Jews Visit Jewish Holy Sites---Why is it Big News?

In today's news there were two separate reports that should have been linked together but weren't.

Dozens of religious Zionist rabbis make historic first visit to Temple Mount By Nadav Shragai

Dozens of local religious-Zionist rabbis visited the Temple Mount yesterday, in an unprecedented move that may lead to a rise in such visits by other religious Jews.The rabbis' presence on the Temple Mount marks a major change in the approach of the religious-Zionist leadership toward the presence of Jews there. Until recently, the mainstream position based on halakha (traditional Jewish law) was that Jews are forbidden to visit the mount because the exact location of the Temple and the Holy of Holies is unknown today, and the rabbis feared that Jews would unknowingly set foot in forbidden areas, without having first purified themselves by ritual immersion.

Note the Rabbi's did not pray or perform any religious rituals because the Israeli Govt does not allow Jewish rituals to be performed on the Temple mount. The related story was also about Jews at a Holy Site:

Hundreds of Israelis pray at Joseph's tomb

Several hundred Breslov Chassidim and religious Jews entered Joseph's tomb late Sunday night to pray. The group was escorted by IDF troops.

A Palestinian gunman opened fire at the escorting troops during the service and soldiers fired back, hitting the gunman. No injuries were reported and the worshippers left the site. (Efrat Weiss)

Why is it such a surprise when a Jew goes to a Jewish Holy site? I never see a headline that says Catholic Prays at St. Peter's square. Yet a Jewish visit to the Temple Mount or Joseph's Tomb is considered a provocative move. Many western papers still talk about Ariel Sharon's visit to the mount as the spark that set off the second Intifada. Horse Bleep ! Sharon was just a Jew visiting the holiest site of all.

Why doesn't the UN get involved with the destruction of Jewish antiquities such as those from the Temple Mount or Josephs Tomb as shown above? Why can't I go visit מערת המכפלה
the Tomb of the Patriarch's--we even have a deed to that land, we paid full price plus---, its in the Torah?

Why in the name of peace are we kept from praying at Rachel's Tomb, the beautiful wife of Jacob who's soul prayed so hard for the end of the Babylonian exile? Why does the world mourn for Buddah's in Afghanistan destroyed by the Taliban and ignore Jewish holy sites destroyed by the Palestinians?

Why do all religions receive free access to their religious sites except one---the Jews?

Why are Jews prevented access by a government of a Jewish State, a government that has long forgotten that we were given access to the land, by G-d not by politicians?

Today I have lots of questions but very few answers.