http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=27052I think JTF will agree with the following:
"FP: What are the greatest threats to Jerusalem today?
Gold: The greatest danger to Jerusalem comes from mistaken Western policies crafted on the basis of the assumption that in order to reduce the flames of the rage of radical Islam toward the West, Israel should be encouraged to undertake further withdrawals in the West Bank and even in Jerusalem. I conclude in my book that rather than lowering the flames of jihad, a withdrawal in Jerusalem will likely shoot up these very same flames to unprecedented heights.
What I uncovered is that while Jerusalem was the third most important holy city to Islam, after Mecca and Medina, nonetheless for those engaging in apocalyptic speculation about the "end of days" in Islam, its importance is actually rising. Sheikh Salah is not alone in this sense. There is a widespread literature in Sunni Arab states--some of which has appeared as bestselling books--that anticipates the coming of an Islamic Messiah called the Mahdi, who fights the anti-Christ (known as the Dajjal) in Jerusalem, and then launches a great global jihad. These books do not always have the backing of the religious establishment but they have created important undercurrents that should not be ignored.
Now if Israel pulled out of parts of the Old City--or even began speaking about such a possibility in the context of giving the Palestinians a "political horizon," it would inadvertently be confirming many of these apocalyptic scenarios for many of the masses. I doubt that most Western embassies are aware of these undercurrents and would not be able to warn their governments that they are advocating a policy on Jerusalem that could be at a minimum highly self defeating and my result in what I can a new terrorist tsunami."
Topic: Dore Gold on Jerusalem (Read 2247 times)