Kushner - From Israel: A Matter of Great Import

Arlene Kushner..
09 July '12..






The findings of the Levy Committee, with regard to Israel's right to build in Judea and Samaria, made news here in Israel today. See my post on this at:

http://arlenefromisrael.squarespace.com/current-postings/2012/7/5/july-5-2012-what-really-counts.html

The focus was on the fact that this report was turned over to the Ministerial Committee on Settlements yesterday and has been made public in its entirety.

In due course, the significance of the finding of the Levy Committee -- which was composed of former High Court Justice Edmund Levy; former Foreign Ministry legal advisor Alan Baker; and former deputy president of the Tel Aviv District Court Tchia Shapira -- may be considerable.

This was a report done with utmost seriousness and with regard for multiple legal precedents. As Baker said, "Our work was based in international, Jordanian, Israeli and even Ottoman laws and touched upon all issues relevant to land and territories."

While there is precious little building done today, there is the possibility of considerable construction to be done past the Green Line if these legal recommendations are taken seriously. Perhaps even more significantly at the moment, there should be the legalization of several communities currently in limbo, and at risk of being taken down.

But until the Ministerial Committee on Settlement or the government has reviewed the 89 page report and/or made recommendations based upon it, we are still in a holding pattern. Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised not to sit on the results.
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The Temple Mount and us

Nadav Shragai..
Israel Hayom..
08 July '12..

In the summer of 1944, four years before the establishment of the state, Zionist leader Berl Katznelson published a mythological article in the daily Davar titled "Destruction and Ignorance." Katznelson, the spiritual leader of the Labor movement was shocked after hearing that on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, members of Labor's "Immigrant Camp" youth movement conducted a day of summer recreation. Katznelson expressed his anguish over the event and wrote "a creative and productive generation does not throw generations of heritage into the waste bin. There are those who will scavenge through outdated junk, discover long-forgotten items, cleanse them of their rust and resurrect an ancient tradition that has the power to rejuvenate the soul of a generation."

Today, the 17th day of the Jewish month of Tammuz, commemorates the day the walls around Jerusalem were breached, three weeks before the Second Great Temple was destroyed by the Romans on the ninth day of Av. On this day, we have not heard the reaction of any leader, political or religious, to images published last week showing the goings-on at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The images, which were published by Makor Rishon and described in an Israel Hayom opinion piece, reveal the base of a large scaffold placed on top of the Foundation Stone, which lies at the center of the Dome of the Rock. The top of the scaffold reached the ceiling of the golden dome, which has been under renovation by Muslims for the past few months.

Do you think that "Foundation Stone" is a great name for a pub?

Emily Amrousi..
Israel Hayom..
06 July '12..

If the God particle had not been found in Switzerland, it would have been discovered here. Even if it would have taken another generation, the same particle responsible for matter in the universe would not have passed up an opportunity to show up in the original Holy Land, the same land that possesses patents for slogans uttered by biblical prophets. The land of Israel is filled with holiness and God particles. But try to deal with particles that have no public relations representatives.

Take for example the Foundation Stone, a flat stone that lies at the center of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition, it is the holiest place on earth. Even archeologists have no doubt about its precious value. At the time of the Great Temple, the Ark of the Covenant rested upon it and only the High Priest could enter the area on the holiest day of the year. According to both Judaism and Islam, the world was created from that spot. Muslims have maintained the site, which is holy to them as well, for years. They never touch the stone itself except to dust it off once a year and return it to its place.

Last week, images were published showing huge iron scaffolds and construction material covering the stone. The Waqf, the Islamic body with authority over the Temple Mount, is renovating the ceiling of the dome to enhance the structure and emphasize its Arabic design, and has placed metal tools and pales on top of the exposed stone. Workers with shoddy footwear move about the site, and yes, we need to be worried. The Foundation Stone is a powder keg, and ignoring calls for Israel's sovereignty in the area may lead to a dangerous struggle. But in the midst of all the caution, we forgot to cry. For most Israelis, the image of scaffolds at this sensitive and ancient site does not bring on an immediate heart attack. The indifference hurts. Cry, Jews, cry over the holy of holies where even a single God particle did not survive this week.

Is Jerusalem Sacred for Muslims?

Hagai Mazuz and Harold Rhode
Hudson New York
20 October '10

Israel and the Palestinians are once again negotiating their future relationship. One of the most difficult issues they confront is the status of Jerusalem.

On September 22, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated Saudi King Abdullah on the occasion of his country's national day. She reserved special praise for Abdullah's support of the Arab Peace Initiative (API), which calls for an Israeli withdrawal from all territories gained in 1967 and for East Jerusalem to be the capital of a Palestinian state. She suggested that this plan would serve as a philosophical basis for the ongoing talks. "As we continue working to support direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the principles enshrined in the Arab Peace Initiative are more important than ever," Clinton wrote.

Jews and Christians know that Israel's claim to Jerusalem is rooted in the ancient Jewish connection to that city. Israel's declaration of independence speaks of both "natural and historic right." Jerusalem is the centerpiece of that historic right.

What about the Muslim claim?

For Muslims, Jerusalem is thought to be sacred for two reasons: First, Muslims were initially commanded to pray toward Jerusalem. But when the Jews refused to convert to Islam, Muhammad changed the prayer direction toward Mecca. Second, Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven and back from "the Rock" which much later after his death was interpreted to mean what is today the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Interestingly, Islamic sources from the first 50 years or so after Muhammad's death make clear that Jerusalem had absolutely no holy status for Muslims.

(Read full article)

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Video: Archaeologist Says Arabs Broke Temple Mount Status Quo

Yoni Kempinski
IsraelNationalNews.com
04 November 09

(IsraelNN.com) In wake of the claims that Israel is excavating under the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and undermining Muslim mosques in order to cause them to collapse, archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkai told IsraelNN TV the opposite is true. He charged that it is the Arabs who have acted against the status quo and have "brutally" excavated land that contains many ancient artifacts from Jewish history.

Dr. Barkai spoke about the "Sifting Project," in which countless archaeological finds are being discovered in the rubble dug up by the Muslims. He also discussed his most famous discovery: small silver plaques containing the Priestly Benediction from the Book of Numbers, which he found in 1979.

These plaques contain the oldest surviving Biblically-related inscription discovered to date, dating back to 600 B.C.E.




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