Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News: Temple Mount

Showing posts with label Temple Mount. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Palestinian researcher reveals new fake information about "tunnels under Al Aqsa"

Today, Felesteen and other Palestinian sites reported:

Moaz Agbariya, a researcher specializing in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs, reported that there are 45 tunnels connected to each other that threaten the foundations of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the homes of Jerusalemites in the occupied city of Jerusalem .

Agbariya stated in a statement to the Felesteen newspaper that the majority of the tunnels are based on the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the western side, and there is a section of them on the southern side, and a tunnel on the northern side.

He pointed out that there is a tunnel that only Jews are allowed to enter, and it is located under Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to four tunnels that were established in the Roman era and restored during the era of the Ayyubid state, and they are designated for the exit of rainwater from the Blessed Mosque, and no one is allowed to enter them except cleaning workers after obtaining a permit from the occupation police.

Wow! A tunnel under the Temple Mount that only Jews re allowed to enter? And only one of 45? Sign me up!

Especially since no one has dug a tunnel under the Temple Mount (except the Waqf) for well over a hundred years!

He explained that the occupation's attempts to falsify the history of the city of Jerusalem and prove its alleged right to it do not stop, by digging tunnels, seizing and hiding everything that indicates authentic Islamic history.

In an earlier interview, he claimed that a new tunnel Israel was excavating had Islamic markings and phrases that the Israelis are destroying. That is of course absurd, since you can see lots of Muslim sites in the Old City that are preserved by Israel.

Palestinians have claimed for at least 12 years that Israel is building "Biblical gardens" on top of the Bab al-Rahma cemetery adjacent to the Temple Mount. Somehow, nothing has happened.

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Yom Kippur brings out the antisemitism in Arab media and officials

The Arabic language media has been obsessively reporting about Yom Kippur since before the holiday.

The most insane claim came from the Jerusalem Waqf. After claiming that Jews were dancing on the graves of Muslims at the ancient cemetery on the south side of the Temple Mount, it announced that there was no relationship between Yom Kippur and the Temple:

The Council stressed in its statement that it is not possible to accept such arbitrary measures under the pretext of Jewish holidays, which have no relation, even remotely, to the history, reality and message of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Merely linking these occasions to an authentic Islamic mosque represents for us in itself an assault and a blatant violation of its right as a mosque. Islamic, with all its squares, facilities, prayer halls, roads, entrances, and its entire area of 144 dunums.

The Yom Kippur ceremonies were the emotional and religious apex of the year at the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem on the very spot that the Dome of the rock was deliberately placed.

Of course, Jews visited the Temple Mount on Yom Kippur - as they do every weekday. But because it was Yom Kippur, Egypt's Foreign Ministry condemned them:

Egypt called on the Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations and stop such escalatory practices because they represent a clear violation of the existing legal and historical status of the city of Jerusalem and its honorable sanctities,

What did the storming look like? Here it is:

Al Jazeera decided to highlight that some of the visiting Jews on Yom Kippur eve were barefoot. The PA's Jerusalem Governorate said, "Some settlers deliberately storm Al-Aqsa Mosque barefoot, because they see it as the alleged temple - according to their laws - and therefore it is not permissible to enter it with leather shoes , so they enter it barefoot or with slippers of other materials....This is one of the most prominent manifestations of consecrating the moral foundation of the alleged Temple."

Again, that happens every day. Religious Jews who visit the Mount don't wear leather shoes, same as on Yom Kippur.

It is deeply ironic that Muslims are complaining about Jews going barefoot on their holy site when they remove their own shoes for prayer.

The Secretary-General of the Jordanian Royal Commission for Jerusalem Affairs, Abdullah Kanaan, complained that Israel's closure of Jerusalem on Yom Kippur was an example of an "apartheid policy," and "this holiday is accompanied by religious rituals and strict measures that include preventing the movement of transportation, closing roads, and comprehensive restrictions on the Palestinians. Mercy, tolerance, respect for beliefs, and freedom of worship are deliberately absent from Jewish holidays, including Yom Kippur, which is accompanied by the occupation authorities and settlers adopting all forms and methods of racism and the policy of killing, captivity, detention, and protection of Israeli incursions and attacks carried out by settlers."

Temple denial, and denial of Jewish history, is no less antisemitic than Holocaust denial, which is something else Palestinians and other antisemitic Arabs excel at. And it happens every day.

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Palestinians complain about "Talmudic rituals" even when they AREN'T on the Temple Mount

On Saturday, over a dozen Palestinian and Arab news sites reported a story about "Talmudic rituals in the vicinity of Al Aqsa Mosque."

Not "in Al Aqsa." Not "in the courtyards of Al Aqsa." No, their complaint is Jews singing somewhere in the Old City adjacent to one of the gates leading to the Temple Mount that Jews are not allowed to enter.

Jews don't visit the Temple Mount on Saturdays, but Palestinian and Arab media publishes stories about their "Talmudic rituals" and "provocative dances" every day even on days they do not ascend.

Which means that even if Jews were completely banned from their holiest spot, the Palestinians wouldn't be happy until the Jews are driven out of the wall of the Old City altogether.

Here's the video that is so upsetting to them. The Jews are singing "Shir Hamaalot" (Psalms 126) to the tune of "Hatikvah." Notice that the Arab shopkeeper right next to them nearby doesn't seem to be bothered at all.

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Abbas' annual UN speech filled with lies, incitement and antisemitism, as usual

We've come to expect Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to fill his UN speeches with lies and libels, and he did it again on Thursday.

He claimed that the Kotel (Western Wall) was exclusively Muslim:

The occupation government is also violating the city of Jerusalem and its people, assaulting our Islamic and Christian sanctities there, and violating the historical and legal status of the holy places, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which international legitimacy has recognized as an exclusive right for Muslims alone, including the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall and the Buraq [Western] Wall, according to the report. League of Nations in 1930.

While the travesty of the Wailing Wall Commission did indeed determine that the Waqf owned the entire Temple Mount, the Wall and Moroccan Quarter, the Muslims made quite clear that they did not accept anything the commission was going to say. So Abbas is trying to have it both ways.

Not only that, but the Muslims claimed ownership by conquest - meaning that according to their arguments then, Jews clearly have the ownership rights to all of Jerusalem today!

Also, before 1930, Muslims did not identify the Kotel with the Buraq Wall.

I hereby call on the international community to assume its responsibilities in preserving the historic and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, specifically the Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

Translated, this means he wants to revert to the situation before 1967 when Jews were banned by law from visiting their holiest places in Jerusalem and Hebron. He defends this antisemitic attitude as the "historic and legal status."

Abbas then demanded compensation from Great Britain and the US for their role in the Balfour Declaration.

He claimed:

Our people defend their homeland and their legitimate rights, through peaceful popular resistance as a strategic option for self-defense.

Tell that to Eli (48) and Natalie Mizrahi (45), Rafael Ben-Eliyahu (56), Asher Natan (14), Shaul Chai (68), Irina Korolova (59), Ilya Sosonsky (26), Shlomo Liderman (20), Yaakov Yisrael Paley (6), Asher Menahem Paley (8), Hallel Yaniv (21) Yagel Yaniv (19), Elan Ganeles (27), Or Eshkar (32), Lucy Dee (48), Maia Dee (20), Rina Dee (15), Alessandro Parini, (35), Inga Avramyan (80), Meir Tamari (32), Ofer Fayerman (64), Harel Masood (21), Elisha Anteman (17), and Shmuel Mordoff (17), Chen Amir (42), Aviad Nir (28), Silas (Shai) Nigreker (60) and Batsheva Nagari (40). They were all murdered this year by Abbas' "peaceful popular resistance."

Absurdly, Abbas blamed Israel for the Palestinians not having an election in 19 years. In fact he celled off the last election when it was clear that his Fatah party would lose badly.

What this supposed champion of democracy pointedly doesn't mention is that he is a dictator in every sense. He controls the executive, legislative and judicial branches of his government. He writes and passes all laws. Plus he controls the PLO which overarches it all. If he cared about democracy, he would have stepped down after his four year term was up.

Abbas again falsely claimed that Israel's recognition by the UN was conditional on accepting resolutions 181 and 194. That is a lie, as anyone can see by reading the text of the resolution accepting Israel. There is no conditional language.

However, the Arab world and Palestinian Arab leaders thoroughly rejected both resolutions and Arab states voted against them.

Abbas is a liar.

Abbas also showed appreciation for the successful Palestinian brainwashing campaign denying any Jewish rights or history in the land. He said:

For several years, we have presented our Palestinian narrative, and the story of our people, which has been deliberately distorted by the Zionist and Israeli propaganda. We are relieved that the peoples of the world and many of its countries have begun to believe our narrative and sympathize with it, after having been misled for decades.

Notice he doesn't say "facts" or "history." Only "narrative" and "story." Palestinians want to erase the Jewish ties to the land, discard facts and rewrite history.

And Abbas drinks his own Kool-Aid. The Palestinian Arab "narrative" has stated for a century that Jews are endangering Al Aqsa, and he channeled the infamous Mufti of 100 years ago saying, "The occupying Power is also feverishly digging tunnels under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque, threatening its collapse, or the collapse of parts of it, which will lead to an explosion with untold consequences. "

The Holocaust denier went further than just pushing a false version of history. He wants to make sure the rest of the world is forced to accept those lies.

I call upon you today to criminalize the denial of the Nakba and designate the 15th of May of each year an international day to commemorate the anniversary of the Nakba, to commemorate the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were killed in massacres committed by Zionist gangs. Palestinians whose villages were demolished and who were forcibly displaced from their homes. The number of these refugees reached 950,000 in 1948,

"Hundreds of thousands" is a gross lie. "950,000 refugees" is a lie. Most of them were not "forcibly displaced from their homes." Abbas wants me to go to prison for pointing out his lies.

The Palestinian dictator wants the entire world to submit to his rules of newspeak. I bet not one mainstream media outlet will condemn him for his opposition to freedom of thought and speech.

There are only some of his most outrageous lies and statements.

He might not have the charisma of Yasir Arafat, but he sure can lie as well as his predecessor did.

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Egyptian, Jordanian, Moroccan and Saudi government ministries condemn Jews visiting their holiest site on Rosh Hashana

On Sunday, about 250 Jews visited the Temple Mount for Rosh Hashanah. There were no major incidents: one Jew blew a shofar and was quickly removed by police.

But since so much ink had been spilled in the Arab world about how "Al Aqsa is in danger" the Arabic media had to create the impression that the Jews who calmly and quietly visited - as they do every Sunday through Thursday - were disruptive and insulting.

Even Arab video shows they weren't:

Yet the lies spread throughout the Arab world. Countless articles claim that the shofar blower was supported by Israeli police, not detained. Al Jazeera has an entire article on the dangers of blowing a shofar there - a place where there are huge loudspeakers blaring much louder than any shofar five times a day, every day.

The Jordanian Council of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites in Jerusalem issued a statement condemning the Israeli police for allowing a Jew to enter with his shofar.

But these condemnations of Jews visiting their holiest site are not relegated to op-eds and fringe groups. They come from the governments of nations at peace with Israel, or seeking peace with Israel.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry "condemned the extremists’ storming of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/the Holy Mosque of Jerusalem and their provocative practice under the protection of the Israeli police." They said that the Jews touring the area "represents a violation of the historical and legal status quo in the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/the Holy Mosque and a violation of the sanctity of the holy places." It also emphasized that the entire area of the Temple Mount is purely for Muslims, not only insulting Jews but also the thousands of Christians who visit every year.

Morocco's Foreign Ministry was reported also to have condemned Jews visiting the site, saying, "These escalatory actions inflame feelings and undermine efforts to calm the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories."

Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Gomaa, the Egyptian Minister of Endowments, said that "the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa are a sinful assault on one of the holiest sanctities of all Muslims, a blatant provocation to the feelings of Muslims from all over the world, and a blatant violation of all international laws, and the rational people of the international community must work to curb this extremism."

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, in English:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation and denunciation of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by a group of extremists under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces. The Ministry affirms that these practices are considered a blatant violation of all international norms and conventions, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.

In reality, international law would prohibit the banning of Jews from the Temple Mount that these members of the United Nations are explicitly demanding.

In the history of Jerusalem, only Jewish rulers have allowed all people to visit their holy places. Gentiles were allowed to offer sacrifices in the Temples. There is a huge irony that the people who have been the most liberal and accepting of all have been the ones accused of intolerance - by people who proudly say that no one has any rights on the Temple Mount besides Muslims.

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Palestinian media warn about dangers of upcoming Jewish holidays - including some you've never heard of

Palestine Today published this poster warning about all the upcoming Jewish holidays and how Jews use them as excuses to defile Al Aqsa Mosque.

And when they say "Al Aqsa Mosque," it is obvious that they are referring to the Kotel (Western Wall) as part of it.

The photo is a Photoshop, showing the twin threats that Palestinians see: Zionists and religious Jews.

The poster gives a description of how Jews supposedly celebrate their holidays, some of which are mysteries to me. They know some amazing things about Judaism.

Jewish holidays
An imminent danger that violates the sanctity of Al-Aqsa

Hebrew New Year's Day
From September 15-17, includes major raids with the participation of occupation leaders, during which the trumpet is blown.

Yom Kippur
From September 24 - 25, it includes massive raids into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, during which bird sacrifices are offered.

Throne Festival
From September 30 to October 5, massive raids take place, plant sacrifices are made, and a canopy of palm trees is set up.

Eid Simchat Torah
On October 7, the Torah scrolls are brought into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and circulated around them

Feast of Isru Hag
On October 8, its most prominent pillar was the dining table, which is a Talmudic ritual performed by settlers in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa.

The feast of Hosea, our Lord
On October 10, the settlers hold a Talmudic ritual in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa

The Feast of Prostration
is on November 13, during which Al-Aqsa is stormed and Talmudic prayers are performed

Hanukkah
From 8 to 12 December, Al-Aqsa is stormed in large numbers, and lit by candles with huge candlesticks

Interestingly, they do not mention the tens of thousands of Jews who have gone to the Kotel every day this Hebrew month to say Selichot prayers.

It is clear that to Palestinian Muslims, a Jew worshiping at the Kotel is just as offensive as one worshiping on the Temple Mount.

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A 10th century Muslim historian refutes today's Palestinian "Temple denial"

It really is quite absurd to see today's Muslims insist that there was no Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and that somehow Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock were always there. Especially when one of the Arabic names of Jerusalem is "Bayt al-Muqqadas" - which comes straight from "Beit HaMikdash," the Hebrew name for the Holy Temple.

I've previously mentioned a 15th century work by Jalal-addín that goes into detail about Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

But if you want an earlier Muslim historian, we have al-Masudi - a 10th century Arab historian and geographer who has been called "Herodotus of the Arabs."

Al-Masudi's works are quoted in the 1890 work by Guy Le Strange, who translated a number of medieval Arab historians and geographers in "Palestine Under the Moslems."

Al Masudi clearly admits that Al Aqsa is on the site of Solomon's Temple:

Every literate Muslim knew this quite well - until the 20th century, when hate of Jews reached a level high enough to see Muslims and Arabs deny their own most famous and best historians.

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What is the Waqf doing on the Temple Mount? The Israel Antiquities Authority says it is "classified."

From The Judean:

A recent report detailing the "supervision of the preservation of antiquities and heritage values on the Temple Mount" has revealed disheartening findings. Published this month by the Knesset's Research and Information Center, the report asserts that the Waqf, supported by the King of Jordan, exercises unilateral authority on the Mount, while the Israeli government seemingly abets it by concealing the realities from its citizens.

In recent times, there had been an impression that matters regarding the Mount were progressing positively, particularly concerning the preservation of antiquities. The antiquities law, enacted by the Knesset in 1978, mandates the approval of a special committee of ministers before any renovation or construction on an antiquities site designated for religious purposes can take place. This rule predominantly refers to the Temple Mount, where the religious authority – an entity deeply entrenched in political maneuvering – recurrently conflicts with Israel's archaeological interests.

The intended structure for this committee is to be chaired by the Minister of Culture, accompanied by the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Justice. However, in practice, the committee remained un-convened until 2009. In the thirty years that elapsed between the law's enactment and its implementation, the Mount witnessed immense destruction. Islamic authorities clandestinely removed 400 truckloads of dirt from a pit in 1999, ostensibly to create an emergency opening for an underground mosque. Archaeologists continue to sift through the excavated dirt even now. Many other damages, such as the digging of a deep electrical trench at the temple site in 2007, have occurred without prompting any ministerial committee meeting.

According to the newly released report, the committee convened nine times between 2009 and 2015 to approve 19 works demanded by the Waqf on the Mount. These works included the renovation of the marble in the walls of the Dome of the Rock, conservation work, engineering operations in the entrance vault to “Solomon’s stables,” and the replacement of the Al-Aqsa Mosque doors. After 2015, the committee met only once, in January 2019, in a session defined as classified.

The report painfully concludes that "information regarding the state of supervision of the preservation of the antiquities of the Temple Mount in recent years is extremely scarce." In response to a request by “Makor Rishon” to acquire details about damages to antiquities from 2011 onwards, the Antiquities Authority disconcertingly responded, “The Antiquities Authority has information regarding the aforementioned. We can provide details in a classified discussion only."

The report, in Hebrew, is here.

We already know how the Waqf likes to deny and destroy any hint of Jewish history on Judaism's holiest site. And there is been scant evidence that the Israel Antiquities Authority is doing anything to stop it (occasionally I see a complaint in Arabic media that some restoration work is being delayed.)

This is not something that should be "classified" or secret. This is extraordinarily important and must be made public.

There are no doubt legitimate repairs and improvements that the Waqf can legitimately do to Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, but everything that happens there must be scrutinized and publicly known.

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Jordan's "Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs" issues another antisemitic statement: "Zionists created the Temple myth"

The Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs is a quasi-governmental Jordanian organization, with many members who are also ministers of the Jordanian government, whose purpose is "working to raise awareness of the importance of the issue of Jerusalem and not to separate it from its Arab and Islamic dimension, expose the Judaization and daily Israeli violations it is subjected to, and increase efforts working to stabilize Jerusalemites, support their steadfastness and publicize their suffering."

It issues a multi-page daily bulletin on supposed Israeli "violations" of the city - like Jews strolling on the Temple Mount.

Its latest accusations are particularly ludicrous - and antisemitic.

As reported in the official Jordanian news agency Petra:

The Israeli occupation exploits many occasions and events as a climate to conduct Talmudic rituals, incursions and attacks against Islamic and Christian sanctities in Palestine, and Jerusalem in particular.

Abdullah Kanaan, Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, says that the Israeli occupation is trying to take advantage of the month of August (Av) in a systematic and deliberate process, which includes Israeli measures to create an alleged history and culture through a dramatic industry that shows the Jews as victims to win the positions of the superpowers and sympathize with public opinion towards them.

He said to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) "The Jews claim that on Av 9, 586 BC, the alleged temple was destroyed, and the Jews were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and that on Av 9, 70 AD, the alleged temple was destroyed again by Titus the Roman, and on August 8 1877 AD, the Jews established the first settlement north of Jaffa, and it was called Petah Tikva, and in August 1897 AD, the First Zionist Congress was held, which transformed Zionist thought into a political movement seeking to establish a national home for the Jews in historical Palestine."

He continues, “On August 21, 1969 AD, the Zionist Dennis Rohan burned parts of the Al-Qibli Mosque, and in August 1979 AD, an extremist group (Gush Emunim) planned to destroy the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, but it failed. On August 3, 2011 AD, the Knesset discussed the project to build a cable car to link the western and eastern parts of Jerusalem with the aim of changing the historical identity of the city and facilitating the transportation of settlers. to occupied cities."

And he goes on to say: "These are maliciously invented occasions to consolidate the legend of the Temple and the Promised Land."

He called for educating the world public opinion through all the media about the seriousness of the so-called sad month of Av for the Jews, and stressing that it is a Talmudic, political, settlement month that has nothing to do with historical facts that confirm the absence of the alleged temple or any archaeological evidence that supports Zionist myths in historical Palestine.

This committee, whose entire purpose is to deny any Jewish ties to Jerusalem, is respected and has been quoted by the UN.

Temple denial and the claim that there is no proof of the Temples is ludicrous and antisemitic. As I've mentioned before, the entire Temple Mount was built by Jews, in sections, from the time of the Biblical kings to the Hasmonean extensions to the Herodian extensions. These extensions with their differing characteristics can be seen from the Eastern Wall of the Mount.

The entire Temple Mount is proof of the Jewish Temples and Biblical history!

It is bad enough that Jordanian media spouts pure antisemitism every day. Just this past weekend one writer quoted 18th century antisemitic philosophers to "prove" that Jews are selfish, greedy, ugly, and their consciousness is that of animals.

But this is an official Jordanian organization, whose members are in the government, and which was established by the Jordanian royal family. They deny even Islamic sources that prove the deep connection of Jews to Jerusalem and the existence of the Temples, and Islamic tradition admits that the Dome of the Rock was purposely built on the site of the Temples in order replace them.

Their Jew-hatred runs so deep that they are willing to discard even their own historians.

Accusing Jews of inventing a new history for Jerusalem is a perfect example of Arab psychological projection.

Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

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Palestinians really spooked by the Red Cow

The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported last month:

Byron Stinson has always been a man of strong faith.
And recently that faith came into play for a mission. Jewish faith leaders he knew needed a red heifer to replicate a ceremony depicted in the Bible.
“I felt like it was my duty as a Texan to go out and look around Texas and see if I could find some completely red, pure red cows that fulfill the requirements of the red heifer and, if I could, then try to ship them here to Israel,” Stinson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Stinson, of Glen Rose, didn’t just find one heifer. He found five.
Those five, perfectly unblemished red heifers landed in Israel in September 2022, a feat that cost around $500,000 when you factor in the first-class plane tickets for rabbis to come examine the heifers and the American Airlines trip to Israel.
They’re now being taken care of at a secure location, and Stinson and others hope to hold the ceremony they’ll be used for during Passover in 2024. Stinson runs a nonprofit called Boneh Israel that helps build up and revive Biblical sites.

This story has been all over Arab media for the past week as the Muslims are concerned that the Jews will use the ashes of the red heifer to start the purification process that will result in the building of the Third Temple. Al Jazeera notes that while the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and other prominent rabbi s are against Jews ascending to the Temple Mount, if they are purified with the ashes of the Red Cow they could visit even according to them.

The latest story comes from the preacher of the Al Aqsa Mosque:

The preacher of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri , confirmed that the occupation had failed to find any stone indicating ancient Hebrew history through excavations under Al-Aqsa, so today it seeks to promote the imaginary slaughter of cows to obtain international legitimacy and cover up its failure.
Sabri said, in a dialogue session, "He will not allow the Zionists to harm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."
He pointed out that the occupation seeks to impose its hegemony over Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that all the measures it takes are conducive to this goal, including converting Al-Aqsa Mosque into a military barracks to allow non-Muslims to enter it during the morning period, as part of its endeavor to impose the so-called "time division" on it. The imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque stressed that the occupation will not succeed in implementing its goals, and will not obtain any right for it in Al-Aqsa, and that Muslims will remain present in the blessed mosque to thwart these ongoing plans.
Sabri stressed that Al-Aqsa is for Muslims by a decision from the Lord of the Worlds from above the seven heavens, and not by a decision of the United Nations, indicating that all Muslims are obligated to protect, rebuild and defend the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that non-Muslims will not be allowed to pray in it or commit any attack on it.

I'd love to know the Quranic source that the Temple Mount belongs to Muslims, especially since Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran once.

Palestinians are far more afraid of religious Jews linking Jerusalem to Hebrew Scripture than they are of Israel's military. Because they know that Jews were there first, and that religious Jews have an even longer institutional memory than Muslims do.

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So is it US policy that some Jews must be banned from the Temple Mount?

From the Jerusalem Post:

The United States slammed as “unacceptable” National Security Minister Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount on Thursday, to mark the annual Tisha Be’av fast.

“We reaffirm our long-standing US position in support of the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington.

“Any unilateral action or rhetoric that deviates or jeopardizes the status quo is completely unacceptable,” Patel emphasized.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a similar statement and US Ambassador Robert Wood echoed his country’s displeasure in a speech he delivered to the United Nations Security Council.

“This holy place should not be used for political purposes. We call on all parties to respect its sanctity,” he said.

No matter what one thinks of Ben Gvir, what is unacceptable is for the US to say that some Jews have a very limited right to visit their holiest spot, which is bad enough, and then to make it worse by saying that some Jews should have no rights to visit it at all.

From a Jewish perspective, it is the Muslims who visit the Dome of the Rock and the areas around it who are desecrating the holy spot. Every single day.

Jewish sensitivities towards the most sacred spot in Judaism are meaningless to the State Department.

But for some reason, Muslim sensitivities to make the entire area Judenrein is not something to be condemned by the US government..

Even when they give antisemitic speeches there.

Even when they wave Hamas flags.

Even when they stockpile projectiles and fireworks.

When those things happen, the State Department never issues sanctimonious statements urging Muslims to "respect its sanctity."

Anything and everything that Muslims do on the Temple Mount is somehow part of the mythical "status quo" while anything Jews do is a threat and a potential powder keg.

There is something very wrong here.

Ben Gvir did nothing provocative and said nothing that is offensive, certainly when compared to the Jew-hatred being spouted regularly on Al Aqsa. But the State Department feels that they can attack him without repercussions from the Jewish community, because he is so reviled by so many.

What Jews need to realize is that this attack on him was couched in terms of an attack on all Jews who want to assert historic rights to our most sacred place, and that is what is "completely unacceptable."

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Jordan quietly admits the existence of the Temples on the Temple Mount

We've noted previously that the Waqf tourist guides to the Temple Mount from the 1920s through 1950 freely admitted that the Dome of the Rock was built on the spot of the two Jewish Temples. Now the updated editions of the Waqf guide explicitly denies any Jewish connection to the Mount.

But a new photo book of the Temple Mount, "The Noble Sanctuary Book," has just been released and it was clearly made with the blessings of the Jordanian government and the Waqf, which granted the photographer Bashar Tabbah access to places not open to the public. The introduction was written by a member of Jordan's royal family.

The historical section of the book was written by an American archaeologist, Dr. Robert Schick. And his description indicates that the Temples were indeed on that site - and he brings proof from the Quran:

There is a little wiggle room there to say that it is possible that the Temples were elsewhere in Jerusalem, and it looks like Schick tried to thread the needle between honesty and the desires of the Jordanians. But his wording "Other verses associated with the Masjid al-Aqsa compound" immediately after the Quranic reference to the Temples makes it clear that the book says that the Quran is referring to the Temples on the Temple Mount.

Before anyone heard of Palestinians, this was not a controversial position. Many Muslim scholars over the centuries knew that the entire reason the Dome of the Rock was built where it was is because it was the site of the Temples and they wanted to build something that would approach the majesty of the originals. However, the official position changed in the 1950s and 60s, culminating in explicit Temple denial by Yasir Arafat at Camp David.

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Palestinians keep freaking over possibility of Israel dividing up the Temple Mount

For decades, every since Israel divided up the Tomb of the Patriarchs into Muslim and Jewish sections to avoid bloodshed, Palestinians have been warning that Israel plans to do the same with the Temple Mount, dividing it up "temporally and spatially."

Last week, an obscure Likud MP named Amit Halevi gave them lots of ammunition.

A Likud lawmaker is proposing a plan to divide Jerusalem’s Temple Mount between Muslims and Jews and to remove Jordan’s custodial status over the holy site.

Speaking to the Zman Yisrael Hebrew news site, Knesset member Amit Halevi outlined a plan whereby Muslims would control the southern end of the 37-acre complex which contains the Al-Aqsa mosque, while Jews would receive the central and northern area, where the Dome of the Rock sits.

It would also allow Jews to enter from any gate, and it would get rid of the Waqf as custodian of the site.

Palestinian sites are reporting this as a "draft law" (it isn't) and they are certain that the current Israeli government is planning to do this.

In his weekly cabinet meeting, Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said "taking this step would cause overwhelming anger whose results cannot be controlled, because of the sanctity and religious value that Al-Aqsa Mosque constitutes for the Palestinian people and for Arabs and Muslims."

President of the Palestinian National Council, Ruhi Fattouh, called it "a fascist step by the racist settlement government to impose its control over the city of Jerusalem and its religious and historical places, especially the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque." He also called this a prelude to a religious war that will ignite the region.

Hamas media today quotes an analyst who says that this plan proves that they were right all along about Israel planning to divide up the area. And there have been daily articles across all Palestinian media railing against this idea.

The chances of such a plan becoming law is just about zero. It probably won't even be drafted.

Not that it is a bad idea. It would be more fair than the absurd situation now. But there is no way it would ever happen. Halevi is a marginal figure in Likud, and I haven't seen any grassroots support for the plan by anyone.

It is to Palestinians what the "Palestine is Jordan" plan is to Jordan - something they are intensely worried about but for which there is no realistic path. But it gives them endless nourishment for outlandish conspiracy theories.

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I'm in the middle of reading "Betrayal: The Failure of American Jewish Leadership," collection of essays edited by Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser:

This book—perhaps the first devoted to this topic—documents the devastating failure of the Jewish establishment, including its leaders and major donors, to defend and protect American Jews as anti-Semitism surges across the country....Betrayed by their leaders, the essayists argue, American Jews require new, strong leadership.

While it is not an American Jewish organization, the World Jewish Congress - led by Ronald Lauder - may be a perfect example of this problem.

The World Jewish Congress issued this statement this morning:

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder issued the following statement praising the return of the United States to UNESCO:

“The World Jewish Congress welcomes the decision by the United States to rejoin UNESCO after a five-year absence.

“Under the leadership of Director-General Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO has made an immeasurable impact on the world stage by safeguarding history amid tumultuous and complex global events, so that current and future generations can be exposed to and better understand the lessons of the past.

“WJC, a longtime UNESCO partner on Holocaust remembrance and interfaith initiatives, is hopeful that the agency will now be able to share its critical work with even broader audiences.”

One of the themes of this site is Jewish unity, and infighting among Jews is one of the organized Jewish community's worst problems. I do not like to attack Jewish organizations. But this statement is outrageous.

The entire reason the US left UNESCO in 2017 was because if its anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias. That bias was consistent for years, with UNESCO regularly issuing biased reports and statements:

Denying any Jewish connection to the Temple Mount and even the Western Wall

Deploring Jews visiting the Temple Mount

Ignored Israeli casualties in the May 2019 Gaza war

Complimenting Jordan's plan for rebuilding the public ramp to the Temple Mount while condemning Israel's

Calling Maimonides a Muslim named Moussa ibn Maïmoun and refusing to apologize

I'm not saying that there might not be good reasons for the US to rejoin UNESCO. After months of lobbying by current UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay where she tried to reassure Israel she won’t allow anti-Israeli bias in the organization, Israel told the Biden administration last year that it wouldn't oppose the US re-joining. The US is concerned that China is now leading UNESCO in ways against US interests.

All this may be true, but:

The WJC claims that it "protects Jews everywhere and constantly defends the State of Israel against these threats." But Jews and Israel are missing in this press release. Instead, it is cheerleading an organization with a history of horrifying antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

How could it welcome the US decision, and praise UNESCO, without saying a word about UNESCO's antisemitic history? This is not the time for celebratory press release, but for a warning that UNESCO will be watched closely to see if there has been any significant change in its anti-Israel, antisemitic bias.

But the WJC is not saying that UNESCO is on its radar. On the contrary, WJC is giving UNESCO a kosher certification.

It is true that UNESCO has become less noxious under the leadership of Azoulay, but it has hardly ended its bias. Every year UNESCO reaffirms all previous resolutions minimizing the Jewish connection to Jewish holy sites (although it has returned to including the non-Muslim names of the Temple Mount, Tomb of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb) as it condemns every Israeli move at all those sites. All the bias and hate are still there, but "softer."

This is hardly reason for celebration.

This is not Jewish leadership. This is capitulation. This is giving the message to world Jewry that their self-appointed leaders care more about access to powerful people than actually fighting for Jewish interests.

Real leaders tell the truth even if that will upset the powers that be. Ronald Lauder is a billionaire - he can say what he wants without any fear of personal consequences. This episode shows that he is no Jewish leader.

(Graphic courtesy of @iTil972)

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How the English-Language, Left-Leaning Media is Turning the World Against Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israel (Judean Rose)

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister is variously embraced and reviled for his views, depending on one’s political views. He is embraced by the right for—among other things—his support for settlements; access to Jewish holy sites; and the deportation of terrorists. The left, meanwhile reviles Ben-Gvir for his supposed extremism and racism, though the MK has openly stated that he does not support the deportation of Arabs, only terrorists. The stark difference in perspective is best illustrated through news reports on Ben-Gvir’s recent visit to the Temple Mount. It all boils down to how the different outlets translated the Hebrew “Ba’al HaBayit.”

מתפלל. pic.twitter.com/Ms4zX2nag2
— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) May 21, 2023

According to the Hebrew Ynet report, what Ben-Gvir actually said in his statement during his visit to the Temple Mount, was “We are the ‘ba’alei habayit of the house, here. All of the threats of Hamas will not help; we are the ba’alei habayit of Jerusalem and of the whole of the Land of Israel,” “ba’alei” being the plural form of “ba’al.”

The literal translation of “ba’al habayit” is “Master of the House.” But that is not the sense of this title. A host is referred to as a “ba’al habayit,” or head of household; the one who sets the tone for his family and guests. A landlord is also called a “ba’al habayit,” the owner, as distinct from his tenants. A ba’al habayit can also be someone who concerns himself with the mundane and earning a living, as opposed to someone who engages in the full time study of Torah.

The auto-Google translate interprets Ynet’s Hebrew “ba’alei” as “owners.”

The Jewish Press, a right-wing publication that supports Ben-Gvir, similarly likes the word “owners” for the translation of “ba’alei habayit.” They have Ben-Gvir’s quote as follows: “We are the owners of Jerusalem and the entire Land of Israel.”

The right-wing Israel National News (Arutz 7), prefers to translate “ba’alei” as those in charge: “We are in charge of Jerusalem and of all of the land of Israel." In agreement are Reuters and the Times of Israel—though they probably see “in charge” as exclusionary and maybe even racist.

The Jpost translates “ba’alei habayit” in its most literal sense. “We are the masters of Jerusalem,” blares the headline, betraying the news outlet’s left-of-center bias. They want Ben-Gvir to sound imperious and extreme.

Which version of Ben-Gvir’s quote are English-speaking news consumers most likely to see? How might these different translations color the way western readers are likely to view this controversial Israeli politician? The substitution of “owner” and “in charge” for “ba’al habayit” seem to this writer at least, to be factual; Ben-Gvir is making a statement of fact: Israel owns and is in charge of Israeli territory, not Hamas, no matter what the terrorists say or do.

The JPost’s translation of “ba’al” as “master” on the other hand, while accurate, has the effect of making Itamar Ben-Gvir seem like a braggart; someone who is incendiary and in-your-face; someone who is lording Israel’s ownership of the land over the Arabs in order to provoke them. If so, this is blatant anti-Ben-Gvir propaganda that is being fed to a western audience from a biased, left-leaning publication. It has the effect of demonizing the current Israeli government to the entire English-speaking world, and makes Israel in general, look bad.

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