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.
It's come to this: IDF soldiers need permission from 'legal adviser' to defend themselves when their lives are endangered
I used to wonder why Shakespeare wrote that the first thing we do is 'kill all the lawyers.' I think I'm beginning to find the answer. We have now reached the point where IDF soldiers whose lives are endangered need permission from a 'legal adviser' to defend themselves. At least they have gotten it. Sort of....
The Legal Advisor for the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division,
Colonel Doron Ben Barak, has given soldiers permission to use live fire
against rioters who attack them with fireworks, if the fireworks
endanger their lives.
"There are circumstances in which aiming a firework directly at a
soldier from close range may create a real and immediate danger to his
life, efficient defense against which may certainly require opening live
fire against the person who fired the fireworks,” determined the
advisor.
Even when there is no direct danger to the soldiers' life – when he
is inside a pillbox position or when the fireworks are not aimed
directly at him – he may, from now on, carry out the Procedure for
Arresting a Suspect. This involves shouting out a warning, firing in the
air and then firing at the suspect.
According to IDF weekly Bamahane, the decision reflects a
change in the IDF's attitude toward fireworks, which were treated as
being in the same weapon category as rocks until now.
Yeah, and after all rocks don't endanger anyone, do they?
Video: IDF soldiers forced to cower in position in 'east' Jerusalem
A video taped from inside an IDF position in eastern Jerusalem and uploaded by 0404 news Wednesday shows how frustrating being an IDF soldier is, these days.The soldiers are caged in inside their fortified position, and do nothing but watch as Arab rioters hurl rocks and fireworks at them.The person who is in radio contact with the soldier inside the position tells him not to worry because the attackers are unable to harm him. The soldier inside the position says the event is being documented. IDF soldiers are rarely given permission to fire at rioters who attack them, due to extreme pressure from far-left NGOs and left-wing legislators.
Let's go to the videotape.
Some deterrence, eh? Disgraceful. Simply disgraceful.
Israeli riot police and Palestinian stone-throwers clashing in Al Aqsa mosque plaza in Jerusalem; several injuries reported.
— Dan Williams (@DanWilliams) September 24, 2014
The rioters fired at police at the Mughrabi Gate, which is the only
point of access for Jewish visitors to the site currently under the de
facto rule of the Jordanian Waqf (Islamic trust).
Yassam police special forces and Border Patrol officers pushed their way onto the Temple Mount and pressed back the rioters.
Upon arriving on the holy site, police forces came face to face with
dozens of rioters who had prepared obstacles on the Mount, from which
they threw rocks and bricks at the officers while continuing to launch
fireworks at them.
After an extended struggle the police were able to gain control over the rioters and return order to the site. A number of officers were lightly wounded by the salvo of rocks and fireworks, and were provided medical treatment at the scene.
Despite the attack, entry remained open for Jewish visitors,
with police saying "we will continue to act against the rioters and show
zero tolerance for any attempt to disrupt the order."
It's about time that the police took the attitude in the last paragraph. But unfortunately, there was only one arrest and it was - you guessed it - a Jew.
The Jew prostrated himself in prayer at the holiest site in
Judaism, an act that the Muslim Waqf guards have pressed Israeli police
into forbidding despite the fact that Israeli law guarantees the right
of religious worship.
No other country would discriminate against its own citizens like that. It's disgraceful.
Border police officer indicted for beating 'Palestinian'-American, victim's uncle calls it a 'cover-up'
A border police officer has been indicted for beating Tariq Abu Khder, the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khder who was set alight and murdered in the Jerusalem forest over the summer. The identity of the police officer remains under cover. Meanwhile, Abu Khder's uncle claims that indictment is an attempt at a cover-up.
The policeman, whose name remains under a gag order, was indicted at Jerusalem magistrate's court on Wednesday for using "excessive force" that could not be justified against Tariq Abu Khder at a July 3 demonstration in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat.
According to a justice ministry statement, "evidence was found supporting the guilt of the police officer suspected of severe violent crimes, committed after the arrest of the minor, who was handcuffed at the time."
Tariq Abu Khder, who was arrested first for attacking a police
officer during Jerusalem's riots in early July, has denied taking part
in the demonstration at all, saying he was "only an observer" but fled when police "began chasing suspects," as well as claiming that he "fell and was cuffed and beaten."
A YouTube video showing Israeli border police beating and kicking a handcuffed semi-conscious figure on the ground before dragging him away sparked a US State Department call for a "speedy, transparent and credible investigation."
An uncle of Tariq, who has since returned home to Florida, called the indictment a "cover up" of the beating and an Israeli attempt to appease the United States.
"If Tariq wasn't an American citizen we would have never seen an investigation," Yassin Abu Khder told AFP, noting that his nephew was attacked by a "group" of policemen who had also "attacked dozens of other kids."
"But we won't see any further indictment because those kids are not American citizens," he added.
We won't see any further indictments for a different reason. The border police has the largest percentage of 'minority group members' (i.e. Arabs) of any Israeli security force. I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the officer indicted was an Arab and that's why it is being kept under raps. You want us to indict a few more Arabs for beating those kids? Sure. Then you deal with the riots and the claims that it's all a cover-up.
For years we have been warned that one day the 'Palestinians' would 'peacefully' march to Jerusalem and there would be nothing the Israeli security forces could do to stop them. On Thursday night, they marched to Jerusalem. As anyone who is familiar with the situation here could tell you would happen, a riot ensued. One 'Palestinian' is dead, three are in critical condition and more than 200 were wounded.
Some 10,000 Palestinians protested near the checkpoint, throwing rocks,
firebombs and fireworks at Israeli security forces, and setting tires
ablaze. The IDF forces and Border Police were using crowd dispersal
means on the masses.
Hospital officials in Ramallah earlier said three protesters had been
killed, but revised that to one killed and three others in critical
condition and on life support. Some 200 protesters were injured, a
hospital doctor said. Thirteen Israeli police officers were lightly
injured.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office did not immediately confirm the
Palestinian casualties. The military was checking reports of live fire
targeting Israeli forces at the checkpoint.
The protest erupted after allies of Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement marched from the West Bank city of
Ramallah to the edges of Jerusalem in protest against Israel's
17-day-old campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Police so far arrested 39 Arab suspects during the protests.
Earlier on Thursday, Israel Police arrested nine suspects in east
Jerusalem, for disrupting the peace and attacking police officers, near
the Old City. The police said it used crowd dispersal methods to restore
order.
At the same time, near the Temple Mount, dozens of east Jerusalem
residents threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police forces. The police
said said they have arrested 10 suspects, and that two police officers
were lightly injured during the clash.
As police prepared for Friday prayers, they planed to heighten security
in the Old City and throughout Jerusalem, as Operation Protective Edge
enters its third week, fueling already heightened tensions between
Arabs and Jews in the capital.
Read the whole thing. It explains the helicopters we've been hearing overhead every night this week all over Jerusalem.
I have been saying for many years that Hamas and Fatah differ only in methodology and not in goals. Perhaps this will wake up some people who waiver between the Right and the Left. Fatah (and the 'Palestinian Authority') is no better than Hamas. The delusion that there is a difference is one of the worst consequences of the Oslo fiasco.
15-year old Tariq Abu Khadr, who was seen in a video (pictured above, video at link) allegedly being beaten by Israeli border police, has been sentenced to nine days of house arrest at his relatives' home in the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Hanina.
Israeli police say an American teenager who was detained during
violent protests over the killing of a Palestinian youth has been
brought before a court.
Abu
Khdeir's parents say their son, who goes to school in Florida, was
beaten by Israeli police during clashes over the killing of Mohammed Abu Khdeir who Palestinians suspect was killed by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack. The two young men are cousins.
Police
say Tariq Abu Khdeir resisted arrest, attacked officers and was
carrying a slingshot for lobbing stones when he was arrested.
The U.S. State Department said it was "profoundly troubled" by reports of his beating and demanded an investigation.
The 'Israeli Arabs' apparently believe in apartheid. In Qalanswe, an 'Israeli Arab' town in central Israel, motorists were stopped by masked rioters and asked if they were Jews or Arabs. The two who answered that they were Jews were forced from their cars and beaten. One Jew managed to get back into his car and drive off, but the other fled on foot and his car was torched (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).
Hostility that had
simmered since Eyal Yifrach, Gil-Ad Shaer and Naftali Frenkel were
abducted on June 12, triggering army sweeps of the West Bank, boiled
over this week upon the discovery of their bodies and the Palestinian's
slaying after they were laid to rest.
Towards midnight Friday, the riots spread to Arab communities in the
Triangle area, including Qalansawe, Taibe, Tira and Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
Sharon District
police spokesman said that "since the night hours, officers from the
Kedma station, assisted by additional forces, have been attempting to
maintain public order in the Triangle area." The spokesman commended the
"local leadership that tried to prevent the riots and maintain normal
routine."
"During the riots," the spokesman added, "riot control methods were
used when officers felt their lives were in danger. Three protestors
were arrested overnight on suspicion of throwing stones, and additional
arrests are expected. Due to the incidents, Tira's Saturday market will
not be held today."
Dozens of protestors also demonstrated near Route 444 at the entrance
to Taibe, burning cars and throwing stones at police officers.
Dignitaries of Taibe called for peace and for an end to the protests.
Residents of Taibe also protested against the arrest of three city
residents on Friday night. During the riots, five people were lightly
wounded from tear gas and stun grenades used by police forces to
disperse the crowd.
In Baqa al-Gharbiyye, masked protestors burned tires on the main
road. City dignitaries arrived at the scene and dispersed the rioters.
Coexistence isn't looking very good these days, is it?
US citizen beaten by Israeli police, State Department wakes up, demands investigation
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.
The US State Department didn't seem very interested when US citizen Naftali Frenkel HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) was kidnapped and murdered by 'Palestinian' terrorists. But now they're determined to atone for it. A US citizen was captured on tape being beaten by Israeli border police this week and the State Department has gone ballistic. You might ask what changed since June 12. One thing that has changed is that this kid is a 'Palestinian.' In fact, he's a cousin of the 'Palestinian' who was murdered last week - probably by family members for being gay. This is from the first link.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki named the youth as Tariq
Khdeir, 15. He was a cousin of Muhammed Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old
Palestinian whose burned body was found Wednesday in the Jerusalem
Forest. Khdeir was visited by a U.S. consulate official, the statement
said.
"We
are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in
police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force," Psaki
said. "We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible
investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force."
"We
reiterate our grave concern about the increasing violent incidents, and
call on all sides to take steps to restore calm and prevent harm to
innocents," it added.
Khdeir,
according reports in Orlando, Florida, is a high school sophomore in
Tampa, who was visiting his Palestinian relatives in Shuafat, Jerusalem,
for the first time in over a decade when he was beaten and detained.
The incident took place on Thursday outside the home of the murdered
teenager, said to be his cousin. The Forward quoted the Council on
American-Islamic Relations as saying that he suffered serious injuries
in the beating and is being held under police guard at Hadassah Hospital
in Jerusalem.
Khdeir is due to be brought before a judge in Jerusalem on Sunday, Ma'an news agency reported.
The kid was beaten during a protest outside his house - at least he wasn't beaten in a police station - but he was handcuffed and on the ground. Haaretz reports that three border police officers beat the boy - I actually only saw one sitting on him and one hitting him until the end when they start to drag him away.
I'm going to embed the video below (sorry if YouTube makes you sign in to watch it) because I want to make a couple of other points about it.
Let's go to the videotape.
I don't know how anyone can tell from watching the video that those are border police and not rioters. Their faces are covered with ski masks and they don't seem to be wearing the border police's khaki uniforms. The police have not take responsibility for this, but they are investigating.
I have pointed out in the past that the border police are full of 'minorities' (Bedouin and Druze and that they have also been involved in violence against Jews in the past. If I had to pick a unit that was likely to do this sort of thing, it would be the border police. Assuming that they did it, it's still no excuse for Israel's government and police department, and heads ought to roll.
'Honor killing': Arab teen in Jerusalem murdered by family because he was gay?
I can't confirm this yet, but we've already seen stories in the mainstream media that claim that the Arab teen who was killed in the Jerusalem Forest overnight may have been murdered by family members. What the mainstream media is not telling you (as those who read Hebrew can see from the story above), is that the teen may have been the victim of an honor killing because he was gay.
There's also another version of the story, which is only slightly different.
In any event, this murder was not carried out by a Jew. But why let that ruin a good excuse for a riot?
We built it and they accused us of apartheid anyway
Now that they've destroyed it, should we pay millions to rebuild it? Or should we bypass the Arab neighborhoods and have the tram run straight from French Hill to Pisgat Zev and Neve Yaakov.
Don't rush to answer that question too quickly by the way. One of the reasons that the tram went through Shuafat in the first place was to promote the idea of a united Jerusalem.
By the way, for the Hebrew-impaired, the caption reads "Millions of Shekels that were invested in the light rail in the Arab neighborhoods were BURNT IN AN HOUR."
Arab teen killed, Jews rush to blame Jews, 'Palestinians' riot
An Arab teenager was killed on Wednesday morning in Jerusalem, and as Israeli-Jewish Leftists rushed to label it a 'revenge attack' (the only surprise there is that they didn't call it a 'price tag' attack), 'Palestinians' rioted in Jerusalem, ensuring that there will be no tram service in their neighborhoods for some time to come.
Let's go to the videotape to see the damage in the Shuafat 'refugee camp.'
What precipitated all this was the discovery of the body of a 16-year old (what a coincidence!) 'Palestinian' in the Jerusalem Forest who had apparently been murdered.
The unidentified corpse was located by officers hours after residents of
east Jerusalem’s upscale Beit Hanina neighborhood notified police of
witnessing a young man being forced into a black vehicle late Tuesday
night.
I'm so glad that the police take calls from 'Palestinians' more seriously than they take calls from Jews. /sarc
And why are the Jews suspected? Well for the 'Palestinians,' any excuse for a riot will do, but here's why Jews accuse other Jews.
The murder takes place after Israeli right-wing rioters embroiled
much of downtown Jerusalem Tuesday afternoon and evening, demanding
revenge for the murders of yeshiva students Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah
and Naftali Fraenkel.
The protracted riot attracted hundreds of
extremists, who marched for several kilometers throughout the downtown
area, including to the Old City, while chanting anti-Arab slogans and
attacking several Palestinians in their path. Over 50 arrests were made
throughout the capital.
Not exactly a call for random murders....
Meanwhile, there's another possibility for who did it.
Though the cause of death remains unknown, Rosenfeld said the boy’s body
sustained significant burn marks. The spokesman added that police are
also investigating previous kidnap attempts of members of the family to
which the victim belonged, stemming from a personal dispute.
But that didn't stop Meir Margalit, a representative of the extreme Leftist Meretz party from blaming the Jews.
Despite the police’s contention that the murder may not have been
nationalistically motivated, East Jerusalem Portfolio head Dr. Meir
Margalit (Meretz) said there is no question as to the motivation behind
it.
“It’s clear that it’s revenge,” he said by phone. “It’s a political and terrorist action carried out by the right wing.”
Calling the killing of an Arab youth “shocking,” Livni wrote that
“the murderers must be found and tried immediately. Nothing must stop
us. This is the difference between the State of Israel and a terror
organization.”
While she did not point any fingers in her post, she did drop a hint
as to those she felt responsible. Implying that the killers of an Arab
youth allegedly abducted and found dead in a Jerusalem forest were
Jewish, Livni wrote that “we must punish those who want to turn us into a
society of killers. This cannot be allowed to happen in Israel.”
But even Livni has retracted her tweet.
The messages was posted at roughly 8 a.m. Wednesday
morning, but a few minutes later disappeared – never to return. Livni
has not explained why she backtracked on the post.
The reason might be because of the strong possibility that the murder
was carried out not by Jews, but by Arabs – and family members at that.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva
on condition of anonymity, A senior retired police official noted that
the family of the murdered 16-year-old was well known to police sources
in Jerusalem, adding "it's a problematic family with internal clashes
that have been ongoing for many years. I have no doubt that as time
passes it will be clarified that the murder was criminal and nothing
more.”
But the real difference between the Jews and the 'Palestinians' is the reaction. Recall that the only 'Palestinian' to speak out publicly against the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach had to go into hiding and his relatives were arrested for threatening him. Now look at the Jewish reaction.
Meanwhile, less than 24-hours after burying their son Naftali, the
Fraenkel family issued a statement saying it would be “horrifying and
despicable” if the Arab youth was killed due to nationalistic motives to
avenge the murders of the three murdered yeshiva students.
“There
is no difference between blood and blood, murder is murder,” read the
statement from the bereaved family, who said they patently condemned
murder in any form.
In a statement issued by the Jerusalem
Municipality Wednesday morning, Mayor Nir Barkat also condemned the
“horrible and barbaric murder.”
“This is not our way, and I am
fully confident that our security forces will bring the perpetrators to
justice,” he said. “I call on everyone to exercise restraint.”
Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel also came out harshly against the killing of the youth.
“The
murder of a young man and burning his body is a disgusting act,” he
said in a statement. “I hope the police use all means to find the
murderers as quickly as possible and to bring them to justice.”
And no one is threatening any of them for saying so.
The first Arab riots against Israel's existence were in...
The first Arab riots against Israel's existence did not take place in 1987 or 1967 or even 1937 or 1929. They took place on April 4, 1920, long before there was a state of Israel and longer before Israel 'occupied' Judea and Samaria. They demonstrate that the Arab goal with regard to the State of Israel has always been the same: The end of Jewish settlement in the biblical land of Israel.
Tens of thousands of Arabs gathered in Jerusalem’s Old City and several
speakers began firing up the horde, including the nefarious Haj Amin
al-Husseini, who would subsequently be appointed the city’s Mufti.
Amid chants of “Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs!” the
crowd descended into a violent frenzy and went on the offensive.
Arab assailants proceeded to attack innocent Jewish men, women and
children on the streets, punching, kicking and beating them, as well as
hurling stones and other objects.
They broke into Jewish homes, raped Jewish women, and plundered
property. Cemeteries and yeshivot were also attacked, with tombstones
and Torah scrolls falling victim to the Arab mob’s fury.
Arab policemen, whose task was to maintain order, instead joined in the
fray, while the British Mandatory authorities responded with their
characteristic lethargy and incompetence.
Over 100 Jews were injured in just the first few hours, and the rioting
intensified the following day, leading the British to impose martial
law. Finally, after several more days of unrest, the violence was
finally quelled.
When the dust had settled, a total of five Jews had been killed and
more than 200 wounded, while four Arabs were dead and 25 injured.
Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann along with a senior British military
officer insisted that the British Mandatory authorities had actively
encouraged Arab leaders to incite the violence due to their hostility
towards Zionism.
One month later, in May 1920, the British government dispatched a
commission of inquiry, known as the Palin Commission, to investigate.
In predictable fashion, the final report sought to place blame on both
sides, criticizing the Zionists for “impatience to achieve their
ultimate goal,” as if that would somehow justify an Arab pogrom.
Nonetheless, the commission did note that it was clear that “the
incidence of the attack was against the Jews and… was made in customary
mob fashion with sticks, stones and knives. All the evidence goes to
show that these attacks were of a cowardly and treacherous description,
mostly against old men, women and children, and frequently in the
back.”
On Monday morning, three 'Palestinians' were killed in a riot at the Kalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem when the IDF and border police came under attack by hundreds of 'Palestinians' while making an arrest. As you can see from the tweet above, that has resulted in the cancellation of this week's session of the 'peace talks.'
Security forces who arrived in Kalandiya near Ramallah to arrest a
security suspect came under a large scale attack by hundreds of
Palestinians on Monday morning, resulting in deadly clashes in which
three rioters were reportedly killed.
An IDF force protecting
the Border Police unit making the arrest felt that the lives of security
forces were under threat, and opened fire at their attackers, the IDF
said.
Video images from the scene showed two IDF jeeps being ambushed by
Palestinians on rooftops and at street level, hurling large rocks and
other heavy items from multiple directions.
The wanted suspect, said by the IDF to be a terrorist, was arrested and taken for questioning.
Offical
Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted hospital sources in the West Bank
as saying Rubin Zayed, Jihad Aslan and Younis Jamal Jahjouh had been
killed in the clashes. An additional fifteen Palestinians were wounded
in the incident, according to Palestinian medical sources.
The Police and IDF were investigating the circumstances of the clash.
Arabs attempted to break into the town of
Kochav Yaakov in the Binyamin region on Monday, and set fire to olive
orchards owned by Jews that are outside the town. They also blocked the
highway outside the town, preventing residents from entering or leaving.
The town's security force rushed to the
scene to face down the Arab rioters and prevent them from getting into
the town. At least five had succeeded in getting through the town's
security fence where they were caught sight of by the security force.
The Arabs ran away when they saw the security officers.
The officers gave chase and caught one of
the rioters, a 16 year old Arab youth from nearby Kalandia. The Arab
was carrying a wire cutter, and apparently was among those who cut the
fence and infiltrated the town. He was also carrying material and
equipment to start a fire, and may have been planning an arson attack in
the town, officers said. He was transferred to police custody for
questioning.
Kochav Yaakov is only 5-10 minutes outside of Jerusalem, and at one time it was scheduled to have a large group of Americans who were buying in together with a prominent rabbi from Rockland County, New York. I have a couple of friends there, one of whom reads this blog pretty regularly. One has to wonder where the police and IDF were when this was going on, and when the government is going to amend the open fire orders to allow Jews to at least defend themselves in this kind of situation.
'Equality under the law' on Temple Mount: Mufti detained for causing riot, 5 Jews detained for praying on Temple Mount
This is surely 'equality under the law.' Five Jews were detained on Wednesday for praying on the Temple Mount. And the Mufti of Jerusalem was detained for causing a riot.
Some fifteen Muslim worshipers threw chairs at security forces Tuesday,
lightly injuring two police officers after they arrested an Arab youth
who allegedly disturbed the peace and yelled at Jewish visitors to the
Temple Mount.
The detaining of Hussein came on the 46th Jerusalem Day, which
commemorates the capital’s reunification in 1967 following the Six Day
War.
Five Jewish men were also detained at the Temple Mount on Wednesday for attempting to pray at the site.
Police
stated that Muslim worshipers began gathering and yelling at the Jewish
men, but they were escorted away by Wakf Muslim religious officials and
calm was restored.
Adnan Husseini, the Palestinian
Authority-appointed governor of Jerusalem and a former head of the Wakf,
came out harshly agaist Hussein's detention on Wednesday, saying,
"While gangs of settlers terrorize Palestinian families all over the
city, Occupation forces arrest [the] Mufti of Jerusalem.”
Husseini stated that the Palestinian leadership denounces Israel’s "illegal detention" of the mufti and calls for his immediate release.
And on this, the 46th Jerusalem Day (the anniversary of the date during the Six-Day War on which the Old City of Jerusalem was liberated), one must wonder more than ever: Is the Temple Mount truly in our hands?
The media's greatest detective, and Europe remains focused on what is truly important
The Tribal Update presents the true story of Kusra and Esh Kodesh, as
revealed by the greatest investigator of all time, and brings you a
glimpse of the indomitable European spirit.
Look out for Islamic Rage Boy: Charlie Hebdo doing 'Life of Mohammed' series
We're going to start seeing Islamic Rage Boy again soon. French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo is doing a series on the life of Mohammed (first cover pictured - Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News). This is from a Google translation.
Who owns Muhammad? At all. He is the prophet of Muslims, of course, but for others it is a historical figure or a caption. Can caricature drawing Muhammad as Jesus or Napoleon Zorro.
When Muhammad cartoon in Charlie, we caricature above is the idea that
makes the extremists, or are used to oppose Muhammad Muslim radicals. In all cases, it is the vision of God's fools that determines the way we think Muhammad. We must tell the truth you do not know Muhammad. In the West, everybody can quote episodes from the life of Jesus, but include an episode from the life of Muhammad? Is this normal in a country like France, where Islam is presented as a second religion?
We imaged the life of Muhammad as the chroniclers have told Muslims. No humor added. If the form will appear blasphemous to some, the bottom is perfectly halal ...
So can we expect attacks on French diplomatic installations/ Or is that treatment reserved for the US these days?
Clashes at Kalandia, problems ahead on Gaza, Jordan and Lebanon borders
There are riots at the Kalandia checkpoint, at the entrance to Jerusalem from the east, and there are several potential problems brewing on Israel's borders with Gaza (where 'Palestinians' have approached the 'security fence'), Jordan and Lebanon, as the 'Palestinians' observe Land Day.
Palestinian protesters were clashing with Israeli forces at the Kalandiya checkpoint, throwing rocks, firebombs and burning tires. Security forces were using large amounts of tear gas, stun grenades, sound weapons and foul-smelling water to disperse the protesters.
A large number of protesters arrived at the checkpoint from Ramallah. At least one was injured on his arm by a rubber bullet and taken to the hospital.
Preparations took place along all of Israel’s fronts. The IDF announced that Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered West Bank crossings closed for a 24-hour period.
In Bethlehem, dozens of protesters were throwing stones at an IDF checkpoint after breaking through a line of Palestinian police.
Earlier, PA security forces had blocked the protesters from approaching the checkpoint. The protesters stopped in front of the Palestinian police and sat in the road, chanting: "To Jerusalem, we will march."
Israel Police deployed large numbers of police and border police forces in and around Moshav Avivim near the Lebanese border Friday morning, ahead of the expected demonstrations. Security forces set up checkpoints to prevent protesters from encroaching on the Lebanese border, where at least 10 people were killed in clashes that erupted during last years Nakba Day commemorations.
A chief superintendent in the police's Northern District said the preparations were designed with lessons learned from the deadly events last year. Police were prepared for crow control, armed with tear gas and riot gear.
Police said they were coordinating with the army, who was in turn coordinating with the United Nations in Lebanon.
Jordanian news sites have reported that some 8,000 people are gathering in order to take part in the massive march towards the Israeli border. There is increased security presence in the area.
Lebanese newspaper As-Safir reported that 120 buses will be transporting Lebanese participants and participants from Palestinian refugee camps to the Global March on Jerusalem.
And for those of you wondering how you get all those great pictures at home, here are some brave photographers (several dozen?) hiding while they take pictures.
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
