Why is it that Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance does not tolerate Islam?
A little birdy brings word of an interesting lapse in Rabbi Marvin Hier’s knowledge of Islam. Which is disappointing considering he’s building a glitzy new “Museum of Tolerance” on the site of an old Jerusalem Muslim cemetery (which has been desecrated in the process). You’d think if he really cared about “tolerance” or embracing the “dignity” of Israel’s religions, that he’d display a elemental level of respect for Islam by showing the Al Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, on an interactive map of Jerusalem’s places of interest on his website. Jewish sites listed include most of the luxury hotels, the Kotel, Mount of Olives cemetery, the Hurva synagogue, and the Mamilla shopping promenade. Christians points of interest include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Via Dolorosa. Only the Dome of the Rock is listed for Muslim holy sites. Prominently omitted are Al Aqsa and the Mamilla cemetery on which Hier’s museum will sit.
Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that the only religion meant to be shown “dignity” or respect in his new museum is Judaism (and secondarily Christianity)? In fact, I’d challenge Rabbi Hier to show us any element of the museum or its exhibitions or collection that will reflect upon the valuable role Islam has played among world religions and in the realms of science, culture and art. I’d challenge him to tell us anything he has done to foster tolerance and respect for Israel’s Palestinian Muslim or Christian population through his museum. I’m waiting for an answer (but not holding my breath).
By the way, a Google internal search of the Museum of Tolerance website shows no references to “Islam” on the entire site and a single reference to “Muslim.” Instructive of Hier’s real priorities and intentions, I’d say. This museum is a charade, a monument to the monumental ego of a Hollywood rabbi who wishes to expand his domain to Israel’s holy city. Let no one be fooled by the PR and vapid assurances offered by Hier that he has the best of intentions. His intentions are to glorify Marvin Hier and his own religion and no one or nothing else. Caveat emptor.
Another reader brings word of Rabbi Hier’s wisdom featured in the pages of that font of ecumenism and tolerance, the N.Y. Daily News. In his column, he argues that the world owes the people of Gaza nothing. They supposedly danced for joy when Qassam rockets fell on southern Israel (the fact that I’ve never heard of any Gazan celebrating such rocket launches is but a minor peccadillo for Hier). They somehow could’ve overthrown Hamas and replaced it with a more reasonable Palestinian party. Their refusal to do so renders the world free to cut Gaza loose. The world must tell Gaza that until it picks a representative that refuses to use violence against Israel, it can expect nothing.
So much for Hier’s argument. Here’s where it falls apart:
Every objective Mideast observer knows that if Hamas had not rocketed southern Israel and deliberately placed its rocket launchers in the proximity of schools, mosques, hospitals and commercial areas, there would neither be a need to repair the Gaza Strip nor would there be any need to restrict free access to the border crossings.
Every “objective” Mideast observer (that would be Hier) knows that the only reason Israel blockades Gaza was because it launched rockets on Israel, right? Wrong. Israel put Gaza under siege not because of rocket launches, but because Hamas refused to accept an Israeli-sponsored coup initiated by it and the U.S. When Hamas took over Gaza, THAT is when Israel laid siege. So much for the good rabbi’s “objectivity.”
Every day, they could see with their own eyes the rockets on their way to Israel or watch Al Jazeera and other networks comment on them. Yet how did they react? With total jubilation and joy.
The truth is that most Gazans are sick and tired of the rockets and would gladly be rid of them IF–Israel would end the siege. But leaving that aside, can Hier provide any evidence of Gazans reacting with “total jubilation and joy to Qassam attacks?” Unlikely. And even if he could find a single instance or even two, does this imply that 1.5 million Gazans all united in jubilation at these attacks? Hardly.
Gazans like to boast of their courage in rising up against the corruption of the Palestinian Authority and throwing them out of office in a democratic election free of intimidation. Where was the display of that same courage in standing up to Hamas, whose ideology and culture have brought ruin to their community?
The cultural condescension of this passage is breathtaking. In the view of the pro Israel apologist it is HAMAS that has brought “ruin” to Gaza, not Israel. The tanks and F-16s and Apaches are somehow extensions of Hamas’ own ideology of hate. Interesting perspective which somehow elides any Israeli responsibility for Gaza’s ruin. Further, because Hier hates Hamas it should be patently obvious to all Gazans that they should too. Pardon me, but there are a few weaknesses in this perspective, not least of which that Gazans, and not Hier, are the ones who choose who represents them. If he or Israel would really like to influence Gazans’ political choices they might start by making it that much more difficult for Gazans to detest Israel and that much easier for Palestinians to see peaceful co-existence as something that offers them practical improvements in their lives. As long as Israel punishes Gaza, there is absolutely no reason for inhabitants to do anything Israel wants.
World leaders must vow that they are not going to rebuild Gaza again, there will be no Round 3.
Marvin must know something I don’t. I missed the time that the world rebuilt Gaza. When was that? Or is it possible that he’s making it up as he goes along. The world never rebuilt Gaza. It’s been under attack going all the way back to the first Intifada. The only difference between previous Israeli attacks and Operation Solid Lead is that the latter did a “Lebanon” on Gaza by attempting to eradicate every public building or piece of infrastructure.
The people of Gaza would be much better served if the international community…did the right thing for a change: deliver a stern warning that they can’t have it both ways. If they choose Hamas and give the terror group free rein, then they’ll have to live with the consequences. Such a warning might wind up to be the greatest humanitarian gesture the United Nations, the EU and President Obama can show to the people of Gaza. It can deliver a simple message: change course, stop propping up the terrorists, learn to live in peace with Israel or lose our numbers and fend for yourselves.
These words are those of bullies and abusers the world over: “Live under conditions I set for you or I will continue knocking you back to Kingdom Come.” It’s really very simple for the Hiers of the world: Hamas must stop rocketing Israel, accept its existence, and not even breath a word about Israeli Occupation or injustice to Palestinians. There really is no Israeli injustice, only Palestinian. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in the other guy.
You’ve got to hand it to Hier: nice work if you can get it. Unfortunately, the “thinking” behind this propaganda is shoddier ‘n shit.
Given this column, can anyone in their right mind imagine that the Museum of Tolerance will have anything to offer any Muslim? So let every donor to the Museum understand that Marvin Hier hates Muslims and loves only Jews. But not all Jews, only his kind of Jews. The ones opening their pocketbooks to build a monument to his ego. The ones who also hate Muslims and love a strong, superior, supercilious, and unforgiving Israel.
You gave Hier a very deserved drubbing, Richard. Who does he think he will convince with his vicious “logic” on Gaza? The rancorous Israel Firsters do not have to be persuaded. People with even a vestigial sense of justice will be appalled.
Hier seems to me the kind of guy who believes that every moral issue that has to do with Israel can be solved by reference to the Shoa. As has been widely reported Cardinal Renato Martino, the Head of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace, said about the Gaza massacre: “The consequences of egoism are hatred, poverty and injustice. It’s always the unarmed populations who pay. Look at the conditions in Gaza — more and more, it resembles a huge concentration camp.” Hier reacted to this by saying that his words were “untrue, distort the memory of the Holocaust and are only used against Israel by terrorist organisations and holocaust deniers”.(“Times online” Jan.8 2009).
He might have been surprised that these magical words didn’t make Martino cringe – but this “prince of the church” is, after all, not an American Senator.
In Hier’s “Museum of Tolerance” (what an Orwellian name) he will now even have less time for christianity. Well, I am not a christian myself but my feeling is that they are better out of it.
It is rational for Israelis to hate Hamas. There may be some opportunity to transform the relationship at some point, but to presume that Hamas did not historically target civilians in quite brutal terror operations (with no rationalization of being even related to a valid military target), is a gross rationalization.
When Hamas firmly COMMITS to reconciliation with Israel and Israelis, then your comments can be of the past. Its not occurred yet.
There is also a precedent of Islam blotting out history opportunistically. Consider how frequently some Islamicists have stated “Jews never lived in Palestine”.
I agree with you that to exclude Muslims from a shrine to acceptance is wrong. Any such shrine should be delayed until a confident statement of “we accept others, and we are accepted by others” occurs in fact.
Many Zionists reason that acceptance of Jews even, would not have occurred without Israel assertively defending itself. To the extent that the recent Gaza military action was defensive (not none by any stretch), that occurs.
I don’t know where the line was between what was abusive and what was defensive or rationally deterrent.
No one has “pretended” any such thing. Hamas has targeted civilians just as Israel has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians. In fact, far more Palestinian civilians have been killed than Israeli.
When Israel commits to reconciliation with Palestine and ends the Occupation then your comments can be taken seriously. Until then…not.
Just as there is the same tendency among extremist Jews to exploit Judaism in order to blot out inconvenient facts. Besides, it is neither Islam nor Judaism that is at fault for this abuse. It is the extremists on both sides who do violence to their own respective religious traditions.
This is hopelessly muddled. If Gaza was a defensive action then it means that Jews will be accepted by Palestinians? First, Gaza was an entirely ineffective operation if it was intended defensively. So let’s rule out the defensive aspect of it. Instead, it was an entirely offensive operation aimed at striking a punishing blow at all 1.5 million Gazans. As such the notion that Israel could do anything toward bringing acceptance of itself or Jews is beyond ludicrous.
And that’s precisely the problem with yr entire perspective. YOu refuse to know, understand or see what almost all the rest of us can see with our own two eyes. It’s pathetic really.
Do you have a CLEAR comment on what criteria you would use to determine that balance?
This comment is also true for many Palestinian views of the Yad Vashem being near Deir Yassin. It is seen as hypocritical. Not that it is commemorated and remembered, but the location is so politicized.
Mr. Witty,
It is rational for Israel to hate Hamas; it is also rational for Palestinians to hate Israel. One hopes that both sides will find a way to transcend rationality.
It is rational for each to state, “I am willing to be a good neighbor to a good neighbor”.
There are usually many rational options.
Unless the US is willing to simultaneously force Hamas to unify with Fatah, and to force Israel to forcefully remove settlers from their homes, any peace (or any justice) will have to happen by consent.
Regarding Palestinian “jubilation and joy”, watch this video, it’ll make you sick:
Gaza Destruction Tourism (youtube).
(as they say in Russian, “look whose cow is mooing”)
I am confused-is Rabbi Hier planning to build the Museum of Tolerance on the al Aqsa Mosque