Israel's National Security Council is holding discussions on closing the Temple Mount to both Jewish and Muslim worshipers in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a N12 report on Sunday.
The report noted that discussions commenced as Israel grapples with a growing number of coronavirus cases, which has become especially pronounced in areas surrounding the Temple Mount and among Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians in East Jerusalem.The potential closure of the Temple Mount has been discussed previously by Jerusalem's municipal government, occurring three months ago following a rise in the morbidity rate attributed to the virus, the report noted. Given the sensitivity of any closure, discussions are being held in conjunction with the Islamic Waqf, an Islamic religious trust that controls and manages Islamic holy sites, such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Thus far, the Waqf has been opposed to any closure. Approximately 18,000 and 22,000 worshipers enter the Temple Mount to pray every Friday, many of whom allegedly do not follow Health Ministry guidelines by praying close to one another without masks and not maintaining social distancing generally.
Coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu has previously sought to add Jerusalem's Old City neighborhoods as part of the "red city" hot zones in terms of the amount of cases in these areas, prompting discussions on the closure of other religious sites as well, including the Western Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Read more from source - https://www.timesofisrael.com/official-mull-temple-mount-closure-among-steps-to-stem-virus-spread/
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