Holding out an olive branch? U.S. lawmakers speak out after being detained on Temple Mount
U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) no doubt anticipated an eye-opening experience when they visited the Temple Mount on Thursday as part of their current trip to Israel. So imagine their surprise when they were detained by Israel police after an Islamic Waqf official, which administers the Temple Mount, lodged a complaint against them.
First Temple-era relics of possible royal estate found in Jerusalem hills
Israeli authorities inaugurated a nature park on Wednesday near Jerusalem after five years of archaeological excavations at Ein Hanya, the second-largest spring in the Judean Hills and a key site in the history of Christianity. Along with an announcement that the park will open to the public free of charge within months, the Israel Antiquities Authority revealed some major findings at the site, including a column capital typical of royal structures from the First Temple era and one of the oldest coins ever discovered in the Jerusalem area.
Satanist group challenges Missouri law on abortions
A group of Satanists is challenging a Missouri law that requires women seeking an abortion to receive a booklet that says life begins at conception, arguing before the state Supreme Court that the measure violated a member’s religious beliefs.
Police expel Jewish group from Temple Mount, citing provocations
Israel Police and a group of Jewish worshipers clashed on Wednesday in the Temple Mount compound. Police said a group Jewish visitors violated the terms of the visit and created a provocation that caused a feud at the place. Videos of the incident show that Palestinians were also involved in the riots.
Turkey seeks to increase its influence in East Jerusalem
Since the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last month, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has become the leading voice of the Arab and Islamic opposition to the move. His country even hosted a special meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during which he called Israel a “terror state” and threatened to cut its diplomatic ties with it.
Religious Jews’ Ascent to Temple Mount Up 75%
The number of visits by religious Jews to the Temple Mount has increased by 75% in 2017, compared to 2016, according to the Yera’eh organization, which encourages Jewish ascent to the Temple Mount.
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