State won't reveal if it has deal with Jordan banning Jews on Temple Mount

Asks High Court for closed door hearing * Ben Gvir: 'The cat is out of the bag'

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
A man walks in front of the Dome of the Rock, March 20, 2020 (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
A man walks in front of the Dome of the Rock, March 20, 2020
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
Though the High Court of Justice on May 6 ordered the state to respond to a petition claiming that the government cut a corona-period deal with Jordan to keep Jews off the Temple Mount, the state has refused to respond publicly.
Rather, the state has requested a close-door hearing with the High Court to respond, “due to the sensitivity [of the matter]... which has implications for the national security and foreign affairs of the state.”
According to Yehuda Etzion and journalist Arnon Segal, represented by activist Itamar Ben Gvir, the government cut a secret deal with Jordan to keep both Arabs and Jews off of the Temple Mount during the corona period.
Many religious sites around the world were closed for a period due to the corona crisis.
However, at some later date, the petitioners claim that Jordan’s Waqf was allowed on the Temple Mount, while Jews are still banned.
The petitioners said that banning Jews while allowing Arabs was unconstitutional.
Further, they said that banning Segal was a violation of freedom of the press.
Justice Daphna Barak-Erez on May 6 had directed the state to respond to the allegations this week.
In regular times, there are limits on where Jews can be on the Temple Mount and what activities they can undertake there, but a complete ban would be unusual other than for a very finite period when there is a spike in the Israeli-Arab conflict surrounding the holy site.
Ben Gvir said on Thursday: “now the cat is out of the bag,” implying that the state’s refusal to publicize its policy is an admission of the secret deal with Jordan.