In an interview with the Arabic-language channel Hala TV, Prime Minister Yair Lapid embraced wholeheartedly the Arab terminology regarding the Temple Mount when he announced: “We are not changing the status quo at Al Aqsa.” He probably understands that when Arabs say Al Aqsa the are referring to the entire Temple Mount, not just the mosque. Regarding the Jews he said, “We permit the entry of Jews, but we don’t permit Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount. They ascend and are under supervision to make sure the status quo is not broken.” This is NOT and does NOT need to be the “status quo”. During AFSI’s last two visits, and at times previously, Jews were holding shiurim (learning sessions) and praying in an area of the Mount. THAT should be expanded.
Whether Lapid’s words are intended to draw in Arab votes or if he really believes in what he says, he is harmful to the country and its security, the safety of its people, and the legacy of the Zionist heritage. Lapid continues to appease the Arabs while he denies Jews their legal rights. Doug Altabef,a Director of B’yadenu, which advocates for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, the Chairman of the Board of Im Tirtzu, Israel’s largest grassroots Zionist organization, and a Director of the Israel Independence Fund queries in his Arutz Sheva OpEd, “How can such a person ask us with a straight face to elevate him to be the leader of a Jewish State?”
As Israelis prepare to go to the voting booth on November 1, it is our hope that the critical issues mentioned will be at the forefront of their decision making. Ballots need to be cast that secure the future Israelis were intended to have and not the future that the forum of leftist public opinion dictates they should have. We pray Israeli citizens vote wisely and that the next Leader of the world’s only Jewish Nation State – the one that Israel truly needs – is overwhelmingly elected.