Ben Caspit on AL Monitor notes that the recent attack by three Arabs on the Temple Mount, and the teamwork of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas to calm the tensions, highlight that the greatest fear of the Israelis is not an attack by the Arabs – but by a Jewish extremist:
The attack was not the nightmare scenario that truly terrifies Israel. In fact, the defense establishment has always been less concerned about a Muslim attack on the Temple Mount, since the Haram al-Sharif is sacred to them. What they really feared was an attack by an extremist Jew in an attempt to set the Middle East and the entire Muslim world on fire, laying the ground for the War of Armageddon between Islam and the Jews and ending with the arrival of the Messiah on his white donkey. Under this scenario, Al-Aqsa Mosque would be destroyed and the Third Temple rebuilt on its site of the original Temple.
Israeli security forces have prevented several such attacks over the years. Only limited numbers of Jews are now allowed on the Temple Mount. They are restricted to small groups, certain hours and can only visit after undergoing a thorough security clearance. Although the possibility that armed Muslims might storm the compound has been taken into consideration, it was never a high priority to which to prepare. Yet, that is exactly what happened. As a result of the attack, Israel made the rare move of closing the area to Muslim prayers through the following day.
Combine true hubris, the desire to be at the center of the action (aka the Drama Queen temperament), and high powered weaponry, and it’s not a good situation. Not that I have a realistic solution, except perhaps that employed by the IDF. I doubt there’s a theological fix for the problem.
Caspit goes on to note that the Trump Administration has withdrawn from this area of responsibility, leaving it up to Israel, Palestine, and perhaps Jordan. Given the temperament of the current Administration in Washington, this is not necessarily bad – but it would be preferable to have the universally respected Kerry involved, rather than retired.
