Democratic Congressmen notes how 80,000 Muslims were able to pray on the Temple Mount for the first day of Ramadan under Israeli rule while Jews were banned from the Western Wall under Jordanian rule.
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) praised Israel’s commitment to religious freedom and pluralism after tens of thousands of Muslims were able to pray on the Temple Mount for the start of the month of Ramadan.
“Israel has been a responsible guardian of the Abrahamic tradition, transforming Jerusalem into a miraculous mosaic of religious pluralism among the most devout Jews, Christians, and Muslims,” Torres wrote on X.
He noted, “Under Israeli sovereignty, 80,000 Muslims freely prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Ramadan. By contrast, during Jordanian control over East Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, Jews were strictly prohibited from even entering the Old City, let alone praying at the Western Wall.”
“Israel’s unprecedented commitment to religious liberty and diversity in the world’s holiest city is among the unacknowledged virtues of the Jewish State,” Torres stated. The Temple Mount was closed to Jews for the last third of Ramadan and for the duration of the three-day holiday Eid al-Fitr and is scheduled to reopen to Jewish visitors on Wednesday.
