A House of Prayer for All Peoples?

The Sim & 39; hat Torah (Rejoicing Festival de la loi / Last Great Day) I went up to the Temple Mount with my Bible to pray. Although I did not & 39; n l & 39; wearing a kippa (Skull Cap), I & 39; have taken me.
My with a first challenge was to pass the guards near l & 39 ; entrance to the Temple Mount; & 39; s they saw me with my Bible, they will not let me enter. J & 39;& 39;ve requested silence on the full height of & 39; where the temple of God, was twice and will be rebuilt for a third and last time that I would be able to go & 39; "I spent the guards.
You say Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews d & 39; exercise their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? C & 39; is true! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism& 39;s most holy place. Only the Koran is allowed inside the & 39;. The Tanach (Jewish scripture, known for a large part of the world that " " Old Testament) and Christian Scriptures (New Testament) is prohibited. However, Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.
Israel was no law against Christians and Jews praying or reading texts on the Temple Mount. However, it has an unwritten agreement with the Wakf (Muslim religious authorities) prohibiting. No sign is displayed, showing: " Attention! Christians and Jews are prohibited prayers! Bibles not allowed to & 39; inside by Muslim religious authorities. Proceed with caution! "
I n & 39; not accept that Muslims have the power to prohibit & 39; me the appropriate reading Psalms and New Testament account of Jesus celebrate the libation ceremony d & 39 ; water (Psalms 120-134, John 7:37). My question is, where should I read these passages? I found myself between the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque right next to the place where Muslims wash their hands and feet. J & 39; was to & 39; other side of the elevated platform, if you are facing the mosque Omar.
First, I nervously sat down and read. Then I put on my black kippa, s & 39; is lifted and began to read for several minutes until & 39; that I became distracted by & 39; fear of being attacked by Muslim guards . I sat down, took off my kippa, and continued to read. Then, one of Wakf guards noticed me and asked what I read. I replied: "Yes, c & 39; is my book. " It took me & 39; and I& 39;ve seen that it & 39; s acting & 39; d & 39 and a Bible. He demanded to know if I & 39; was a Christian or a Jew. When I told him that I & 39; was a Christian, he & 39; m asked why I wore a Magen David (Star of David & 39;).
I did not feel obliged to explain that & 39; s & 39; he acted & 39; d & 39; a gift from my mother and my younger sister, and told him: Give my " Bible. He ordered ", " You must leave now! " Again l & 39; I& 39;ve said, " Give my Bible. " When he refused, j & 39; have demanded his return stronger. He raised his fist as if to hit me and m & 39; warned not to raise my voice. This & 39; drew the attention of some tourists, who gathered around us. I told them: "This thief has stolen my Bible! "
The Wakf custody m & 39; said exiting and threatened to hit me. He said that & 39; he would give me my Bible outside. As it & 39; there was no reason for him to confiscate first, I told him to return to me then and there and I & 39; irais. At this stage it radio an Israeli policeman, who came in the course of & 39; execution. The Israeli handcuffed my right hand, I & 39;& 39;ve raised and shown to & 39; all tourists, saying: "C & 39; is Israeli democracy! " J & 39; I have repeatedly asked the Israeli withdrawal, "What law have I lost? " knowing that I & 39; n had not violated any law, but was treated as a common criminal.
I am shocked that the police Jewish & 39; in the Jewish state to help maintain the Muslim domination of the Temple Mount by removing Christian and Jewish religious rights. Is it the Temple Mount or Mount mosque?
An Israeli policeman m & 39; led away. J & 39; told the bewildered tourists, "C & 39; is what happens to a Christian or Jew who wants to read the Bible where the Holy Temple stood. That& 39;s what happens to Christians and Jews who want to pray where our prophets and patriarchs prayed, and where Jesus taught his disciples. "
Why l & 39; exclusivity of religious rights for Muslims? And Israel wants to hand control of Rachel& 39;s Tomb in Bethlehem and Joseph& 39;s tomb to Muslim religious authorities? Are they crazy or what?
In police post at the Western Wall Plaza, the Bureau wanted to know who d & 39; other was with me. They were relieved to see that I was & 39; alone. (They should have known I was doing a mitzva [religious commandment]). The police said that they & 39; m & 39; arrested for my own protection. I told them that & 39; they should have arrested the Wakf guard who threatened & 39; m! Why not remove, once and for all, the threat of Muslim violence? Why reward the Muslim extremists?
The ri police & 39; in disbelief when I told them that I am a Christian and my Bible includes the New Testament, who came back to me. A Druze officer said: " But you must respect other religions. " He remained silent when I asked & 39;, " Where was their respect for mine? & Quot ; I explained to him that our biblical objective is to enable everyone to come and pray on the mountain where the temple of God was, and in the Temple where it will be rebuilt. It is prophesied to become a " House of Prayer for all " nations.
The m & 39; police said I could return to the Temple Mount as a tourist – without my Bible. J & 39;& 39;ve said I do not want to go up there only as a " tourism, "I want to pray. When they & 39; m asked how many times I & 39; had been up there, I& 39;ve said & 39; " one mile. " They wrote in their report. They said that I could make a brief statement to the & 39; registration. J & 39;& 39;ve said something to this effect: " Is it too much to ask during the 3000th anniversary of King David from Jerusalem to peacefully read his inspired words on the Temple Mount? "
When & 39; I& 39;ve left the police, a police m & 39; said I did a good thing. Once outside, I & 39; have been met by some Jews who saw the incident & 39; and congratulated me.
I pray that this unfortunate event will raise awareness about Israel& 39;s religious discrimination against Christians and Jews. The situation must change. It will be when enough people cry " Basta! " (Italian for " enough! ").
May soon the day will come when Christians, Jews and Muslims can say: " My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. " (Isa. 56:7). The Bible says
" furthermore, as regards foreign & 39;, which (is) not your people Israel, but has just & 39; a distant country for your name sake. For they hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and your arm aside and come and pray in the direction of this house. Do you hear the sky in your place of residence & 39;, and done according to all that the foreign & 39; appeal to you so that all peoples of the earth May know your name, lest you , As (does) d & 39; Your people Israel, that & 39; May they know that your name is called to this house that I& 39;ve built & 39;. " (I Kings 8:41-43)
" And foreigners who & 39; attach to the Lord to serve and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants – everyone who observes the Sabbath – I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices are accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. " (Isaiah 56:6-7)
" And it will happen at the end of the day, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established at a mountaintop and is above the hills, and peoples flow of it. And many nations go, and say: & 39;Come, let us go until & 39; in the mountains of the Lord … He and teach us his ways, and we walk on its trails, " Sion out on the Torah, and the Word of the Lord of Jerusalem. " (Micah 4:1-2)
(This article was originally published in the Jerusalem-based, Racine and the Directorate General of the Bulletin & 39; Association, January 1996.)
David Ben-Ariel, a Christian – Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: L & 39; Europe and the rise Fall, shares a particular emphasis on the Middle East, which translates into shock d & 39; articles that help others improve their understanding of this troubled region. See Beyond Babylon.