@jking948
So maybe you can explain to me what is going on at the Temple Mount.
I read today that there is some agreement that only Muslims may pray there. Jews are permitted to visit but
are not allowed to pray.
The idea that members of a religion should not be permitted to pray at a site that is holy to them is completely foreign to most Americans, including me. We here in the U.S. are required by law to make all sorts of accommodations for the religious practices of other people. Prohibiting prayer at a particular site is a huge "WTF?"
What really boggles my mind is why the Israeli government agreed to that, so I'm clearly missing something.
What gives?
So, I'll begin by admitting Israel-Palestine isn't my specialty. It's not that I don't know about it. But I haven't necessarily read the documents.
Nonetheless, I believe the agreement came after the 1967 War as a means of appeasing the Muslim population. Effectively, Jews gained political sovereignty and Muslims retained religious sovereignty of the Temple/Mosque. It was also furthered that Jews are allowed to visit whenever they want; but, due to the religious nature of the structure, would not be allowed to pray. The corollary was also true of the Western Wall.
This status quo continued for thirty or so years, until the Second Intifada occurred, which really effected a lot of the relations. This lead to two independent things occurring: first, the Israeli Likud Party (right wing party that had ended up in a coalition with the ultra right) skyrocketed in popularity; and second, Palestinians began to fear for what sovereignty they had.
The combination of these two factors led Palestinian terrorists (Fatah and Hamas, mainly) to launch attacks from the top of the Mosque. Additionally, the heads of the Mosque/Mount began to limit days and times when Jews and other non-Muslims could actually visit the Mosque.
This lead to the Likud Party to begin public discussions about removing the Muslim religious sovereignty over the Mosque. The reason this is a big deal is Palestinians view the Mosque as the only source of sovereignty they have in Israel/Palestine. On the other hand, Israelis are beginning to view it as a security threat.
In my view, the Mosque/Temple Mount is not the actual issue. The frustration boiling in both societies is and the debate over the Temple/Mosque is just a straw breaking the proverbial camel's back.
That's my understanding of it, anyways. If someone else has more first-hand experience with this stuff I'd love to hear it.