Dig? We Must? We Must!

In this book,

Excavating the City of David: Where Jerusalem’s History Began by Ronny Reich, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society and Biblical Archaeology Society, 2011, 368 pp.

you can read of Reich’s personal history with the site which is that

...Reich first encountered the site in 1969 as an accidental tourist who accompanied Amihai Mazar on an outing to the Gihon Spring. Reich next encountered the site in 1995 as an accidental excavator who the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) sent to dig there. The task fell to Reich because no one at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology agreed to do it. The task lasted longer than Reich expected and proved to be professionally, intellectually, physically and emotionally challenging. The toll these challenges took is expressed in occasional outbursts against named individuals, and in Reich’s lament, “Shiloh enjoyed the support, and especially the favor of the entire archaeological establishment and all his colleagues. In contrast, I did not always have the feeling this was so in the IAA.”

And you do know why the establishment didn't appreciate digging there.

^

Where Did Mary Magdalene Pray?

In a synagogue, of course.

But which one?

Perhaps they have found it.

Read on:

In 2007, a third–fourth-century C.E. synagogue with beautifully decorated mosaic floors depicting Biblical episodes was discovered at the site of Khirbet Wadi Hamam outside Tiberias; just last summer, European archaeologists digging only 4 miles away, at Horvat Kur, announced that they, too, had found a synagogue, probably dating at least a century later.

Perhaps the most exciting recent synagogue discovery in Israel was in Magdala, reputedly the home of Mary Magdalene. (Was this the synagogue she regularly attended?) On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the newly discovered Magdala synagogue, excavated by archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), is one of only seven uncovered in Israel that was in use during the first century C.E., when the Jerusalem Temple still stood. The others include Masada, Herodium and Gamla, with which BAR readers are familiar. Other possible examples have been excavated at Herodian Jericho, Qiryat Sefer and Modi’in...The Magdala synagogue from this time is richly decorated with frescoes of colored panels. Mosaics with geometric designs covered the floor. Impressive columns supported the roof. And a strange, nearly 3-foot-long stone block found in the center of the synagogue is elaborately carved on the side and the flat top. Among other reliefs, it features one of the earliest depictions of a seven-branched menorah.
Dina Avshalom-Gorni, the Israeli archaeologist who excavated the site for the IAA, believes the artist who carved the menorah may have modeled his depiction after the actual seven-branched menorah that stood in the Temple, making it a rare representation of the candelabra before the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E...

There were Jews in the country then?

You mean Jews have historical connections to this land?

Maybe they deserve a national home in the land?

Oh, sorry, we already went though that.

^

Yes, Jews Are Different

From Warren Kozak's piece, What If Jews Had Followed the Palestinian Path?

...In 1945, there were hundreds of thousands of Jewish survivors living in DP Camps (displaced persons) across Europe. They were fed and clothed by Jewish and international relief organizations. Had the world's Jewish population played this situation as the Arabs and Palestinians have, everything would look very different today.

To begin with, the Jews would all still be living in these DP camps, only now the camps would have become squalid ghettos throughout Europe. The refugees would continue to be fed and clothed by a committee similar to UNRWA—the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (paid for mostly by the United States since 1948). Blessed with one of the world's highest birth rates, they would now number in the many millions. And 66 years later, new generations, fed on a mixture of hate and lies against the Europeans, would now seethe with anger.

Sometime in the early 1960s, the Jewish leadership of these refugee camps, having been trained in Moscow to wreak havoc on the West (as Yasser Arafat was) would have started to employ terrorism to shake down governments. Airplane hijackings in the 1970s would have been followed by passenger killings. There would have been attacks on high-profile targets as well—say, the German or Polish Olympic teams.

By the 1990s, the real mayhem would have begun. Raised on victimhood and used as cannon fodder by corrupt leaders, a generation of younger Jews would be blowing up buses, restaurants and themselves. The billions of dollars extorted from various governments would not have gone to the inhabitants of the camps. The money would be in the Swiss bank accounts of the refugees' famous and flamboyant leaders and their lackies.

So now it's the present, generations past the end of World War II, and the festering Jewish refugee problem throughout Europe has absolutely no end in sight. The worst part of this story would be the wasted lives of millions of human beings in the camps—inventions not invented, illnesses not cured, high-tech startups not started up, symphonies and books not written—a real cultural and spiritual desert.

None of this happened, of course. Instead, the Jewish refugees returned to their ancestral homeland. They left everything they had in Europe and turned their backs on the Continent—no "right of return" requested. They were welcomed by the 650,000 Jewish residents of Israel.

An additional 700,000 Jewish refugees flooded into the new state from Arab lands after they were summarily kicked out. Again losing everything after generations in one place; again welcomed in their new home.

Excellent.

^

So, What's A Footnote Anyway?

If you go here, you'll read an explanation of the new Israeli film, "Footnote", which won its screenwriter, Yosef Cedar, an award this year at Cannes.

And just to illustrate how important a footnote can be, well, here is a "footnote-within-a-footnote" tale from Ze'ev Gries' 1989 book, "Conduct Literature (Regimien Vitae)" (buy it here)

Here, then, is footnote 164, on page 91:

and the underlined section explains that the sole difference between two editions of the same book of Meir Benyahu, "The Sabbatean Movement in Greece," (see here on the subject) that Gries claims to find in a book printed at the same publishing house, with the same text and the same pagination is that footnote 4 is shortened which "is not a matter of research but rather a concern of the wars between researchers".


And by the way, on the question of politics and Israel and the film industry, read this:

The question of country, of course, can never fully be ignored when filming in Israel. Ashkenazi admits he didn't expect "Footnote" to make it to Cannes, because the typical questions -- politics and Palestinians -- don't enter the frame.

"Our little movie is about the Talmud," he says. "If an Israeli movie goes to Cannes, like "Waltz With Bashir," it's about the conflict. So I was very surprised."

^

Read The New Book on the Altalena Tragedy

Here's the cover of Jerry Auerbach's latest book:

which is described as:

Brothers at War is Jerold Auerbach’s probing and poignant new exploration of the tragedy of the Altalena, the doomed ship whose arrival in Israel ignited Jewish fratricidal conflict only weeks after the 1948 declaration of statehood. This is the first history of the Altalena by a historian and the first to explore it within the context of ancient Jewish and contemporary Israeli history. The Altalena remains embedded in memory, Auerbach suggests, still framing unresolved issues of political legitimacy in the Jewish State.

At the dawn of the Israeli state, the tragic destruction of the Israeli ship Altalena — by Israeli soldiers no less — threatened to tear the new country apart, and has lessons still for Israeli politics and peace. The first full book in English on this fascinating event, it tells the story, and the present profound implications, of a moment in the birth of modern Israel.

I thank him for mentioning me in the Acknowledgements.

It is a great and important read.

So, read it.

^

EOZ Made of My Idea A Poster

I blogged an idea of mine that if the Arab regimes act so brutally towards their own, how can we make peace with them (and if we would have made peace what would have happened to us) and EOZ made a poster:

What do you think?

^

Help The Legal and Moral Lawfare

On Thursday morning, Shurat HaDin and their American co-counsel, Robert J. Tolchin of New York, filed an unprecedented lawsuit to seize ships used by the Islamic and anti-Israeli organizations to breach Israel’s coastal blockade. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an American terror victim injured by a Palestinian suicide bomber. The suit, Bauer v The Mavi Marmara, was filed in Manhattan federal court. It seeks to confiscate 14 ships outfitted with funds unlawfully raised in the United States by anti-Israel groups, including The Free Gaza Movement (“FGM”). In May 2010, several of these ships, led by the Mavi Marmara, attempted to breach the blockade. The resulting violence caused the deaths of nine militants and injury to numerous Israeli Navy SEALs.


The plaintiff, American biologist, Dr. Alan Bauer, who along with his son Jonathan was seriously injured in a Palestinian suicide bombing on March 21, 2002 in Jerusalem, alleges that FGM and other American-based anti-Israel organizations have raised funds in the United States to outfit the Gaza Flotilla ships. The lawsuit contends that furnishing and outfitting the ships, which are being used for hostilities against a U.S. ally, violates American law. The plaintiff rests his claim upon a rarely-utilized "informant" statute (18 U.S.C. section 962) that allows a plaintiff (called an "informer") to privately seize ships outfitted in the United States for use against a U.S. ally. The law we are basing this cutting edge suit upon is an anti-piracy statute dating back to 1794.

This is the first time a lawsuit in the U.S. has been brought to seize the Gaza Flotilla ships themselves. The aim is to show that funds were illegally raised by the FGM in the U.S. to purchase and outfit the Flotilla boats in violation of the Neutrality Act. They contend that organizing a naval expedition to violently breach Israel's coastal blockade of the terrorist controlled Gaza is a hostile act against an American ally.

It is their intention to seize all the boats and turn them over to a victim of Palestinian terrorism. The extremists organizing these hostile provocations against Israel must not be allowed to illegally raise funds for their operations in the U.S. This unprecedented private action will help block their efforts to breach the coastal blockade and smuggle materials to Hamas in Gaza.

A copy of the Gaza Flotilla Lawsuit complaint.

Shurat HaDin is using the courts to fight back against the extremists.

Support their efforts!

Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center
10 Hata'as St. Ramat Gan, 52512 Israel
Phone: 972-3-7514175
Fax: 972-3-7514174
info@israellawcenter.org
http://www.israellawcenter.org/

^

Jewish History on PBS

If you go here, you'll discover an hour-long NOVA program divided into six chapters. Choose any chapter below and select QuickTime, RealVideo, or Windows Media Player to begin viewing. If you experience difficulty viewing, it may be due to high demand. We regret this and suggest you try back at another time.

Chapter 1
Journey to the Cave of Letters
An expedition of archeologists and historians sets off to explore a legendary cave in the Judean Desert.
running time 9:30

Chapter 2
Lives of the Refugees
A cache of papyrus documents and other artifacts offers a portrait of the Jews who sought refuge in the cave 2,000 years ago.
running time 9:51

Chapter 3
Defying the Romans
When ancient Jews rebel against the Roman Empire, Emperor Hadrian's response is brutal.
running time 8:35

Chapter 4
Search for the First Occupation
Using remote sensing equipment, team members peer through 15 feet of rubble seeking evidence that the cave harbored not one but two waves of refugees.
running time 6:32

Chapter 5
Secrets of the Copper Scroll
A cryptic first-century text may indicate that the Cave of Letters harbors relics from the great temple of Jerusalem.
running time 6:15

Chapter 6
Controversial Evidence
Scholars debate whether artifacts found in the cave are the sacred objects many religious Jews hope to find.
running time 8:24

^

BBC - Be Fair?

Here's the BBC on my home, among others:-

Almost 500,000 Jews live in settlements on occupied territory. The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Why not write "Over 500,000 Jews live in communities located in disputed territory. It is claimed that these residential location are illegal under international law whereas Israel asserts they are not"?

Is that so difficult?  So biased? 

Or not.

And that's the point.

^

Must A 'War Crime' Be Purposeful?

We all remember the Goldstone report's condemnation of Israel's defensive actions in Gaza and claims of purposeful targeting of civilians.

Here:

...we detail a number of specific incidents in which Israeli forces launched direct attacks against civilians with lethal consequences. These were, with only one exception, where the facts establish that there was no military objective or advantage that could justify the attacks.

The Mission looked closely and sets out in the Report statements made by Israeli political and military leaders in which they stated in clear terms that they would hit at the “Hamas infrastructure”. If “infrastructure” were to be understood in that way and become a justifiable military objective, it would completely subvert the whole purpose of IHL built up over the last 100 years and more. It would make civilians and civilian buildings justifiable targets.

These attacks amounted to reprisals and collective punishment and constitute war crimes.

...A word about accountability...The lack of accountability for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity has reached a crisis point; the ongoing lack of justice is undermining any hope for a successful peace process and reinforcing an environment that fosters violence. Time and again, experience has taught us that overlooking justice only leads to increased conflict and violence.

What do we make of this then:

NATO air strikes killed nine civilians in the Arada neighbourhood of Tripoli, which is a known anti-Gaddafi stronghold, the regime said Sunday. The incident occurred a day after the government accused NATO of specifically targeting civilians. NATO said Sunday it was investigating Libyan claims that nine civilians, two of them of toddlers, were killed in an alliance air raid and would be "very sorry" if that were the case.

Have you any conclusions?

^

Magneto aka Menachem Begin

That's what they write.

Excerpt:

The producer of the initial X-Men films, Avi Arad, himself an Israeli, said of Magneto: “I would look, ideologically, more to Jabotinsky and Begin… Magneto to me is not a villain. But he becomes more like Kahane the more frustrated he is with the way the world is approaching the ones who are different.” In Rabbi Simcha Weinstein’s book Up, Up ,and Oy Vey!,which traces the very real influence Judaism had on the creators of many comic book superheroes, he quotes writer Chris Clarement, who was responsible for creating Magneto’s holocaust back-story. “It allowed me to turn him into a tragic figure who wants to save his People… I then had the opportunity over 200 issues to attempt to redeem him, to see if he could start over, if he could evolve in the way that Menachem Begin had evolved from a guy that the British considered ‘shoot on sight’ in 1945… to a statesman who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976.”

Looking to the life of Menachem Begin to try to understand Magneto, from his early life of opposing the Zionist leadership’s bowing to British colonialism (much as one could say Xavier does in X-Men), to fighting for independence through any means necessary with the Irgun, one can see the connection. But as Claremont himself said, over the course of decades Begin’s role changed. In 1977 Begin lead the Likud party to take control of the state’s government and allied himself with many smaller fractions of the multi-party system that makes up Israeli politics. Ultimately, peace between Israel and a neighboring Arab state was reached for the first time in 1978, under Begin’s control, when the Camp David accord was struck with Egypt.

^

Jerusalem at President Peres' Conference

Anything appear slightly out-of-order here:-

My Visions of Jerusalem

Date: Wednesday, June 22nd, 16:30- 18:00

Jerusalem –the capital of the Jewish nation and a holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike – is exciting, inspiring and emotionally stirring for millions of people around the world. Unfortunately, Jerusalem is also a hub of complexities: national, religious, economic and social issues afflict this timeless city. While many yearn to visit the holy city, some of Jerusalem's residents choose to abandon it. The participants in the panel will approach these dilemmas and share their personal vision for the future of the city and pinpoint the crucial decisions that will make the difference between a flourishing and a declining Jerusalem.

Moderator:
Ms. Bambi Sheleg, Israel
Editor, Eretz Acheret

Participants:
Mr. Ziad AbuZayyad, Palestinian Authority
Founder, Co-Editor and Publisher, Palestine-Israel Journal; Former Palestinian Authority Minister and PLC Member

Ms. Rachel Azaria, Israel
Executive Committee member, Jerusalem City Council; Fellow, Mandel Leadership Institute; Israeli Activist

Mr. Malcolm Hoenlein, USA
Executive Vice Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York and Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry; Recepient, Defender of Jerusalem; Guardian of Zion; and Neeman Yerushalayim (Trustee of Jerusalem)

Dr. Erel Margalit, Israel
Founder and Chairman, Animation Lab; Co-Founder at Jerusalem Pacific Ventures; Founder and Managing Partner at Jerusalem Venture Partners

Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Israel
Custodian of the Holy Land, Franciscan Order; Assistant Professor of Biblical Hebrew and Judaism, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum and Studium Theologicum Hierosolymitanum

Mr. Dudi Zilbershlag, Israel

_________

Mr. Nir Barkat, Israel
Mayor, Jerusalem

In nother words, the most hotly contested issue, the Temple Mount, the Holy Basin, et al., is ignored ... by the Jewish side. Ziad, whom I have debated, will be sure to bring it up.

I hope to be there to blog it.

^

Thanks to Ray Cook for his Tamil Massacre Piece

I discussed the massacres in Sri Lanka before, in connection with the Goldstone Report and the condemnation of Israel.

Well, finally the BBC dusted the subject off and Ray Cook blogged it. It's here (k/t = SophieS):

Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields – what genocide actually looks like


Excerpts -

Last night Channel 4 screened what must be one of the most disturbing programme ever shown on British television...The programme has been posted on the Channel 4oD website here. This was a programme about the 2009 assault on the Tamil Tigers by the Sri Lankan army. The programme included stomach-turning graphic mobile phone footage of summary executions, hundreds of dead bodies, including those of women who had been raped and then shot.

...As I watched, my stomach turning at every scene, some so difficult to watch I actually had to avert my eyes, I was struck by both the similarities and the differences between this conflict and the Israeli’s assault on Gaza between December 2008 and January 2009, Operation Cast Lead.

...the similarities: both the Sri Lankan government and the Israelis were responding to a concerted campaign by a terrorist organisation whose stated aims was to ‘reclaim’ a homeland. Both terrorist groups had used suicide bombing, intimidation and ruthless subjugation of its own people.  In both the Israeli and the Sri Lankan offensives there were accusations of deliberate targetting of civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructure and protected buildings.  The more rabid opponents of Israel accused them of massacre or genocide. The Goldstone Report found evidence of possible war crimes, breaches of the Geneva Convention, failure to protect civilians, the use of human shields, illegal use of weaponry.

...I do not believe that Israel had a deliberate policy of targetting civilians, in fact, the opposite was true. There were incidents which were negligent or ill-judged and tragic. These do not add up to war crimes or genocide.  There are no accusations of rape against the IDF, even by Hamas and no woman ever came forward with any such suggestion.  There were no accusations of summary executions of bound prisoners and no such evidence exists.

...The figures bear this out. Between 1300 and 1400 known people killed of which, even by Hamas’ reckoning 700 were combatants. The IDF figures show far fewer non-combatant casualties.

Let’s consider the worldwide condemnation of Israel for attacking Gaza from where thousands of rockets had been fired over a considerable period of time. And this after Israel had evacuated Gaza completely. Soon after, Hamas took control and began suicide attacks and bombings and a barrage of indiscriminate rockets fired at towns in Southern Israel.  Israel was accused of disproportionality even though very few people actually know what that means in international law.

...Now look at the Sri Lankan campaign against the Tamils.  At least 40,000 civilians were killed and relatively few combatants. The actual figure may be much, much higher. It could be more than 100,000.  There was torture, rape, clearly deliberate targetting of hospitals and civilians.

What happened in the UN? There was a very low-key call for an investigation which the Sri Lankan government rejected.  The whole thing was buried and soon forgotten.  There was no worldwide condemnation.

...please explain why the entire world is fixated on perceived Israeli crimes and so sanguine about millions massacred elsewhere.  Why has no-one called for the destruction of the the Sinhalese majority Sri Lankan state and the creation of a ‘free’ Tamil one.  Where are our religious leaders? Where are the Methodists or the leaders of West Dunbartonshire Council? Who’s banning products from Sri Lanka? How many Sri Lankan politicians and soldiers have been threatened with arrest if they set foot in the UK?

Sorry, I forgot, Israel is by far the most evil state in the world and must be singled out for special opprobrium even if that means less time and attention spent on real criminals.

Think about that.

Now do you know what we mean by "double standard"?

International duplicity?

Immorality in international relations?


^

Migron Fights Back

The Migron Community, facing a decision to destroy several homes, has issued this advert in the press:-

The main point raised is that the "facts" and "proof" of private Arab ownership are wrong and false. This action can be continued for other communities.

I do recall that a compromise was offered:

The Truth Behind The Yesha Council's Discussions with The Defense Ministry


The process to which The Yesha Council will agree is one which entails leaving the Migron temporary community exactly where it is today while:


(1) land is found, no more than a few hundred meters from the current location,
(2) plans are made, filed and approved,
(3) infrastructure is built and
(4) permanent homes are erected.


Simultaneously, the verifying of the legal status of the land where the temporary Migron community resides will continue in the court system. Very likely the result will be two legal Jewish communities!


Saying No to Compromise and Surrender. Saying Yes to Building.


No compromise or surrender is being contemplated. Many, many communities in Eretz Yisrael were developed in exactly this way; with residents living in a temporary community while their permanent community is built nearby. In exactly this way Keshet was built and Elon Moreh and Kedumim and Beit El and Beit Horon…and many others. And in this way Migron can see a future realized which includes a large and growing permanent community, something not possible in their current small, restricted location.


Even better, in this case, once Migron residents have moved into their new permanent homes, the temporary site will always remain in Jewish hands, never to be occupied by Arabs, as its strategic importance is clear to all, including The Defense Ministry.

We'll wait and see.

^

If US Congressmen Are Interested In What The US Consulate Does...

If they are interested in the activities of the US Consulate General in Jerusalem and whether the officials there relate at all to the Jewish residents of the territory it oversees (Judea and Samaria), I would have them check out these items:

Mother’s Day Event in Salfeet

Housing Program in Jerusalem


Women's Issues Roundtable

American musician Bill Kirchen on a Palestinian-American cultural exchange program

Donation of New Book Collection to Mas'ha Children's Library


New water project in Dura
 
Qalqilya heath project
 
and this heritage project, and again, and much, much more, all discriminating against Jews, excluding Jews, banning Jews from applying for programs, assistance or finances.  Jews, I fear, are not wanted.
 
Is that helping peace and coexistence?
 
Is what they are doing legal by American law?
 
Can the Consulate adopt exclusionist policies?
 
What would Congress say?
 
^

Will Obama Be Involved In The Next Political Sex Scandal?

Check this:

...Obama recognized [Rep. Debbie] Wasserman Schultz [(D-Fla.), chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee] while speaking Monday at a Democratic National Committee fundraising event held in a private home in Miami, part of the chairwoman’s congressional district.


“To Debbie Wasserman Schultz, thank you for letting me in your district,” the president said. “If you're in the foxhole, you want Debbie alongside you, because not only is she charming and has that dazzling smile, but she's tough as nails. And that’s what’s needed during challenging times.”

At another fundraiser that day at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Obama drew attention to what he called Wasserman Schultz's “cute smile.”

“What do you guys think of our new DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz?” the president asked the audience. “We are so thrilled to have her. You want Debbie on your side. She’s a mom, she’s got that cute smile and all that, but she is tough. Don’t mess with Debbie. We are so glad of her leadership.”

Though Obama's remarks were meant to be complimentary, feminists, the media and Democrats would have reacted differently if a conservative politician had said this, said Charlotte Hayes, a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.

Aw, come on.  There was nothing bulging there, was there?


Was there?

^

Friedman: Squeeze Israel

Tom Friedman is at it again with his What to Do With Lemons - squeeze Israel.  Really:

...the actors they’ve had to work with were both lemons — a Palestinian government that was too divided to make any big decisions and an elusive right-wing Israeli government that was strong enough to make big decisions but had no will to do so. But you know what they say to do with lemons? Make lemonade.

What's Friedman's, er, Obama's, problem?

...The Obama team is in a fix...the U.S. is trying to get the parties to resume peace talks on a comprehensive agreement based on terms laid out by the president in mid-May — two states for two peoples, with the 1967 lines as the starting point, and then whatever land swaps Israelis and Palestinians mutually agree to beyond that...How about a different approach?

...why don’t we just update Resolution 181 and take it through the more prestigious Security Council? It could be a simple new U.N. resolution: “This body reaffirms that the area of historic Palestine should be divided into two homes for two peoples — a Palestinian Arab state and a Jewish state. The dividing line should be based on the 1967 borders — with mutually agreed border adjustments and security arrangements for both sides. This body recognizes the Palestinian state as a member of the General Assembly and urges both sides to enter into negotiations to resolve all the other outstanding issues.” Very simple.

Well, yes, in a way.  But very unjust.  For example, Friedman notes:

...the Palestinians would get negotiations based on the 1967 borders

That is quite not fair.


They had those borders for 19 years but terrorized Israel, killed over 1000 Jewish civilians and triggered the Six Days War. Don't they have to compromise on territory? They were the aggressors. Why do they get the '67 lines a s a starting point? And yes, I know there are "land swaps" but still, the principle is that the cease-fire lines are sacrosanct a la Friedman and that won't do. The Arabs have actually to lose territory, not gain it all back.

All throughout the Mandate period they wanted us to get nothing - and in 1923, they got all of Transjordan removed from the Jewish national home which was some 75% of the total area. Israel with Judea, Samaria and Gaza is less than 25% of what the international law decision of the League of Nations decided would be the Jewish national home.

In 1967 they dreamed of another war of extinction. To hand them back the 1967 lines is immoral, not to mention inviting another war as the borders provide little security (and after all, those lines led the Arabs to believe it was possible to conquer Israel in the first place; with updated shoulder missiles, Tom won't be able to land at Ben-Gurion Airport to see how we are doing all squeezed out).

Friedman suggests Israel be squeezed as a lemon. Tom, that's no way to negotiate and that's not quite diplomatic language.


How would he liked it if his lemons were squeezed?

------------

P.S. My comments appear at the NYT:

here and also here.

P.P.S.    Barry Rubin squeezes Friedman.

^

Tricky Temple Mount Two-step

Pay attention:

The Moslem Conquest of Jerusalem - In 638, following a protracted siege, the residents of Jerusalem surrendered to the Caliph Omar ibn Khattib. Accounts of the actual surrender vary, but both Christian and Moslem sources describe Omar entering the city dressed in a simple camel hair cloak and presenting its residents with a letter of protection. In this letter they were guaranteed protection for person and property under the condition they pay a tax, (levied as form of humiliation on "protected" minorities), known as Jiziya. The early Arab historian Tabari claims that the original letter of protection included a prohibition on Jewish residence in Jerusalem, however this seems unlikely given that other sources mention Omar seeking Jewish advice on matters dealing with Jerusalem.

The Temple Mount Transformed - Omar recognized the sanctity of the Temple Mount, perhaps at the behest of his Jewish advisors. Shortly after his arrival in Jerusalem he cleared the site of refuse, apparently with the aid of Jewish workers, where they came from is uncertain, and planned to erect a large mosque at its southern end. Among Omar's close advisors was a converted Jew named Ka'ab El Akhbar. Ka'ab proposed that the mosque be erected on the northern side of the Temple Mount so that worshipers could face both the Foundation Stone and Mecca simultaneously. Omar rejected the proposal as an attempt at "Judaizing" Islam and the Mosque was subsequently built in the south, where the present-day El Aqsa stands, an effectively forcing worshipers to, literally, turn their backs to the Jewish holy place. From this it may be deduced that Moslems hadn't yet associated Jerusalem and the Foundation Stone with the "Night Journey of Mohammed".

Here, too:

Building of Al-Aqsa Mosque - Kaab accompanied Khalif Umar in his voyage to Jerusalem (Al-Quds) He helped locate the foundations of the ancient Jewish temple where Umar built the Aqsa Mosque. He also helped later find the place of the Rock while he was looking for the Holy of Holies. Umar cleaned it from rubble and fenced it and an Umayyad Khalif later built the Dome of the Rock over it as an integral part of the Aqsa Mosque.

Even at Fodor's they know this:

When the Arab caliph Omar Ibn-Khatib seized Jerusalem from the Byzantines in AD 638, he found the area covered with rubbish and had to clear the site to expose the rock. It is said that Omar asked his aide Ka'ab al'Akhbar, a Jewish convert to Islam, where he should build his mosque. Ka'ab recommended a spot north of the rock, hoping, the story goes, that the Muslims, praying south toward Mecca, would thus include the old temple site in their obeisance. "You dog, Ka'ab," bellowed the caliph. "In your heart you are still a Jew!" Omar's mosque, south of the rock, has not survived.

^

Aerial Photography of Eretz-Yisrael

The following clip (via Dick Hess) contains some magnificent and awesome aerial photography of the Land of Israel, including Jaffa, Kinneret, Jordan River, Masada, Jerusalem and more. Produced by Christian friends of Israel:

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.

Too bad we lose the 3D effect here.

^

Yisrael Rozen vs. Yoav Shurok

[All sources in Hebrew. Sorry.]

Yoav Shorek, editor of the Shabbat supplement of Makot Rishon, is under attack by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen:

He's accusing him of being a disguised Conservative undermining authentic Torah thought.

Shorek has removed his kippa, invited a Reform female Rabbi to comment without identifying her title and suggesting other ideas that are in opposition to mainstream Orthodoxy. He hinted that the owner of the paper should reconsider Shorek's authority:

ואגב, תמיהני האם 'בעל המאה ובעל הדעה', ובעל-הבית של העיתון, נוחה דעתו ושלמה השקפתו עם מהלך אנטי-הלכתי אקטיבי-מתמשך זה?

It's gone to the blogs.

Here.

And here's the reaction from the "Editorial Board" and another defense.

This is going to be a major flame war.


___________

And it continues.
^