The correct response is to open the Mount to all

Wednesday night, in a cowardly and vicious attack, Rabbi Yehudah Glick, an activist for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount was shot at close range by an assailant on a motorcycle.

Arab neighborhoods were reportedly awash in celebration.

As of Thursday morning, the assailant, an Arab man who had served time in an Israeli prison had been found and killed after a shootout with police. He is being hailed as a martyr by terrorist groups.

Like many others, Yehudah argued that Jews should be able to pray on the Temple Mount — just like Muslims and Christians do. The current situation is such that while Muslims are allowed on the Mount at any time, Jews have restricted hours.

Not only are the hours restricted, but so are our movements and rights. We can only go with escort of both Israel police and the Waqf (the Muslim authority of the Mount). This is not for our protection, but to ensure that we do not pray during our escorted walk.

Jews may not pray on the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Yehudah Glick has advocated for peaceful coexistence with Arabs and called on them to preach the same.

In this video, he speaks of the Dome of the Rock sitting adjacent to the Third Temple and the Muslims and Jews worshipping God in harmony.

Here, he can be seen praying together  with Arabs.

And yet, not only have Arab leaders not added their voices to his calls for peace, but increasingly, verbal and physical harassment by Muslims against Jews has worsened on the Mount.

Muslim men and women scream, yell and attack Jews while they visit. Planned riots complete with rock throwing and molotov cocktails protest Jewish presence on the Mount.

Here is a video of school children being harassed:

Far from calming tensions and preventing violence, the Israeli government’s current policy of restricting Jewish presence on the Mount, only sows hatred and fuels attacks against us.

It feeds the notion that we cannot live together and emboldens those who use violence to get their way.

Israel must show that the rights of Jews are equal to those of Muslims.

Israel must show that when violence is perpetrated, it is the perpetrators who are punished.

Israel must show swift and strong reaction to this crime and intimidation.

The Temple Mount must be open to all.