Of all the cock-eyed upside-down things happening in Israel, this is pretty damn loony. Much has been written about the Jerusalem light rail project, which is much more than a mere transportation system. It is a bit of social engineering enforcing Israel's occupation. It draws all neighborhoods, including Palestinian enclaves in East Jerusalem, under Israel … [Read more...]
Reform Jews Ape Settler Rhetoric in Kotel Protest
In spite of my muted sympathy for Women of the Wall and the non-Orthodox religious movements in Israel who seek to bring egalitarian prayer to the Kotel, their current campaign to generate sympathy among Israelis is wildly inappropriate. They've begun a promotional blitz to raise awareness of the issue via a billboard along a major Israeli highway. It … [Read more...]
Former IDF Brig. Gen. Calls for Destroying Dome of Rock, Islam’s Third Holiest Site
IDF Brig. Gen. (ret.) Aryeh Eldad, a noted physician and former far-right MK, was profiled in this week's Israel HaYom magazine. The lede says: I think we must build the Temple on the Temple Mount and afterward we should remove the Dome of the Rock. On the one hand, it's not at all surprising that this long-time leader of the settler movement, and son of … [Read more...]
Al Aqsa Intifada Begins in Bloody Earnest, Six Dead in Palestine
Today was the day many of us dreaded. Tension has been building all week since the murder of two Israeli police officers and the liquidation of their Palestinian attackers at the Haram al Sharif. Israel's immediate response to seal off the entire Old City for three days along with the Muslim holy sites, and then reopen them with metal detectors and … [Read more...]