Jewish activists in Jerusalem are using buses to deliver an
in-your-face message to Muslims by calling for the immediate destruction
of the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock on the city's disputed
Temple Mount.
The bulldozing of the Muslim holy sites, say leaders of Our Land of Israel, will
pave the way for construction of the Third (Jewish) Temple.
"The Arabs and President Obama know that the Temple will be built
on the Temple Mount," said Rabbi Shalom Dov Volpo, the group's founder,
"instead of the temporary buildings that are there today."
According to the Jerusalem Post, 200 buses now carry posters
picturing the Third Temple sitting atop the mount alone – with no Muslim
buildings in sight – along with the words, "May the Bais Hamikdosh
[Holy Temple] be rebuilt speedily and within our days."
Adding fuel to the fire, the campaign's organizers told the Post
they've targeted buses with routes through predominately Arab
neighborhoods in east Jerusalem.
"We're representing the truth, in front of everyone, and saying
out loud what every Jew believes," said Our Land of Israel activist
Baruch Marzel, "that the Third Temple needs to be built immediately on
the Temple Mount and that the mosque should not be there."
When asked about sparking Muslim furor over the posters, Marzel told
the Post, "It upsets them that we're alive, and that we're living here."
He continued, "If such a basic point is going to p— them off,
then we might as well say what we truly believe and what we pray for
three times a day – that is to rebuild the holy temple on top of the
Temple Mount, and tomorrow, not to wait any longer."
The First Temple refers to the structure built by King Solomon in
the 10th century B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
The Second Temple was then rebuilt in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed
from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman
Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of about four
centuries.
The Temple was the center of religious worship for ancient
Israelites. It housed the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the
Covenant and was said to be the area upon which God's presence dwelt.
All biblical holidays centered on worship at the Temple. The Temples
served as the primary location for the offering of sacrifices and were
the main gathering place for Israelites.
According to the Talmud, the world was created from the foundation
stone of the Temple Mount. It's believed to be the biblical Mount
Moriah, the location where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he
would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.
The Temple Mount has remained a focal point for Jewish services
for thousands of years. Prayers for a return to Jerusalem and the
rebuilding of the Temple have been uttered by Jews since the Second
Temple was destroyed, according to Jewish tradition.
The Al Aqsa Mosque, however, was constructed in about A.D. 709 to
serve as a shrine near another shrine, the Dome of the Rock, which was
built by an Islamic caliph. Al Aqsa was meant to mark what Muslims came
to believe was the place at which Muhammad, the founder of Islam,
ascended to heaven to receive revelations from Allah.
Our Land of Israel states its goal is "to oppose and fight the
political accords with the Arabs that include land or security
concessions."
"Eretz Yisroel is our G-d given land and belongs to the Jews
exclusively," the group's website states. "Any accord or agreement that
includes land concessions endangers the Jewish nation and world peace."
Marzel explained to the Post the traditions and prayers that have
long called for construction of the Third Temple:
"When we reach the end of the Pessah Seder tomorrow night," he
said, "we'll say, 'Next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem.' What does
'rebuilt' mean? It means with the Third Temple intact."
