The anti-Jewish discrimination on Har HaBayit continues. Sometimes it goes through periods where things seem to be getting better (i.e. more relaxed) for Jews on har HaBayit, and other times it seems like things are getting worse.

Yesterday, a 75 year old person was arrested on Har Habayit. No, he did not do anything inflammatory. He did not storm the gates, he did not prostrate himself on the floor of Har HaBayit, and he did not even dare mutter some silent prayers to God against the rules of the police. He simply took a drink of water that one of his students had offered to him, after he started feeling ill.

The problem was that he made a bracha (shehakol) on the cup of water. As soon as he did, the escorting policeman, a Druze police officer, stepped forward and arrested him. The students tried to intervene and explain, but the policeman insisted and proceeded to arrest Rav Yosef HaKohen (father of the rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva of Itamar, and son of respected Morrocan Rav Masoud HaKohen).

In response to the arrest, the organizations that encourage ascending Har HaBayit are planning, for the coming days, a mass protest ascent to Har HaBayit.

I am not quite sure what that will accomplish, as the police deal with a heavy hand against the Jews on Har HaBayit and will be quick to arrest anybody at the protest who does anything even slightly "offensive".