who deserves temple mount: thoughts on identity and faith
The sound of the call to prayer from the Dome of the Rock collided with the prayers of the Jews at the Western Wall. Both were passionate, yet both conveyed different emotions. When one sound overpowered the space, the other seemed to get louder — as if the loudest proved each other’s validity, joy, and even pain. And then there was me, smack dab in the middle — a Christian.
I stood at the foot of a wooden scaffold that would lead my group and I to our destination: Temple Mount.
After days of hearing both narratives, where did I stand as I faced the ancient question that is Temple Mount? I was reminded of King David, of the Bible, when he writes, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you [holy city]” (Psalm 122:6 AMP). If I was called to pray and support the people of Israel, how was I to navigate a complex conflict when my faith was so closely tied with the politics of this land?
As our group ascended, we passed through the metal detectors, and walked into a large open space deemed to be the holiest, most controversial site on our planet.
It’s interesting how a place can speak to you without uttering a single word.
Peace. Was. All. I. Could. Feel. A tangible manifestation of the presence of G-d. An overwhelming peace that finally made me understand what all the commotion was about. A high price must be paid for such a high commodity — even if that meant war, murder, and excluding other people groups. But did this need for peace justify the atrocities committed on both sides?
I thought of Nour: a Palestinian man who lost close friends and family during the second intifada, who is frustrated with the limited mobility he has within his homeland.
I thought of Gidi: An Israeli veteran who faced death many times protecting his people, to ensure 6 million Jews are never slaughtered again.
These valid experiences raced through my mind, as I tried to fairly assess who “deserved” this divine space. Do the Jews deserve it? Do the Muslims deserve it? Do I deserve it?
The sun shone fiercely on the Dome of the Rock as I now stood directly in front of it, blinding me every so often. My mind still loud with the questions I badly wanted answers for. In a matter of seconds, a beautiful, white dove swooped above our group, never to be seen again. Taken aback by the divine confirmation of the significance of this place, my thoughts reduced to a silence. I was humbled by the simplicity of the dove and realized one very important truth: peace is not found in a place, it is not found in things, it is not found even in others, but it begins from within.
Natalie C. Barbosa is a senior studying Global Public Health/ Nutrition-Dietetics in NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She traveled to Israel through the Bronfman Center’s Israel Experience trip.
