(JNS) Israel Kasnett - U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) were detained by Israel police after an Islamic Waqf official, which administers the Temple Mount, lodged a complaint against them when they visited the site on Thursday. When Tipton bent down to pick up a broken olive branch off the ground, his movement seems to have agitated the Waqf official who apparently believed that the congressman was bowing as if in prayer. The congressmen were removed from the Temple Mount by police officers, then released without incident. Tipton said: "I happened to pick up an olive branch, ironically a symbol of peace. Apparently, that broke a rule....We were trying to take in what is obviously a religious site not only for Jews and Muslims, but for Christians as well....Apparently they viewed something as an infraction and then chose to detain us." McKinley said: "We should be able to pray and reflect on the history and culture, but you're not allowed to do that as Jews and non-Muslims. You're pushed, literally, and they have a time frame to get you through. That's not right." When the congressmen met afterwards with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and related the story, he apologized, saying "it shouldn't have happened."
2018-02-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive