how exactly that will unfold.

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Muslims rioted on the Temple Mount and clashed with Israeli police who cleared the area. 

By World Israel News Staff

Responding to nationalist calls for riots, Muslims on the Temple Mount rioted on Sunday, forcing Israeli police to clear the area using crowd control methods, including stun grenades, Israel media reports.

Israeli Police said that, “Following nationalist calls and disturbances in the area of ​​the Temple Mount, police forces under the command of the district commander, who were ready at the scene, dispersed the rioters in order to restore public order.”

Curiously, the riots began around 9:30 a.m. shortly after Israel announced it would not allow Jews to go up to the Temple Mount, the holiest site to the Jewish people where the First and Second Temples once stood.

Sunday marks Tisha B’av, the Jewish memorial day for the destruction of the First and Second Temples, which according to Jewish tradition were destroyed on the same day 585 years apart.

Also falling on Sunday is the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (or “Feast of the Sacrifice”)  which celebrates Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Hoping to avoid riots, Israel decided not to allow Jews to ascend to the site. Israel’s Channel 13, citing a senior official, reports that the decision was made at “the highest political level.”

The news site reports that Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week and pointed out that the two holidays would fall on the same day. Netanyahu said that the decision as to whether to allow Jews up to the site “would be in accordance with the assessment of the situation of the police chiefs regarding the danger to public peace,” according to the senior official, Channel 13 reports.

The United Right, an alliance of right-wing Zionist parties led by former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said, “Netanyahu’s decision to close the Temple Mount is a national disgrace. The Mount is the most sacred place for the Jewish people. We call on the Prime Minister: Change your decision.”

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