Visiting Jerusalem's holiest site

Nick Thorpe
BBC correspondent in Jerusalem

The Dome of the Rock is situated on the Noble Sanctuary

Palestinian officials including Yasser Arafat have voiced outrage at an Israeli decision to allow small groups of non-Muslim tourists to visit Jerusalem's Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif - the Noble Sanctuary.

At the police station opposite the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem's Jewish quarter, a friendly officer called Joseph explained how to visit the forbidden plateau.

"Be at that fountain over there at 8.30 in the morning," he said.

A group of 15 young Christians from the US and their tour leader, keen to explore the Jewish roots of their religion were waiting, and a few hangers-on like myself.

The tour leader explained that there must be no praying - that would be too provocative to the Muslims who administer the site, he said.

Then we walked up, through the Moor's Gate, escorted by a number of burly Israeli policemen who would be taking photographs "for our own safety", our guide explained.

Our desire is to come here in peace Justin Kron

The beauty and stillness of the appropriately named Noble Sanctuary strikes you first - the sound of birds in the cypress trees. Two children sitting in the shade, reading the Koran, looked at us with surprise.

There was a trace of resentment in the stare of the men, sweeping the wide expanse. One of the main reasons the Waqf, the Muslim trust which runs the area has forbidden non-Muslims to enter, is because so many Palestinians are still denied access.

Only those who live in Jerusalem, and Israel proper, have the right papers - those from the West Bank and Gaza are prevented from reaching one of the holiest sites in their faith by the current tight Israeli restrictions on their movements.

The Temple Mount is rectangular, from north to south. Our whistle-stop tour began at the southern end, near the al-Aqsa mosque, then proceeded to the Dome of the Rock, built in 691AD.

It is from here that Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed ascended to Heaven. Traces of the First and Second Temples, the holiest place for Jews, lie underneath.

The latest intifada began after an election visit to the site by the now prime minister Ariel Sharon.

Some militant Jewish groups insist that the mosques must be removed. We cannot enter the Dome of the Rock, and leave by another gate - only 14 minutes after setting foot on the Temple Mount.

"Our desire is to come here in peace," said Justin Kron, one of the Americans on the visit.

"To learn about this land, to learn of the Biblical and spiritual and historical significance of this land. And the people of this land are not just Israelis, they're also Arabs."

But Adnan Husseini, director of the Waqf Trust, says the visits are a dangerous provocation. "This is a violation for what is existing since a long time. And they do this by force."

Such is the sensitivity of the issue, that Israeli officials are reluctant to comment. Our calls to the Internal Security Minister were not returned. And other government officials currently have a policy of not giving interviews to the BBC.