RIOTS AGAIN IN JERUSALEM

These fake Palestinians with their Jew-Hatred are quite deserving of deportation from the Land of Israel. And I do mean deported from ALL of the Land of Israel that includes Judea and Samaria.

I am getting fed-up with Muslims exercising bogus claims to the Temple Mount to prevent Jewish (and Christian for that matter) pilgrims access. Ocensor has the irritating news and cross posted.

JRH 8/11/19

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RIOTS AGAIN IN JERUSALEM

Mosque on Temple Mount

Posted by Timothy Benton 

August 11, 2019

Ocensor

In what seems to be a never-ending process, we see Jerusalem once more embroiled with riots and violence. The reason? Two faiths, Judaism and Islam, have holy days, the Muslims demand unfettered access to the Temple Mount, the Jews, in turn, want access to their most sacred sites.

In what is too familiar, the women are the ones at the gates screaming and trying to block any Jews from entering, the Muslim males then react violently when the Israeli police remove the women to give access. Riots started, many times aided by the Jordanian Waqf, the authorities Jordan places on the mount due to a treaty with Israel.

Ariel Sharon (now deceased) Visit to Temple Mount

This has gone on since Sharon visited the Temple Mount, the Muslims rioted due to a Jew dared to visit the site, and thus the conflict has continued. To try to ease the problems Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan, giving Jordan control of the mount, but Israel remains in control of the whole area.

The problem has grown worse since Jordan this year decided in response to Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel to hand over 40% of the seats of the Counsel Of Administrators to the “Palestinians,” they, in turn, are now even advocating a more violent resistance.

The new members include the Palestinian Authority’s illegal governor in Jerusalem Adnan al-Husayni; P.A. official Khatem Abdel Kader; controversial Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Hussein; President of Al-Quds University in eastern Jerusalem Imad Abu Kishek; and Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a religious leader with ties to the ruling Turkish regime.

Thus we see far more radical stances due to ties of these people on the council. Adnan Al-Husayni is appointed as governor of all of Jerusalem, but in reality, this is just a political ploy by the Palestinian Authority, he has ZERO political power in the city, it is run and controlled by Israel. This family has a long history of anti-Jewish activities, including Mohammed Amin al-Husseini who later worked with the Fascist, wrote of his intent to bring death camps, or concentration camps to Israel if the Germans won the war.

Muhammad Ahmad Hussein - current Mufti of Jerusalem

Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, who is the current Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, is also on the board, this is also a great cause of concern. He has stated that claim of the Temple existed is a fiction, that the mosque has existed on the site for 3,000 years. The problem with this is that the mosque was built in 705 CE, then destroyed and rebuilt in 746 CE, this would put this question as a lie since this was only 1,300 years ago.

Hussein was appointed Mufti by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2006 and has a history of making incendiary remarks. Three months after his appointment, Hussein endorsed Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis, calling the attacks “legitimate resistance.” This past summer, he condemned Israel’s decision to outlaw the Murabitin, an Islamic group whose members often harass non-Muslim visitors at the Temple Mount, saying that Jews will now be allowed to defile al-Aqsa Mosque. His language was echoed by Abbas last month.

In 2015, Hussein laid a wreath at the grave of Haj Amin al-Husseini, a former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and an indicted war criminal and Nazi collaborator who incited deadly riots against Jews in pre-state Israel by spreading false rumors that they threatened Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Haj Amin al-Husseini (then Grand Mufti of Jerusalem) meets with Adolph Hitler

Imad Abu Kishek is another member, he is a professor of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, is an administrator, and very active in the Palestinian activities, but to say he has ties to any terrorism, I can not say, I have found no ties to radicals.

There is also Sheikh Ekrima Sabr, who has ties to the Turkish Ruling regime, which brings us back to why Turkey is trying so desperately to gain back control of what they used to have, would also explain their threats towards Israel.

This is the same person that used to be the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, called for Britain and America to be destroyed, in a sermon said:

“Allah, destroy the US, its helpers, and its agents. Allah, destroy Britain, its helpers, and its agents. Allah, prepare those who will unite the Muslims and march in the steps of Saladin.”

Sheikh Ekrima Sabr (former Jerusalem Grand Mufti)

He has advocated for children to be suicide bombers, supported their use while Mufti, said the Holocaust was a lie, a Jewish invention, said:

“The Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom”. He has also previously said that: “The younger the martyr – the greater and the more I respect him.”

He also said:

“The Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom.”

In addition to calling for the destruction of America and Britain, he has said Jews are “the most cowardly creatures Allah has ever created”, adding that he is “filled with rage toward the Jews”.

This is what Jordan has put on their board, the farce that they are trying to maintain peace with Israel shows just the opposite. By adding these people to the board, then wondering why the sudden uptick in violence, we see the reaction of Jordan to Trump doing what the law stipulates, the moving of radicals to run things on the Temple Mount.

Former Saudi General Visits Israel. (General is one with Striped Tie).

Jordan has recreated the board, expect things to turn far more violent, may even be pushed to the point that Israel will not find the treaty with Jordan able to be kept due to their interference on the Temple Mount and their own internal affairs.

Adding to this fuel, The Palestinian Authority, who are complaining that they don’t have enough funds, are now promising they are going to increase their “Pay to Slay” payments to families of terrorist, and terrorist sitting in Israeli prisons.

There could be a light at the end of the tunnel, the Saudi’s, who are opening relations with Israel, Israel even sold them Iron Dome to aid in protecting them from Houthi rebels firing rockets at Saudi Arabia, now they are talking about the possibility of the Saudi’s taking over control of the Mount. They have said there should be nothing to prevent the Jews from praying or worshiping on the mount. This would be a change from the Jordanians who have actively encouraged violence against the Jews.

______________________

Ocensor.com

Expert: Gold Dome of the Rock Not Where Jewish Temples Stood

Here is some interesting news sure to be of interest to fellow Christian Zionists and Jews interested in building the Third Temple: Rabbi Harry Moskoff believes the original first two Temples can be located on the Temple Mount other than the defiling Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa Mosque.

A term Christians should become familiar in relation to Judaism – Hashem:

What is Hashem?

A name for God that simply means "the Name."

Hashem is a Hebrew term for God. Literally, it means “the name.” In the Bible the Hebrew word for God is made up of four vowels, and according to tradition it was only pronounced on Yom Kippur by the High Priest. Saying God’s name was considered a very serious and powerful thing, so much so that one of the Ten Commandments prohibits us from saying God’s name in vain. As a result, people have come up with various substitutions.

When reading Torah, we generally substitute the word Adonai for the four letter un-pronounceable name of God. Outside of reading Torah and praying, God is often referred to as Hashem, a creative way of not saying God’s name. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, it’s kind of the opposite of how Voldemort was referred to as “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

There are many other names for God in Jewish tradition, including Adoshem, Yah, Yahweh, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, El Shaddai, Av Harahamim, and Harahaman. (Hello My Name is -- Hashem; My Jewish Learning)

JRH 1/10/19

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Expert: Gold Dome of the Rock Not Where Jewish Temples Stood

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz

January 9, 2019, 2:18 pm

Breaking Israel News

“Then Shlomo began to build the House of Hashem in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriah, where [Hashem] had appeared to his father David, at the place which David had designated, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite”. II Chronicles 3:1 (The Israel Bible™)

[Blog Editor: Here is an alternate translation for Christian Zionists unfamiliar with “The Israel Bible” translation:

3 Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where ^[a]the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan^[b] the Jebusite. (2 Chronicles 3: 1 NKJV)]

View of the Temple Mount (Credit: David Brummer/Breaking Israel News)

A Temple Mount expert, a rabbi who has been studying the subject for years, combined his knowledge of Jewish sources and archaeology and arrived at the conclusion that the Jewish Temples did not stand where visitors now see the prominent golden Dome of the Rock.

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. To be more precise, the site draws its sanctity from the two Temples that once stood there. Their precise location is a source of great debate and many Jews refrain from entering the site lest they enter areas that were restricted to Kohanim (priests) who were on the proper level of ritual purity. Knowing the precise location of the Temples would permit all Jews to ascend to the site as well as pave the way for a Third Temple to be built. Jews who ascend the Temple Mount frequently look to the golden dome as the focal point, believing the two Jewish Temples stood precisely there with the large stone, the centerpiece of the Muslim shrine, as the base for the Holy of Holies.

Rabbi Harry Moskoff, the author of the A.R.K. Report, has come to a different conclusion; the Dome of the Rock is close but not on spot. His 20-year search has led him through many possibilities.

Temple Mount at Dawn (Credit: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Breaking Israel News)

‘At first, I thought it was in the northern end of the Temple Mount,” Moskoff told Breaking Israel News. He based this on the research of Professor Asher Selig Kaufman of Hebrew University, who was considered one of the leading experts on the subject until he passed away. Moskoff corresponded with the professor regarding his theory. “He believed the Holy of Holies was located where the Dome of the Spirits now stands.”

The Dome of the Spirits, Bir al-Arwah in Arabic, is a partly natural, partly man-made cave. What lies beneath the surface is unknown as the Muslim authorities refuse to allow even cursory observations on the Mount.

Moskoff then began to investigate the theory proposed by archaeologist Tuvia Sagiv who held that the Holy of Holies stood where the al-Qas (cup) Fountain now stands, much further south than the Dome of the Spirits. The fountain is the main ablution located between the Dome of the Rock and the silver-domed Al Aqsa Mosque. The fountain was originally supplied with water from Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem, but water is now supplied by pipes.

“Each theory stood on the merits of its proofs but when combined, some of the proofs each man brought canceled out the other theory,” Moskoff said. Moskoff decided to continue his search for a location that would satisfy all the proofs. But what had been made clear to was that the Dome of the Rock did not satisfy any of the proofs.

“When it was built in the seventh century, the Caliph Abd al-Malik ordered it built. He asked the Jews of Jerusalem where the Temple had stood. He saw the ruins of the ruins of the Roman Temple of Jupiter that was built by Hadrian after the second Bar Kochba Revolt in the second century. The Jews intentionally misled him, telling him that those ruins were indeed the remains of the Jewish Temple.”

Moskoff emphasized that the Dome of the Rock is shaped like a Byzantine shrine and not like a typical mosque and does not face Mecca. He noted that the layout of the Dome of the Rock in relation to Al-Aqsa Mosque is identical to a temple of Jupiter found in Lebanon.

The Mishnah (oral law) states explicitly that the Holy of Holies was not in the center of the Temple Mount. Moskoff pointed out that topography was altered at several stages in history; during the reign of the Hasmoneans and 200 years later by King. The Bible states that Solomon built the Temple on the mountain.

Then Shlomo began to build the House of Hashem in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriah, where [Hashem] had appeared to his father David, at the place which David had designated, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. II Chronicles 3:1

“The verse states that it was on the mountain,” Moskoff said. “It does not specify that it was at the top of the mountain. The Temple was located on a threshing floor bought by King David. These are not located on mountain tops. In the days of Solomon, the peak of the mountain was located where the Dome of the Rock is.”

Sculpture of Maimonides – the Rambam – in Cordoba, Spain. (Credit: Shutterstock.com)

Moskoff also cited a personal account recorded by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides and by the acronym Rambam who was the foremost Torah authority of the 12th century. The Rambam visited Jerusalem and ascended the Temple Mount, entering the Dome of the Rock.

“The Rambam would not have entered the building if he thought it was the location of the Holy of holies,” Moskoff asserted.

Combining all of the archaeological hints and based on the Jewish texts, Moskoff came to the conclusion that the Holy of Holies stood to the southwest of the Dome of the Rock.

It is interesting to note that his theory indicates the First Temple was tilted at an axis of 6.1975 degrees to the north of east in order to directly face the sun as it rose on Mount Moriah. The Second Temple was built on an axis of 5.971 degrees north of east. The change in alignment was due to the 70 years separating the destruction of the first Temple from the construction of the second. Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, one of the leading Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbis, and several other leading rabbis have written decisions agreeing with Moskoff’s theory.

If proven accurate, Moskoff’s theory would permit the construction of a structure for Jewish worship without infringing on the Muslim structures currently at the site. Moskoff is working to bring his theory to the attention of Israeli politicians.

“Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount needs to be advanced,” Moskoff said. “It is important for the Arabs to know that we are intensely interested in the site.”

He related an experience in which he witnessed a senior Palestinian politician addressing a group of foreign press in Hebron.

Jews gather at the Cave of the Patriarchs for the Slichot prayers before Rosh Hashana. (Credit: Hebron Fund)

“It’s clear to us that the real Jews aren’t interested in Hebron. The Palestinian official said to the press. “They don’t consider it to be part of Israel. The only Jews who care about Hebron are the settlers in jeans and sandals with their tzitzit hanging out. The real Jews, the ones who wear black, the rabbis, they stay away.”

Moskoff learned a deep lesson from this.

“If we turn our backs or are the least bit apathetic about any part of Israel, even the places that are the most holy and important to us, we will lose them,” Moskoff said. “We need to show an intense interest in the Temple Mount. We can’t just walk away or shrug our shoulders because the Arabs are there.”

HELP RECLAIM THE TEMPLE – SIGN UP TO BE PRAYED FOR

Moskoff’s theory would permit Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount without fear of wandering into forbidden areas. But as a Kohen (a descendant of Aaron and a member of the priestly caste) Moskoff warns that visiting the site is not to be treated lightly and only recommends it under specific conditions. A person who intends to ascend should prepare themselves physically and spiritually. Jews are required to immerse in a mikveh (ritual bath) and may not wear leather shoes. While on the site, a proper level of reverence must be maintained and the sanctity of the site must be recognized.

“This last point shouldn’t be a problem,” Moskoff noted. “If you have eyes to see Hashem in this world, the place glows with holiness.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Rabbi Moskoff has spent many years researching the subject but, as the article noted, the Muslim authorities refuse to allow any observations or archaeological research at the site. The article was intended to present Rabbi Moskoff’s theory but at this point in time, it remains a theory. Anyone who has any questions regarding the precise locations of the areas permitted to Jews on the Temple Mount is urged to consult their preferred rabbinic authority. 

____________________

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An Intro to a Third Temple

John R. Houk

© December 3, 2018

As a Christian Zionist, I am in the crowd that believes the building of a Third Temple will be another evidence of the nearness of Christ the Lord’s return initiating the final plans of Heaven on Earth.  

The chain of events from a Christian perspective has the Third Temple built which is then desecrated by old Satan:

2 Thessalonians

2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of ^[a]Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of ^[b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Revelation 11

11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. ^[a]And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. ² But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (2 Thessalonians 2: 1-4, 9-12; Revelation 11: 1-2 – NKJV)

The Good News: Christ returns with a New Jerusalem and New Heaven placed on Earth:

Revelation

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. ² Then I, ^[a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the ^[a]great city, the ^[b]holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

22 And he showed me a ^[a]pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the ^[a]Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 21: 1-4, 10-11; 22: 1, 12-13 – NKJV)

Yeah, I know, that’s a lot of Bible to show a coming Third Temple. Trust me, the above Scripture is only a drop in the bucket to a much larger amount of Scripture that exists.

Now, this is what began my thoughts on a Third Temple. I just read a WND article is prepared to consecrate an altar for the Third Temple.

I also realize a reality check suggests the only way to build a Third Temple is remove/tear-down the Dome of the Rock – the mosque planted by Muslims on the Temple Mount. Here two sources for background on the Third Temple Movement:

o   The Third Temple: When will it be built?

o   End-Time Prophecy: Why is the Third Temple so Important?

As if those sources above don’t pique your interest, now here’s the WND cross post Temple altar story.

JRH 12/3/18

So readers, I’ve been using a seven year old laptop to fulfill the

old blogging habit. My lovely wife sprang for an upgrade.

I’m a relatively small-time blogger but with a consistently

growing readership despite some token censorship from the

liberal-oriented blog and social platforms.

Still looking to defray Christmas costs.

Whatever my readers can

chip in will

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NATIONS INVITED TO CONSECRATION OF ALTAR FOR 3RD TEMPLE

Given opportunity 'to participate in the Temple and to receive its blessings'

December 1, 2018

WND

Temple Mount & Western Wall

The newly re-created Sanhedrin in Israel is planning a ceremony to consecrate a stone altar prepared for use in the Third Temple, and it has released a declaration intended to be an invitation for other nations to participate in the Temple “and to receive its blessings.”

According to Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz’ report in Breaking Israel News the altar has been prepared with stones made of aerated concrete and “fit for use in the Temple.”

The current stones are in loose form ready to be moved to the Temple Mount and stored so they would be available “at a moment’s notice,” but there also are plans to re-create the pieces from actual stones, considered the “ideal material from which to build the altar.”

The Sanhedrin is the re-creation of the ancient legal council that advised in Israel during biblical times. It earlier invited Arab nations to prepare for their role in the construction of a Third Temple.

They were invited as “sons of Ishmael.” Ishmael, in the Bible, is the first son of Abraham, by his wife’s maid, Hagar. Abraham is the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Isaac was the second son, and Judaism and Christianity trace roots through him. Islam claims its heritage through Ishmael.

The newest move will include during Hanukkah a full-dress reenactment of the daily offering.

“The location is still unclear as the Jerusalem municipality is weighing security concerns that a Jewish ceremony of this sort will precipitate Muslim violence if performed in view of the Temple Mount,” the report said.

“Also at question is whether the Kohanim will ritually slaughter a lamb or whether prepared meat will be brought. Though the Sanhedrin has received all of the necessary permits from the government organizations in charge of slaughtering animals, they are still waiting for the municipality to approve that part of the ceremony. In either case, the meat will be roasted on the newly consecrated altar.”

A large menorah will be lit as part of the ceremony, the report said, and Rabbi Hillel Weiss explained the significance of the ceremony being held on the last day of Hanukkah.

“According to Jewish tradition, the tabernacle and Aaron the Priest were consecrated for service on the last day of Hanukkah,” Rabbi Weiss explained to Breaking Israel News. “It is fitting that we should invite the nations to the ceremony since Hanukkah is about bringing light to the darkness. The Jews were meant to do this for the entire world.”

The declaration itself explains, “We are very close to the time about which the prophets of Israel prophesied that the God of the world who created everything will be called by the world in the name of the God of Israel, for only the people of Israel remained attached to Him.”

It continues, “Anyone who wants to accompany us, to be a partner in serving God, and to connect with his people, must be a believer in the God who was revealed at Sinai, and to be as the people of Israel who were present there and preserved this status to this day.”

WND reported earlier this year that the organization and others were minting a special edition “70 Year Redemption Coin” to raise funds for the Third Temple.

Others were the Mikdash (Temple) Educational Center and the United Temple Movements.

The Trump-Cyrus coin, which honored two Israeli foreign heroes – one present and one past – came following President Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.

________________________

An Intro to a Third Temple

John R. Houk

© December 3, 2018

________________________

NATIONS INVITED TO CONSECRATION OF ALTAR FOR 3RD TEMPLE

© Copyright 1997-2018. All Rights Reserved. WND.com.

The Myth Of Jerusalem’s Holiness To Muslims

I believe President Trump failed to move the U.S. Embassy due to massive political pressure from camps that pay homage to Palestinian lies and from the political Establishment too concerned with acerbating conflict with Muslim-Arab allies that align with American National Interests against ISIS and Iran.

I believe the official reason given – to promote peace between Israel and the Arabs claiming to be Palestinians is bogus.

Along the lines of bogus Palestinians, authors Klein and Dr. Mandel explain the fake Palestinian and Islamic claim in general that Jerusalem is holy to Muslims. It is a Muslim lie to perpetuate conflict with the Jewish State of Israel.

JRH 6/2/17

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The Myth Of Jerusalem’s Holiness To Muslims

By Morton A. Klein and Dr. Daniel Mandel

8 Sivan 5777 – June 2, 2017

Jewish Press

Having just marked the 50th anniversary of Israel’s reunification of Jerusalem, there is no better time to focus on the propaganda myth that Jerusalem is a holy city to Muslims.

The Muslim fixation and clamor on Jerusalem is actually a very recent development – a product of political conflict, not historical truth.

Jerusalem rates not a single mention in the Koran, and Muslims face Mecca in prayer. In the 7th century A.D., the Damascus-based Umayyad rulers built up Jerusalem as a counterweight to Mecca. This is when the important Muslim shrines the Dome of the Rock (691) and the Al-Aqsa mosque (705) were intentionally built on the site of the destroyed biblical Jewish Temples – a time-honored practice to physically signal the predominance of Islam.

Yet references in the Koran and hadith to Muhammad’s night journey to heaven on his steed Buraq from the “farthest mosque” couldn’t mean Jerusalem, because the Koran refers to the land of Israel as the “nearest” place. It couldn’t have been a reference to the Al-Aqsa mosque, for the simple reason that Al-Aqsa didn’t exist in Muhammad’s day.

With the demise of the Umayyad dynasty and the shift of the caliphate to Baghdad, Jerusalem fell into a long decline, scarcely interrupted by occasional bursts of Muslim interest in the city during the Crusader period and the Ottoman conquest. Mark Twain, visiting in 1867, described it as a “pauper village.”

Jerusalem did, however, become a Jewish-majority city during the 19th century. The 1907 Baedekers Travel Guide lists Jerusalem with a population of 40,000 Jews, 13,000 Muslims and 7,000 Christians. Jerusalem meant so little to the Ottomans that, during World War I, they let it fall into British hands without a fight and even contemplated entirely destroying the city before pulling out.

When did Jerusalem become a passionate Islamic issue? Only with the Arab confrontation with Zionism in the 20th century. It was Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini, a vociferous anti-Semite and later Nazi collaborator, who expended enormous energy to focus Islamic attention on the city.

Seeking to foment a Muslim war on British Palestine’s Jews, he fabricated a tradition that the wall to which Muhammad was believed to have tethered his steed Buraq was not the southern or eastern walls, as Muslims had asserted for centuries, but the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site. (The Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian status quo agreement forbids Jewish prayer at the religion’s holiest site, the Temple Mount.) This turned the Western Wall into a flashpoint.

The massive Arab assault on Jews across British Palestine in 1929, in which 133 Jews were murdered and hundreds more maimed, was triggered by false rumors that Jews had attacked, or were intending to attack, the mosques atop the Temple Mount.

Strangely, even under the mufti, the Temple Mount was still recognized by Muslims as the site of the biblical Jewish Temples. Thus, the Jerusalem Muslim Supreme Council’s publication “A Brief Guide to the Haram Al-Sharif” states regarding Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, “Its identity with the site of Solomon’s Temple is beyond dispute.” (After 1954, all such references to the biblical temples were excised from this publication.)

During Jordan’s illegal occupation and annexation of eastern Jerusalem from 1948-1967, Amman remained the Jordanian capital, not Jerusalem. No Arab rulers, other than Jordan’s kings, ever visited.

Neither the PLO’s National Charter nor the Fatah Constitution (the latter drafted during Jordanian rule) even mentions Jerusalem, let alone calls for its establishment as a Palestinian capital.

But today, Palestinian Authority officials deny Judaism’s connection to Jerusalem. PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein sneers at Jews’ “alleged Temple” and insists “Palestinians have an exclusive right…which they share with no one” to the Temple Mount. Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, former chief justice of the PA’s religious court, insists he does not “know of any Jewish holy sites” in Jerusalem.

And the PA uses Jerusalem as a propaganda instrument to incite violence. In 1996, Yasir Arafat used Israel’s opening of an archaeological tunnel near the Temple Mount to incite riots on the basis of the lie that the tunnel threatened the stability of the Al-Aqsa mosque. Twenty-five Israeli soldiers and 100 Palestinian rioters were killed in the ensuing violence.

In 2015, PA President Mahmoud Abbas urged violence over Jews visiting the Temple Mount, borrowing from Haj Amin al-Husseini’s playbook the fabricated claims of Jewish assaults on the mosques. More than 30 Israelis were murdered and more than 200 Palestinians, the vast majority terrorists or rioters, were killed in subsequent attacks and clashes.

When a senior White House official told Bloomberg News that President Trump –reneging on his pre-election promise – would not move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem “at this time” because “we’re not looking to provoke anyone when everyone’s playing really nice,” it gave the Palestinians their latest reason to believe violence over Jerusalem reaps rewards.

Far from aiding the cause of peace, the fabrication of Jerusalem’s importance to Islam enables the instigation of bloodshed. If the propaganda myth persists, expect no change.

______________

Morton A. Klein and Dr. Daniel Mandel

Morton A. Klein is national president of the Zionist Organization of America. Dr. Daniel Mandel is director of the ZOA’ s Center for Middle East Policy and author of "H.V. Evatt & the Establishment of Israel" (Routledge, 2004).

© The Jewish Press 2017. All Rights Reserved.

About Jewish Press

The Jewish Press is the largest independent weekly Jewish newspaper in the United States. The paper, founded by Rabbi Sholom Klass (1916-2000) and Mr. Raphael Schreiber (1885-1980), debuted as a national weekly in January 1960 and quickly won a following for its eclectic mix of Jewish news, political and religious commentary, the largest Jewish classifieds and special features — including puzzles, games and illustrated stories —  for young readers.

For over five decades now The Jewish Press has championed Torah values and ideals from a centrist or Modern Orthodox perspective. The paper has been a tireless advocate on behalf of the State of Israel, Soviet Jewry, and agunot (women whose husbands refuse to grant them a religious divorce), and has taken the lead in urging a greater communal openness in addressing domestic violence and other social ills.

Known for its editorial feistiness, The Jewish Press was politically incorrect long before the phrase was coined. The paper over the years has been home to colorful and thought-provoking writers like Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, Dr. Morris Mandel, Louis Rene Beres, Steven Plaut, Marvin Schick, Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, Phyllis Chesler, Rabbi David Hollander, Paul Eidelberg, the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, as well as former editor Arnold Fine and current senior editor Jason Maoz.

In 2011 the JewishPress.com website and related Internet properties were relaunched as an independent, daily online newspaper, with breaking news and in-depth articles on Israel, the Jewish People and the world. The Internet edition is managed by Stephen Leavitt.

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Chanukah - Christmas, 2016

Intro to ‘Chanukah - Christmas, 2016’

John R. Houk, Editor

Posted December 25, 2016

By Ari Bussel

I am a Christian Zionist. A person decried by the American Left, many if not most Progressive Christians (typically Mainline Christians) and a lot distrusting Jews (I’m guessing among the Jewish Left and distrustful Observant Orthodox Jews.

Being a Christian Zionist means I believe in the sovereign existence of the Jewish State of Israel. AND since I’m a Right Winger that believes Israel is the Promised Land to the Jews, I also fall on the side of the Greater Israel as the Land of the Jews. That belief steps on the toes of a lot of current sovereign Muslim nations and not just the Arabs pretending to be the non-existent Palestinians.

I say all this because I am quite appreciative of my online friends Ari Bussel and Norma Zager who often share the Jewish perspectives on current events affecting Israel and the Jews still spread around globally.

In this case Ari sends a Christmas message to Christians which includes a very succinct explanation of Chanukah which should bring at least a little self-musing by non-Jews of how God Almighty’s hand is upon the Jews – the Twelve Hebrew Tribes – and their God-given Land.

From a Christian perspective, without Jews there would be no Redeemer Jesus the Christ come to save humanity from the curse bequeathed by Adam and Eve to their descendants.

JRH 12/25/16

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My father, Capt. Dr. Bussel, second from left, with friends for life

Chanukah in the Sinai Desert, Yom Kippur War, 1973

Chanukah - Christmas, 2016

By Ari Bussel

Sent 12/23/2016 7:04 PM

In Israel, especially in Orthodox neighborhoods, there are candelabra at the balconies, protected by glass structures, illuminating the surroundings.  For eight days, Israel is lit by light, laughter, play and song.

Candelabra on Balcony

In Israel, freshly cut Arizona cypress trees are being distributed for a symbolic price for the Christian community (and foreign diplomats and the foreign press) to utilize and enjoy. 

This year, terrorism hit with widespread forest fires.  The headlines read, “Israel is burning.”  Yet, all that terrorism achieved is to galvanize the spirit, reignite the determination and conviction and remind us what is really important.

As he called to wish Chag Samech (Happy Chanukah), my friend Brad Greenberg said: “Be thankful there is Christmas; be grateful that you can celebrate Christmas!”

The joy of the season is magnified this year in light of what is happening all around us.  The mere ability to worship, celebrate and enjoy the spirit of Christmas - something we take so readily for granted - is like the light of candles in the darkness:  fragile, uncertain, yet with immense potential to conquer the darkness.

1) Baluza Post  - 14 (002)

In Europe, Christmas is being ushered by terrorist attacks (and if last year is any indication, women beware during New Year).  There are entire areas under Sharia Law with no access to Christians, and there are countries where the name “Christ” is no longer allowed.

Europeans are dying, and their birthrate is approaching negative territory, whereas the immigrant Muslim population is exploding.  Europe is being replaced by Eurabia.

In Israel, the birthplace of Christianity, any connection between the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple with Judaism and Christianity has been conveniently erased by a UN body:  UNESCO declared the place to be a Muslim heritage site.  It may seem inconsequential, but it is not.  The poison is percolating the global mindset.  Another victory has been achieved.

The process of erosion has accelerated:  First, physical evidence has been destroyed when hundreds of truckloads of “dirt” from Solomon Stables on Temple Mount were removed by the Muslim Wakf that manages the place and dumped like trash to a ravine.  Then, the spiritual connection is being destroyed, thus leaving humanity with a mere memory of what once were Judaism and Christianity.

Nine centuries before the appearance of Muhammad, Jews in Judea and Samaria fought the Greeks and prevailed.  Today we are told these areas of Zion Jerusalem are “occupied” by “settlements,” and the UN is planning to send observers and to segregate any product from there by special markings.  (Some eighty years ago, the Nazis used a Yellow Star to identify Jews.  Today, the UN is marking Israel, in preparation to what may come next.)

We already hear the voices that call the Jews to pack their belongings and return to the places from where they came.  Stripped of any connection to the land, Jews may once again become unwanted guests in lands-not-theirs.  The craving of two millennia “for next year in Jerusalem,” the promise “If I forget you, Oh, Jerusalem,” praying toward Jerusalem and the fact that wherever Jews are buried, they always face Jerusalem, are all ignored, as is the Bible, archeology and any historical records.

Once before, the Nazis tried to do something similar.  First they started burning books, then they burned the Jews, apparently refusing to acknowledge history:  Empires rose and fell, and the Jewish people are still here.  The Jews are not vermin or cockroaches; the Jews are a Light Unto the Nations.

The two centuries leading to the Common Era saw the rule of the Greeks.  From 175 to 164 b.c., Antiochus IV (also known in Judaism as “Antiochus the Evil”) was in charge, and the Jews of Israel were being Hellenized.  The Greeks did not want to eradicate the Jews or erase them off the map.  Quite on the contrary, they had a great respect to the Jews.  But they expected the Jews to become one of them, in behavior and thought.

God had to cease, so no circumcision, no Shabbat observance and no other acts unique to Judaism.  The men were to join gymnasiums and dress like the Greeks, and God was to become one of many, reduced to non-being.  Many Jews in Israel followed suit, fully assimilating, but a small group stood firm.

A Jewish high priest from Modi-im rebelled.  Matityahu and his five sons, also known as the Hashmonaim or Maccabim prevailed and ruled until 32 b.c. (the Maccabiah Games are derived from the same word, that abbreviates four words from Moses Song, Exodus 15:11: “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the might?”).

It was that rebellion that is considered a miracle.  A few against many led by Judea the Maccabi.  Two millennia later, a handful rose again, in the Warsaw Ghetto, and for almost an entire month stood their ground against the Nazi war machine.

The miracle of God’s greatness – of a few against the many – is thus remembered and celebrated to this very day.

Another miracle is highlighted.  When the Hashmonaim cleared the Temple (the one that is now controlled by the Muslim Wakf and has apparently no connection to Judaism), the olive oil there used to light the Menorah was not sanctified, and it would have taken time to prepare new olive oil suitable for worship.

Only a tiny tin was found with olive oil that could be used, enough to last for one day.  Another miracle happened, and the olive oil lasted for eight full days (until new olive oil was available to continue the work of the Cohanim – priests – at the Temple).

Thus, to this very day, we light candles for eight days, starting with one on the first night and adding an additional one each night.  These candles are to be watched and enjoyed but not used, so we are not allowed to use them to light one another.  A separate candle is used, “The Server,” or Shamash.

Candelabra

Eight indicates transcendence from the orderly world (the seven days of creation) to the spiritual.  (Circumcision, for example, takes place on the eight day.) 

Thus came about Chanukah, the holiday of miracles.  It is also known as the Festival of Lights, or Festival of Inauguration (re-dedication of the Temple).  We are told (Maccabim Book II) that it was really the Festival of Tabernacles postponed (as it could not be celebrated before the rebellion).  For eight days, we eat potato pancakes (“levivot”) and doughnuts (“sufganiot”), all reminding us the miracle of the oil.

Latkes for Chanukah - Potato Pancakes

Chanukah is not included in the Jewish Bible, but it is mentioned in the New Testament (John 10:22):  It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. (New Living Translation)

Chanukah is celebrated starting the 25^th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev for eight days:  25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31st, 1st.  While the Hebrew calendar is a lunar one, the fact that Christmas later evolved to be on the 25^th of December, “in the middle of winter,” just eight days before New Year, is not a coincidence.

Nor is it a coincidence that this year, when the two calendars (Jewish and Gregorian) identically overlap, we celebrate Christmas Eve and the eve of the first night of Chanukah at the same time.

It is a signal to all of us – Jews and Christians alike – that we are one; we must stand together lest “a house divided falls.”  Our roots are one and the same, making us inseparable.  Also, our enemies do not differentiate between us – to them, we are all one enemy, the army of non-believers, composed of “pigs and apes,” the Saturday and the Sunday people.

So let us celebrate Christmas; let us celebrate the eight days of Chanukah, for miracles happened at that time so long ago and in these very days.  Let us celebrate the Glory and Might of God, Lord of Hosts, for He is our Salvation, our past, our future and our present.

Here is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Christmas greetings (2016):

To all of our Christian friends around the world, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I send you these greetings from Jerusalem. I'm standing in the courtyard of this magnificent International Christian Embassy. I'm so proud of our relations with our Christian brothers and sisters. I wonder for many of you if you remember the experience you had when you first visited Israel, when you saw the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the Via Dolorosa or the Sea of Galilee or Nazareth. I'm sure it moved you deeply.

And it moves us deeply to have this bond with you because we all know that this land of Israel is the land of our common heritage. It changed the story of humanity, it changed civilization. What a magnificent heritage it is. Yet, we also know that it is under attack these days, that the forces of intolerance, of barbarism that attack all religions attack Christians with particular vehemence. We stand with you and I'm proud of the fact that in Israel, this is the one place in the Middle East that the Christian community not only survives but thrives and it's no accident. It’s because of our commitment to religious freedom; it's because of our embrace of our heritage; it's because of our embrace of our common future.  

So please come to Israel. Come and visit me, I'm waiting for you. It will be a great experience for you. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

_____________________

This is the latest in the series “Postcards from America – Postcards from Israel,” a collaboration between Zager and Bussel, a foreign correspondent reporting from Israel.

Ari Bussel and Norma Zager collaborate both in writing and on the air in a point-counter-point discussion of all things Israel related.  Together, they have dedicated the past decade to promoting Israel.

© Israel Monitor, December, 2016

First Published December 23, 2016

Contact:  bussel@me.com

Chanukah’s Chanukiah (candelabrum)