The recent bloody events in Jerusalem have confirmed what Israeli government ministers and diplomats have feared since the capital was liberated and Mordechai "Motta" Gur declared, "The Temple Mount is in our hands!" The issue has never been resolved and its centrality has only grown over the past 47 years since Jerusalem was reunited. Another article would be required to cover the backs and forths on the matter, which would allow one to understand not only what happened in the past, but also what could happen in the future. On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened ministers and experts for an emergency discussion on the situation in Jerusalem. In a practical sense, the stone and fireworks battles in Jerusalem, as well as Jordan's summoning home of its ambassador, are more problematic than the renewal of Palestinian terrorism, which is gaining strength. Wednesday's attack was not the last, and the new concrete barriers being put in place on the streets of Jerusalem will help thwart terrorist attacks, but they will not eradicate terrorism. A two-stage treatment for the problem is emerging. One is a slow motion, but steady, effort to stop the harassment perpetrated by Muslim women against every Jew who visits the site, while maintaining the right of the Muslim women to pray there. The second is a move to disperse the young Muslims who barricade themselves in Al-Aqsa mosque, not in a single swoop, but one by one over time, with endless patience. The situation on the Temple Mount is deteriorating and it appears that even the highly skilled Israel Police, Border Police and Shin Bet are not capable of restoring order at the site. The IDF needs to join the mission. Perhaps Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon should be put in command of the mission for a given time and, based on his experience as IDF chief of staff during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, conduct a mini-version of that operation to return quiet to Jerusalem. At the same time, and no less urgently, a dual action by Netanyahu is necessary. He must go back to Amman (preferably in secret) and settle the matter with the Hashemite regime, which was dragged into recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv. This will require an agreement with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who has turned into a peace rejectionist, or one against him. There is growing concern that while Abbas is preserving calm in Judea and Samaria, he is heating up the atmosphere in Jerusalem. In large parts of Judea and Samaria, responsibility for maintaining public order lies with Abbas. In Jerusalem, however, that responsibility falls fully on Israel's shoulders.
