We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly
supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies
that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.
You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.
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They Say, We Say: What About Jerusalem and Hebron?
Those who today are agitating for a change in the Temple Mount status quo disregard both the religious and national security arguments against such a change. Some may do so out of devout religious motivations. However, others do so – openly and proudly – for the sake of clear political agenda of challenging Muslim claims to the site, replacing Muslim control (gradually or immediately) with Jewish hegemony, and undermining any two-state peace agreement. In fact, some of them openly seek and welcome the possibility of a zero-sum religious war over the site.
In the future, in the context of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and the normalization of Israel’s relations with the Muslim world, it is possible that there may be an opportunity to adopt a new, mutually agreed-on status quo that could include Jewish prayer at the site. Until then, efforts to unilaterally impose a new status quo are dangerous – fueling Muslim fears about Israeli intentions at the site. Such fears are fueled by public statements by Israeli Temple Mount activists, including Members of the Knesset and government officials, who regularly proclaim their desire (and plans) to replace the al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock with a newly-built Third Temple.