|
... more
Israel's Sacred Places
Summary ... One thing is clear to me: the Lord has blessed Israel by re-uniting Jerusalem and bringing Judea, Samaria and Gaza back under its control. Israel holds these lands as a sacred trust for the Jewish people in perpetuity.
When the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn (September 1993), they initiated a process whereby Israel would lose control of its Sacred Places and its Holy Land. Even before Oslo, Moshe Dayan had surrendered the most sacred of Jewish Holy Places, the Temple Mount, to the Arabs. There is much more involved here than politics as ususal. I believe that there is something terribly dangerous about the removal of the Jews from their Sacred Places.
All over the world, from Stonehenge in England to the great temples of India, one finds Holy Places with great mystical power for the people who inhabit those lands. Some shrines of the East draw believers from across the globe. The power of these places can not be explained scientifically. One only needs to step onto Mount Abu in India to feel the presence of great mystical forces. And then there is Banares, the Hindu's Holy City of Light casting a warm glow over the sacred Ganges river.
Islam arose in the 7th century on the foundation of a pagan (Meccan) religion that worshiped a large black stone, known as the Kaaba. Muhammad learned the rudiments of Judaism from the many Jews living in Arabia. He created the Islamic religion by re-writing the Jewish Holy Scriptures (calling it the Koran) and fusing it with the local pagan customs. One pagan concept became horribly significant as Islam spread both east and west across the world. The reverence for the Kaaba and the belief that Arab power derived from it became a brutal principle in the conquest of other peoples. As Islam was spread by the sword, the Sacred Places of conquered peoples were destroyed and occupied.
It became a standard practice to destroy an Indian, Persian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Jewish or Christian temple and build a mosque on its ruins. This was always interpreted by historians as a kind of one-upmanship; a way to demonstrate the superiority of Islam and humiliate the defeated. Koenraad Elst in his recent book, Negationism in India, writes: "In all the lands it conquered, Islam has replaced indigenous places of worship with mosques. In Iran, there are no ancient Zoroastrians or Manichean shrines left. In Central Asia, there are no Buddhist temples left. Similarly, in India (except the far South where Islam penetrated rather late) there are practically no Hindu temples that have survived the Muslim period (over 10,000 destroyed). But there are thousands of mosques built on the foundations of Hindu temples (for example, the Ayodhya temple)." In my opinion, this Islamic behavior was more than an exhibition of cruel superiority. It was based on the pagan belief that they would acquire the power of the defeated peoples by absorbing their Holy Places and making them theirs.
Let's see how these forces play out in the Arab war of extermination against the Jewish people (incorrectly called the Arab-Israeli Conflict). After Israel was conquered by the Arabs armies, the Temple Mount was used to build the Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock) and the al-Aska Mosque. While Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran, modern Arabs make great pretense by claiming it as one of their holy sites. This, of course, is nonsense.
The Arab claim that each and every Jewish Holy Place is rightfully theirs has become quite common and accepted by the Western media. First Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, then Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs, and on to the Tomb of Joseph (Nablus), the Tomb of Rachel (Bethlehem) and more.
The Western Wall, the last remaining remnant of Solomon's Temple and sacred to Jews for over 2,000 years, had been in Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem since 1949. The Jordanians, acting with malice aforethought, had denied Jews access to their sacred Holy Place. I visited the Wall for the first time in 1967. When I placed my hands on this magnificent relic of our forefathers, I felt a surge of light and energy the likes of which I had never known. In what had to have been but the flash of a second, I felt at one with Jews from all periods of history. At the Passover Seder, we are told to thank G-d for delivering us from Egypt as though we ourselves had been brought out of bondage. At that moment in Jerusalem, this Seder message was very real for me.
In an instant, I saw the continuity of Jewish history and its unbreakable connection with Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). I understood how modern Israel is the beginning of the Third Temple Period and the spiritual heir to Joshua, Saul, David, Solomon, the Maccabees and Bar Kokhba. I frequently write about the security reasons for incorporating Judea, Samaria and Gaza into the body of Israel. There is another side to this issue and that is the spiritual-religious side.
The truth, which many find inconvenient, is that the Land of Israel was promised by G-d to Abraham and his seed in perpetuity. The Land of Israel is not speculative real estate to be bartered away for some high-sounding (false) promises of peace. The hills and valleys of Judea and Samaria contain the collective memory of the Jewish people. It was here that the Israelites first entered the Holy Land. And it was here they fought the battles, built the towns, elected their kings and were preached to by their prophets and judges. And it was on this soil that they wrote the Holy Scriptures we call our Bible.
In my blinding flash of insight at the Wall, I also understood that Israel on its own soil was more powerful than the sum of its weapons and men. Jews who had wandered the earth powerless for two millenniums attained great power when re-united with the soil of Israel.
What about the Arabs? They are destroying the Jewish people by taking over their Sacred Land. There is something very real and awe inspiring about the Jewish connection to Eretz Yisrael and the Arabs know it and seek to destroy that mystical connection. With profound stupidity and avarice, the political Left in Israel is cooperating with this evil project. And worse, some religious Jews and members of the Right are also going along with the dismemberment of Israel. Some say it will save lives to appease the Arabs. Foolishness. The predatory Arabs already smell victory and each new concession makes their lust for Jewish blood grow.
Wouldn't the Arabs object to the removal of the Mosque of Omar (Dome of the rock) and the al-Aqsa mosque from the Temple Mount? Of course they would, but they have no legitimate rights in the area. There is no reason the sovereign State of Israel needs to allow this desecration of Jewish Holy Places to continue. Today, on the Mount, the Arabs are supreme. They are destroying all archaeological remnants of Jewish sites. They are storing weapons in their mosques to kill Jews.
One thing is clear to me: the Lord has blessed Israel by re-uniting Jerusalem and bringing Judea, Samaria and Gaza back under its control. It would be a horrendous sin against G-d and common sense for Israel to renounce this inheritance to which it is entitled. Israel holds these lands as a sacred trust for the Jewish people in perpetuity.
It would not only be sinful, but also criminal, to abuse that trust by denying future generations of Jews their Holy Land – Land of their Fathers; the one tiny spot on planet earth given to them by G-d.
[ Published: November 19, 2003/Reprinted: July 28, 2004 ]
In Depth Analysis
Where is Palestine?
Where, exactly, might another Palestinian state arise? "Another," because Jordan, constituting two-thirds of Mandatory Palestine, with a "Palestinian" majority population, already is a de facto Palestinian state. And although several international documents clearly state the boundaries of Israel, Netanyahu seems more than happy to change them and give land to Israel's sworn enemies.
Israeli Attack on Iran Won't Follow the American Script
Since Israel's exact capabilities are known only to a handful of senior government officials, it's impossible to predict exactly what an Israeli strike against Iran would look like. But based on past experience, one can confidently predict that it won't resemble the US blueprint. Israel is quite capable of dealing with situations with its limited resources and without provoking massive retaliation.
Is the Peace Treaty Between Israel and Egypt Finished?
The deterioration in relations between Israel and Egypt should serve as a reminder to all that the new generation in the Arab world is not marching toward moderation, particularly when it comes to making peace with Israel or even recognizing its right to exist.
Emet Blog
Benzion Netanyahu and the All Important UN Clause to Save the Jewish State
Benzion Netanyahu, (father of the current Israeli prime minister) who recently died in Jerusalem at the age of 102, along with Irgun activist Peter Bergson (nephew of Mandatory Palestine Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook), and liberal US Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, drafted an article for inclusion in the United Nations Charter that could yet save the Jewish state. Benzion helped to write the fundamental principle of Zionism — the right of Jewish settlement throughout the Land of Israel — into the United Nations Charter.
Bin Laden Lessons for Israel
The US assassinated bin Laden, tried to kill Hitler, and also hunted and eliminated Saddam Hussein, yet nobody said a word. For every targeted elimination carried out by Israel, it was hit with numerous condemnations and protests, yet the daily US surgical strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Iraq are met with silence. Every time Israel unintentionally harm civilians, the world raises a hue and cry, yet if it happens in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, or Kosovo nobody protests.
Murder at Tomb Illustrates the Future of Jewish Holy Sites in a Palestinian State
On April 24, 2011 Jewish worshipers at Joseph's Tomb were attacked by members of the US-trained PA/PLO police. One person was murdered and several others wounded. Rather than keep the peace and root out the terrorists who are a threat to the safety of both Jews and Arabs, the PA/PLO police have yet again proven themselves to be a group that is willing to commit acts of terrorism themselves. And this is not the first time they have done this at Joseph's Tomb.
Views/Commentary
Those Contradictory Militants
The mainstream media, politicians, and others, prefer to use the term "militant" instead of "terrorist," especially in the case of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Doing so fulfills many different agendas, in addition to furthering the user's cause. Whatever the case may be, the usage generally distorts the story and causes confusion for the reader, which many times is its exact intention. As with much post-1970s journalism, the longer news media use such language, the less they sound like journalists and the more they are heard as political partisans.
Who Will Teach Tolerance to the Muslims?
There was a time when police officers told battered wives that they had to be more understanding of their husbands. Today they tell Americans to be more understanding of Muslims. They do work hard you know. And if they try to car bomb you sometimes, maybe it's because you don't please them anymore.
But There is a G‑d in Israel
The Jewish exiles shall be ingathered only through faith. If they have it, if they truly believe in the existence of the Creator and Guider of history, the G‑d of Israel, they can bring the final redemption today. Far from fearing what the Gentile will do if they do such a thing, let the Jew tremble as he considers the anger of the Almighty if he does not.
Selected Reading
Reconciliation (Unity) Agreement Between Fatah and Hamas
Under the auspices of Egypt, delegations from the Fatah and Hamas terrorist groups met in Cairo on April 27, 2011 to discuss the issues concerning ending the political division and the achievement of national unity. Both political parties mutually agreed that the basis of understanding made during the meeting are committing to both parties in the implementation of the Palestinian National Reconciliation Agreement. This is the basis of understanding agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas.
The Arab Pulse: What Policymakers Can Learn From "Palestinian" Social Media 
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has released the first-ever study mining the Arabic-language "Palestinian" social media environment to determine Arab public sentiment and its potential impact on US foreign policy. At FDD's direction, the Washington, D.C.-based Web analysis company Constrat viewed approximately 10,000 Arab social media entries between May 3 and August 3, 2010, of which it analyzed approximately 20 percent for relevancy. In the end, the company analyzed 1,788 statements contained within 1,114 unique posts across 996 threads written by 699 authors.
Why Is Israel's Presence in the Territories Still Called "Occupation"?
When an armed force holds territory beyond its own national borders, the term "occupation" is usually used to describe its holding on the land. However, not all the factual situations that we commonly think of as "occupation" fall within the limited scope of the term "occupation" as defined in international law.
Commentaries, Documents, Booklets, and Miscellaneous Materials Relating to the Gaza Strip
These commentaries, documentation, and booklets provide much otherwise unknown information regarding the truth ("emet") about what is really happening in the Arab-occupied/Hamas-controlled Gaza area. Included are weekly and monthly summaries of humanitarian assistance, as well as the infamous Goldstone Report, Israel-related United Nations Resolutions, and miscellaneous materials providing information and analysis of the situation in Gaza.
The History and Meaning of "Palestine" and "Palestinians"
Palestine has never existed . . . as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs. PDF Format