170728 Temple Mount, Hatzad Hasheni, Standwithus
170728
28TH OF July 2017
Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I know you were expecting a mid-week update but I decided to wait until I was able to understand the insanity of what has happened over the last two weeks.
Perhaps it is easier to gain perspective if we look at the time frame of this particular set of incidents
- 3 young Israeli Moslems from Umm el Fahem took knives into the Old City on their way to the Temple Mount, shooting three Israelis, two of whom were policemen. The policemen, may their brave souls rest in peace, were both Druze.
- The three terrorists were neutralized – that means dead.
- Northern Moslems attacked the Druze village of one of the dead policemen
- Israeli police and secret service searched the Temple Mount, having closed it to all comers, and found an arms cache. It must be noted that although the Temple Mount is officially under the control of Jordan it is actually the Moslem Brotherhood.
- In a decision taken with caution it was decided to place metal detectors at the entrances to the Temple Mount, to protect all comers.
- The Mufti of Jerusalem aided and abetted by Sheikh Ra’eed Salah of Umm el Fahem, Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan of Turkey, successfully convinced willing Moslems that Israel was defiling the Temple Mount and they refused to enter, praying beside the Lions Gate among others.
- A young Arab, Omar el-Abed went looking for Jews on Friday night, convinced that Jews were endangering Al Aqsa. He found a break in the security fence of the village of Halamish where the Saloman family was celebrating not only Shabbat but the birth of a new grandchild. He knocked at the door and when he went in he began a rampage of butchery that does not bear imagining. He killed the grandfather Yosef, and Yosef’s children Chaya and Elad and almost succeeded in killing Tova the grandmother. With great courage Elads wife grabbed the children and rushed them upstairs. The unimaginable horror continued until a neighbour’s son home from the IDF for Shabbat, shot and injured the perpetrator who is being treated for his injuries in an Israeli hospital. El-Abeds family will receive over $3,000 a month from the PA.
- The incitement continues, the celebrations at the killing of the family, and the demand to “return to the Status quo” on the Temple Mount joins the screams to kill all the Jews.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUNeFkR1GeM
- The outside world intervenes – the United States President and the Saudi Arabian King bring in the services of Trump advisor Jason Greenblatt who consulted with King Abdullah of Jordan who although demanding that the metal detectors be removed, the security cameras too, the incitement must stop and the conditions accepted. It may appear that Israel capitulated but the undercurrents show a different picture. The Moslem Brotherhood excluded and Erdogan is piqued because he was not given any part of the decision making because yet again he chose the wrong side – Qatar and the Moslem Brotherhood. In the past the British Foreign Office called the Ottoman (Turkish) Sultan “The sick man of the Bosphorus”. History does repeat itself. Although it appears the Israel lost this battle in fact we retained the right to security on the Temple Mount – hardly capitulation.
- Moslems within Israel and in the PA dance with joy at their victory and the 3 terrorists bodies are returned to their families for burial (thanks to the Israeli Supreme court) and Umm el Fahem erupts into one joyous celebration of sheer joy declaring themselves the victors.
- Al Jazeera, since the Qatar fiasco, continued their incitement with added gusto and risk being thrown out of Jerusalem. Hope so – their staff will have to go to Arab countries now – no more freedom!!!
- The incitement in the Arab street was well honed. The full might of their lying manipulation by their leaders, religious and governmental, invoked and now they smell blood, Jewish blood and the riots will continue. Yesterday their elation at “winning” against the Jews spilled over into violence on and around the Temple Mount. Today all women and men over 50 went through the Lions Gate onto the Temple Mount and all others are praying at the Damascus Gate. I simply pray for the safety of our amazing police and border guards who have shown incredible restraint in controlling the “celebrations”.
- Hanin Zoabi, Member of Knesset with full freedom of speech was screaming that the Temple Mount should be Jew-free (Judenrein, heard that before!) and was banned entry to Al Aqsa. She who has full human rights in Israel bites the very democratic hand which feeds her.http://www.timesofisrael.com/hanin-zoabi-temple-mount-should-be-jew-free/?fb_comment_id=918125304938185_918488948235154
Perhaps this video of Prof. Alan Dershowitz responding to a young “Palestinian” questioner best explains it all. I call it “Get over it”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nE8_0uhojQ
So you thought it all started with the State of Israel, settlers and occupation did you? Well apart from the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks etc, and of course our own “Sinat Hinam” which brought about many disasters the Babylonians (Iraq) had their day too. Days before the Tisha B’Av fast, excavations unearth artifacts from First Temple period, Which include evidence of city’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians.http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Evidence-of-Babylonian-destruction-of-Jerusalem-unearthed-in-City-of-David-500786
Tisha b’Av is a fast of enormous importance, misunderstood by the secular and adhered to but equally misunderstood by the religious. It is the date of many Jewish disasters, the destruction of both Temples, plague and political downfall. As to whether contemplation or action is the response – prayer alone and inactivity no longer works. Read Rabbi Jeremy Rosen on the subject http://jeremyrosen.com/2017/07/fasting-on-the-9th-of-av.html
This has been a relatively quiet week, yes we do have them on occasion! Poor Zvi damaged his knee and we have been trying to find a solution. So far healing (thank you to Igor and Lila), concoctions, rest and positive thinking haven’t worked so we went to a specialist who impressed me with his manner and knowledge. MRI and then we decide what to do. One thing for sure, he is not entering for the Jerusalem Marathon!!!!
On Monday we met with Robert Croiterescu and his excellent team, Anabella and Oscar Jaroslawsky in Kfar Maccabiah. Born in a Concentration Camp, Robi Croiterescu learned from birth that you don’t give in without one helluva fight. Robi had a brilliant idea to form an organisation which fights back by ensuring everyone who loves Israel has the tools to fight back. Dissemination of essential information is the key. Ha Tsad ha Sheni (the Other Side) reaches out to all Spanish speaking countries, Jew and non-Jew, so that they have the authentic information at their fingertips when challenged.http://hatzadhasheni.com/
I work on instinct and my instinct told me to get these amazing people together with Michael Dickson, the Israeli Director of Standwithus https://standwithus.co.il/ . After convincing both sides that this was a good thing, that they should meet, that their aims ran parallel and could benefit both, we met in the Standwithus offices on King David Street. As we walked in I was very excited to meet Yahya Mahamed, a marvellous young Israeli Arab from Umm el Fahem. Yahya is an absolute star!!! He travels the English speaking world for Standwithus and for Israel. Michael was, as always a gracious host, hiding the fact that I had nagged him relentlessly to meet them – then it happened – the magic between Robi and Michael created a magical discourse and total agreement to work together. That’s what it is all about. We can fight each other for who is top dog – or consolidate our resources and fight anti-Semitism by its new name, anti-Israel. BDS is the new Kristallnacht, the smashing of Jewish businesses, the tip of the evil iceberg of anti-Semitism. I love it when two good men of positive action get together!!!
This will be a quiet Shabbat and in a short while Zvi and I are going to a special preview tour of the new Aquarium at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Aquarium-showcasing-local-fauna-comes-to-Jerusalems-Biblical-Zoo-497373 I just hope that Zvi will be able to walk around. It is really strange that I need to worry about him walking when it has been the other way around for 25 years!!!!!
I am very happy that we have a couple of quiet days because after Shabbat Leor is bringing his 3 little girls to stay and then hopefully on Sunday Rachel’s 2 girls will join them and stay over too. I went out and bought a large amount of handicraft components so that they can make something beautiful to take home. The vast majority of Israeli women work in addition to keeping a family together – which is why most Israeli men are adept at taking their part in the cleaning, cooking, child care and general running of the homes. This generation of Israelis is very lucky, unlike our generation, they have parents and grandparents who play an enormous part in the children’s lives.
The weather has been a strange cross between muggy, hot, steaming and ………… no relief in the evenings!!! It feels as if we haven’t had a break from this soupy humidity for weeks, even in Jerusalem. I suddenly became a fan of air conditioning!!!
Music! Music! Music!
In honour of the 9 days and Tisha B’Av the music will be appropriate…………………
The prayer for the State of Israel sung by IDF Cantor Shai Abrahamsonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP40Bl24PE0&t=195s May we find our strengths and stop the internecine fighting that brought us down on Tisha b’Av
Vehi She’amda – a song that plays in my mind at all times – the song and the words, Yaacov Shwekey, Shlomi Shabbat to honour our soldiers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnnKFpiP1hs
He who stood for our patriarchs *
He who stood for our patriarchs and for us
Not just one person stood against us to kill us.
They want to be rid of us.
And G-D saves us from their hands. G-D saves us from their hands.
Aesop, the famous philosopher and author of fables is oft cited “United we stand divided we fall”. We must remember to keep our fights as family fights and present a united front against our ever increasing enemies. Remember – do you want to be right or do you want to stay alive?
Shabbat Shalom from beautiful Jerusalem, so exquisite, so spiritual that all faiths have fought over her, Empires have risen and fallen around her but above all, she represents the very best in us, in the Jewish people; this city, this symbol. We prayed to return to her walls and mountains for 2,000 years of dispersion. Let’s make sure we don’t screw it up.
I want to leave you with a request. Please sing along with this the song that represents Israel, Jerusalem, more than every other song. Al Kol Eleh – above all this; of the honey and the sting –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbw2FTYHCTg Sing loud and strong and absorb the words. Yihyeh beseder – it will be OK – it has to be.
With love
Sheila