Settlement organisation the Temple Mount Institute, which promotes the construction of a third temple in Al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards, founded by an extremist from the legally banned movement Kahane Chai, is receiving indirect government support, Haaretz revealed on Wednesday.
Haaretz reported that supporters of this institute include Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Eli Ben-Dahan who donated $12,000 to the organisation five years ago when he was head of Israel’s Rabbinical courts.
The newspaper added that the institute is receiving indirect financial support from the US and that two American organisations donated over $50,000 to the institute two years ago.
It explained that the official position of the government was expressed as wanting to preserve the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque but the government is funding of the Temple Mount Institute by through the Ministry of Education amounting to $600,000 over the past five years.
See also: