This article may be
unbalanced towards certain viewpoints. (October 2014) |
HaLiba ( Hebrew: הליבה) or the Temple movements' coalition is an Israeli umbrella organization led by Yehudah Glick that describes itself as working "to re-claim for Jews the basic civil rights of free access, free worship, and free congregation on the Temple Mount." [1] [2] "HaLiba" is an acronym for HaMeizam L'Khofesh Yehudi B'Har HaBayit ( Hebrew: המיזם לחופש יהודי בהר הבית), [3] meaning "the project for Jewish freedom on the Temple Mount". [2]
HaLiba is funded by the Israel Independence Fund and the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation. [4] [3] and by the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation ( Hebrew: הקרן למורשת הר הבית). [5] During visits to the Mount, HaLiba director Yehudah Glick has documented and filmed vandalism and illegal construction activity, [6] including Muslim crews "drilling with heavy machinery" at the legally protected site. [7] [8] [9] [10]
In a 2014 statement published by the Jerusalem Post, HaLiba described its mission as bringing "together a diverse group of Jewish Israelis – secular, haredi, traditional, national religious, men and women – who are united in their concern that the inability of Jews to freely ascend the Mount to pray, meditate or give thanks represents a grievous and indefensible civil rights deprivation to Jews all over the world." [7] Later the same year, its founder, Glick, was barred from the Temple Mount. [11]