Posted on 10/13/2003 10:29:07 AM PDT by anotherview
Oct. 13, 2003
(Supreme Court of Israel:) Ultra-nationalists barred from Temple Mount
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
Acting on police recommendations, the Supreme Court on Monday barred the leader of the fringe Temple Mount Faithful group, and the head of another small ultra-nationalist organization, from ascending the Temple Mount on Monday morning.
The high court rejected an appeal by Gershon Solomon, and Yehuda Etzion to enter the ancient compound, after police warned that visits by either men could lead to bloodshed at the bitterly contested holy site.
The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims two months ago, after nearly three years when the site was closed off to Jews and Christians due to fears of renewed Palestinian violence. Thousands of visitors have passed through the ancient hilltop in the last eight weeks, with especially long lines at the mount's entrance reported this week during the Succot holiday.
Scores of Israeli visitors who waited nearly two hours outside the compound during the morning visiting hours Sunday were turned away due to the crowd, police said.
On Monday morning thousands of Israelis arrived at the Western Wall for the traditional priestly blessing [Birkat Kohanim]. Due to the immense crowd, police blocked off all entrances to the Old City to private cars.
The court acted not because they feared violence from the Temple Mount Faithful, but because they feared Palestinian violence if anyone but a Muslim entered Judaism's holiest site.
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I agree. However after Benedict Goldstein's attack, the Israeli government's opinion of allowing certain Jewish crazies there is very relevant. Particularly when that government is conservative but walking a tightrope.
In 1994, Baruch Goldstein, a US-born doctor from Kiryat Arba burst into the mosque and shot dead 29 Arabs at prayer before being beaten to death.
Goldstein was hailed by settlers as a saint after he killed 29 Arabs In the poisonous atmosphere of Hebron, the settlers treated Goldstein as a saint, establishing a shrine to him that was forcibly removed by the Israeli Government only in 1999.
The settlers have frequently been criticised by moderate Israelis for acting as a law unto themselves and for provoking tensions with their Palestinian neighbours.
They maintain a tense relationship even with their army protectors, often denouncing as Nazis the troops sent to restrain them.
The town and surrounding villages have also become a stronghold of the radical Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
The mosque and burial shrine are divided and under overall Israeli military control. Muslims and Jews enter the site from different sides.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/issues/1683017.stm
There will come a time when Jews and Christians can worship (or work in tall buildings) without worrying about "renewed 'palestinian' violence" Translation: Filthy muslim terrorists.
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