BBC's shameless 'apology' for its biased reporting
I know - it's been a long time since I posted anything. I've been working - pays much better than blogging. But I don't want to let the blog die entirely, and I wanted to share with you what has to be one of the worst media bias stories from Western media in recent years.
I am sure that many of you saw the headline above. On Friday night, an Israeli policewoman, 23-year old Hadas Malka HY"D (May God Avenge her blood) was murdered by three 'Palestinian' terrorists who conducted coordinated attacks in two places along the outside of the Old City's wall. The headline above sat on the BBC's website and in its Twitter feed for many hours. The bias in the headline is obvious - the 'deadly stabbing' didn't happen itself. It was perpetrated by the three 'Palestinians' who were shot. A more appropriate headline would have been 'Israeli policewoman murdered by three Palestinians.' Even Maan's headline was less biased.
This morning, the Beeb 'apologized' for its headline. No, not really, but they posted a response to outrage in the virtual world that included Donald Trump Jr., the US President's son. Here's the Beeb's entire 'apology.'
BBC Response: We accept that our original headline did not
appropriately reflect the nature of the events and subsequently changed
it. Whilst there was no intention to mislead our audiences, we regret
any offence caused.
They don't regret the headline. They regret the 'offence caused.' They accept that it didn't appropriately reflect the nature of the events, but they don't apologize for writing it, nor for leaving it up for many hours.
Makes it sound like there's no connection between the Israeli's death and the 'Palestinian' attackers' assault - they just happened to occur around the same time.
And you wonder about the origins of the #FakeNews epidemic?
'Palestinians' and Jordanians 'postpone' UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem's Old City
The 'Palestinians' and Jordanians today tabled (temporarily) a UNESCO motion that would have challenged Israel's ties to the Old City of Jerusalem. They didn't have the votes.
The revised joint Palestinian-Jordanian draft resolution on “the Old
City of Jerusalem and its walls” was submitted to the 21-member
committee, which convened for its annual meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on
July 10-20.
The text calls for a return of the Temple
Mount and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to what it called “the historic status quo”
following the 1967 Six Day War, under which the Jordanian Waqf
religious authority had the right to administer all aspects of the sites
“including maintenance, restoration, and regulating access.”
Under arrangements agreed to by Israel after
it captured the area, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the site but not
to pray. The Palestinians says Israel is seeking to change this, a
charge the Jewish state adamantly denies.
A similar resolution adopted by UNESCO’s executive board in April infuriated Israel.
The complex, which was the site of the two
biblical temples, is Judaism’s holiest site. Muslims regard the compound
— today it houses the Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock mosques — as the
third-holiest site in Islam.
While Jews are allowed to enter the site,
their worship there is banned under arrangements instituted by Israel
when it captured the area from Jordan in 1967.
...
In the UN document, Israel is repeatedly
referred to as the “occupying power” while being accused of causing
damage to the site, conducting illegal excavations and preventing the
Jordanian Waqf, which administers the site, from conducting repairs and
renovations. The text also refers to the Western Wall plaza in quotation
marks, after using the Arabic term Al-Buraq Plaza without
qualification.
In the draft, the Jordanians and Palestinians
accuse Israel of “intrusive constructions, tunneling and underground
excavations” and “aggressions against religious sites and prayer
places.”
In April, 33 countries voted for the resolution, 6 voted against and 17 abstained. At least two countries that voted in favor in April - France (which is trying to depict itself as an 'honest broker' to promote its 'peace proposal') and Brazil - have now called their votes a 'mistake.'
By the way, Israel is the only country in the Middle East in which adherents of all religions are free to worship.... So glad Obama brought the US (which voted against in April) back into UNESCO.... /sarc
There's been yet another 'Palestinian' terror attack in Jerusalem a short while ago, this time at the Jaffa Gate (which is considered the safe way in) outside Jerusalem's Old City.
Five people were stabbed, two of them were seriously wounded, one terrorist was shot dead, and the second terrorist was apprehended.
Let's go to the videotape.
BREAKING VIDEO: 5 Israelis wounded in stabbing attack at Jaffa Gate, 2 seriously, 1 terrorist shot dead, 2nd wounded pic.twitter.com/yz3z2yxm0e
UNESCO chief blasts 'Palestinian' attempt to have Western Wall declared a Muslim holy site
As the 'Palestinians' decry Israel for supposed 'changes to the status quo' on the Temple Mount, they are attempting to create one of their own by orchestrating a UNESCO vote (you will recall that they are members of UNESCO - that's why the US hasn't paid dues in four years) declaring the Western Wall (pictured) to be an Islamic holy site. UNESCO director general Irina Bukova is not pleased, and blasted her own board today for bringing the matter to a vote.
“We all have responsibility to UNESCO’s mandate, to take decisions that
promote dialogue, tolerance and peace,” said Bokova. “This is especially
important for young people, who should be nurtured and educated for
peace.”
She issued her statement on Tuesday, in advance of
Wednesday’s highly publicized vote by UNESCO’s Executive Board in Paris
on a draft resolution, which “affirms that the Buraq Plaza [the Western
Wall] is an integral part of al-Aksa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif.”
A
statement put out by her office said that Bokova “appeals to the UNESCO
Executive Board to take decisions that do not further inflame tensions
on the ground and that encourage respect for the sanctity of the Holy
Sites.”
Her office added that the discussion “could be seen to
alter the status of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, inscribed
on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and that could further incite
tensions.”
The “protection of culture heritage should not be taken hostage, as this undermines UNESCO’s mandate and efforts,” Bokova said.
She
has consulted with nations on the 58 member board to encourage them to
pursue constructive dialogue that promotes tolerance and mutual respect
such as outlined in the mandate of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Jerusalem is a city that is
holy for Jews, Christians and Muslim and it should be a place of
dialogue for all three faiths, she said.
Bokova called on “all
parties to ensure that cultural heritage, including religious, is
preserved and accessible to all and to resume dialogue in the spirit of
mutual understanding.”
The six-page draft resolution – submitted
by Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Kuwait, and the United Arab
Emirates on behalf of the Palestinian Authority broadly condemns Israeli
actions in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
At no point does
the resolution mention the Jewish historical connection to Jerusalem,
which dates back to biblical times. Nor does it reference the Temple
Mount or the Western Wall, which was part of the retaining wall King
Herod built for the Temple Mount more than 2,000 years ago. It also
relies solely on Arabic names for the holy sites on and around the
Temple Mount.
Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama Hacohen
called the resolution “a total Islamization” of a site that is revered
by both Jews and Muslims.
Funny that we have not heard equally vehement opposition to this resolution from US President Hussein Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, UN Ambassador Power or National Security Council Chief Rice.
I wonder why the self-proclaimed 'most pro-Israel administration evah' has not come out against this. /sarc
It seems non-stop although this is the first recent one outside Jerusalem. This morning, a 'Palestinian' woman stabbed an Israeli man in the back near the Western Wall plaza. He too was shot, and both were taken to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital (only in Israel). Here's my critique of how Maan reported that story (I can tweet from my phone, hence there are a lot more tweets than posts):
And here's Josh Hasten describing the first attack of the morning in which seven cars were damaged and at least one person was hurt by stone throwers on the Tekoa - Har Homa road.
Let's go to the videotape.
The terrorists tried to pull a woman from her car, but she escaped, and was taken to the hospital, lightly wounded.
UPDATE 1:57 PM
Here's video of the Kiryat Gat terrorist being chased down and shot.
Let's go to the videotape.
WATCH: Scene where the terrorist was shot by Israeli Forces after running into an open apartment door escaping them. pic.twitter.com/tvrUC3oJzu
Security cabinet likely to adopt these proposed actions from Netanyahu on 'Palestinian' terrorism
Israel's security cabinet is meeting tonight and the Prime Minister's Office has released a list of proposed measures it is likely to adopt (via Chico Menashe):
Terrorists' homes will be destroyed. The Prime Minister has charged the Attorney General to find a way to shorten the legal procedures for doing so.
Increased forces in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem as necessary. Thousands of police have already been added in Jerusalem and hundreds more will be added. The police will enter deeply into 'east' Jerusalem neighborhoods and no one will be exempt because of his location.
The status quo on the Temple Mount will be maintained.
No Israeli citizens will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Advancing the paving of bypass roads.
Use of administrative detention against rioters.
The Prime Minister demanded forceful action against inciters, including those on social media.
The Prime Minister demanded the prosecution of bystanders and shopkeepers who did not help the terror victims in the Old City of Jerusalem on Saturday night and even injured them (see the video two posts down).
Netanyahu: "We will not tolerate a situation where a Jewish woman has been stabbed and not only do bystanders not help her, they curse and even kick her. Those people will be brought to justice."
Expediting the adoption of laws that will hold minors and their parents criminally liable for throwing stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks.
Rah, rah etc.
Sorry, but I don't see much new here. What's missing is IDF activity against the root causes of the terror - the terror organizations. Many organizations have rushed to take credit for the attacks over the last few days. The leadership of those organizations should be meeting up with hellfire missiles. The sooner the better.
After days of silence amid a string of terror attacks and skyrocketing
tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority on
Sunday condemned Israel for its “policy of escalation,” after two
Palestinian assailants were killed as they carried out terror attacks.
In a written communique published on the
official news agency Wafa, PA government spokesman Ihab Bseiso called on
the international community to intervene following “the killing of two
young men in occupied Jerusalem and the series of incursions into cities
and villages in the West Bank.”
The statement made no mention of the fact that
the two dead Palestinians had been killed while carrying out stabbing
attacks against Israeli civilians.
On Saturday night Palestinian Mohammad Halabi
carried out a stabbing spree in Jerusalem’s Old City, killing Nehemia
Lavi, 41, and Aharon Banito, 21, and wounding Banito’s wife and
2-year-old baby, police said.
Hours later, Palestinian Fadi Aloon stabbed an Israeli teen near the Old City’ Damascus gate.
Both Halabi and Aloon were shot and killed at the scene.
“The only solution is the end of the Israeli
occupation of our occupied Palestinian land and the establishment of our
independent state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital,”
Bseiso wrote.
The statement did not condemn or mention the killings of Naama and Eitam
Henkin, who were shot to death in a Palestinian terror attack on
Thursday in the West Bank.
'Palestinian' gall knows no limits.
The police have restricted access to Jerusalem's Old City.
The Israel Police announced Sunday it would
limit access to Jerusalem’s Old City and the Temple Mount compound,
known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, over the next two days.
Only Israeli citizens, local residents,
students, employees who work in the area and tourists will be allowed
entry into the Old City through Tuesday, police said.
On the Temple Mount compound, “Muslim prayer
will be limited to males aged 50 and above while there will be no age
limitation on female Muslim worshipers,” police said in a statement.
The Muslim worshipers will only be allowed in through the Old City’s Lions Gate.
For some reason, much of the media is making it sound like police have banned all access to the 'Palestinians' to the Old City. If only... In fact, if only we had expelled them in 1967 when we had the chance.
Chag Sameyach, a happy holiday to all of you. Because the holiday is only one day in Israel, I hope to be back online Monday night.
Horrible video of Jewish man and kids being harassed in Jerusalem's Old City
Please note that although this video was taken in Jerusalem's Old City, it was NOT taken on the Temple Mount. It was taken in the Arab shuk (marketplace) that runs through the Old City. Based upon the time it was posted, it was likely taken on Monday, the first day of the holiday, on which 'work' strictures apply here in Israel (they apply for two days outside of Israel).
Miriam Elman has a detailed summary of the bizarre rules that govern Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. I strongly urge you to read the whole thing, especially if you're not familiar with the situation. But I found especially intriguing Miriam's summary of an essay by RabbiMeirSoloveitchik.
In an important essay for the online journal Mosaic
this past November, Meir Soloveichik, the Director of the Straus Center
for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University in N.Y., writes
that Israel’s 1967 “status quo” arrangement is one of the “most
misguided in Israel’s history”.
Instead of setting aside a designated section on the Temple Mount for
Jewish prayer—one that wouldn’t have interfered with Muslim worship and
would’ve also been appropriate according to halakhah (Jewish
religious law), which forbids Jews from visiting certain portions of the
Har HaBayit—the government’s decision “set in place a policy that
resulted in the worst of all possible worlds”:
First, many Jews who continued to visit the Mount did so
without any rabbinic guidance, entering areas where according to
halakhah they should not have set foot. Second, Israel’s self-imposed
ban on Jewish prayer persuaded both the Waqf and the Palestinians and
Arab world in general that Israel’s leaders lacked any attachment to or
reverence for the site”.
According to Soloveichik the indifference has merely reinforced the
“foul false narrative” that the Jews never worshipped God on the Mount,
that the Temples never existed, and that the Jewish nation has no
historical legitimacy.
It’s a sentiment echoed recently by the indefatigable Vic Rosenthal. Writing in Abu Yehuda, a “blog about the struggle to keep the Jewish state”, Rosenthal claims that Israel now either has to “exercise sovereignty” on the Temple Mount “or lose it”:
When Israel conquered the Old City in 1967, the Arabs
expected that they would be kicked out. After all, that is what they did
to the Jews in eastern Jerusalem in 1948. That is what a victorious
people in a national conflict over possession of land have always done,
if they didn’t kill or enslave the population. But that is not what
Israel did. When Israeli law was extended to eastern Jerusalem in 1967,
Arab residents were offered Israeli citizenship. Most refused and became
permanent residents, with the right to vote in municipal elections,
health and social security benefits, etc…When the IDF took control of
the Temple Mount, IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren wanted to build a
synagogue there…But Defense Minister Moshe Dayan had other ideas: he
prohibited Jews from praying on the Mount, and placed its administration
in the hands of the Jordanian waqf…Thus were the seeds planted
for the current situation, which includes absurdities like Israeli
police officers arresting Jews who are seen to move their lips when
visiting the Mount, and shrieking Arab women confronting Jews who want
to just stand there”.
We have only ourselves to blame. But then, it's not surprising. Anyone who has read Michael Oren's account of the Six Day War is aware that the government did not want to liberate Jerusalem and the Temple Mount - only the late Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren was interested in doing so. Unfortunately, the government of Israel has never reconciled itself to being in control of the Mount.
The step-by-step video, titled “How to stab
correctly,” was circulated on YouTube and its links were shared with the
Facebook and Twitter groups of Palestinian organizations and activists
in East Jerusalem, the Hebrew news site NRG reported Saturday.
The 72-second clip comes in the wake of a
number of stabbing attacks throughout Israel and the West Bank. Most
recently, two border policemen were injured when an assailant attacked
them in the Old City of Jerusalem Friday morning.
Here's video of Friday's stabbing in Jerusalem. Let's go to the videotape.
The video, set to an industrial metal track,
depicts two masked men — one holding a knife and the other playing the
victim — and demonstrates how to achieve maximum damage in target areas
such as the neck, abdomen and heart. The video depicts a number of
different techniques and situational circumstances, including how a
would-be attacker could stab someone and walk away.
The clip comes to with the text “What are you waiting for / Rise up and stab.”
NRG reported that the clip was created by the
Hamas terror group, which frequently creates videos that promote
its ideology and attempt to intimidate the Israeli public. The terrorist
group disseminated a Hebrew-language music video this summer in the
lead-up to the war in Gaza that boasted of successes against IDF
soldiers and attacks against the Israeli populace.
Yeah, sure. Let's blame Hamas and pretend that the 'Palestinian Authority' doesn't support and do the same things. What could go wrong?
'Palestinian' terrorist who shot Yehuda Glick worked at Begin Center restaurant
Mu'taz (or Moataz) Hijazi, the 'Palestinian' terrorist who shot and severely wounded Temple Mount prayer activist Yehuda Glick outside the Begin Heritage Center on Wednesday night, didn't have to go very far to carry out his crime. Hijazi was employed at the Terasa restaurant, which is located inside the Begin Centerhaving served time in prison on terror charges until 2012.
32 year-old Islamic Jihad terrorist Mu'taz Hijazi was released from
prison in 2012, after serving 11 months for terrorism against Jews.
Upon his release, he made the following remarks in an interview shortly after his release:
"I am happy to return to Jerusalem. I wish to be a thorn in the throat of the Zionist plan to Judaize Jerusalem."
Arutz Sheva reached out to the Terasa restaurant for clarification as to how a convicted terrorist could be employed there, but the restaurant refused to issue a response.
Apparently Hijazi presented a good front, with multiple witnesses telling Arutz Sheva that they had encountered him in the past and that he had been, for all intents and purposes, civil.
But it appears Hijazi had been leading a double life: the Israel
Security Agency (ISA), or Shin Bet, is now stating (10:45 am IST) that
Hijazi was likely responsible for August's shooting attackon a soldier near Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, after police found and examined the scooter used in both incidents.
Hijazi had even specifically sought out Glick, checking extensively
where and when he would be speaking before striking, according to Channel 10.
Police are currently investigating how the restaurant could have missed Hijazi's criminal record before hiring him.
But JPost is reporting that Hijazi spent 11.5 years in prison - not 11 months - which makes the restaurant's hiring him even more shocking.
Begin Heritage Center spokesman Ofer Inbar said Hejazi worked in a privately-owned restaurant within the center and passed a background check before being employed.
“The restaurant does not belong to the Begin Center, so we have no idea about the personal details of the man, but we do know that people who work in the restaurant have to get a background check from the police first,” Inbar said.
“And we know that the owner of the restaurant got the OK to hire him.”
Hejazi was a kitchen hand at the center’s upscale Terasa, a gourmet mehadrin dairy restaurant.
Abu Mazen's prayers answered: Temple Mount advocate shot by terrorist, critically wounded
Just 11 days after 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen called for 'Palestinians' to 'defend' the Temple Mount against Jewish visitors 'by any means,' a prominent advocate for Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount has been shot and critically wounded by a 'Palestinian' terrorist. Yehuda Glick, 50, was shot and wounded by a terrorist outside the Begin Heritage Center across the street from the Old City's walls. The terrorist asked Glick who he was before opening fire.
Glick was shot outside the Begin Heritage center in the capital,
witnesses said, after a terrorist pulled up in a scooter or motorcycle
and shot him before fleeing the scene.
Initial reports are indicating that Glick - who founded and heads the
LIBA Initiative for Jewish Freedom on the Temple Mount - was
deliberately targeted for nationalistic reasons, but police have not yet
officially announced a motive.
The Begin Center had been hosting an event to help in efforts to
re-establish a greater Jewish presence on the Mount Wednesday night,
just before the activist was shot.
He has been rushed to Sha'arei Tzedek Medical Center for immediate medical treatment.
Magen David Adom (MDA) spokesman Zaki Heller said that Glick
was shot in the upper body no fewer than three times and paramedics had
barely had time to speak to him during the initial stages of treatment.
But let's keep pretending that Abu Chickensh*t is a 'moderate.' What could go wrong?
To cry: Last picture of three-month old terror victim at Kotel (Western Wall) shortly before she was murdered
Three-month old Chaya Zisel Braun HY"D (May God Avenge her blood) was on her way home from the Kotel (Western Wall) with her parents and grandparents on Wednesday night when a 'Palestinian' terrorist ran her over and murdered her. The picture above was taken at the Kotel shortly before she was murdered (Hat Tip: Kikar Shabbat).
Oh and by the way - she was a US citizen. But that apparently means little to the US State Department. 'Even-handed' as always.
Three-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun, the baby girl killed today in Jerusalem during a vehicular terrorist attack, was an American citizen, a US official confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday night.
The girl was thrown from her stroller as a car swerved into the Ammunition Hill light rail station, injuring seven others.
State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf has "urged restraint" and calm from both sides after the attack.
...
His grandaughter flew 10-20 meters in the air before landing headfirst on the pavement, Shimshon Halperin said Wednesday night.
Standing outside Hadassah University Medical Center on Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus, after Chaya had died of intracranial bleeding Halperin explained how the driver from Silwan rammed a row of pedestrians, hitting Chaya’s stroller and sending her flying.
I guess you'd have to work for the State Department to believe that the 'Palestinians' would stop behaving this way if only we would give them a 'state.'
Shocking video: Arab breaks Jew's skull with baseball bat on Shavuoth morning
Shavuoth is the one day of the year that I will walk through the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem rather than going around to the generally safer Jaffa Gate. There are two reasons for this. First, we enter Damascus Gate sometime around 4:00 am when there are very few Arabs around. Second, the place is crawling with border police units.
This attack took place at the Dung Gate, right down the road from the Western Wall, a gate that we often use during Passover and Succoth. It's considered safe. This attack happened in broad daylight and someone videotaped it (or maybe the video comes from a security camera).
The attack took place in Jerusalem as a group of Jewish youths made
their way to the Kotel. A Jewish youth suffered a fractured skull and
internal bleeding. The attacker was arrested.
According to the youths, they were on their way to the Kotel when one
of them stopped by the Dung Gate, the closest gate to the Kotel, to
urinate by the side of the road. The group continued, when suddenly they
realized a roughly 35-year-old Arab resident was attacking their friend
who had stopped.
The youths rushed to help their companion, only to find additional
Arab hooligans arriving on the scene, several of them armed with
baseball bats. At that point one of the Arab attackers struck one of the
Jewish youths in the head, as caught on film, severely injuring him.
The youth was evacuated to the hospital with a break in his skull and
internal bleeding as a result of the heavy blow. He later recalled that
the Arab man started shouting at him, claiming that they were on his
property, and began strangling him.
The Arab attacker was arrested by police, and had his detention extended.
...
Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir,
who represents one of the attacked Jewish youth for the Honenu legal
aid organization, responded to the events, noting how things would have
been different if the Jews had been the attackers instead.
"If this had occurred in the opposite manner, the entire agenda in
Israel would have been busy only on this issue," argued Ben-Gvir. "The
media would have spread on thick the red titles, the police would be
conducting arrests, and (Justice Minister) Tzipi Livni and (President)
Shimon Peres and even the prime minister would have been condemning it."
"But when a Jew takes a bat to the head, the hypocrisy
celebrates and the media is silent. We demand that the police enforce
justice, submit an indictment and ask for the attacker to be arrested
until the end of legal proceedings," said Ben-Gvir.
It's widely known that Israel had a deal with Jordan's King Hussein in 1967. Jordan would stay out of the upcoming war with Egypt and Syria, and Israel would not touch Jerusalem and the 'west bank.' The government ministers - principally from the Labor party and (to their eternal shame) the National Religious Party - opposed taking Jerusalem's Old City, saying that they didn't want to rule over the Middle East equivalent of the Vatican.
It's also widely known that Jordan violated the deal and attacked Israel. What's not widely known (and I don't even recall reading an account like this in Michael Oren's seminal book on the war - which I read a few years ago) is why.
Moshe Feiglin tells the story of why Jordan broke the agreement. If you didn't believe until now that God was behind the entire war, this story ought to convince you.
The story is in Hebrew and there is an English translation. But it loses a lot in translation so if you can, read the Hebrew.
An investigative report in Makor Rishon cites La Stampa Vatican Insider
journalist Andrea Tornielli as saying that the deal has been nearly
completed, and that Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin is in charge of
the negotiations with the Vatican, but Israel denies any such deal.
The agreement allegedly contains two elements. The first is Israel's
forgoing the levying of property tax and other taxes for all “churches,
holy sites, prayer houses and cemeteries.” The second is the transfer of
the “Last Supper room” on the floor above David's tomb to the
Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land (Custodia Terræ Sanctæ).
Rabbi Yaakov Sevilia, an activist for King David's Tomb, told Arutz Sheva
Sunday that there is also a deal between Christians and Muslims,
according to which the Muslims will retain control over the Temple Mount
whereas Mount Zion will become Christian property. He cited journalist Gulio Meotti, who contributes regularly to Arutz Sheva, as the source for this knowledge.
Rabbi Sevilia emphasized that the tomb is, without a doubt, the
burial place of King David, and mentioned a recent book – “The Secret of
David's Tomb” – as containing proof of this claim.
"The Christians believe that the Tomb of David is indeed located
here, but they do everything possible to confuse us, the Jewish people,
so that we lose our connection to this place,” he accused. He added that
while there has been a Jewish awakening with regard to the site, the
Christian presence at the tomb is still much greater than the Jewish
presence, with about 200 tour buses bringing Christians to the site
daily.
There have been reports in the past about a deal to transfer the second floor of the Tomb to the Vatican. Tornielli says
that this is the core issue in talks between the Vatican and Israel.
Rabbi Sevilia claims that the Last Supper Room is just a toehold that
the Vatican intends to expand in the future, in a ploy to take over the
entire Tomb site.
Two points. First, I'd like to know what Israel is getting in this 'deal.' If anyone can find anything, please let me know because I don't see it.
Second, not that I'm advocating turning the site over to the Christians (the very fact that thousands of Jewish prayers have been said there makes the location holy to Jews), but the question of whether the tomb is actually located on Mount Zion is not quite as settled as Rabbi Sevilia is making it out to be. Last Succot, we did a tour of the City of David, in which we were shown a site (admittedly without a tombstone) which could potentially have been King David's burial place. And the location fit more closely with the scriptures (although I honestly do not remember how or why).
For those of you who - like our family - inevitably end up spending time in Jerusalem's Old City during Chol HaMoed (the intermediate days of the holiday), here's something new for you to do. On Tuesday, the largest fortress ever found in the City of David was secretly inaugurated. It's 3,800 years old.
The fortress protects the Gihon spring, which was the city's water supply. No word on why the inauguration was secret.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident,
although they have said it was likely a nationalistically-motivated
attack.
Dvir Adani, a United Hatzalah medic, said "I got to the scene and saw
a young hareidi man who had been stabbed in his upper torso; the man
was conscious."
He added that "witnesses reported seeing a man of Arab appearance pounce on the man and stab him before running away."
After receiving first aid at the scene the victim was evacuated to
hospital for further treatment, and is classified as lightly wounded.
I am sure Yair Lapid is pleased.
As to the rest of us, please don't use Damascus Gate unless you're armed.
Security forces break up terror cell that planned to attack Jerusalem's busy outdoor mall
Israel's security forces have broken up a Hamas terror cell that planned to attack Israel's generally crowded Mamilla mall outside Jerusalem's Old City (Hat Tip: Shy Guy).
The terrorist operatives, residents of Ramallah and Jerusalem, were
arrested last month (August), and had planned their attacks to coincide
the upcoming Jewish festive period of Rosh Hashana (New Year), Yom
Kippur and Succot.
The cell leader has been named as Hamdi Hasnin Hamdi Rumana, 24, from the Ramallah/El Bireh area.
During his interrogation, security services uncovered a weapons and
explosives laboratory in Rumana's home, along with bomb-assembly
instructions, and discovered that he had been in contact with a Hamas
technical expert from Beituniye, as well as two residents of Ramallah,
who had provided him with the chemicals and instructions necessary to
assemble explosive devices.
The three accomplices have been detained for interrogation, pending charges.
It was also discovered that Rumana had recruited two Arab residents
of Jerusalem into his cell to help carry out an attack targeting Jews in
the capital. Their possession of Israeli I.D. cards would have made it
far easier to move around without being questioned.
The plan was for the two men - employed as maintenance workers in
the Mamilla Mall in central Jerusalem - to smuggle an explosive device
into the mall and hide it in their personal lockers until the start of
the Jewish festivals, when the mall would be packed with holiday
shoppers. The terrorists were then instructed to plant the device,
disguised as a gift box, in one of the mall's busy restaurants, or in
another location with a high concentration of Israeli civilians.
In the course of their interrogations, the suspects also revealed
that they planned a number of additional terrorist atrocities, including
the kidnap and murder of an Israeli soldier. They had also planned to
manufacture rockets to fire against Israeli communities near Ramallah.
The Mamilla Mall typically has lots of Arab shoppers as well. This ought to make Arab employees at the mall and Arab shoppers be regarded with suspicion by their Jewish counterparts. It doesn't say here which restaurant they wanted to target. I can make an educated guess, but I won't post it here because I don't want to give them any ideas....
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
