After three months of being in a twilight zone, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is beginning to get back into his element. His painful decision to prevent Jews from ascending the Temple Mount for the remainder of Ramadan can be filed under "don't be just; be smart."
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This motto has been so badly needed in his conduct to handle the judicial reform crisis that has all but torn Israelis apart. Now Netanyahu is finally putting on display his level-headedness.
In light of the circumstances Israel has had to deal with over the final third of Ramadan – and despite this being a major concession – one can see where he is coming from. The escalation on all fronts has had tensions skyrocket while Israel's regional and international capital has been badly eroded. Security forces have been stretched thin and Israeli society is fraying at the seams. With such a state of affairs, erring on the side of caution makes sense.
If things blow over on Temple Mount in the coming days, Israel would be able to say that it did all it can to prevent bloodshed. In the short term, this approach is the right one. But once Ramadan is over, Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and other security officials must tackle the long-term issues at hand.
This is the third year in a row that Hamas has tried to change the rules of the game on Temple Mount during the holy month, and as a consequence – Israel has had to change gears for three straight years to brace itself for possible attacks during that period. In each one of those years, Israel found itself engaged in ridiculous efforts to calm things down rather than have a proactive posture on the diplomatic and security front.
If Israel truly wants to live up to the famous proclamation "Temple Mount is in our hands", Israel will announce at the end of Ramadan that things will no longer be the same: It no longer wait for pointless talks just before the holiday in Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh and Amman aimed at pre-empting an escalation, but spell out what is allowed and what is not; what it will and what it will not tolerate.
Rather than announce in advance that it will allow Arabs to enter the site without screening them only to find itself clashing with the rioters in front of cameras, Israel must make it clear that next time it will only allow worshippers to enter after they undergo a security check – or only allow people over a certain age. This, Israel must make clear, will be the policy until a new understanding of what is permitted on the mountain is finalized with the Waqf. This would not be unprecedented.
Israel must also present another demand, not as a consequence of cabinet infighting but because it sends the right message in public diplomacy: Israel must make it clear that part of the site will be earmarked for Jewish prayer. This is a fundamental right that is recognized worldwide.
It is inconceivable that in the holiest place for Jews, they can't pray. If this combustible issue gets resolved once and for all, perhaps this will ensure an end to the volatility in that compound.
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