Controversial letter, published in Arabic and Hebrew, notes haredi opposition to visiting the Temple Mount; Editor brands it 'bizarre.'http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202633A prominent haredi publication has raised eyebrows with an open letter in Hebrew and Arabic begging Arab terrorists not to attack haredi Jews, by highlighting the fact that most haredim do not visit the Temple Mount.
The letter was published in the haredi weekly Mishpacha Magazine this morning (Thursday), but was quickly branded as "a bit bizarre" by Mishpacha's own Deputy Editor, Aryeh Ehrlich.
It comes after a month of escalated, daily terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces by Palestinians. False rumors that Israel is planning to "change the status quo" on the Temple Mount to allow Jewish prayer have been used as a pretext by many attackers, as well as featuring prominently in propaganda calling for more attacks - despite the fact that Israel has made great effort to clarify that it has no such intention.
Among the many civilian victims haredi Jews have been disproportionately targeted - a fact recently highlighted by Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who relaxed gun licensing rules in part to allow "haredi teachers" to apply for weapons to defend themselves.
The primary reason for this is quickly apparent upon examining the violently anti-Semitic propaganda spurring the current wave of terrorist attacks: Palestinian incitement, both now and prior to the recent wave of attacks, usually features crude stereotypes of black-hatted Jews to illustrate "the Jewish enemy."
"We, the haredi community, have no cause in ascending the Temple Mount at this time. We are strongly opposed," the letter says, in both Arabic and Hebrew.
Topic: Haredi magazine begs terrorists: Please don't murder us (Read 889 times)