More Jews Visited Temple Mount in Last 3 Months Than All of 2016

The number of Jewish visitors this year will likely surpass 40,000, a number not seen since the destruction of the Temple 2,000 years ago.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

In the three months since the beginning of the Hebrew year of 5782 in the month of Tishrei (beginning of September), more Jews ascended the Temple Mount than throughout the entire year six years ago.

In Hebrew year of 5776 (2015-2016), 12,148 Jews ascended the Temple Mount. Since then, the number of Jews visiting the Judaism’s holiest site has been climbing, and since the beginning of the current Hebrew year, 12,177 Jews have already ascended the Mount.

“This is an amazing statistic that shows how much the return of Israel to the Temple Mount is intensifying,” Temple Mount activists stated Thursday.

The Yera’e organization, which presented the data, has been following the Jewish presence on the Temple Mount for the past seven years.

Yochai Sar’el, one of the organization’s volunteers, noted the great change that took place in the visits to the Temple Mount compared to 2016.

“The visit has become much more comfortable. The policemen greet the visitors, the security is tight, Muslim harassers are removed from the complex, a large lobby welcomes the visitors when they come to the mountain, and on the Temple Mount itself, Shacharit and Mincha prayers and Torah lessons are held daily,” he said.

The organization believes that a new record number of visitors will be set this year and will probably surpass 40,000, “an amount that has apparently not come to the Temple Mount since the destruction of the Temple” 2,000 years ago.

Jewish worshipers are given only limited access in time and space during their visits to the Temple Mount. However, in recent years, Jewish visits to the site have nevertheless increased.