Read my lips

A number of JBloggers have already talked about the outrageous ruling by public security minister Avi Dichter that Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, or at least move their lips in prayer:

Dichter wrote his interpretation of Israeli law "is in line with the rationale that bans Jews from praying at the site, in light of serious concerns that this will serve as a provocation, resulting in disorder, with a near certain likelihood of subsequent bloodshed."

This is eerily reminiscent of the British rulings in wake of the 1929 Arab riots that Jews blowing a shofar at the Western Wall after Yom Kippur was also a "provocation" and cannot be allowed (my images of newspaper clippings are missing but the posting is still there.) Not to mention the more recent arrest a year ago of Jews blowing a shofar at the Kotel haKatan on Rosh HaShanah.

What Dichter doesn't understand is that by stopping these "provocations" he is not appeasing anybody, so not only does he hurt Jews who want to worship - an egregious human rights violation - he is not even accomplishing what he intends to.

The Arabic press is not reporting this as a victory - they are upset that Jews are allowed to go to the Temple Mount altogether. From Ma'an Arabic:

warned Sheikh Mohammed Hussein General Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian - Preacher of the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque - from the occupation authorities to allow any of the extremist Jewish settlers and prayer in the Al-Aqsa mosque yards.

This came in response to a request by two members of the Knesset, the Israeli occupation authorities to allow them to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and demonstrate linkages.

The Mufti told a press received "Together," a copy of which, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in all precincts and accompany the mosque to worship Muslims alone may not be the object of this was to change the situation or interfere in the affairs of the mosque to impose a new reality, the occupation authorities blaming the serious consequences of such These prayers, which comes in the context of repeated incursions to the mosque.

He called on citizens and Mufti Ebrahim Al-Aqsa mosque to take more caution and prudence of heroes and the failure of such schemes.

The Mufti rejection of this aggressive designs against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, reminding Balaguetham done by Sharon before eight years of Al-Aqsa Mosque and led to the occurrence of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, stressing that the Palestinians and Muslims will keep a firm barrier against any attempts to interfere with or harm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its facilities.

Mufti also called the Arab and Islamic leaders and peoples, governments need to move to shoulder their responsibilities religious and historical preservation of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and with the increasing Israeli attempts to attack by all ways and means of the occupation authorities against the Palestinians and sanctities.

And from Palestine Today (Arabic):

For his part, Sheikh Ekrema Sabri warned President of the Supreme Islamic in the occupied Jerusalem in the press statement following the meeting the immediate urgency of the body yesterday of the imminent danger posed to the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Sheikh Sabri described this statement as a serious development betrays a right-wing Israeli government's intentions that are subject to the wishes of pressure groups and Jewish religious extremist, calling on the Palestinians to overcome their internal differences and pay heed to these threats to the Al Aqsa Mosque.

By acceding to absurd Muslim demands in the name of religion, Dichter is giving Arabs veto power over anything that happens anywhere, as they use the fig leaf of "religion" to accomplish political goals. This is another way that terrorism has won - the supposed "Al Aqsa Intifada" has pushed Israeli leaders who don't care about their own religion to violate the human rights of Jews who do care to toe the line, accept second class status and keep the shtetl mentality of not upsetting the gentiles - all in the name of an illusory "peace" that will never, ever come.