Jewish Heritage Sites
PM Netanyahu in a speech at Tel Hai a few days ago announced a new Israeli Government initiative to upgrade the Jewish Heritage Sites (JHS) around Israel. He wants to ensure that the youth and the people of Israel, as well as many visitors, can see the ancient connections that we Jews have with our homeland. Yes, in Israel you can visit beautiful beaches, you can tour amazing cities and see wonderful natural sights. But, the real reason we are all here is our indelible ties to this Land and finally an Israeli Government is going to emphasize that!
You might think that in Israel this would not be controversial, but in Israel everything is controversial. The left is attacking this policy because they say that it is "right-wing" and feeds into the interests of the "settlers" that reinforces the Jewish link to the Land. Since they do not feel this link so strongly they don't want others to feel it either. Speaking as a non-religious person I strongly support this move, we must know why we are here in this specific place.
What has made the policy more controversial is that Netanyahu added two sites that are on the West Bank to the list of JHS, The Tomb of the Patriarchs at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem. I have visited the former, and it is really an impressive site, but many do not go there because of the intermittant violence from the Palestinians. The PA have officially protested Netanyahu placing these two sites on this list, since they say that they are Muslim sites of worship and they threaten to start a new intifada and Hamas in Gaza have threatened to start a new war. The US and EU are also on record as opposing the inclusion of these Jewish sites in an Israeli renovation plan!
But, this is pure hypocrisy, since for 700 years (!) Jews (and Christians) were not allowed by the Muslim authorities to enter the edifice built above the Cave of Machpelah. Remember that these sites were sacred to Jews for 4,000 years before the Muslims came on the scene and conquered them. Then Jews were allowed only up to the third step at the entrance to pray. Since 1967, these arrangements were changed, a new open entrance was added and the building has a Mosque and Synagogues and Muslims and Jews are allowed to pray inside at agreed specified times. In other words, the site is shared, it is not exclusively used by one side or the other. When pressed about this, the Palestinian spokeman would not guarantee that if the site were under Muslim control Jews would still be allowed to worship there. They would like to return to the archaic and discriminatory practices of the past.
I am glad that the Israeli Government has decided on this new policy and that the two sites on the West Bank are included. Let us throw open these sites for all to visit and see the history of our people in its Land forever.
You might think that in Israel this would not be controversial, but in Israel everything is controversial. The left is attacking this policy because they say that it is "right-wing" and feeds into the interests of the "settlers" that reinforces the Jewish link to the Land. Since they do not feel this link so strongly they don't want others to feel it either. Speaking as a non-religious person I strongly support this move, we must know why we are here in this specific place.
What has made the policy more controversial is that Netanyahu added two sites that are on the West Bank to the list of JHS, The Tomb of the Patriarchs at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem. I have visited the former, and it is really an impressive site, but many do not go there because of the intermittant violence from the Palestinians. The PA have officially protested Netanyahu placing these two sites on this list, since they say that they are Muslim sites of worship and they threaten to start a new intifada and Hamas in Gaza have threatened to start a new war. The US and EU are also on record as opposing the inclusion of these Jewish sites in an Israeli renovation plan!
But, this is pure hypocrisy, since for 700 years (!) Jews (and Christians) were not allowed by the Muslim authorities to enter the edifice built above the Cave of Machpelah. Remember that these sites were sacred to Jews for 4,000 years before the Muslims came on the scene and conquered them. Then Jews were allowed only up to the third step at the entrance to pray. Since 1967, these arrangements were changed, a new open entrance was added and the building has a Mosque and Synagogues and Muslims and Jews are allowed to pray inside at agreed specified times. In other words, the site is shared, it is not exclusively used by one side or the other. When pressed about this, the Palestinian spokeman would not guarantee that if the site were under Muslim control Jews would still be allowed to worship there. They would like to return to the archaic and discriminatory practices of the past.
I am glad that the Israeli Government has decided on this new policy and that the two sites on the West Bank are included. Let us throw open these sites for all to visit and see the history of our people in its Land forever.
posted by Jack Cohen at 1:01 PM
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