A senseless and irresponsible provocation

According to Biblical tradition (Joshua 24:30), the Israelite leader Joshua (who took over for Moses and led my ancestors into the land where I now live), is buried at Month-heres, commonly associated with the modern-day Arab village of Kifl Hares in Northern Samaria.

Here's what his tomb looks like today:

As you can see, the tomb itself is covered with Arabic graffiti; an indication of the respect given Jewish holy places by the very people who lose their collective minds if a Jew dares defile the sanctity of a Muslim holy place with his presence and/or payers.  Imagine, if you will, the outcry and violence that would erupt if a Jew ever spray painted graffiti on the Dome of the Rock.

Because of the tomb's proximity to our partners in peace, visits to Joshua's resting place are normally coordinated with the army to ensure 'proper security arrangements'.  In the cynical euphemisms of our region, this basically means that for a Jew to visit one of our own holy places, we need to have an armed escort to ensure that the local Muslims don't take offense and express their legitimate indignation by murdering us. 

To illustrate this point, last night four Israeli Jews were on their way home from a wedding when they decided on the spur of the moment to stop off and pay a late night visit to the tomb of Joshua.   As they were leaving the tomb, their car was beset by Arab villagers throwing stones and shouting 'kill the Jews' in Arabic. 

The driver was hit in the head and lost control of the vehicle... ultimately crashing into a stone wall.  The four Jews in the car fled on foot in different directions, two of them dragging the most seriously injured member of their group with them (he was ultimately airlifted to the hospital and listed in serious condition).  The rest escaped with relatively minor injuries, and after a brief scare, when they couldn't locate the fourth man, they were treated at the scene and released.

Now here's the kicker:  Rather than spurring a public outcry, the only reaction to this attack seems to have been from the local army commander who was livid that these foolhardy individuals had dared to pray at a Jewish Holy site without coordinating their visit with his forces.  It should be noted that such requests are routinely denied by the army... again, for 'security reasons'.

Anywhere else in the world such a late night religious visit - however spontaneous -  would be perfectly acceptable.  If anyone molested a Christian who went to pay a late-night visit to a church to give confession, say a rosary, offer a prayer... or attacked a Buddhist wanting to visit a temple to make a late night offering for the continued health and prosperity of his family, it would be international news, and world leaders and human rights organizations would be lining up at press conferences to offer condemnations.

By contrast, when the Muslims destroyed/burned the tomb of Joseph, mortally wounding a soldier in the process and preventing rescue forces from reaching him before he bled to death, the world paid little notice... except to wonder what the Jews had done this time to provoke the Arabs so.

Sadly, a Jew - even in his own country - is expected to tread lightly (if at all) when visiting sites of religious and historical significance.  It is as though we have accepted this diaspora notion that our very presence is a senseless provocation, and that the guarantee of freedom of religious practice (enshrined in Israeli law and the laws of no other country in the region) applies to everyone in our liberal democracy, except the people whose religion has the most irrefutable and ancient regional provenance!

Let Ariel Sharon dare ascend to the Temple mount - the single holiest place in Judaism - and it is used by the offended Muslims as an excuse to launch a multi-year orgy of murder and mayhem. But let armed Muslim terrorists take hostages within the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (arguably one of the holiest sites in Christianity), and it is seen by the world as a legitimate expression of Palestinian self-determination.  And in a laughable turnabout the presence, outsidethe Church, of Israeli security forces attempting to capture the terrorists was called an unwarranted desecration of the site.

It is illegal to practice any religion but Islam in many of our neighboring countries.  But even in places where other religions are allowed to practice openly... it is permission of a very limited nature; a barely tolerate second-class status called Dhimmi. 

Don't believe me?  Go ask a Coptic Christian about his perilous existence and bloodstained history in Egypt... or ask a Lebanese Christian (if you can find one willing to even go on record) what it's like living like a hated (and hunted) stranger in his/her own land.

The Universal Declaration of human Rights, which is so often quoted by the Palestinians and their supporters, states; "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country".  It is inconvenient for some that there isn't an ounce of evidence in the historical / archaeological record to support the presence here of any identifiable 'Palestinian People'.  But what is truly amazing is that those who so often trot out the Declaration of Human rights to bolster the Palestinian case never realize the irony of denying Jews at least equal right of return to a country that was irrefutably ours.

The only reason the State of Israel was established here rather than in Africa or any of a half dozen other suggestions given to Theodore Herzl, is that we were from here... this is the crucible of our very identity as a people... and we have never stopped praying for a return to this place.  Turn over any stone and you will find archaeological evidence of our ancient and unbroken presence here. 

When the 1948 cease fire was signed (creating arbitrary borders that many now want Israel to respect and return to, despite winning two subsequent wars not of our making), it was agreed that everyonewould have access to their religious holy sites, regardless in whose hands they were held. 

We all saw how well that worked out.  From 1948 - 1967 the Jordanians systematically went about destroying Jewish synagogues and holy sites... forcing the Jews to look longingly at the ruins of our holy places through binoculars. 

What is ironic is that many who think Israel is being needlessly argumentative in requiring formal recognition of our national/religious status as a precondition to any peace agreement, fail to recognize that incidents like last nights could not possibly have happened in a region where Israel was universally recognized by our 'peace partners' as the Jewish State.

Since 1967, every religion with even a token representation in Israel has had unfettered access to their holy sites.  Every religion, that is, except Judaism. Here, our very presence is still viewed by the world (and even by many of our own leaders), as negotiable and temporary.  And sadly, the simple act of praying at one of our holy places is still seen as a senseless and irresponsible provocation.

Update: Not surprisingly, Haaretz is now claiming that the crash and injuries sustained by the men were not caused by Palestinian stone throwers (although the article fails to offer an alternative theory).  It does, however, go to great lengths to point out that the men were hassidim (never going to get sympathy from the typical Haaretz reader) and that "Israel Defense Forces stressed that the Israelis entered the Palestinian area without a permit and without prior coordination, and put themselves at great personal risk. Israelis are barred from entering the Palestinian-controlled zone without an army escort". 

Remind me again why Jews making an impromptu visit to a Jewish holy site that happens to be in close proximity to our peace partners is "liable to put themselves at great personal risk?"  Anyone?