At the exact mid-point of OSLO (the 70th Week of Daniel) the prayer sacrifices on top of the Temple Mount were stopped.   They have begun again... with a vengeance.  Larger than ever before.

 

Religious Jewish Groups on Temple Mount: "Ball is in Our Court" 11:45 Aug 24, '03 / 26 Av 5763

For the first time since shortly after the Six-Day War - according to Temple Mount Faithful members - organized large groups of religious Jews visited the Temple Mount this morning. Two groups of 40 and 30 Jews, respectively - all of whom immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) prior to the visit - entered the Temple Mount compound, and circled the compound from within accompanied by a professional guide. One of the participants, a member of the Temple Mount Faithful, enthusiastically told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today, "This is most definitely a turning point in terms of our efforts on behalf of this holy site. The police specifically did not tell us that we were not allowed to pray, and I would even say that they turned a blind eye when they saw some of us saying Psalms in groups of 2 and 3. Some of our group even bowed down on the ground… "Until now, when religious Jews were allowed up, it was only in small groups of 2-3-4, closely guarded by a policeman on one side and a Waqf official on the other. We were not even allowed to talk too much, and certainly not to recite Psalms. This time we were free for about an hour and a half, and our guide, Yoel Elitzur, even took us to places on the eastern half of the compound. We of course avoided all places that according to some rabbinic opinions are forbidden halakhically." He gave a "pat on the back" to Public Security Minister Tzachi HaNegbi, "who was instrumental not only for the visit itself, but was also apparently responsible for the police's benign approach." The member said that another group, neither of which were organized or coordinated in advance, ascended immediately after them. "We see this as a great turning point," the Temple Mount loyalist said, "and praise the police for 'ignoring' our prayers - but we demand that Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount must truly be free... From now on, until further notice, groups of this type will be allowed up every morning until 11 AM - so the ball is now in our court."