Israeli police have reinstated a ban preventing Jewish visitors from wearing pashminas on the Temple Mount, according to reports from those who ascend the contested Jerusalem holy site. A pashmina is a wide scarf that, due to its size, requires tzitzit, the ritual fringes worn on four-cornered garments according to Jewish law. Unlike a traditional prayer shawl, pashminas come in various colors and styles that don't resemble conventional religious garb.
Security personnel at the entrance gates were instructed this morning to bar Jews wearing pashminas from entering the compound, marking a reversal of a policy change made just two months ago.
Police had initially banned pashminas approximately two years ago, then lifted the restriction on the 2nd of July this year (corresponding to the 17th of Tammuz fast). Now authorities have reversed course again, informing both visitors and security staff that the ban would be enforced immediately. Two Jewish men who arrived wearing the garments with prior approval were escorted off the Temple Mount.
The new restriction follows other recent limitations reported last week, including a prohibition on approaching the upper plaza and a ban on using the northern path during most visiting hours. Police cited insufficient manpower to simultaneously secure Jewish visitors on both the northern route and the adjacent pathway.
