Summary of My Analysis Regarding Who Carried Out the Attacks of September 11th, 2001, and Their Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

     I agree with Webster Tarpley's analysis; that the U.S., U.K., Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan collaborated to carry-out the 9/11 attacks. It was an inside job (U.S.) and an outside job (U.K., Israel, Saudis, and Pakistan) at the same time. Israel was one of the countries that admittedly warned the U.S. that attacks were imminent, in addition to the U.K., Italy, and Russia.

     Israeli MOSSAD agents with Sayeret Matkal (counterintelligence) infiltrated existing al-Qaeda cells that were mostly Saudi, and provided them with some of the equipment, funding, and/or training they needed to acquire the materials and skills to take out the W.T.C..One of the "Dancing Israelis" admitted on Israeli TV in 2002, "our purpose was to document the event", which - coupled with the fact that they were seen celebrating on a rooftop, laughing, and taking photos - strongly suggests that they had advance knowledge of the attacks. All five of the "Dancing Israelis" were M.O.S.S.A.D. agents working under Dominic Suter, for a fake moving company called Urban Moving Systems, Inc. (which contains the letters M.O.S.S.A.D. in order). Ostensibly working for a moving company allowed them to possess box-cutters without suspicion; and they were arrested in New Jersey later that day by Officer Scott deCarlo, with box-cutters, socks full of money, and maps of New York City with highlighted routes. The attorney for the Dancing Israelis, who helped them return to Israel without criminal charges, was Alan Dershowitz, who later served as the attorney for Jeffrey Epstein, despite being one of his possible accomplices to sex crimes.

     Larry Silverstein admitted to "pulling" one of the buildings (World Trade Center #7), claiming that it was due to fire damage, and on the advice of the New York Fire Department. He was able to double his insurance money - from $3.5 billion to $7 billion - by claiming that the attacks were separate and unrelated. He first began desiring to own the W.T.C. just six weeks after the first bombing of the W.T.C. in 1993. He was mysteriously absent from the W.T.C. on 9/11, saying he had a dermatology appointment. Silverstein was friends with several past prime ministers of Israel, including Ehud Barak, who was friends with Jeffrey Epstein, and was photographed exiting Epstein's New York City apartment.

     Witnesses stated that a message came over the loudspeaker in the second building to be hit - between the two hits - telling everybody to be calm and remain in the building. And one of the buildings contained what some called a "fusion center"; an F.B.I. headquarters, occupying an entire floor. Some say the attacks were planned from this center, which allowed for easy destruction of the evidence when the towers were destroyed. Just as the computer banks that stored the Pentagon's financial information was wiped out - as evidence - just a day after Donald Rumsfeld announced that $2.1 trillion had become mysteriously unaccounted for.

Written and published on July 29th, 2024.

Would Burning of Red Heifer Really Require Destruction of al-Aqsa Mosque and/or the Dome of the Rock Temple?

Table of Contents

 1. Rabbis to Slaughter and Burn Red Heifer in Holy Land

2. Where I First Heard About This, and Where I First Reported on It

3. Background on the Red Heifer and its Ancestors

4. Why I Am Writing About This Now, and When Will the Heifer Will Be Burned?

5. Background on al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Temple, the Third Jewish Temple, and Prayer at the Temple Mount

6. Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock Lost on Christians and Westerners

7. Post-Script

 

   

 

Content

  

 

1. Rabbis to Slaughter and Burn Red Heifer in Holy Land

     Over the last six months, there has been increased discussion of the prospects that a red heifer will be ceremonially slaughtered and burned by rabbis in the Holy Land.

 

     For example, in December 2023, podcaster Tim Pool posted a video titled, "Reports Say the Red Heifer Was Born, ANOTHER Sign Pointing to the END OF DAYS", and a shorter version of the same video, titled "Why is the Red Heifer So Important?".

     Those videos can be viewed at the following links:
     - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lrCG2QyqUE
     - http://www.youtube.com/shorts/FtTDmqB1-xI

     On April 9th, 2024, Al Jazeera reported that there are five red heifers which could possibly be selected for burning: "They have come from halfway across the world and are kept under tight security and raised according to the strictest rules. They are five pure red heifers without blemish who have never worked, given birth, been milked or worn a yoke."
     http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/9/what-do-texan-red-heifers-have-to-do-with-al-aqsa-and-a-jewish-temple
     The "blemishes" referred to include black and white hairs.

 

2. Where I First Heard About This, and Where I First Reported on It

      In my July 2011 article "A Jewish and Democratic State", I reported that red heifers from America had already been procured, for the purposes of establishing a breeding line of heifers from which a perfect heifer may be selected for future slaughter and burning.

     [Note: That article is available at the following address:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html]

     I wrote:

     "The Temple Institute has made and procured several items which are to be used in ritual services in the Temple. Such services would involve the use of sacred vessels, a mock-up of the Ark of the Covenant, and a red heifer bred to have attributes specifically outlined in the Bible. This red heifer is to be sacrificed, becoming only the tenth or eleventh in history, and its ashes are to be used in order to purify the souls of those who have come into contact with the corpses of the dead, or with their graves.

     "In the last two decades, Christian cow farmer Clyde Lott of Nebraska has assisted the Temple Institute to obtain hundreds of heifers from which the sacrificial animal is to be bred. A candidate for slaughter named Melody was even produced back in 1996, and another was born in 2002, but both were subsequently found to be unsuitable for sacrifice. However, in March 2010, a representative of the Temple Institute claimed that there was [']definitely a kosher red heifer here in Israel.[']"

 

     [Author's Notes: 1) The Temple Institute is an Israel-based rabbinic organization dedicated to restoring the Temple of Jerusalem. Its Hebrew name is Machon HaMikdash. 2) The red heifer to be burned would be the tenth in history, not the eleventh, and its slaughter is not considered by Jews to be a sacrifice.]

     The article from Al Jazeera states that, in 2022, "five red yearlings were donated by an evangelical farmer from Texas, United States, and flown to Israel as [']pets['] to get around restrictions on importing live animals as livestock at the time."

     That article did not mention Clyde Lott by name, but considering that Lott is from Nebraska (and also has ties to Mississippi) rather than Texas, it's possible that either a second farmer donated red heifers, or else that the article from Al Jazeera accidentally misnamed the home state of the farmer who provided the cows.
     There are several sources which specifically name Texas as the home state of the cows. One source was Bashem Youssef, and the other is the following article from CBSNews.com, titled "What these red cows from Texas have to do with war and peace in the Middle East""
     http://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-war-hamas-red-heifers-from-texas-jerusalem-jewish-temple-al-aqsa/

 

     I wrote that article shortly after becoming aware, in either 2010 or 2011, that there were ongoing attempts to rebuild the Temple in either 2010 or 2011, when I saw a video on YouTube by a young Christian man (who was at that time about 20 years old) saying that he had interviewed a rabbi whom had told him that rabbis in Israel were interested in procuring red heifers.

     I read a rumor, somewhere online - after that video was posted - alleging that the young man had not been heard from since coming out with the news about the heifers. Essentially, he had "disappeared", according to some people following the story at the time. I did not mention that young man, in my original article, because I was unable to find his name, or the video. But that is how I became aware of this story.

     It is worthwhile to note, here, that - prior to 2010 - it was not exactly a secret that some rabbis wanted to rebuild the Temple. After all, there was an attempt to lay a cornerstone for the Jewish temple twenty years prior to that date.
     [Note: There will be more information on that towards the end of section 5 of this article.]

     As would be expected, when it comes to a news story steeped in biblical history, some explanatory background will be necessary here; specifically, regarding why these red heifers are being procured, and what making use of them would require and entail.

3. Background on the Red Heifer and its Ancestors

     In Jewish tradition, the blood of a red heifer - and the ashes of a ritualistically slaughtered and burned red heifer, mixed with water (creating the "Waters of Sanctification") - can spiritually purify people who have come into contact with the corpses of the dead. But the red heifer chosen must not have any blemishes, nor may it have ever carried a burden.

     The first burned heifer in modern history would be the tenth in history to be burned; at least, from the Jewish perspective.

     According to John J. Parsons's article - quoting "Mishnah, Parah 3:5" - this tenth red heifer will be the final red heifer, and will be burned by Mashiach himself "at the time of the rebuilding of the future Temple".
      According to the article "The Tenth Red Heifer: The Superiority of Yeshua's Sacrifice" (by John J. Parsons, writing for Hebrew4Christians.com), the Christian view is that Jesus was (or at least symbolized) the tenth heifer.
     The article at the following link contains some information about the first nine red heifers that were burned (the last of which was burned in the first century A.D.):
     [Source: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Tenth_Red_Heifer/tenth_red_heifer.html]
     That Christian view also holds that Jesus is not only the heifer, but also the new Temple.

     While that disagreement exists, there are also people - some of whom describe themselves as "Jews for Jesus" or "Messianic Jews" - who would say that Christians have an obligation to attempt to fulfill as much of Jewish law as possible, including burning the red heifer and rebuilding the Third Temple.
     One such pastor, Texas-based Byron Stinson, whom I e-mailed - and whom supports the burning of the heifer, and Christians' involvement in it - said that it's not that the heifer's burning is necessary because Jesus's sacrifice wasn't enough; it was enough. It's just that - according to Stinson - despite the fact that burning the red heifer isn't necessary to honor Jesus's sacrifice, that doesn't mean it's the only thing that Christians are commanded to do to honor Jesus (while Jews honor the Father). Stinson argues that Christians - all Christians - are still called-on and obligated by their Creator to fulfill as many of the 613 or 618 commandments of the G-d of Abraham.
     The following passage from the Bible helps explain and clarify that perspective. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

      [Note: You can learn more about Byron Stinson by visiting his website, which can be found at the following link:

  http://www.byronstinson.me]

     Based on the information that I gathered while writing "A Jewish and Democratic State" - as well as the articles that I am reading today - the burning of a red heifer is supposed to precede the construction of the Third Temple of Jerusalem.
       According to "a senior Palestinian source in contact with Hamas leadership", "the slaughtering of the red heifers" ... is "the signal to rebuild the Third Temple".
     [Source: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-west-bank-settlers-red-cows-third-temple]
     Presumably, a fair number of Muslims share this view.

    The following article from the Temple Institute clarifies that the heifer will not be slaughtered in the Temple, specifying that it is to be slaughtered and burned at the "Mount of Anointment", which is located on the Mount of Olives.
     http://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-numbers-19/
     Evidently, this means that the Temple does not need to exist - in whole or in part - in order for the red heifer to be slaughtered. But for the Jews, it is the next logical step, and an eventuality, and a hope.
     Tennessee-based Christian evangelical preacher Perry Stone cautions that the burning of a red heifer "does not mean the immediate rebuilding of the Temple". 

     What this all means is that Zionist Jews will continue to support efforts to slaughter and burn a red heifer at the Mount of Olives - without needing a Temple (yet) in order to make that happen, and prior to the rebuilding of the Third Temple - but as a signal that the Temple will be rebuilt.

 

 

4. Why I Am Writing About This Now, and When Will the Heifer Will Be Burned?

      The reason why I am writing about this now - beginning on April 11th, 2024 - is that there seems to be a dispute regarding exactly when such a red heifer will be burned.

     In Tim Pool's reporting from December 2023, he stated that the burning will occur on or before Passover (called Pesach in Hebrew), which occurs on April 22nd this year.

     A woman using the TikTok username "karressmarie4" posted a video in March, saying that she had heard that March 29th was the date of the planned burning. However, since encountering that video, I have not seen any information which corroborates her claim.

     Egyptian-American surgeon-turned-comedian Bassem Youssef stated in a recent interview that the red heifers being considered for burning were going to turn three years old on April 10th.
     [Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbsYrZapzqA; see 27-minute mark]
     Readers and viewers should note that, after making this statement - from 27:30 to 27:35 - Youssef refers to the new Jewish Temple potentially being built "over" al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the two mosques on top of the Temple Mount (that is, the group of religious buildings on top of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem). This will come up again shortly.
     [Note: Muslims call Al-Aqsa mosque "Masjid Al-Aqsa". The building was constructed, at first under the leadership of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, between approximately 685 and 715 C.E.. Abdul Malik ibn Marwan died in 705.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Malik_ibn_Marwan]

     According to Perry Stone, the red heifer "must remain unblemished until it is three-and-a-half years old".
     [Source: http://mycharisma.com/propheticrevival/40-year-old-warning-amid-red-heifer-false-prophecies/]

     Stone also notes that the heifer must go unburdened for that entire period of time.
     He cites the Book of Numbers, Chapter 19, when pointing to how such a heifer is to be prepared for burning.

     Presumably, this would imply that the heifers will not be ready for slaughter until October 2024 (depending on who has their information right).

     According to the Temple Institute, the very organization which is making preparations for the burning of the heifer and the rebuilding of the Temple, "The heifer must be three years old and perfect in its redness." However, this same article goes on to say that "The Commandment calls for the animal to be a [']heifer,['] that is, 3 or 4 years old; although an older animal could also be used."

     [Source: http://templeinstitute.org/red-heifer-numbers-19/]

     The article linked above does not contain any mention of Pesach / Passover; nor of any particular date on which the heifer can or must be burned. [Note: The article clarifies that the heifer is not viewed as a sacrifice, saying "...the red heifer is not a sacrifice per se, for it is not slaughtered in the Temple...".]

     What this all means is that, unfortunately, it's possible that - even if we knew which heifer is due to be burned, and knew its precise birth date - we might not be able to figure out even the approximate timing of the ceremony.
     However, according to the article from Al Jazeera, Christian preacher Michael Samuel Smith says that, in his opinion, "the first successful red heifer sacrifice will take place in the spring of 2024 around the Passover to Pentecost timeframe".
     That estimate would put the timeframe at between Monday, April 22nd and Sunday, May 19th, 2024.
     Granted, that span of time is nearly a month long. But it's a more specific estimate than is the guess of Passover and Passover alone; and considering that March 29th and April 10th have passed with no reports of heifers having been burned, it's probably accurate.
     It's probably safe to assume that, if this slaughter happens, then it will happen within a year.

     Setting aside speculation regarding the timing of the ceremony, here's what we do know.

5. Background on al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Temple, the Third Jewish Temple, and Prayer at the Temple Mount

     As I explained above, for the red heifer to be slaughtered and then burned, does not require the rebuilding of the Third Temple beforehand, nor is such a ceremony supposed to take place inside such a temple.
     Moreover, as noted above, Bashem Youssef (a Muslim) refers to the new Jewish temple's potentially being built "over" al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore we can assume that this possibility is being discussed in the Muslim world.
     And, if I'm not mistaken, Bill Clinton may have considered the possibility of building over the Mosque as part of his role in the negotiations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the year 2000 [Note: I wish I could provide a source for this, but unfortunately, I can't remember where I heard or read it.].

     Part of the difficulty Christians and secularists have, in understanding the importance of al-Aqsa Mosque, is the issue of what, exactly, constitutes al-Aqsa. First of all, al-Aqsa is a complex which consists of several religious buildings, and contains both al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Temple.

    [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Aqsa]

     A second difficulty is establishing the previous locations of the First Jewish Temple and the Second Jewish Temple, which are not precisely known. Jews call the First Temple Beit Ha-Mikdash, while Muslim speakers of Arabic refer to this area by a linguistically related phrase; Bay-al-Maqdis.

     http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3216/jewish/What-Was-the-Holy-Temple.htm

     It could be argued that these facts make it exceedingly problematic to declare that any particular portion of al-Aqsa compound must be replaced or destroyed in order to build a Third Jewish Temple. While this fact is detrimental to the Zionist rabbis' argument, it is a fact which does not threaten the safety of Jewish people, because it could theoretically allow for coexistence of Jewish and Muslim sites upon the Mount. Accepting this fact could also help Muslims keep their holy sites (i.e., the two mosques) intact.

     So if the red heifer doesn't require the Temple, and the Temple doesn't require the destruction of al-Aqsa, then why is there this controversy about al-Aqsa Mosque. Why are people worried that al-Aqsa may have to be destroyed (either in whole or in part) in order for the Jewish Temple to be built, if another option exists?

     Perhaps it's because "building the new Temple on top of al-Aqsa" could easily be used as code for "building the new Temple on top of the ruins of al-Aqsa, after it's been destroyed".
     I say this because it is a concern, amongst Palestinians, and a valid one.
     In 2012, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israeli authorities "were preparing models of what they call the Temple, in order to build it on the ruins of al-Aqsa."
     [Source: http://jcpa.org/article/abbas-temple-denial/]

     Additionally, controversy and worry arise from the supposition that the burning of the heifer foretells the rebuilding of the Temple, or at least that its burning precedes and/or allows the rebuilding of the Temple in the order of exegetic events in the Jewish tradition.
     On March 5th, Chris Livesay of CBS News reported that "fervent believers" "insist" that the temple can rise again "only with that offering".
     [Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-war-hamas-red-heifers-from-texas-jerusalem-jewish-temple-al-aqsa/]



     In my article "A Jewish and Democratic State", the burning of the red heifer and the rebuilding of the Temple are both listed as part of the seventh of sixteen sets of events prophesied in the Bible. That seventh set of events is titled "Chapter 7: The Rebuilding of the Holy Temple", in the second part of that article, titled Transubstantiation,
     [http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html]

     As I explained in that chapter, the First Temple (Solomon's Temple) began construction in 954 B.C.E., and was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C.E.. The Second Temple (Herod's Temple) was renovated in 19 B.C.E., and destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E..

     Those temples were located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, in the eastern part of the center of the city. The Temple Mount is located on top of Mount Moriah, and is referred to in Hebrew as Har HaBayit.
     [Source: http://www.ajc.org/news/what-to-know-about-jerusalems-temple-mount-and-the-status-quo-agreement#:~:text=The%20Temple%20Mount%2C%20known%20in,central%20to%20the%20Christian%20Gospels.]

     Muslims call this site "Haram ash-Sharif", meaning Noble Sanctuary.
     [Source: http://decipherblogsite.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/jacobs-ladder-muhammads-miraj/]

     Currently located at that site are the Dome of the Rock Temple (which was completed in 691 C.E.) and al-Aqsa Mosque (completed in 705 C.E.).

 

Image created by Jerusalem Story in 2022
[http://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/article/where-jerusalem-uncertain-and-unfixed-boundaries-city]

     Administrative control over the Temple Mount is currently wielded by the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, a religious endowment and trust. Each the Waqf, the rabbinic authorities, and the Israeli Defense Forces wield some degree of influence and control regarding people's behavior while visiting the site (for example, the manners in which they may dress, whether they may pray openly, and at what times and locations, and depending on whether they are a tourist or a citizen, and depending on their religion).
     Here are some links that explain the conditions for visiting the Mount:

     - http://templeinstitute.org/guide-to-ascending-the-mount/
     - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_entry_restrictions#:~:text=a%20religious%20duty.-,Israeli%20restriction%20policy,can%20visit%20at%20a%20time.

     - http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-107hr2566ih/html/BILLS-107hr2566ih.htm     - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_entry_restrictions#:~:text=a%20religious%20duty.-,Israeli%20restriction%20policy,can%20visit%20at%20a%20time.

     One purpose which the rabbis have in policing behavior at this site is to ensure that people do not trample on the Qodesh Ha-qadashim. This refers to what is called, in Latin, the "sanctum sanctorum" (which translates to "Holy of Holies"), the Tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant is believed to have once rested. According to Britannica.com, the Holy of Holies was located toward the West end of Solomon's Temple.
     [Source: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-of-Holies]
     That spot may only be visited by the High Priest (the Nasi) and only on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Since 1967, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has ruled that Jews must not be permitted to walk on that ground. 

     This is the reason why open prayer upon the Temple Mount is a hotly-debated topic.

     Especially so, prior the restoration of the Temple (by which I mean, between now and when the Temple is built). That's because, when the Temple is constructed, only then would Isaiah's prophecy of its becoming "a house of prayer for all nations" (Isaiah 56:7) truly be fulfilled.
     From what I can glean, the notion that humanity would be instantaneously converted to Judaism via an obvious miracle, wherein all people would suddenly know the word of G-d by heart, without having to read it, is part of Jewish beliefs about the Olam Ha-Ba (which means "World to Come", but is sometimes erroneously translated as "End of Days" or "End Times").
     Hence, if all people suddenly became Jewish - or at least obeyed all of G-d's commandments (or became Noahides) - their prayers would share the same significance, all being directed toward the same god. This would make the presence of people of all faiths - and having their prayer be open, public, or even unregulated - more of an acceptable and viable solution to the so-called "problem" of restrictions on open prayer at the Mount.
     Unfortunately, it's unclear whether Isaiah 56:7 really means that everyone praying at the Temple will be Jewish, or else that people will be free to pray in the Third Temple even if they're praying to a god other than the G-d of Abraham. After all, it says "for all nations", not "for all faiths".
     But that is a discussion which lies beyond the scope of this article. However, you can read "A Jewish and Democratic State" if you would like to know more about my views regarding how to geo-politically interpret these ongoing attempts, by Israelis, to fulfill Jewish prophecy.


     It's probably a safe bet to assume that some of the people whom have ignored restrictions upon open prayer (and other activities) at the mount, are probably not aware of all of the issues which I have mentioned above.
    Such people include the rabbis of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, Rabbi Susan Silverman (the sister of Jewish-American comedienne Sarah Silverman), and Rabbi Yehuda Glick.

     Articles about several attempts by Jewish people to pray at the Temple Mount follow below:

     1. Seventeen Palestinians were killed, and many Israelis and Palestinians were injured, after the Temple Mount Faithful Movement decided to lay the cornerstone for the Temple.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Temple_Mount_killings

     2. In 2013, Rabbi Susan Silverman and her daughter were arrested for praying at the Western Wall while wearing blue and white shawls ("tallilot").
     http://www.nydailynews.com/2013/02/11/comedienne-sarah-silvermans-sister-and-niece-arrested-for-praying-at-the-wailing-wall-in-jerusalem/

     3. In 2015, Rabbi Yehuda Glick urged Jews to ascend the Mount, but within the boundaries outlined in the Midrash. At least eight hundred fifty Jews ascended the Mount as a result of Glick's urging. This article mentions the fact that a man named Dr. Motti Inbari has pointed out that the motives for Jews ascending the Mount include causing the Israeli government to see it as a site which should not be relinquished to Palestinian or Jordanian authorities on account that it is not unoccupied.
     http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-support-widens-for-jewish-prayer-on-temple-mount-should-we-fear-apocalyptic-consequences/



     Back to the mosques.

     The Al Jazeera article mentioned above, is titled "What do Texan red heifers have to do with Al-Aqsa and a Jewish temple?". Written by Mersiha Gadzo, the articles answer to the question in its headline, reflects and summarizes the unease felt by Muslims at the prospect of the red heifer's burning:

     "These red heifers [-] and the archaic ritual they were brought to Israel for [-] stand at the heart of a convoluted effort by a segment of ultranationalist Jews to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam that has stood on a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem for more than 1,000 years, and replace it with a [']Third Temple[']".

     Gadzo goes on to write that a Third Temple "[...]can only be constructed after the coming of the awaited Messiah[...]".
     To be specific, Jewish law obligates the Jewish people to build the Temple, if and when they are able to do so, and the group of people who participate in the rebuilding of the Temple are called the zemach, which means "branch". The zemach is (or are) an expression of the Messiah (Mashiach), and Mashiach is to supervise the construction of the Temple.

     Of course, the difficulty comes when we have to figure out how a Third Holy Temple of Jerusalem is supposed to appear atop the Temple Mount, while the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa are already standing there.
     From the Muslims' point of view, the burning of the red heifer constitutes a threat to destroy those mosques, because that is apparently the quickest and easiest way to make room for such a Jewish temple.
     This is why the discussion of the prospect of the potential upcoming burning of a red heifer, worries Muslims so much. This is a time of inflamed violence between Israelis and Palestinians; especially since October 7th, 2023, since which time some 1,300 to 1,500 Israelis, and over 34,000 Palestinians, have been killed. And a number of other events are happening simultaneously; including the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (as well as a solar eclipse over the United States on April 8th, N.A.S.A.'s ionosphere experiments which involved firing three rockets at the eclipse, and an experiment by C.E.R.N. in Europe).
     Moreover, Muslims in the area are aware that rabbis in Israel are planning to burn a heifer (or heifers). It's possible that this awareness could explain the motivation for some of the attacks originating from the Palestinian side. The reasons which Palestinians would have, to be worried about the burning of the heifer and the establishment of the Temple, include the possibilities that those events would be touted by Israelis as successes which ostensibly prove the Jewish prophecies and religion correct; and that this could potentially serve to justify and excuse further oppression of - and violence against - Palestinians in the future.
     You can read about some of the clashes at - and conflicts over - the Al-Aqsa compound, over the last two years, by visiting the following links:
     1. 2023 Al-Aqsa Clashes:
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Al-Aqsa_clashes
     http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/17/israeli-forces-attack-palestinian-worshippers-at-al-aqsa-mosque
     http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/israel-opt-second-night-of-horror-at-al-aqsa-mosque/#:~:text=Israeli%20forces%20regularly%20raid%20al,cities%20and%20towns%20inside%20Israel.
     2. 2024: Jordan Says Israel's Al-Aqsa Restrictions Risk Explosion:
     http://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-says-israels-al-aqsa-mosque-restrictions-risk-explosion-2024-03-11/

     

     These clashes - and the reasons which follow - show why we should be concerned about the potential for an escalation of violence, surrounding these events - especially the potential upcoming heifer ceremony - whether we are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or even secular or atheist.



6. Significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock Lost on Christians and Westerners

     What I am about to say, I say, not necessarily in order to advocate for the preservation of Christian artefacts in particular - nor primarily in the interest of promoting and preserving Western or Judeo-Christian traditions - but so that people of all faiths may see their holy sites remain intact, and be respected; and so that historically valuable sites may be preserved.

     The reason why the consequences of burning the red heifer would be so potentially dire - for people of faith, and for science-minded agnostics and atheists and humanists alike - is that the Dome of the Rock Mosque (which sits atop the Temple Mount, and is part of the Al-Aqsa compound) is the location where the Crusaders set up their first and most important prayer site, once conquering the Holy Land (resulting in the Dome of the Rock fall under Christian control in the year 1099). The Crusaders called it "Templum Domini", the Temple of the Lord.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templum_Domini

     The Crusaders converted the mosque into a church in 1099.
     http://aleteia.org/2021/06/03/when-mass-was-celebrated-in-the-dome-of-the-rock/

     The following year, Bolduan (born in France in the 1060s) became the first Christian King of Jerusalem, taking the name King Baldwin I.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalem


     According to the same article above - from Aleteia.org - the Dome of the Rock is the same site from which the Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have ascended to Heaven during the famous "Night Journey" or "Night Flight". Muslims call this journey the "Mi'raj", and believe that Muhammad spoke to G-d during this journey.
     It is not universally agreed upon, by Muslim scholars, whether Al-Aqsa Mosque is the site from which that journey began or ended, nor whether that mosque was involved in the journey at all (given that it was not constructed until after Muhammad's death). However, Muhammad is said to have been taken from the "Sacred Mosque" (i.e., the mosque in Mecca) to the "Farthest Mosque", which Muslims generally agree is a reference to Al-Aqsa.
     [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra%27_and_Mi%27raj]
     According to a Muslim commenting on Quora.com, hadiths claim that Muhammad felt that he had a duty to build an Islamic temple on Mount Moriah because the temples of David and Solomon had sanctified the site.

     Also, Jews believe that this is the same site where Abraham - the father of all Abrahamic religions - was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac, but was stopped by the Angel of the Lord (as detailed in Genesis 22).

     Additionally, the Dome of the Rock is named for the rock which is located inside the building, around which the temple was built (serving to protect the rock).
     It was on this rock that biblical patriarch Jacob (son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham) is said to have laid his head, and dreamed of a ladder leading to Heaven.
     This event is detailed in Genesis 28, and is followed by G-d telling Jacob "I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying" (Genesis 28:13).
     http://biblehub.com/genesis/28-13.htm

     But perhaps what's most important of all - to all Abrahamic faiths - is what's underneath that rock (dubbed "the Foundation Stone", and also called the "Pierced Stone" or "Noble Rock").
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_Stone

     And that is the Well of Souls.
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_of_Souls


     Thus, if either Al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock - or both - were to be damaged, then Christians and Muslims the world over - as well as those who value history and the preservation of historical sites - would suffer a tremendous loss.
     That is why this is so important.

     U.N.E.S.C.O. (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) refers to Al-Aqsa by its Arabic name only.
     [Source: http://www.dw.com/en/unesco-approves-resolution-on-jerusalem-holy-site/a-36162918]
     However - and unfortunately - al-Aqsa Mosque is not on U.N.E.S.C.O.'s list of World Heritage Sites.
     [Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/]

     That is the situation we are in.


     So, even if the rebuilding of the Third Jewish Temple is not necessary for the red heifer to be slaughtered and burned, eventually news may come that a red heifer has been slaughtered. And, according to Jewish tradition, the rebuilding of the Temple is to follow.
     And, in the rebuilding of the Temple (whether Mashiach will be around for the beginning of its construction or not), the questions of which particular locations atop Mount Moriah are appropriate for that site - and of whether building a Jewish temple there will require the partial or total destruction of Al-Aqsa compound - will have to be answered.
     But - hopefully prior to that happening - Al-Jazeera writer Mersiha Gadzo and others will caution us that the Mashiach is supposed to return in-between these two events - i.e., slaughter of heifer, followed by burning of heifer, then return of Mashiach, then construction of the Jewish temple - and we should be careful not to forget this fact, because it may come up later. Especially so if rabbinic groups burn a heifer, and then make significant strides towards the construction of the temple, without near-universal agreement among Jews that the Mashiach has come, and regarding what his (or its) identity is.

     Therefore, today - especially considering the recent violence - Mount Moriah and Al-Aqsa compound are under considerable danger.
     That is why it is such a shame that Christians, Muslims, and secular people have lost sight of - and forgotten - what is precious about these sites. The Dome of the Rock has come to be associated so much with Islam, that those who are eager to support U.S. involvement in the State of Israel's wars, have caused us to forget its Catholic, Christian history.
     People who are concerned about this should do anything and everything they can to encourage interfaith dialogue and education about other religions (of course, in a manner which does not directly instruct children and other unwilling people to write or utter prayers of religions they don't wish to practice), or else religious sites of historical significance could be threatened in future wars.
     Until the end of the occupation of the Golan Heights, the cordoning-off and blockading of the Gaza Strip, and the curtailing of liberties in the West Bank, it will always be controversial for Jews to practice their religion freely and openly, and construct monuments, and protest, atop Mount Moriah; and it will always be provocative, in the minds of Muslims, for Jews to attempt to do so.
     Therefore, I would recommend that Jews and Muslims (and other groups) in the area, use communal autonomy and decentralized federations or confederations, to resolve their disputes. That is a method which would satisfy Jewish scriptural recommendations that each community have its own court of rabbis, but that Jerusalem's court does not have universal authority over every Jewish community. Moreover, it would allow Muslims to exercise authority over Muslim-majority communities.
     I would also urge people to familiarize themselves with, and consider supporting, the 1947 U.N. partition plan, which would have made Jerusalem into a U.N.-administered international zone.




7. Post-Script

     Please read my recent article "Israelis' and Palestinians' Unwillingness to Forgive Casualty-Free Attacks Leads to Deaths on Both Sides", which can be accessed at the following address:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/israelis-and-palestinians-unwillingness.html

     You can also read my August 2020 article "Why I Support Autonomy, But Not Statehood, For Palestinians" at the following address:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-i-support-autonomy-for-palestinians.html

     My 2011 article "A Jewish and Democratic State" - which has links to the bottom that lead to numerous other articles I've written on Israel and Palestine - is available here:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2011/07/jewish-and-democratic-state.html

     Additionally, there is a search bar on my blog (located at the top-right of this article and all articles) which will allow you to search for any and all articles that I have written about Israel, Palestine, and any other topic.
     
     

Majorities of Sections 1 through 5
were written, and published incomplete, on April 11th, 2024.

Originally published under the title
"Sacrifice of Red Heifer May Require Destruction of
al-Aqsa Mosque and/or the Dome of the Rock Temple"

Edited and expanded on April 12th, 2024.

Edited, expanded, and completed on May 8th and 9th, 2024.

Anti-War and Pro- Peace in Gaza Protests in Illinois and Wisconsin, Scheduled for Between March 22nd and April 27th, 2024

      The following is a list of protests, in favor of peace in Gaza and in other parts of the world, which are scheduled to take place in Illinois and Wisconsin, between March 22nd and April 27th, 2024.

     This list was compiled by Joe Kopsick of the Green Party of Lake County, Illinois. You can obtain physical flyers, or call to add protest dates, by contacting Joseph W. Kopsick at jwkopsick@gmail.com (by e-mail) or at 618-751-3229 (by text or phone call).

     Sources: The following websites, managed by Peace Action Wisconsin, Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, and Muslim Civic Coalition:

Peace Action Wisconsin (www.peaceactionwi.org)

Facebook page for Chicago Coalition for Justice for Palestine (C.J.P.)
(http://www.facebook.com/groups/chicago.cjp)

Muslim Civic Coalition

(c/o Impact House, 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606)
 (http://muslimciviccoalition.org)

     Click the following link in order to download a three-page .PDF file containing the information below:
     http://drive.google.com/file/d/1p3osXEURYu4_6Ljyef1j2Ruods0wYHj-/view?usp=sharing

Flyer Version; Front Side / Outside / Side 1.

Click, and open in new tab and/or new window,
and download if necessary, to see in full resolution,
and to obtain printable version.

Flyer Version; Back Side / Inside / Side 2.

Click, and open in new tab and/or new window,
and download if necessary, to see in full resolution,
and to obtain printable version.

 

Friday, March 22^nd

- 4:00 P.M.: No Happy Birthday for Genocide Enabler Terrible Tammy Duckworth, with Chicago Coalition for Justice for Palestine (C.J.P.). Rally outside Senator Tammy Baldwin’s birthday celebration / fundraiser. Please wear masks for safety. 222 North Canal St., Chicago.


Saturday, March 23^rd

- 11:00 AM – 12:00 Noon: Driftless Palestinian Solidarity Vigil. In Viroqua at Decker and Main. Email driftless.solidarity@gmail.com for more information.

- 12:00 Noon to 1:00 P.M.: Stand for Palestine, at the intersection of King and North in Milwaukee, with Peace Action Wisconsin.

- 12:30 PM: M.L.K. Plaza, 909 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Racine.

- 5:30 P.M.: 15th Annual Benefit: Iftar Dinner for the Voices of Gaza. At the Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.

- 6:30 P.M.: Potluck Iftar. At the Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.

Sunday, March 24th

-10:00 A.M – 11:30 A.M.: Mohammed Webb Foundation Adult Discussion Series. At Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.


Tuesday, March 26^th

- 11:00 AM: How to Fight the Climate Crisis and Militarism, with Veterans for Peace.


Thursday, March 28^th

- 5:30 – 7:30 P.M.: Bushra Amiwala’s Muslim Civic Coalition Grand Iftar. At Holiday Inn, 5300 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie, Illinois.


Friday, March 29^th

- 11:00 A.M.: Illinois Muslim Chamber of Commerce Suhoor Festival. At Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606

- 6:30 P.M.: Ramadan Interfaith Iftar. At Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.


Saturday, March 30^th

- Noon to 1 P.M.: Stand for Palestine, at the intersection of Cesar Chavez (16^th St.) and Greenfield, with Peace Action Wisconsin. Northwest corner of Highways 20 & 31. Drive into the Kohl’s parking lot, park near the AT&T store. 5502 Washington Ave., Racine, Wisconsin.


Wednesday, April 3^rd

- Noon to 1 P.M.: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War.: Soldiers in Revolt. Ron Haeberle, David Cortright, and Susan Schnall. In Alumni Memorial Union Lunda Room at Raynor Memorial Library. With Marquette University.



Thursday, April 4^th

- 12:30 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War.: Healing War’s Legacies. Chuck Searcy and Ngo Thien. In Alumni Memorial Union Room 227 at Raynor Memorial Library. With Marquette University.

- 6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.: Muslim Association of Greater Rockford Ramadan Interfaith Iftar. At Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.


Saturday, April 6^th

- 11 A.M.: Fox Valley Peace Coalition vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza, at intersection of College and Appleton streets, Houdini Plaza, Appleton. Email ronnajean61@gmail.com for more information.

- 12:00 Noon to 1 P.M.: Stand for Peace, with Peace Action Wisconsin. Location T.B.A.. [unclear whether for peace in Palestine in particular]


Tuesday, April 9th at 9:00 A.M. – Wednesday, April 10^th at 9:30 P.M.

- Eid-al-Fitr.


Wednesday, April 10^th

- 7 P.M.: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed theWar.: Live, online-only screening of documentary film “Sir, No Sir”, and Q&A with director David Zeiger.


Thursday, April 11^th

- 9 A.M. – 12:30 P.M..: Volunteers needed for Peace Action Wisconsin. Visit peaceactionwi.org for more information.


Saturday, April 13^th

- 12:00 Noon to 1 P.M.: Stand for Peace, with Peace Action Wisconsin. Location T.B.A.. [unclear whether for peace in Palestine in particular]


Sunday, April 14^th

- 1:30 P.M.: Rachel Corrie commemorative event, and benefit for Middle East Children’s Alliance, at Alliance Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison. With Madison Rafah Sister City Project.

- 5:30 PM: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War.: Livestream from Wisconsin Historical Society, performance with Vietnamese musician Van-Anh Vanessa Vo, plus documentary film.


Monday, April 15^th

- 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War.: Author Le Ly Hayslip, “child of war, woman of peace”, Vietnam War survivor. In Beaumier Suites B & C at Raynor Memorial Library.


Wednesday, April 16^th

- Noon – 1:00 P.M.: Anti-R.O.T.C. Vigil at Marquette Union Library on WisconsinAvenue. Sponsored by Milwaukee Catholic Worker.


Thursday, April 18^th

- Noon – 12:30 P.M.: Women in Black for Justice Against War’s Weekly Peace Vigil. At Main Street & 4^th Street in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Email dbuffton@yahoo.com for more information.



Friday, April 19^th

- 5:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Monthly Peace Stand in Eau Claire. Meet at Trunk and N. Golf roads. Email helpsmeet@usa.net for more information.



Saturday, April 20^th

- Noon to 1 P.M.: Stand for Peace, with Peace Action Wisconsin. Location T.B.A..


Sunday, April 21^st

- 2 PM: Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War.: Live, online-only screening of Hunting in Wartime documentary about veterans returning from the Vietnam War.



Saturday, April 27th

- Noon to 1 P.M.: Stand for Peace, with Peace Action Wisconsin. Location T.B.A..

- 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.: Oasis Community Sanctuary Ramadan Benefit Gala. At Muslim Civic Coalition / Impact House, at 200 West Madison St., Suite #300, Chicago, IL 60606.

 

 

 

 

Compiled and created on March 20th, 2024.

Originally published to this blog on March 21st, 2024
under the title
"Anti-War and Pro- Peace in Gaza Protests in Illinois and Wisconsin,
Scheduled for Between March 20th and April 27th, 2024".

Edited / Updated on March 22nd and 29th, 2024.

Ten Reasons Why the Biden Administration Should Call for a Cease-Fire in the Holy Land

     The list below shows the top ten reasons why, I believe, that the United States – under the Joe Biden Administration – should call for a cease-fire in regard to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and keep calling for a cease-fire until it gets one.

     This list should also suffice as a reason for President Biden to instruct the Navy ship, which is currently carrying two thousand U.S. Marines and soldiers to the Israeli battle front, to turn around, before something goes wrong, and before it is too late to avoid a wider catastrophe.

 

     1. A cease-fire could achieve bipartisan support. First, by achieving peace, and avoiding the flattening and destruction of the Gaza Strip, which Democrats would appreciate. Second, it could serve as a chance for Republicans to embarrass President Biden for approving the deletion of the tweet, by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which praised the nation of Turkey for its own call for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

     2. Both sides – the State of Israel, and the armed resistance fighters attempting to protect the Palestinians, as well as civilians protected by both groups – are guilty of many of the same atrocities and war crimes, of which they are accusing each other. Examples of such atrocities include targeting civilians, killing each other’s babies, and calling for a genocide of their enemies. We are being baited into taking sides, and it has to stop, before we say something we regret and cannot take back.

      3. The State of Israel can defend itself. The United States has been sending more than $3 billion to that country every year for at least the past ten years. America helped Israel build the Iron Dome missile defense system. We have done enough already. Israel can defend itself, it has other allies besides the United States, and further aid to Israel will only increase Israeli dependence upon the U.S.. This is not our fight.

     4. Nobody knows, yet, whether the Israeli military, or a misfire by Hamas, was the cause of the recent destruction of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza. There is so much confusion and misinformation surrounding this incident, that the only way to be sure that no more attacks take place, is to call for both sides to stop launching attacks.

     5. If you live by the sword, then you will die by the sword. Everybody is putting themselves in harm’s way, and blaming the other side for doing the same thing. Hamas is humiliating its own people by accidentally firing bombs at its own people in approximately 30 to 40 percent of the missile attacks it commits. The Israeli Army has something called the Hannibal Directive, which excuses Israel allowing its own people to get killed, as long as the fact that Israelis are dead can be used to justify subsequent attacks that will achieve other more important military objectives. And the United States is putting its own Marines and soldiers in harm’s way, by sending two thousand troops to the battle front. U.S. involvement only increases the chances that New York City or Washington, D.C. could get targeted with a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb. Additionally, a million Jews are gathered in each Haifa and Jerusalem, which could easily become the target of large-scale weapons strikes; while some Jews believe that the Jews were dispersed among the peoples of the Earth, by G-d, on purpose, in order to spread Judaism to all the nations of the world, but also to keep the Jewish people safe by avoiding concentrating them all in one location. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

     6. We don’t know which side was the first to take a human life. Prior to last month, there was no fighting in Israel since May 2023. As I stated in my previous article on this topic, on September 22^nd, or earlier, a Hamas militant launched an incendiary device towards an I.D.F. soldier. That incendiary device killed zero people. That casualty-free attack was an opportunity for the Israelis to forgive. The Israelis passed on that opportunity, and instead launched an attack which bore no reported casualties. However, it’s extremely unlikely – with Israel’s advanced military technology – that this attack killed nobody; and more likely that it did kill people, but that the deaths were not reported, due to low sympathy for Palestinians in the Western media. The Jewish people have every right to defend themselves – and even the right to kill, if necessary, in order to do so, which doesn’t even violate the commandment against murder – but it is possible that it was the State of Israel which committed the first murder in this round of fighting; which, I repeat, began in late September, not early October.

     7. The U.S. should not risk escalating this conflict. If the U.S. sends Marines to the Holy Land, then eventually those troops will be fired-upon by Hamas. That will likely lead to a wider conflict, in which Hezbollah and Iran, and other Muslim nations, will join-in, followed by the close European allies of the United States and the State of Israel. This will lead to World War III if the leaders of the nations of the world do not call for an immediate cease-fire, and continue calling for it – no matter who tries to break it, or how many times - until it is achieved.

     8. If this conflict escalates, then it will become more likely that our elected representatives will abandon their dedication to maintaining an all-volunteer army, and will turn instead to reinstating registration for the draft, reinstating the military draft (Selective Service) instead, and perhaps even include women in that draft to fill gaps. The U.S. should not risk committing young people to a war that they barely understand; young people whom were born decades after the wider Israeli-Arab Conflict began. This would be extremely unfair to them, and many of them would get killed, tearing families apart.

     9. I don’t want to spend my holiday season reading about people getting bombed, watching Gaza getting flattened, watching Palestinians get exterminated, watching the Jews of Israel get wiped off the map, watching a genocide of either side happen, or watching World War III break out. There have been too many holiday seasons, in recent years, that Israel and Palestine have spent bombing each other. Nobody wants to spend their Christmas, Hanukkah, or Ramadan watching people die (except the Military-Industrial Complex). We have already seen that happen, multiple times, and it isn't pretty.

     10. America winning this war, or losing it, are not the only two options here. The fact that Americans have already died in Hamas attacks in Israel, shouldn't have to mean that more Americans die as well. We must learn the lesson of the Cold War and the film War Games: The only way to win is to not play the game. We must call for forgiveness, peace, and a cease-fire. Nobody wins in a nuclear war, and nobody achieves a total victory in a world war. We must be content with a draw. If we want humanity to survive – this winter, or at all – then peace is the only option.

 

 

     Peace, shalom, salaam.

 

 

 

 

Written and published on October 18^th, 2023.

Israelis' and Palestinians' Unwillingness to Forgive Casualty-Free Attacks Leads to Deaths on Both Sides

       Yesterday (on October 7th, 2023), several periodicals - including The Wall Street Journal - published articles asserting that the State of Israel, and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have "declared war" on the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

     Leaving aside the issue of whether "declaring war" on Hamas serves to legitimize it as if it were a state or political entity, it is necessary to address the mainstream media's narratives regarding the recent violence exchanged between Israelis and Palestinians in the last several weeks.

 

     This "declaration of war" against Hamas follows what Reuters, C.N.N., and others described as "surprise attacks", carried out by Hamas against Israeli targets.

     http://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/sirens-warning-incoming-rockets-sound-around-gaza-near-tel-aviv-2023-10-07/

     http://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/middleeast/sirens-israel-rocket-attack-gaza-intl-hnk/index.html

     However, "surprise attacks" is hardly an honest way to characterize these attacks.

 

     Two weeks ago (on Sunday, September 24th, 2023), N.P.R. published an article titled "Israel strikes Gaza for the third straight day as West Bank violence escalates".

     http://www.npr.org/2023/09/24/1201381201/an-israeli-military-raid-has-killed-two-palestinians-in-the-west-bank?fbclid=IwAR1omulobWR5oOF6Whiku445zRLHBHc9jYhtj63vaI3sxVRd_bMerpgkS50#:~:text=Majdi%20Mohammed%2FAP-,Palestinians%20inspect%20a%20damaged%20building%20following%20an%20Israeli%20army%20raid,24%2C%202023

 

     Right off the bat, it is plain to see, from this article, that the attacks on Israeli targets which were carried out by Hamas over the last several days, were, most assuredly, not "surprise attacks", but were carried out in response to the strikes on Gaza which occurred on September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2023.

     Despite this fact, the Israelis - and Israel-sympathetic media - have been quick to point out that the attacks which occurred in the first week of October, were (apparently) timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6th, 1973.

     But if these attacks were, in fact, timed to coincide with that anniversary, then that narrative would not make sense, if it could be proven that there had been exchanges of violence in the previous two weeks leading up to that October 6th anniversary.

     In fact, if you read the article that N.P.R. published on September 24th, you will find that – in the very first sentence of the article – it reads: 

     “Israeli airstrikes struck militant sites in Gaza on Sunday for the third straight day, the Israeli military said, after Palestinian militants near the border fence launched incendiary balloons into Israel and threw an explosive at soldiers.” [emphasis mine]

      [Correction, written and posted on October 20th, 2023:

     The aforementioned incendiary balloons might not have taken place before those "three straight days" of Israeli attacks, after all.
     The following article from Al Jazeera clarifies that the recent violence began when "stone-throwing protesters" in Palestine threw stones at Israeli soldiers, prompting the closing of the Beit Hanouna border crossing between Israel and Gaza, which itself prompted Palestinians' launching of incendiary balloons into Israel.
     This article also mentions that Israel killed 12 Palestinians in Jenin in July, which runs contrary to the mainstream media narrative that there was no violence between Israel and Palestine between May 2023 and October 7th, 2023.
     You can read that article by clicking on the following link:
     http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/22/israeli-military-attacks-gaza-strip-amid-protests-at-border]

     

     This suggests that the Israeli airstrikes were carried out in response to the aforementioned border violence (although it’s not clear exactly which day those incendiary balloons were launched).

     This shows why it is important to read articles about the Israeli-Arab conflict very carefully.
     Especially because there’s no indication that those incendiary balloons (which started two fires within the State of Israel’s borders) – nor that explosive which was thrown at I.D.F. soldiers – killed or injured anybody.
     I suspect that, if these bombs had killed anybody, then the articles reporting on it, would have mentioned that fact.

 

     We might feel tempted to conclude - from the information above - that those late-September Israeli airstrikes killed Palestinians in response to Palestinian bomb-throwing that killed nobody.

     But that is not accurate either.

     If N.P.R.’s reporting is correct, then so is the sentence from the fourth paragraph in that article, which reads as follows: 

     “There were no reported casualties from the strikes in Gaza.”

 

     Let us assume - for a moment - that “no reported casualties” means “no casualties occurred”, rather than that casualties on the Gazan side occurred but were simply not reported.

     If that is an accurate assumption, then this would mean that the late-September Palestinian bomb-throwing killed zero people, and then was met with Israeli retaliation that also killed zero people.

 

     On March 11^th, 2004, nearly two hundred people were killed, and over two thousand people were injured, in a series of coordinated bombings upon the commuter train system in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

     Shortly thereafter, my high school Spanish teacher, Ken Finkelstein, told us that the people of Spain responded to these attacks by calling for peace and forgiveness. He contrasted this against America’s response to the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001, after which President George W. Bush declared “the world will hear from all of us soon”. This statement foreshadowed America’s invasion of Afghanistan the following month, and its invasion of Iraq eighteen months later.

     My teacher’s statement affected me profoundly, and (obviously) I still remember it to this day. And I agree that there is a time for forgiveness. Although it may be difficult to forgive atrocities which see hundreds of deaths (as in the Madrid train bombings) or even thousands of deaths (as in 9/11), it is much easier to forgive attempted acts of violence which result in zero deaths or injuries.

     And that is what has just happened.

     Both sides – Israeli and Palestinian – have just declined to forgive attacks, by one-another, which (evidently) resulted in zero injuries or deaths.

 

     I would never condemn someone for defending oneself; even if it’s an individual human being, or a political entity which claims to have the right to use violence legitimately. But self-defense is far from what is happening here.

     Yesterday (October 7^th, 2023), The Times of Israel reported that 1,600 people are wounded, and that at least 230 people are dead, in Gaza, following Israel’s attacks.
     http://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-reports-some-200-palestinians-dead-1600-wounded-after-hamas-assault-on-israel/

     An article, published today (October 8^th) by A.B.C., stated that 1,790 Gazans are wounded, and over 300 Gazans are dead; while Israeli death tolls number over 100, with some 900 Israelis injured.

     http://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-gaza-hamas/?id=103804516

     This article from N.D.T.V. claims that six hundred Israelis have been killed in the fighting.
     http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/hamas-rocket-attack-on-israel-israel-gaza-conflict-palestine-over-500-dead-in-hamas-surprise-land-air-sea-attack-on-israel-4460666

     If the worst of these reports is accurate, then this means that at least 900 people are now dead because of both the Israelis’ and the Palestinians’ refusal to forgive attacks that killed nobody at all.

 

     Throwing a bomb at someone does not automatically mean that the target was killed or harmed in any way. We have to read these reports more closely, instead of lashing out, and killing by reflex.

     We have no choice, now, but to forgive attacks that harm nobody; or else we should expect the bloodshed to continue into the holiday season.

     Thus, the only alternative to forgiving casualty-free attacks, is to endorse the murder of not only our enemies, but ourselves.

      As musician Kimya Dawson sang – in her song “Hold My Hand” – “the cycle of violence has to end somewhere”.

 

 Update:

     The Biden Administration has deleted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call for a cease-fire.

     Read more at the following links:
     http://nypost.com/2023/10/09/blinken-gets-blowback-for-now-deleted-sunday-post-promoting-cease-fire-in-israel/

     http://newrepublic.com/post/176090/state-department-blinken-delete-tweets-ceasefire-israel-gaza-palestine

 

Written and published on October 8th, 2023.

Update added on October 12th, 2023.

Correction written and added on October 20th, 2023.