Thursday, December 29, 2011

Bulldozing Jewish History

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Cross-posted at Israel Thrives

Our friend Giulio Meotti has some words:

Threatened by Arab countries, Israeli authorities just closed the Mughabri Bridge, preventing Jews and Christians from entering Temple Mount. Historically it should be noted that only under Israeli rule was the site open for everyone, Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Waqf is now attempting to deliberately destroy all archaeological evidence of Jewish claims to this site, while using terror and intimidation to impose its exclusive claim to Temple Mount.

The Waqf has removed every sign of ancient Jewish presence at the site. At the entrance, a Waqf sign says “The Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard and everything in it is Islamic property.” Today Jews are barred from praying on the Mount and are not even allowed to carry any holy articles with them. With Muslim observers supervising visits, Israeli police have frequently arrested Jews for various violations, such as singing or reciting a prayer even in a whisper.

This week, a Jewish woman was arrested following claims by police and Waqf officials that they noticed she was praying on Temple Mount. Why is it a crime for a Jew to mention God’s name on Temple Mount? And why is the State of Israel complicit in enforcing this anti-Semitic rule?

European autocrats and the global media are also trying to downplay the Jewish connection to the site. Jewish archeologist Gabi Barkai stated that “it’s a lie more terrible than the denial of the Holocaust, yet connected to it.” UN and EU funded textbooks in the Palestinian areas all repeat the canard denying any Jewish legitimacy in the “Noble Sanctuary.”

The World Council of Churches, the largest umbrella for the Protestant Churches, in its “Promised Land” conference in Switzerland denied any Jewish connection with the Mount. Recently, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Vatican’s Council for Interreligious Dialogue, just asked to place some Israeli holy places around Temple Mount under Vatican or international authority...

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama’s plan also designates the Old City as an “international zone.”

Is commentary even necessary?

Today we're off to Haifa.

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3 comments:

  1. Haifa is beautiful, Mike. Its another "City by the bay"- in fact, San Francisco and Haifa are sisiter cities. Its also pro-positive that Israel is not an "apartheid" state- the centerpiece of Haifa are the magnificent Bahai gardens- Bahai fled genocidal persecution in Iran, and found sanctuary in Israel.

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  2. Yup.

    Tel Aviv is a terrific city, but Godawful ugly.

    Haifa is absolutely fabulous. Laurie and I only have one more day here before heading to Jerusalem. Yesterday we did the gardens and the German Colony and had a terrific dinner at Fattoush.

    Today it's going to be Wadi Nisnas and the Arab market... once Laurie gets out of the sauna!

    A happy new years to everyone here.

    Peace.

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  3. Tel Aviv isnt ugly, Mike. (Look at those beaches! Sparkling azure water, clean white sand) You simply don't appreciate the Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv. Bauhaus, from the German word meaning ugly, has several defining characteristics

    (From JVL)

    1) It shuns ornamentation and favors functionality
    2) Uses asymmetry and regularity versus symmetry
    3) It grasps architecture in terms of space versus mass

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