Page 47 - Satan in the Sanctuary

Opening Pandora's Box—Prayer on the Mount 49

Finally, on March 23, 1976, the Post editorialized a very
thought-provoking opinion: Judge Or had opened "Pan-
dora's Box." There was going to be some real trouble over
the Temple site:

NATIONAL NEWS

PANDORA'S BOX ON TEMPLE MOUNT

Magistrate Ruth Or's ruling that Jews had the right to pray on the
Temple Mount—and that the Israeli authorities should draw up
regulations allowing them to do so—has opened up a Pandora's
box of complications, writes Post Reporter Abraham Rabinovich.

IT WAS A DECISION by a called upon the Ministry for Re-
freshman judge in the lowest ligious Affairs to draw up regu-
court in the land in a routine lations spelling out when and
case, or so it seemed. where Jews might pray on the
In its wake, during the past Temple Mount.
seven weeks, there have come In this seemingly inadvertent
riots in towns throughout the fashion was raised an issue full
West Bank, shopkeepers' strikes, of religious passions, and one
school shutdowns, hundreds of that has remained dormant
arrests, the resignation of five through the decades of confron-
West Bank municipal councils, tation between the two peoples.
cries of outrage from Islamic na- It remained dormant for two
tions, and a pledge by the UN reasons that are now being chal-
Secretary General that he would lenged as a result of Judge Or's
take up the matter. ruling, one religious and the
Magistrate Ruth Or did not other political.
content herself with acquitting The ban upon entry to the
the eight Jewish youths accused Temple Mount issued by the
of disturbing the peace by pray- Rabbinical Council following the
mg on the Temple Mount. Six-Day War—and still posted
The eight were innocent, she outside Mograbi Gate—reflected
explained, because they had the an attitude dating from Maimo-
right as Jews to pray at Juda- nides in the 12th century. Mai-
ism's most sacred site. She chas- monides maintained that because
tised the authorities for attempt- of the uncertainty as to the lo-
ing to prevent such prayer, and cation of the Holy of Holies—