Current sectionIsrael NewsHaaretz TodayHaaretz Today The reason why Jews cannot or do not pray at the Temple Mount anymore isn't necessarily because of the Muslim houses of worship or the status quo agreement. It is because, two millennia ago, we apparently couldn't stop doing the thing we keep doing right nowShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribe07:11 PM • July 23 2026 IDTAs a small child in Modern Orthodox day school, I was taught that the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site, where the two ancient temples once stood, is off-limits. To this day, we don't know the original location of the Holy of Holies, the chamber that housed the Ark of the Covenant with the 10 commandments inside. Only the High Priest was allowed inside, and only once a year.In the NewsU.K.'s Hackney Aims to End Twinship With Israel's Haifa Over 'Ongoing Conflict'Police Chief Vows to Protect Media Outlets After Haaretz, Channel 12 AttackedIsrael's Far Right Is Repeating the Sin That Brought Down the TempleA Child a Day: The Israeli Air Force Continues to Routinely Kill Gaza's KidsTrump: Saudi Arabia Nuclear Deal Conditioned on Normalizing Israel RelationsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Most Optimistic Israeli in Jerusalem Is Leaving the CountryAs Ground Invasion Looms, U.S. and Iran Want Wild-card Israel Out of the FightThe Original Ozempic Society of Ancient RomeBetween Messi and Milei: How Argentina Became Israel's Team at the World CupDemocrats Rejected U.S. Aid to Israel, and AIPAC Couldn't Stop Them'Choose Hope': Natalie Portman Backs Arab-Jewish Party Ahead of Israeli Election