Muslims and "political correctness" by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

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No matter who is at fault, the Jews are punished * In the name of "politically correct" dialogue and talk about human rights,

(Published: Moetzei Shabbat Korach, 5776 Saturday, July 02, 2016 10:00 PM)

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha

'Har HaBayit' (The Temple Mount)

On Monday, the Israeli police announced that the Temple Mount would be closed to Jews and tourists until the end of Ramadan. The reason: incessant violent rioting by Arabs against visitors to the site, and police officers. The rioters amass stones, bottles, iron bars and who knows what else in the al-Aqsa Mosque, in order to attack Jews, tourists, and anyone they define as enemies of Islam from within the mosque.

Justifiably, this situation calls for the closure of the Temple Mount to all Muslims, but unfortunately, the Israeli government continues to uphold the long-standing tradition founded during the cursed days of our exile: if the Jews riot, the Jews are punished; if the Gentiles riot, the Jews are punished.

In other words no matter what, and just to be on the safe side, the Jews must be punished because somehow or another, the Jews are always guilty. The next day Jews were banned from going up to the Temple Mount, so instead, the Arabs threw stones down at the Western Wall and an elderly, seventy-three-old woman was slightly injured.

Why Isn't the Al-Aqsa Mosque Closed?

When the Israeli police suspected there were some students in Yeshiva 'Od Yosef Chai' in Yitzhar who were allegedly conspiring to commit a crime, they broke in to the Yeshiva in the name of the law, removed all the students, meticulously searched every room, and took over the study hall for a year and three months, despite it being a sacred place of prayer and Torah study.

If this is the way the police act in the name of law and justice towards a Yeshiva and a synagogue in a Jewish state and in a case of unproven allegations, kal v'chomer (by even greater force of logic) should they act similarly when it is evident that the Al-Aqsa mosque functions as a focal point for global incitement, where small arms and light weapons are stored, and also serves as a regular shelter for rioters; how much more so should the police take over the mosque, remove all destructive weapons, arrest and imprison the rioters and inciters, and close it for a few years until it becomes crystal clear to all wishing to pray in its gates that they must not to dare incite or riot ever again. Instead,

it was the Jews who were expelled from our holiest place in the world for no crime on our part – other than our being Jewish, anathema to the Muslims who forcibly seized the Temple Mount with murderous violence.

Not only did the government not close the mosque, but they continue to allow Muslims to destroy the remains of the Temple, degrade the holy site with soccer games, parties, riots and the uttering of blasphemies. All this under the pretext that the status quo which the Israeli government undertook requires it. All over the State of Israel the status quo concerning the laws of Shabbat, kashrut, weddings, the status of the religious courts, and anything to do with Judaism has been eroded and undermined in the name of human rights, but only on the Temple Mount is the status quo is preserved meticulously – contrary to all rules of justice and human rights.

In short, we continue to accept the basic premise of anti-Semitism that no matter what, a Jew's status and rights are always inferior to any other claim.

A Wonderful Illustration

Here is the opportunity to relate a happy story I heard from an eyewitness to the incident. A traditionally religious couple, both wise and educated, were unable to have children for a several years. They had undergone various medical tests, but could not find a cure for their problem. A relative of theirs suggested that the woman immerse herself in a mikveh (a ritual bath), go up to the Temple Mount according to the laws of purity, and there, whisper a prayer in her heart – perhaps she would be worthy of getting pregnant. After a few months the woman decided to take his advice, and that very same month she became pregnant.

Truth be told, this is not surprising. After all, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world, the 'talpiot' [a compound of the Hebrew words tel (hill) and piyot (mouths)] – "the hill to which all mouths turn in prayer" – and consequently, on the Temple Mount, prayers have more of an impact than anywhere else.

From the Temple Mount to Orlando

The problem on the Temple Mount, the site of our Holy Temple, is the source and prototype of the problem facing the world in recent years. In Orlando, Florida, a Muslim murdered forty-nine people, and wounded dozens more. During the attack, the murderer swore allegiance to ISIS and Islam, declaring that he had killed in their name. In response, U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama and his associates, saw fit to address the issues of gun control, hatred of LGBT, and mental health problems of those suffering from unemployment – but by no means would he agree to utter the words "Islamic terrorism." When a problem is not identified, it cannot be solved.

It's fair to assume that if Israel were to deal properly with the difficult problem of the Temple Mount, closing the mosques and arresting inciters and rioters at the slightest trace of disturbances or agitation, we could serve as a moral and a practical example to the entire world about how to deal with riotous, violent and murderous Islam. The entire world looks to the State of Israel which, from its inception, has had to deal with Arab hatred and terrorism. But when we act feebly on the Temple Mount, many moral and decent people throughout the world believe the problem is unsolvable, and the terrorist attacks continue and are intensifying.

Britain and the European Union

The same problem (Islamist violence), whose name it is forbidden mention according to a considerable number of world leaders, led the majority of UK citizens to vote in favor of leaving the European Union. Even the pollsters and commentators are apparently forbidden to mention the name of the problem, and thus, were wrong in all their assessments.

They fail to understand that the conflict is not a result of different types of food or music, or even because of differing languages or religious practices, but because there are numerous Muslims who hold a fundamental, religious position of hatred and contempt for those who are not Muslim, and this belief permits them to exploit non-Muslims without remorse. This was how they behaved in the past, and there is absolutely no reason for them to act differently in the future.

Blindness in Analyzing the Results of the Referendum

When I read the results of the referendum and the media commentaries surrounding it, I could not believe how "political correctness" had blinded the commentators, to the point where even the so-called "experts" are incapable of analyzing the results correctly. All of them mentioned that among the young voters and the residents of London, a majority were in favor of remaining in the EU, implying that it was the marginal British population that had decided for the "real" Britain – the Londoners – and that adults had decided on the future of the young generation, without having to bear responsibility for their own decision.

I was forced to conduct my own search for various sources of information on the Internet, and I found that by the year 2012, it was already evident that the white British population had become the minority in London, with their numbers standing at 44.9% of the cities' residents. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of immigrants have moved to London. I also found that the proportion of Muslims in all of Britain is approaching 5%, and that the percentage of young people among Muslims is much higher than among the British, such that the young Muslims total about 10%, while among adults, they number only a few percent.

Based on these facts it can be assessed that in London as well, the majority of Brits voted for leaving the Union, but for obvious reasons, the Muslims and other immigrants voted in favor of remaining. However, "political correctness" has stupefied the commentators and politicians' opinions, and as a result, they talk about all different types of reasons – everything except the main problem - the EU's position about Muslim immigrants.

Israel also suffers greatly from the EU's position, which does not recognize our national rights to our own homeland, just like their refusal to recognize European peoples' right to maintain their national character. Should this console anyone – the first ones to suffer from this policy are the EU citizens themselves.

The Settlers: The Vanguard in the Struggle for Morality and Justice

A reader might ask: What can I do in face of all this? There are a number of answers: First, to strengthen ourselves in the study of 'Torat emet' (true Torah); to continue fulfilling the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz (settling the land); to go up to the Temple Mount in purity according to halakha; and at election times, to vote for trustworthy representatives who are capable of advancing appropriate positions.

The learning of 'Torat emet' is the type of study which aspires for 'tikun olam' (repairing the world), i.e., the realization of the values ​​of justice and truth – for the 'clal' (the collective) and the 'prat' (the individual); for Israel, and for all of the nations.

Through the mitzvah of 'yishuv ha'aretz', we fulfill the Torah's values ​​in practice, because all the beautiful ideas in the Torah have no meaning if there aren't Jews who are willing to fulfill them with devotion. In the face of lies, violence, terror and hatred of Israel, stand the settlers; inhabiting the neighborhoods around the Temple Mount and throughout Judea and Samaria, and in their very being, declare to the entire world that there are still men of truth and faith who refuse to capitulate to terror, hatred, and boycotts.

Their enemies falsely accuse them of every sort of libel in the world, but they remain true to their beliefs and values, continuing to work, and to succeed. They do not give up on the right, the mitzvah, or the obligation to settle the land bequeathed by God to their forefathers and themselves, but on the other hand, do not wish ill for any Arab or Muslim willing to act decently.

When the people of Israel, by way of its' Torah scholars and settlers, succeed in withstanding all the pressures, and are able to expand the settlement of Judea and Samaria, this provides all the positive forces in the world the faith, power, and ability not to submit to terrorism and violence, and to be prepared to fight for justice and faith.

The stronger we become in the mitzvah of settling of the land and recognizing its value, the more instrumental we will be in helping the entire world to fight the wicked, and to base their lives on justice, morality, and peace.

Dr. Irving Moskowitz, of Blessed Memory

This column is dedicated to the 'ilui neshama' (elevation of the soul) of the late philanthropist and physician, Dr. Irving Moskowitz z"l, one of the exceptional people who accurately diagnosed the ills of Western society, and understood that the remedy for these maladies comes from the most holy places – from Jewish settlement surrounding the Temple Mount, and from the study halls of the Torah of Eretz Yisrael.