WAQF’s Mahdi Abul Hadi: “Jews, Rebuild Temple!”
Temple Mount: Problem and Solution
A PossibleTemple Mount: Problem and Solution
A Possible Legacy of Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi
(On the first anniversary of his death, January 15)
Few Palestinians devoted their lives as consistently to the pursuit of peace as Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi. Trained as a scholar of conflict resolution, holding a PhD in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, and deeply involved in Jerusalem’s religious and civic institutions, Dr. Abdul Hadi believed that even the most intractable conflicts could be disarmed through courage, imagination, and moral clarity.
Among the most sensitive of these conflicts was the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif — a site sacred to both Muslims and Jews, and one that has repeatedly ignited violence with devastating consequences. Dr. Abdul Hadi was uniquely positioned to confront this issue. He served as a member of both the Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Endowments Council (Jordanian Waqf), giving him rare insight into the religious, political, and psychological dynamics surrounding the holy compound.
In conversations shortly before his death on January 15, 2025, Dr. Abdul Hadi argued that the Temple Mount issue had become a symbol of conflict and a mechanism for perpetuating it. Since the Nebi Musa riots of 1920, repeated eruptions linked to fears over the site have taken the lives of thousands of Arabs and Jews. Each cycle of violence has grown more lethal, culminating most recently in the events of October 7, 2023 — labeled “Al-Aqsa Flood” — and the catastrophic war that followed. *
Dr. Abdul Hadi maintained that the Islamic Waqf possessed the authority to transform the Temple Mount from a catalyst of bloodshed into a foundation for reconciliation.
His proposal was as bold as it was disarming:
that the Waqf itself extend an invitation to the Jewish people to share the Temple Mount, including the possibility of rebuilding Solomon’s Temple there — without dismantling or threatening the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Dr. Abdul Hadi was clear-eyed about the obstacles. He noted that the Israeli Chief Rabbinate formally prohibits Jews from ascending the Temple Mount, a ruling rooted in concerns about ritual purity and the sanctity of the site. Out of respect for religious protocol, he believed that any public invitation from the Waqf would be premature unless that rabbinic prohibition were first rescinded.
Yet he also understood that symbolism matters. Even the act of making such an offer, he argued, would neutralize the deeply rooted Arab suspicion that Jews harbor secret plans to destroy Al-Aqsa. By removing that fear, the oxygen feeding cycles of violence would be cut off.
Crucially, Dr. Abdul Hadi rejected the false binary that peace would require the destruction of one faith’s holy site to make room for another’s. Serious proposals already exist envisioning Al-Aqsa Mosque and a future Jewish Temple standing side by side, a concept that reflects not rivalry, but shared Abrahamic heritage.
In this light, Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi identified a paradox at the heart of the conflict: the most immediate barrier to Jewish religious expression on the Temple Mount is not Muslim opposition, but Israel’s own Chief Rabbinate. And yet, even without a change in rabbinic policy, a Waqf-initiated gesture of inclusion could begin to reverse a century of mistrust.
Remembering Dr. Abdul Hadi one year after his passing, his proposal remains as challenging as it is hopeful. It asks leaders — religious and political alike — to replace fear with confidence, exclusion with dignity, and inherited hostility with moral imagination. If peace on the Temple Mount is ever to be more than a slogan, it may well begin with the courage to take his legacy seriously.
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* Historical Context: Major Episodes of Violence Linked to the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif
- April 1920 – Nebi Musa disturbances:
Violence erupted in Jerusalem amid heightened tensions concerning access to and control of the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. Four Arabs and five Jews were killed, with hundreds injured. - August 1929 – Western Wall disturbances:
Disputes over religious access and status at the Western Wall escalated into widespread riots. A total of 249 Arabs and Jews were killed, including the destruction of the Jewish community of Hebron. - 1936–1939 – Arab Revolt period:
While not directly triggered by the Temple Mount, religious and political rhetoric during this period frequently linked Jewish immigration to perceived threats against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, contributing to sustained unrest. - August 1969 – Al-Aqsa fire:
An Australian Christian tourist set fire to parts of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, triggering widespread protests and violence across Israel and the region. - October 8, 1990 – “Black Monday”:
Following tensions surrounding activities of the Temple Mount Faithful, clashes on and around the Mount resulted in fatalities and unrest throughout the country. - September 1996 – Western Wall tunnel unrest:
The opening of an archaeological tunnel near the Western Wall led to several days of violent clashes. - September 28, 2000 – Ariel Sharon visit:
A high-profile visit to the Temple Mount was widely perceived as provocative and preceded the outbreak of the Second Intifada, which ultimately resulted in thousands of deaths. - September–October 2000 – Continuing clashes:
Restrictions imposed at Al-Aqsa and confrontations between worshippers and Israeli security forces led to sustained violence. - July 2017 – Metal detector crisis:
Following the killing of two Israeli policemen on the Temple Mount, new security measures were installed, provoking large-scale protests and clashes. - April 2023 – Passover sacrifice rumors:
Rumors concerning a planned Jewish ritual sacrifice on the Mount led to barricading inside Al-Aqsa and police incursions. - October 7, 2023 – Gaza war trigger:
The attacks carried out by Hamas, referred to by the perpetrators as “Al-Aqsa Flood,” were followed by a prolonged and devastating war in Gaza.
