Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 30 January (HL4764 and 4765), what assessment they have made of the Jewish right to visit, as distinct from worship at, the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif); and the significance of this right for the peace process.

The UK believes in the importance of upholding the 'Status Quo' arrangements, which enable all three Abrahamic faiths to worship in the Old City of Jerusalem. In the view of the UK, the Status Quo is clear that those of other faiths are able to visit the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, but that only Muslims are permitted to worship there. A final determination of the status of Jerusalem should be sought as part of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. Until then, the Status Quo preserves the safety and security of the holy sites and those who visit and worship there.