Yehudah Joshua Glick (; born 20 November 1965), alternatively spelled "Yehuda Glick", is an American-born Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician, described as a "right-wing" or "far-right" activist. As the President of Shalom Jerusalem Foundation, he campaigns for expanding Jewish access to the Temple Mount. He was a member of the Knesset for Likud, having taken the place of former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon in May 2016 until April 2019.
Glick is the leader of HaLiba, a coalition of groups dedicated to "reaching complete and comprehensive freedom and civil rights for Jews on the Temple Mount".
Glick was awarded the 2015 Moskowitz Prize for Zionism for being "Active for human rights and religious freedom on Jerusalem's Temple Mount". On 29 October 2014, Glick survived an assassination attempt by Mutaz Hijazi, a member of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine.
Early life and education
Yehudah Glick was born on 20 November 1965 in the United States to American Jewish parents, Brenda and Shimon Glick. His father, a physician and professor specializing in endocrinology research and medical ethics, made aliyah with his family from the United States in 1974, and helped found Ben Gurion University's school of medicine.
Glick served in the IDF between 1986 and 1989, as part of Yeshivat Har Etzion, the hesder yeshiva that he attended. Glick initially served in the Armored Corps, and later in the Intelligence Corps. He completed a combat medics course, and served as a combat medic and regional defence soldier during reserve duty. Glick holds a Bachelor of Education in Bible Studies from Jerusalem College of Technology, and an MA in Jewish History from Touro College. He is also a licensed tour-guide for the Ministry of Tourism.
Early career
In 1996, Glick began working in the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, filling several positions, including spokesperson for Minister Yuli Edelstein, director of the Public Diplomacy Department in the Ministry, Director of the Jewish Identity Unit, and Director of the Ashkelon and South Israel region. In 2005, after 10 years of work in the Ministry, Glick resigned in protest of the Gaza Disengagement Plan.
After leaving his position in the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, Glick took a greater leading role in the Temple Movement, becoming the executive director of the Temple Institute in 2005, which is a state-funded organization that supports the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount.
After leaving the Temple Institute in 2009, Glick founded a series of organizations that promote and popularize the Temple Movement through liberal discourse, including the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation in 2009, and The Liba Initiative for Jewish Freedom on the Temple Mount, Human Rights on Temple Mount.
Activism
Glick advocates opening the Temple Mount on an equal footing to prayer by Muslims, Jews, Christians, and others. He has been called "a symbol of the struggle for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount". And has been described as representing the recent shift in the demand for Jewish prayer to be permitted on the Temple Mount on an equal footing with Muslim prayer from the fringe to the mainstream of Israeli society. Glick has spoken about his vision of a utopian Temple Mount. It would include a "House of prayer for all Nations", with the Dome of the Rock standing alongside a rebuilt Jewish sacrificial altar. On March 26, 2018, two sacrificial lambs were slaughtered by priests near the Temple Mount in a ceremony attended by the subject, senior National Religious rabbis Dov Lior, Yisrael Ariel, and hundreds of citizens. Haaretz journalist Nir Hasson credits Glick as having put the Israeli left on the defensive by "uncover(ing) the absurdity created at the Temple Mount" by a status quo that, by permitting Muslim prayer, while prohibiting Jewish prayer, "discriminates against people because of their religion".
Glick has led groups of Jews to walk the Temple Mount, and has been repeatedly arrested while praying, walking, and filming videos on the Temple Mount.
On 10 October 2013, Glick began a hunger strike protesting a police ban forbidding him to ascend to the Temple Mount. After 12 days, the police relented, agreeing to permit him to enter the site on the same terms as other Jewish visitors, that is, only to visit, not to pray. An Israeli court awarded damages to Glick for two wrongful arrests that took place as he attempted to film officials denying entry to the Temple Mount to Jews dressed in visibly religious clothing.