Yehuda Etzion

Yehuda Etzion (Hebrew: יהודה עציון; born 1951)[1] is an Israeli religious right-wing activist and the founder of Hai Vekayam, a group dedicated to allowing Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.

[1] Etzion's preparations to blow up the Dome of the Rock included studying its defenses, drawing maps, acquiring aerial photos and collecting relevant intelligence.

In an interview with Ari Shavit, Etzion said of the preparations: "In my mind I already saw the Dome collapsing on itself with a huge cloud of rising dust.

"[8] Etzion founded Hai Vekayam, a group dedicated to allowing Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount against Israeli Government restrictions and majority rabbinical opinion that Jews' entry to the site is forbidden.

[2] On several occasions, the group has organized civil disobedience wherein its members, wearing Jewish prayer shawls, attempt to ascend to the mount to pray.