Ban on MK’s Visiting Har Habayis to be Lifted

Knesset members eager to ascend Har Habayis will be permitted to for a one-week trial period later this month, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu imposed a ban on both Jewish and Muslim MK’s following the outbreak in October 2015 of a wave of Palestinian violence and terror attacks centered around claims that Israel was attempting to take control of the site.

After consulting with Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, Netanyahu decided to lift the ban three weeks from now, for a period of seven days, after which an assessment will be made as to whether such visits may continue without destabilizing the security situation.

Relaxation of the ban comes after MK Yehudah Glick (Likud) filed a petition with the High Court to rescind the ban.

Political and security considerations aside, leading poskim have declared many times that it is halachically forbidden for Jews to enter the Har HaBayis compound.