Posted on 09/07/2005 12:42:01 PM PDT by white trash redneck
The Israeli High Court on Monday asked the Zionist Regime to ask the Palestine Authority to "assume
responsibility" for several synagogues left in the Gaza strip's evacuated Jewish settlements.
The court ordered Sharon to "determine whether there is room" to formally appeal to the Palestinian Authority with a request that it safeguards the synagogues in Gush Katif after the final withdrawal of the Israeli occupation.
The powerful religious establishment argued that the destruction of the synagogues would undermine the "safety" of synagogues around the world.
The small synagogues are the last remaining standing buildings in the vacated Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
The Court of Justice last week ordered the army to refrain from demolishing the synagogues after several rabbis petitioned the court in this regard.
The rabbis argued that the demolition of the synagogues would be incompatible with the Jewish law, or Halacha.
According to reliable sources in Ramallah, Israel has asked third parties to convince the PA to agree to leave the buildings intact.
However, the PA said that the task of disposing of the settlements and all that is thereon is Israel's responsibility.
PA foreign ministry official Abdullah Abudllah said any synagogue remaining in Gaza after the Israeli withdrawal would be used as a "pretext" to retain a foothold and intervene in our affairs.
"This is a very sensitive issue. We are Muslims and our religion and traditions don't allow us to desecrate or destroy places of worship.
"But we feel the Israelis are trying to entrap us by leaving these places intact and then tell the world 'look, the Palestinians are destroying Jewish holy places, the Palestinians show no respect for Jewish holy places," he told aljazeera.net.
Abdullah said Israel should dismantle all these synagogues and transfer them to Israel and not try to get the PA involved in its internal problems with the rabbis of the settlements.
"We are willing and ready to help the Israeli government and army dismantle these places respectfully and with dignity."
Earlier, Muslim officials warned that Israel might want to deliberately leave the synagogues intact so that Palestinians would demolish them in order to justify possible future attacks on or destruction of Muslim holy places, such as Jerusalem's Aqsa Mosque.
Jewish extremists have been threatening to destroy the mosque for the purpose of rebuilding a Jewish temple on its site.
Some Jewish rabbis from the religious-Zionist camp, with which most Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem are affiliated, have suggested that the Gaza synagogues be converted to mosques.
This is the view of Rabbi Menachem Froman, Rabbi of the settlement of Tkeou near Bethlehem who enjoys good contacts with Palestinian religious leaders.
"According to our Sharia (halacha), it is prohibited to destroy a synagogue under any circumstances. I know that Muslims and Jews worship the same God, hence, I suggest that instead of demolishing these place, they be converted into mosques," said Froman.
Froman appealed to Muslim magnanimity in relations to treatment of non-Islamic holy places.
However, a number of Muslim clerics have rejected the offer, pointing out that hundreds of synagogues the world over have been abandoned without making a big problem.
For that to be true, God would have to suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder.
--The powerful religious establishment argued that the destruction of the synagogues would undermine the "safety" of synagogues around the world.--
You've evacuated the place. Destroying them is pretty straightforward. This in no way jepardises a synagogue in New York or Berlin..... those areas have not been EVACUATED.
What is the Muzzies do not wish to use them as mosques?
What iF the Muzzies do not wish to use them as mosques?
I think the Israelis are baiting the PA. Shortly, the muslim will desecrate the synogogues just as they would the grave sites (had the bodies not been moved). Israel is setting up another opportunity for the muslims to show the world how uncivilized they are.
Just as they desecrated the Makhpelah.
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