In a follow up to my last post, I have had some feedback from readers and additionally, some other points of discussion have sprung to mind and come to my attention.
- We are not allowed to pray on the temple mount – ever. If a single prayer, muttered even under whispered breath is suspected, we as Jews, can be forcibly expelled from the Temple Mount. Not only that, we as Jews can be charged with inciting violence.
- In the days leading up to Tisha B’Av” a rally was held by the same very people that threatened to riot if we dared pray on the Temple Mount during Tisha B’Av”. During that rally they threatened violence and overthrow in the name of God.
Both of those points should come of no shock to you. Clearly, double standards exist and nonsense rallies happen all the time. However, in the spirit of awakening our collective voice, which I called for you to find in my last post, I thought to share them with you.
Either way, here are some quotes from rally on the temple mount that occurred on 12 July 2013 – a couple of days before Tisha B’Av”:
Allah Akbar may America be destroyed
Allah Akbar may France be destroyed
Allah Akbar may Britain be destroyed
We warn you oh America…you have wreaked havoc in Syria…soon we will teach you a political and military lesson – Allah willing.
Nice folks these guys. And all of that was in the first few minutes.
Now, in case you haven’t watched the clip yet click here. But, before you go clicking – just remember while you are watching it; these people are Israeli citizens and regardless of whether you agree with them or not, their right to protest are protected under law. A right that they clearly are taking for granted. Oh and yeah, we can get arrested for inciting violence by praying if we visit the same very spot they are saying these charming things.
Just as an aside and on the topic of lawful rights to prayer, comparisons are being drawn between this Tisha B’Av” incident and the Women of the Wall (WOW) situation. To those people I say this – the courts have ruled, you have won. A decision has been passed down by the courts. Enforceable law has been made. So to these people I ask:
Why are you wishing us ill and telling us to enjoy a taste of our own medicine?
Why aren’t you raging to protect your newly ruled right to pray with your tallit on, at the Temple Mount too?
Does your need for equality only stretch as far as the tallit on your back – or does your shawl of prayer not extend coverage to the rest of us?
Look, our sages tell us that there are some central reasons, for the occasioning of the calamities befalling us on Tisha B’Av”. And, now with the WOW issue on the table – one of those reasons is important to mention here. But rather than describing it myself, or even quoting our learned Rabbi’s, I will let Aesop do it for me. Here is his fable “The Four Oxen and the Lion”, Aesop describes poignantly why we are setting ourselves up for more future disasters:
A LION used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.
United we stand, divided we fall.
From our immediate neighbors to the north, south and west, to the glorious EU, United Nations and even the humble supporters of the BDS. Anti Semites, hiding behind a shield of Anti Zionism lurk all around us. These lions are both in our homes and knocking on our doors. So why do we continue to bicker amongst ourselves.
Let’s stop fighting each other. Lets join hands and start hunting these lions.
