Riot Crackdown at the Temple Mount

Thanks to all for your comments.

As most of you know, control for the Temple Mount -- both politically and historically -- continues to wage in Jerusalem this week. Today, Palestinians called the Temple Mount "a red line that Israel should not cross." The Waqf Authority, a secretive Islamic land trust that has controlled the Temple Mount since the 12th century, called for others to "defend the Mount."

Is the Waqf's eight centuries of control over the Temple Mount on the brink? Should Israeli sovereignty be extended over a Mount sacred to three faiths? Or is their deployment of security forces unnecessary? Your thoughts -- as ever -- are welcome.

 

 

Comments

[anthonyx70]

Hmm. Did not take me long as I have a stack of books, and copies of documents, not digging through a bible of any sort. Seems the Hashisheen, were Shiites. Does the West, or Isreal get along with the Shiites? Why not? or why?

[anthonyx70]

@ Neil, I agree with most of what you have to say.... Others, believe it is about "religion", and their caring , and loving faith. That is responsible for the most historically documented, and scientifically as well, for how many deaths, murders, rapes, torture, and evil, that the alleged "devil himself" if he existed would not have the stomach to carry out. Nor do they have any clue that a "wish", dream, or prayer for this 3rd Temple for all faiths, is the one at the bottom? That war is about "oil" for the west who gets 90% plus from Canada, last time I checked, unless "god" moved it was in the west in North America? Louisiana, plus Texas, not counting reserves, I guess they don't calculate. Not to mention who supports the State of Israel the Most? Where did these people come from, how did they care, or why do they? They weren't running from taxes..... We may break on some points and I will happily share my research, where anyone around the world can get to view actual documents about all of this. Of if the muslims could have paid a debt, instead of being deadbeats, what faith would they be a part of now?

[Mahmoud B]

Jerusalem in general and the temple mount/the haram sharif in particular are definetely a human heritage belonging tio all sons of god. Why the prtectionist attitude then? Because Muslims fear (reasonably enough) the violation of their holy sanctuary and even its destruction by Israelis and Israelis looking at the temple mount fail to see the presence of the mosque there. Jerusalem should be under UN control and an enforcement mechanism should be put in place to ensure that no harm occurs to any of the monuments (wether muslim, chrristian or jewish) therein.

[YMedad]

You ask "Should Israeli sovereignty be extended over a Mount sacred to three faiths? Or is their deployment of security forces unnecessary?"

Israel's sovereignty exists over the Temple Mount. The Law for the Guardianship of the Holy Places 1967 guarantees free access and worship however, out of an inferiority complex and the hope that if Jewish prayer would be prohibited the Muslims would acquiesce, would not initiate violence, begin a campaign of provocation or otherwise act irrationally, this position has not been successful. I have visited the site often and I can assure you that without the presence of Israel security personnel, non-Muslims would be endangered.

[misaacm]

Some sort of constructive ambiguity is probably in order here. The Mosque on top of the mount was obviously built there by Muslim conquerors to show Muslim sovereignty over Jerusalem. It is not so much a religious statement but instead a political one. Jerusalem is not religiously important to Muslims, as it is to Jews and to a lesser extent Christians. However, it would be WWIII if anything happened to the mosque.

The Israelis know this, and that is why they have allowed the Wakf to run the affairs of the Muslims and have made no moves to change the status quo. This is wise. Occasionally some ultra-religious nut wants to tear down the Mosque and put up the 3rd Temple, but they are prevented from marching on the Temple mount by Israeli troops.

The Arabs, of course responded to their benign treatment by distorting the situation and calling for a Jew killing Jihad. Arab leaders are the equivalent of "Birthers"; responding to a non-threat with violence. Finally, a historical note, Sharon notified the Palestinian authorities of his intention to ascend the Temple mount in advance. They told him fine, and then provided rioters and rocks (have you ever seen any other religious institution with a handy pile of rocks nearby?) to pour gasoline on the situation.

[anthonyx70]

The Mosque is the 3rd Temple..Th­e first one? The Temple of King Solomon...­The Muslim believes their God to have risen to heaven here, so it is king of a big deal. "The lesser extent Christians"

Guess You have never heard of Knights Templar? The were mercenaries for the Pope, The Shiite Muslim in Pakistan, were members of a group called the Hashisheen I

[mommamia526]

The idea of muslims dominating what others believe, or how and where they worship is outrageous. That they believe Islam to be the correct religion, is something they are entitled to. I, however, think that what the lessons are, what we are being taught, and how we adhere to it, is more important. Religion is a personal path of development, it is internal and spiritual. It is not ritual, it is not place and it is not matter. For musims to prevent anyone other than themselves, or even anyone with a different denomination of Islam, to worship the One God all three Abrahamic Faiths acknowledge is outrageous, because it is worship of the Deity that they want to prevent. It is NOT their religion that they defend. It is not about religion and culture, it is about limiting Allah (God). It is when we all agree on the teaching and have learned and understood it, and act in accordance with it, that we honor God. We do not honor the Deity by riotting on his mountain throwing stones, and firebombs, and making people slip on oil. Think what is being done by preventing the Worship of the Deity as these muslims do and how they do it.

[unitron]

Once someone (especially those who seem to think they were born to run everyone else's lives) is convinced that their's is The One True Religion (regardless of which religion it is), can shoving it down everyone eles's throats be far behind?

[anthonyx70]

Grouping all Muslims is just silly. All religions (organized and accepted) Have a multitude of branches that have different things. Odd to to even read many responses. Name one of the 3 main ones that do not think theirs is the ONE true Religion. Last point. During the times the Bibles were written, Religion was law. Most cases had more power then any King , or ruler. Yet for some reason, If any Church leader in any free country wrote their "new " version, and changed things to control, or make their opinions, and personal morals the rule, not right to opinion. All would be horrified. Yet when rulers, political leaders and tyrant Kings had a new version of their own, and the only religion allowed to be practiced, or punishable both extreme torture and very brutal forms of death, it is accepted as "fact", and the word of that religions supreme God. They were all written to control others lives. If not. Simple torture then death. I would love to know of a time in History to this day, where it is not "shoved" down all others throats. A "bible" written when it was law of the land, or else seems to be fine. Since when has ANY politician, or dictator, lie?? . The difference between propaganda and factual news? Who wrote it, and what nation you live in. I do not understand how something so basic as money, power, and control, is a new concept to anyone....­...

[ogomezmontes]

Temple Mount was constructed by Herod,King of the Jews and belongs to Israel.Lik­e everything else in the Middle East it was stolen by the arabs.In fact,what we call Palestine today is the Kingdom of Judea.We know it is jewish because the romans burned the Temple of Jerusalem in the year 70.There were no muslims then and the land was and is jewish.For the muslims to say it is arab is as ridiculous as to claim Spain as muslim because they slaved it for 700 years.It has taken the jews 1300 years to get their lands back just as it took the spaniards 700 years to get theirs back.It is time for the world to do justice and stop getting the side of the arabs, although they are wrong and it is an injustice,just because they have the oil the West needs.Just­ice is justice and should not be sold at the expense of economic needs.

[unitron]

"...it was stolen by the arabs."

But only after it got stolen by the (pagan) Romans and the Christians a few times.

And I'm pretty sure it got stolen by the Persians for a while a few hundred years before Herod was even born (You know there was a temple there previous to Herod, right?)

And in all likelihood the Jews stole it from someone else way, way back when, as well.

Religions have a bad habit of doing that sort of thing.

[Neal Jansons]

What is just about acting like your little magical narrative is somehow valid? Just because some people held some land thousands of years ago we are supposed to care now? It is supposed to justify anything now? Why?

[anthonyx70]

The West does NOT need the Oil. Economic needs,and Justice? Fact versus opinion? Since when has that ever mattered, as long as one is one the side gaining benefit. Israel owns it. Great, but then the same West that so needs the Arab oil, is also Israel's biggest backer, both financially and otherwise. That causes huge problems for the West. Based on your own logic and statements, how long could Israel last, before they had to wait another 1300 years or so to get the State of Israel back if the West stopped backing them in all ways? I would assure you, the economic,financial, and safety would improve greatly if it no longer basked Israel. More so If we instead financially and militarily backed the views of Palestine. That Jewish owned mountain, and the justice you speak of were protected by the Christians, and the Templar were the Vatican's soldiers who protected Islamic,Jewish,and Christians safe passage to the Holy Land, to that mountain in particular. Even on the U.S. dollar bill, that "unfinished pyramid" with the all "seeing eye" Represents the first temple, The Temple of King Solomon, where all 3 faiths had separate entrances. It was never completed as it was destroyed. The Jewish Temple for only the Jewish people to worship in, was built on top, then destroyed. The 3rd, was the Muslim Temple, for Muslim worship only. why all 3 want that mountain. Hint- Economic wants, power, control...

[mesioul]

Jerusalem is significant to Christians, but I don't think Temple Mount in particular is.

At any rate, my fantasy for the Third Temple is a multi-faith sanctuary. Far-fetched, I know, but why not dream?

[mommamia526]

Well, it should be, because Jesus preached at the Temple, threw out the moneychangers there, and more.

[Neal Jansons]

Not anywhere outside their holy book. There are no corroborative statements from anyone at the time that any of that happened.

How about real history, please, not the same history that says the world is about 6000 years old and that every species on Earth got on one boat.

[unitron]

"...my fantasy for the Third Temple..."

And my fantasy might be evacuating all the land between Egypt and Lebanon and then turning it into a sea of radioactive glass so as to get a ten-thousand or so year break from the fighting over it, but they'd all probably go on trying to kill each other as part of the argument over who should be living there if the land were livable.

[unitron]

It was a sacred spot to Judaism before it was a sacred spot to Islam, but I wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't been sacred to some other religion before the Jews got hold of it. Religions have a bad habit of trying to co-opt stuff from previous religions they're trying to supplant.

All in all, probably an insoluble problem.

[ogomezmontes]

There was no Temple mount before the jews build it.In fact,Jerusalem was a small, insignificant village until King David made it the capital of his kingdom,the Kingdom of Judea.So it couldn't be anybody elses religious whatever.A­lso I'm not a jew but History is my hobby.

[unitron]

And history tends to say what the winners want it to say.

There may not have been a temple there, but the mount was, and besides, I didn't say there was probably someone else's temple there, I said sacred to some other religion (there being no shortage of them).

[Neal Jansons]

If you are into history, then maybe you should check out the historicity of the Bible (hint? it's not history, it's make believe).

[StCuthbert]

Jews, Christians, and Muslims (and anyone else) should all be allowed to worship in peace on the Temple Mount (or whatever you'd like to call it). If the Waqf does not allow this to happen, they should not be allowed to continue their jurisdiction over the Mount. Otherwise, I have no objection to it.

[mommamia526]

It would be different if jews and christians were trying to take over the Mosque itself, or pray there. That is not the case. For jews it is the nr one holy site. For muslims the holiest site is Mecca. For christians, Jesus, a jew, taught there, threw over the tables of the moneychangers and more. I am not that familiar with the christian bible, but even I know that. The center of jewish life was there, and Jesus was a practicing jew and a Rabbi. He never converted to christianity, and Islam came well after him. Jesus is also recognized by Islam, as a prophet. If there is only one god, then there must be unity, or oneness, not division. The teaching of the Bible, whether you call it Torah, Old Testament, or Qu'ran is mostly identical. Even Jesus' teaching did not differentiate from Torah. Paul is the person who changed meaning and concepts.

[unitron]

There are Jews who will not enter the site themselves (and don't want anyone else doing so either), because they believe that the part of the first temple where God supposedly hung out (likely to be phrased somewhat more along the lines of "where dwelt the spirit of the Lord"), and nobody else was supposed to enter, is somewhere in that area, but since they don't know exactly where (could have been a few feet over in this direction, a couple of yards over there, etc.), better to make it all off limits just to be safe.

In other words, this is all hideously complicated, and, as I mention elsewhere, probably an insoluble problem.