Mordechai Kedar on the Muslim Attitude toward the Temple Mount

What Trump Does Not Yet Understand: The Arabs and Muslims are Incapable of Accepting Israel as the Jewish State

Trump’s declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city aroused, unsurprisingly, a massive wave of opposition in the Arab and Islamic world for two main reasons – one religious and one nationalist.

The religious reason is rooted in Islam’s conception of itself as a faith whose mission is to bring both Judaism and Christianity to an end, inheriting all that was once Jewish or Christian: Land, places of worship and people. In Islam’s worldview, Falestin in its entirety belongs to Muslims alone because both Jews and Christians betrayed Allah when they refused to become followers of His prophet Mohammed, the punishment for that being expulsion from their land and the forfeiture of all rights to it.

Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims turned churches into mosques, including: The Great Mosque of Ramle, the Beni Omaya Mosque in Damascus, the Hagia Sofia of Istanbul, and many Spanish churches. The reason for this is the belief that Christianity, like Judaism, was nullified by Islam, making churches unnecessary.

The prophets revered by these obsolete religions are Muslims, according to Islamic tenets. That list includes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and others – all of them Muslims. And, according to Islam, Solomon built a mosque, not a Temple, in Jerusalem. The fifteen hundred year gap between the reign of King Solomon and the birth of Islam is of no import to true believers.

Jews and Christians can be protected under Muslim rule by being subservient to Islam in what is known as dhimmi status, deprived of the right to own land, bear arms and, naturally, not allowed to harm Muslims. Dhimmis are forced to pay a head tax (jyzia) and are to be kept in a downtrodden state, as is the Quran mandates. In Islam’s view, Jews are not a nation but a collection of communities to be found in various countries: A Jew in Poland is a “Pole of the Mosaic religion” and a Jew in Morocco is a “Moroccan Arab of the Mosaic religion.”

Suddenly, towards the end of the 19th century, it all changed. Jews began coming to Falestin in ever increasing numbers and the Zionists invented a new nation, the “Jewish People” and decided that the land holy to Islam is their homeland and known as Eretz Yisrael. They built communities and a protective fighting force even though, as Jews, they were not supposed to be allowed to bear arms.

In 1948, the Jews actually declared a state, although they were not allowed sovereignty either, and in 1967, they “conquered” Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem.

They now attempt to pray on the Temple Mount, making it a distinct possibility that Judaism has returned to being an active, live and even dynamic religion. This brings the very raison d’etre of Islam into question, as, after all, Islam came into the world in order to make Judaism obsolete.

Muslims loyal to their religion and aware of this danger cannot possibly accept the existence of a Jewish state, not even a tiny one on the Tel Aviv coast. To them, Israel as the state of the Jewish people is a theological threat to Islam and only later a nationalistic, political, judicial or territorial threat.

Along comes Trump and authorizes Israel’s existence by recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, a double blow for Islam: Trump, a Christian, has granted recognition to the Jews!! This must be a Christo-Judaic plot against Islam, and it infuriates the Muslim world. Trump’s Declaration reminds them (and also several Jews) of the Balfour Declaration exactly a century ago, concerning which the Arabs continue to accuse the world, saying: ‘You made the promises of non-owners to those who do not have the right to be given those promises.”

Accordingly, during the week following Trump’s declaration, we have seen Muslims all over the world expressing their fury at the stamp of approval granted the Jewish State, despite its very existence being opposed to that of Islam. Leader and ordinary citizens, men and women, have been going out to the streets to demonstrate their inability to live with the fact that Trump, a Christian, has recognized the capital chosen by the Jewish nation and by extension, the right to their own land.

Continue reading…

From MordechaiKedar.com [Defunct]

Moshe Feiglin versus the Rabbi Rabinowitzes of the World

Why Did the Rabbi of the Western Wall Prohibit VP Pence from Speaking?

by Moshe Feiglin

The connection between the term “Rabbi of the Kotel (Western Wall)” and the name Shmuel Rabinovitz was created by Yossi Beilin , who in the year 2000, was the Minister of Religion. Beilin appointed to the sensitive position a young man who had never received rabbinical authorization from the Chief Rabbinate. Beilin filled the position with no tender and against the rules of good governance.

He knew exactly why.

A deep chasm gapes between zealous Ultra-Orthodoxy and extreme leftism. But in one place these two extremes meet: in their opposition to any connection between the State of Israel and the holy stature of Israel.

When the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and our nation lost its Land, the Torah of Israel contracted from a national culture to the dimensions of religion, alone. This religion managed to wondrously preserve Jewish identity during the exile.

Classic ultra-Orthodoxy does not accept the Return to Zion in its secular/Zionist garb as a process that conceals within it a dimension of holiness. It is interested in preserving the religion in its exile configuration. It virulently opposes the renewed connection between faith, the Land of Israel and Israeli statehood into an entire culture.

That is why the Temple Mount is detestable to Rabbi Rabinovitz and all that he represents.

Because we can still turn the Kotel into a religious community “shteibel” (small synagogue) – and continue fighting, as we are accustomed.

But we cannot do that to the site of the Holy Temple.

The Temple Mount is the home of the connection between Israeli existence and Israeli destiny. It is the connection that voids the ultra-Orthodoxy of Rabinovitz and the secularism of Beilin.

It would not be a mistake to say that in this respect, the Temple Mount is ‘anti-religious’.

Over the years, Rabbi Rabinovitz has fulfilled his negative mission efficiently, far from the public eye. But this week, he took center stage when Vice President Pence (who is in great part responsible for the Trump Jerusalem Declaration) attempted to fortify Israel’s faltering status in the Kotel Plaza and deliver a speech there.

Suddenly, Rabbi Rabinovitz assumed the stature of a prime minister…something more powerful than the Chief Rabbi and the Pope put together. Rabinovitz prohibited(!) the Vice President of the US from delivering a speech near the Western Wall Plaza (which has no special sanctity) and prevented the fortification of Israel’s sovereignty at the Western Wall.

Make no mistake. Rabinovitz is simply Netanyahu’s puppet. If Netanyahu would have wanted Vice President Pence’s speech, Rabinovitz would have remained silent and would not have dared to endanger his job. And even if he would have made a statement, it would have interested no one.After all, Pence did not turn to somebody called Rabinovitz. Pence spoke with Netanyahu. And Netanyahu answered him through the fig leaf – Rabinovitz.

Why doesn’t Netanyahu want Pence to speak at the Kotel and to fortify Israeli sovereignty there? He simply fears the Arab violence that may ensue. But that fear of asserting Israeli sovereignty corrodes it. If we continue to surrender to the threats of violence from every wild-eyed Arab who doesn’t like Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem – even when the greatest superpower in the world stands behind it – our grandchildren will have to visit the Kotel with an escort of tanks.

So here we have it. All the forces that are betraying Jerusalem – from the Left, from the Right, and from the Ultra-Orthodox – have come together against the best of the nations of the world, who look on in amazement and do not understand why the Jews are turning their backs on their holy city.

הרב גרוסמן: גדולה מלחמת סיחון ועוג מנס יציאת מצרים

גדלות נסי ונפלאות חנוכה

בספר דברים, הרבה מרע”ה לדבר על מלחמות סיחון ועוג כדי להשתיל בלב העם אמונה בה’ ויכולתו לעשות נסים, ולא הדגיש כל כך את הנפלאות ביציאת מצרים, קריעת ים סוף, ומעמד הר סיני. וצ”ע למה משה בחר דווקא לדרוש במלחמות אלו. וראה בשלהי פרשת דברים, ובסוף כי תבא ווילך, שבהן משה חוזר על לקח המלחמות כסימן למלחמות מלכי כנען, והלא היה למשה להזכיר ועשה ה’ להם כאשר עשה לפרעה מלך מצרים.

ויש עוד לעיין בהבטחת הקב”ה לאחר שנתפייס אחרי חטא העגל, הנה אנכי כרת ברית, נגד כל עמך אעשה נפלאות אשר לא ראו בכל הארץ ובכל גויים, וראה כל העם אשר אתה בקרבו את מעשה ה’ כי נורא הוא אשר אני עשה עמך. והלא זה היה אחרי יציאת מצרים, וקריעת ים סוף, ומעמד הר סיני, וייתכן שעד כה לא עשה נפלאות?! ובאמת, מעוצם קושיא זו כתב הרמב”ן שפשט הפסוק הוא שה’ נתן למשה בקשתו להפלותו, להבדילו, ונפלינו אני ועמך, וכמו לשון והפליתי ביום ההוא את ארץ גשן. וקשה, ששורש פ-ל-ה(י) לחוד ושורש פ-ל-א, נורא תהלת עשה פלא, לחוד. והנה בספר שמות  אולי מתחלפין שורשי ק-ר-ה עם ק-ר-א, אלקי העבריים נקרה עלינו ואלקי העברים נקרא עלינו, ומכל מקום קשה.

וי”ל את דעת הר”א בהרמב”ם ואברבנאל, דאין הכי נמי, דעד כריתת ברית זאת, באמת לא הראה ה’ את עצם כחו, והבין את זה משה רבנו שהקב”ה הבטיח לו שהנסים שיתרחשו בכניסה לארץ לעתיד לבוא אכן יהיו גדולים מאד מאד יותר מכל הנסים שהיו מאז, ובהמשך אמר ה’ הנני גרש מפניך אֶת-הָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי, וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי, וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי. ובגלל זה אמר ה’ למשה לפני מלחמת סיחון היום הזה אחל תת פחדך וְיִרְאָתְךָ, עַל-פְּנֵי הָעַמִּים, תַּחַת כָּל-הַשָּׁמָיִם–אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְעוּן שִׁמְעֲךָ, וְרָגְזוּ וְחָלוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ, כי עד כה לא החשיב את נסי שנת יציאת מצרים. וכן אמר משה אחרי הכותו את סיחון מלך האמרי ואת עוג מלך הבשן, ואתחנן אל ה’ בעת ההיא לאמר, ה’ אלקים, אתה החילות להראות את עבדך -גָּדְלְךָ, וְאֶת-יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה–אֲשֶׁר מִי-אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה כְמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶךָ. והעיד משה רבנו שרק אחרי המלחמות האלו, ולא ביציאת מצרים, וקריעת ים סוף, ומעמד הר סיני, ה’ כביכול התחיל באמת להראות את גדלו, וידו החזקה, ומעשיו, וגבורותיו.

ומעין זה אמרו חז”ל שבגאולה העתידה יהיו נסים יותר גדולים מאלה של יציאת מצרים.

וקשה, במה היו נסי ונפלאות המלחמות נגד מלכי האמרי גדולים יותר מאלה של יציאת מצרים וקריעת ים סוף ומעמד הר סיני. וי”ל דבכולם, עשה הקב”ה דרך שאר הבריאות, כגון המים, והצפרדעים, והחשך והלפידים, ובכבודו ובעצמו הכה כל בכור במצרים והוציאנו ממצרים, אבל במלחמות האחרונות ה’ פעל באמצעות ישראל, ומסר גבורים ביד חלשים, טמאים ביד טהורים, ורשעים ביד צדיקים, וזדים ביד עוסקי תורה, ולוחמים וותיקים ביד עם שרידי חרב לא מלומדי מלחמה. וכן כשעם ישראל מנצח במלחמה נעשה שם שמים גדול וקדוש בעולם.

ומזה מובן למה חז”ל יכלו לקבוע שנגמור ההלל (המצרי!) בברכה ח’ ימים דחנוכה, ובפסח רק יום אחד, כי לפי שיטת משה רבנו, גדולות היו הנפלאות האחרונות מהראשונות.

מאתר חידושי אב”י, כאן.