Arms and faith

The tension at Al Aqsa Mosque is not just about allowing Palestinian worshippers unhindered access to it and the methods, including body searches, metal detectors or others, used by the Israeli military at the mosque entrances.

The real problem is who should be in control of security at the holy places in East Jerusalem, in this particular case, at Al Aqsa Mosque, the second most important holy site for Muslims.

Legally and logically, it is Jordan that should be entrusted with keeping safety and security in and around the holy sites in East Jerusalem, by virtue of its status as custodian of these religious places.

If a decision to this effect were universally taken and control over the gates leading to the holy places would be given to Jordan, with the consent of the Palestinian Authority and Israel, maintaining law and order in and around the Muslim holy places in the city would no longer be an issue.

Holy sites and their environs must be free of violence and arms must not be allowed in.

This includes that Israeli security personnel, which must not be allowed to carry weapons while on the premises of the holy sites.

Jordan can easily police the holy places in East Jerusalem once there is a broad agreement to give it this complementary role.

Religious places, symbols of faiths, carry emotional weight. They should be spiritual sites of worship and purity where firearms have no place.

As such, laws should explicitly forbid the presence of weapons at holy venues; unfortunately, there is no international treaty to that effect. 

In Israel’s case, it would make no difference anyway, unless the government itself would prohibit its citizens from carrying weapons at holy sites, something that cannot be expected to happen, particularly at Al Aqsa, where incitement is obvious.

The crisis at Al Aqsa Mosque might succeed in raising awareness about the need for international legislation on the presence of arms at places of worship.

Before that happens, if it does, however, the Israeli government would be wise to put a stop to provocative actions that only escalate violence in the tinderbox that is Jerusalem.