We See Yahweh returning to Zion

"How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of the messenger announcing peace, of the messenger of good news, who proclaims salvation and says to Zion, ‘Your God is king!’ The voices of your watchmen! Now they raise their voices, shouting for joy together, for with their own eyes they have seen Yahweh returning to Zion. Break into shouts together, shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem; for Yahweh has consoled his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. Yahweh has bared his holy arm for all the nations to see, and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Go away, go away, leave that place, do not touch anything unclean. Get out of her, purify yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels!  For you are not to hurry away, you are not to leave like fugitives. No, Yahweh marches at your head and the God of Israel is your rearguard" (Isa 52:7-10: NJB).

Origins of Hanukkah

The Feast of Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Lights.  Although the feast is not found in the Hebrew Bible, its origin is from Second Temple Judaism.  The sources for events surrounding the feast are found primarily in 1 and 2 Maccabees.  In 167 BCE, the Seleucid King Antiochus Epiphanes entered Jerusalem and desecrated the Jewish Temple setting up an altar to Zeus.  With the help of the Maccabees, a small group of Jews were able to win back Jerusalem and regain the Temple.  This is known as the Maccabean Revolt.  In celebration of the victory, Hanukkah was celebrated for eight days beginning on the 25^th of Kislev, which currently takes place during months of November and December.  During the next several days I will look more closely at important topics associated with the Feast of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah Menorah inside King David's Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel.

Menorah near Western Wall for Hanukkah 2019

In preparation for the Jewish Feast of Hanukkah 2019, a bronze menorah was set up near the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem this past week.  A lighting ceremony will take place every night from December 22 – December 30.  The ceremony will be live-streamed and will be available from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.  Click here or click here for a Western Wall camera view from EarthCam.

Hanukkah menorah set up at the Western Wall On December 17, 2019.
(photo credit: WESTERN WALL HERITAGE FOUNDATION)

Jewish Prayer under Olive Tree

I happened upon news recently that a quorum of Jews were allowed to pray on the Temple Mount this past Thursday.  I was at first surprised.  The Waqf interprets the current status quo on the Mount in a way that prohibits Jewish prayer on the Mount.  However, things seem to be changing.  Is the Waqf losing control over the location?  Earlier this week, Yehuda Glick, a Temple Mount Activist and former Likud MK, visited the Temple Mount and was verbally harassed by a Waqf official.  The Waqf guard was later arrested.  Then a video appeared on the web showing the above mentioned quorum of Jews quietly praying under an olive tree.  As the camera pans you see individuals who are dressed in Israeli police uniforms nearby tacitly allowing them pray.  At one point the camera captures the Dome of the Rock in the background.

[Update] I found another video that purports to show Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount earlier this week.  Click on link below:

Jewish Prayer on the Temple Mount 

Iran, Russia, and China will start joint navel maneuvers in December.

Radio Free Europe (December 1, 2019):  The commander of Iran's navy has confirmed that his forces will participate in joint exercises with Russia and China beginning later this year.

Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi on November 30 said the maneuvers will be held in the northern Indian Ocean from December 22 to January 20.

The admiral’s statement did not give a specific location for the maneuvers, although some media reports said they would be in the Gulf of Oman, site of several recent naval incidents and where Western escort missions are active or about to start.

"The aim of those exercises is to ensure collective security and help boost the security in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, where various incidents, including pirate attacks, are taking place," Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted the admiral as saying.

Two days earlier, Khanzadi had said the exercises would take place in the “near future” and that the joint operation would “send a message to the world,” according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

“A joint war game between several countries, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, indicates a remarkable expansion of cooperation.”

"[The maneuvers] carry the same message to the world, that these three countries have reached a meaningful strategic point in their relations,” he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 2 said the countries were planning exercises designed to train for anti-terror and anti-piracy missions.

The joint maneuvers will come at a time of heightened tensions between the three nations and the West.

Washington and its Middle Eastern allies have blamed Iran for explosions that damaged as many as four ships outside the Strait of Hormuz in May, and then accused Tehran of using mines to attack two oil tankers in June.

Iran has since seized several international oil tankers in actions seemingly designed to assert Tehran's right to police traffic in the strait, which is a conduit for huge amounts of the region's oil exports.

Washington is leading a coalition of naval forces in the Persian Gulf region to monitor and safeguard international shipping from potential Iranian threats.

Meanwhile, France is leading a separate but similar European mission focusing on the western part of the Gulf of Oman, the eastern part of the Arabian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Moscow for its seizure and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and its support of separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine battling Kyiv’s government forces.

Meanwhile, China and the United States and its allies are embroiled in several territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

By RFE/RL
With reporting from TASS, the Daily Mail, and Tasnim

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Russian President Putin, and President Xi Jinping of China (Photo Credit: unknown)

72 Orbits around the Sun

72 years ago [on November 29, 1947], the United Nations voted for a Jewish state and an Arab state living side by side in peace.  The Jews celebrated and accepted. The Arabs rejected it -- and prepared for war to "push the Jews into the sea" (StandWithUs). 

Jordan restores its authority over Naharayim

In 1994, part of the peace accord between the Jordanian and Israeli governments was that Israel recognized Jordan’s sovereignty over Naharayim (a section of land west of the Jordan River), and Jordan recognized the rights for Israelis freely to farm the land for 25 years.   In the same accord, Israel acknowledged Jordan and its Hashemite kingdom and their special role in the Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.  On Sunday, Jordan restored its full sovereignty over Naharayim.  Israeli visitors will no longer be able to freely enter the land.  However, Jordan will allow Israeli citizens who own private property in the land to continue to live and work there, but it is under Jordanian rule.  In response to Jordan’s action, a group of students associated with the Temple Mount called upon the Jordanian government to remove the Waqf and its presence from the Temple Mount. 

The Jordan river can be seen in the Jordan valley area called Naharayim, October 22, 2018 (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Prayer for the Middle East

"In the Middle East, concord and dialogue among the three monotheistic religions is based on spiritual and historic bonds.  The Good News of Jesus, risen out of love, came to us from these lands. Today, many Christian communities, together with Jewish and Muslim communities,  work here for peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness, Let us pray that a spirit of [encounter, dialogue, and reconciliation] emerge in the Middle East" (Pope Francis).

Pope Francis' Prayer for the Middle East

United States of Israel

Erdogan in the north,

Assad just below,

Kurds in the purview,

Looking for the venue.



Mountain in the center,

Israel toward the west,

Palestinians in the east,

Can the two coalesce? [like a woman with her breasts, or a mother with two daughters]



The united states of Israel,

Can we look to be?

A hope for the future,

From sea to shining sea. 



A Woman among the Gentiles,

Patron of humanity,

A sign among the nations,

World with centrality.

Muslim educator from Israel argues Jews have a right to pray on the Temple Mount.

Nahil Zoabi, who is a Muslim educator from Northern Israel, periodically visits the Temple Mount.  Although he himself prays at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he holds the view that all people, including Jews, have a right to pray on the Temple Mount if they choose to do so.

Nahil Zoabi on the Temple Mount (photo credit: N. Zoabi)

There have been several developments surrounding the Temple Mount.  It appears that there is a secret room at the location where Jews pray on Yom Kippur and the Tisha B’Av.  Jews have been praying in the room since 1971.  The room, called Machkamah, is located on the western side of the Temple Mount between the Chain Gate to the north and the Western Wall to the south.  I found a blog dated July 20, 2010 in which YMedad briefly discusses his participation in prayer services on the Tisha B’Av in the Machkamah.

The former head of the Israeli Shin Bet Avi Dichter recently visited the Temple Mount and discussed the history of the tensions and status quo at the location.  Among the various events that have happened since the founding of Israel, Dichter addressed the Al-Aqsa Mosque fire in 1969, the Second Intifada that began after Ariel Sharon visited the mount in 2000, and the murder of two Israeli police by three Israeli Arabs in July 2017.  This happened after the individuals snuck weapons onto the Temple Mount and into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Dichter argues that the Palestinians use the Temple Mount as an instrument for conflict, that Israel should assume presently there are stockpiles of weapons at the location, and that Israel must do all it can do to prevent another uprising at the location and from allowing the Palestinians from claiming exclusive rights to the entire mount.     
    

Chain Gate viewed from the Temple Mount (Summer 2017) LFL

Israeli Police shields used during the Second Intafada in 2000.  These were on display near the Mughrabi Gate, which I entered in 2017 in order to reach the Temple Mount.  I heard that they were placed at that location as a reminder of the conflict in 2000. 

Avi Dichter (former head of Shin Bet) on the Temple Mount (photo: Oren Ben Hakoon) 

Vatican Delegation visited Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa on Thursday

A Vatican delegation, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri (Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches) and Francesco Patton, OFM (Custodial Vicar of the Holy Land), visited the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa on Thursday.  They were welcomed by members of the Waqf council and several Palestinian leaders.  Ramzi Khoury said, 

We celebrate together with our fellow Palestinian Muslims the anniversary of the Custodians of the Holy who have played a crucial role in protecting holy places and in supporting the Christian presence in Palestine. The visit to Al-Aqsa has valuable meaning to the importance of Christian and Muslim coexistence in our homeland Palestine.   

Wasfi Kailani, director of the Royal Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al-Aqsa, commented on the meeting saying, “This high-level visit to Al-Aqsa and the words of solidarity and support is a true reflection of the 1,400 years of Muslim and Christian coexistence in the holy city of Jerusalem,” also adding, “We are recognizing 800 years of the important role of the Franciscans, whose role in education and guarding holy places is appreciated.”

Southwest Corner of Temple Mount (Summer 2018) LFL

View of the Temple Mount/Al-Aqsa Complex and Dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Summer 2018) LFL

Recent United Nations Event on Religious Freedom

US President Trump spoke today at the event for Religious Freedom at the UN.  The meeting included a call for the protection of religious freedom for Jews, Christians, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, and others.  Religious freedom is a pressing global issue, and work needs to be done to avoid the religious cleansing of societies.  In recent events, Jews, Christians, Moslems, and others have been persecuted, killed, and properties destroyed.  President Trump was joined by others including US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, US Vice President Mike Pence, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, reiterated the joint document "Human Fraternity” that Pope Francis signed along with the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb repeating the documents statement that diversity of religions is willed by God.  The statement has troubled a number of Catholics, yet also garnered support among others.  Guterres himself has been called a committed Catholic.

A video of the event can be found here, which begins around 31:30 mins.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with U.N. secretary-general Antonio Guterres at a meeting on religious freedom Monday.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images/Getty

Fact or Fiction: The Recent Claim of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

In a surprising development, a Knesset journalist is to have claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Jews have the right to pray on the Temple Mount.  The words attributed to Netanyahu are found in an article from the Hebrew Har-Habait website, which focuses on the Temple Mount and the restoration of the Jewish Temple.  Netanyahu is to have said,

"The right of the Jewish people to their holy place, the Temple Mount, is unquestionable," Netanyahu spoke, "and I believe that the right of prayer for Jews in this place should be regulated, even more so that we give freedom of worship to all religions in Jerusalem."

When will it happen?  Netanyahu is to have responded, “Don’t worry, it will happen, before the death of the Messiah" (המשיח ימות לפני).


In just under three weeks, the Israeli Election Day will take place.  More precisely, it is the second Israeli presidential election in 2019 because after Netanyahu won the first earlier this year, he was not able to form a coalition.  With the upcoming election, I wonder if the claims made above are actually in fact from Netanyahu or from someone’s imagination and merely fiction.  Perhaps a little of both?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain to the right: the Dome of the Chain is not a mosque, rather a place of prayer; it is the structure closest to center on the Temple Mount; the Dome of the Chain was most likely built by the Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik in 691 CE; for a time it was used as a Christian chapel to Saint James following the Crusader conquest.  (Summer 2017) LFL

Waqf official standing near the Dome of the Rock (Summer 2017) LFL

Temple Mount: taken on the raised esplanade; Dome of the Rock to the upper right; Dome of the Chain seen slightly to the left just above the tan tarp (Summer 2017) LFL

Update on Pope Francis’ Human Fraternity

A “higher committee” was recently established in Abu Dhabi to implement the document “Human Fraternity” that was signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Ahmen el-Tayeb of Al Azhar (Cairo, Egypt) in the UAE back in February, 2019.  The goal of the committee is to help implement “the shared vision of developing initiatives and ideas to foster tolerance, cooperation and coexistence.” 

Committee Members

Catholics

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, Personal Secretary of Pope Francis

Muslims

Prof Mohamed Hussein Mahrasawi, President of Al-Azhar University

Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, Advisor to the Grand Imam;

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

Dr Sultan Faisal Al Rumaithi, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders

Yasser Hareb Al Muhairi, Emirati writer and media personality. 



Pope Francis later expressed his gratitude to the UAE for its work to establish the “committee.”  He states,

“Although sadly evil, hatred, and division often make news, there is a hidden sea of goodness that is growing and leads us to hope in dialogue, reciprocal knowledge and the possibility of building – together with the followers of other religions and all men and women of good will – a world of fraternity and peace.”

Bishop Athanasius Schneider has been and continues to be critical of the document “Human Fraternity” and has even expressed his concerns to Pope Francis.  Thus, it is not surprising that Schneider has also become unfavorable and unsympathetic towards the “general assembly” and its goals.  He has asked Pope Francis to clear up ambiguities in “Human Fraternity.”    

Anti-Jewish Discrimination at the Temple Mount

THE ALGEMEINER: ANTI-JEWISH DISCRIMINATION AT THE TEMPLE MOUNT BY RONN TOROSSIAN:  OPINION PIECE 

By Ronn Torossian

I recently returned from a visit with my children to Israel. Dominating certain news cycles was the fact that Israel refused entrance to Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. They both support a boycott of the Jewish state, and are fundamentally against the country’s existence — so why on earth would they be permitted to enter?

That’s headline news? What about the fact that Israelis cannot enter many Arab countries? Why is there no reporting on that? It’s simply an antisemitic double standard.

We visited the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday, August 25. It’s one of the most contested religious sites in the world. According to Jewish tradition, it’s the location of the First Temple, and the place where the third and final temple will be built.  It’s perhaps the holiest place in Judaism.

Visiting the Temple Mount is quite an experience. Before passing through metal detectors, we were asked our religion. Then, after we were identified as Jews, we were asked by the Israeli soldiers if we were carrying tefillin or any Jewish prayer books. After affirming that we didn’t have any, we were stopped by what appeared to be a senior police officer to ensure we understood that absolutely no prayer is allowed on the Temple Mount (at least by Jews).

What a racist double standard. Arabs can pray, but Jews cannot.

The area is huge — and uniformed Arabs from the Islamic Waqf enforce strict rules. A couple hugging for a picture near us was screamed at, and instructed not to touch. Anyone entering with shorts is made to wear long pants.

Jews are only allowed to ascend the Temple Mount during very limited hours, and it is closed to Jews on Shabbat. Yet Arabs can mostly pray freely. Is that not racism, right in the center of Jerusalem?

It’s shameful that the world ignores this. There is indeed racism and discrimination alive and well in the Middle East.

Ronn Torossian

Temple Mount, Jerusalem, Israel (Summer 2017) LFL

Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount (Summer 2017) LFL

Southeastern Corner of Temple Mount (Summer 2017) LFL [ed.]

90 Years Ago Today: Hebron Massacre

Hebron Massacre 1929

Today marks 90 years since the Hebron Massacre on August 24, 1929, in which 67 Jews were killed in the ancient city of Hebron.  The Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Susseini, is credited with engineering the bloody riot.  Amin later became associated with the Nazi party, agreeing that both Germany and Palestinians had the Jews as a common enemy.  There are even photos of Amin meeting with Nazi officials including Adolf Hitler himself in 1941.  


There were around 800 Jews living in Hebron during the Hebron Massacre.  Homes and synagogues were ransacked.  Fortunately, there were a number of Arabs who sought to save the Jews from the attacks (perhaps dozens or even hundreds).  However, when the massacre ended 12 Sephardi Jews and 55 Ashkenazi Jews were dead.  For a video on the Hebron Massacre, see here.

Tempus omnia revelat (time reveals all things)

During the 2016 US presidential campaign and election, one thing became clear to me.  It was like watching a reality show and candidates were playing and arguing their part.  In other words, I viewed the presidential candidates more as sophists and actors than politicians.  So, when I heard something recently, I saw yet another episode.  Today, Wayne Allyn Root said that President Trump,

is the greatest president for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world. Not just in America, Trump is the best president for Israel in the history of the world. And the Jewish people love him like he is the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God.

President Trump’s tweeter account responded with, “Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words.”  And then there were the responses to Trump’s response.  He has “the audacity and the messianic complex to praise himself,” tweeted one user, and another that, “president Trump was quoting someone else while trumpeting himself as the Messiah,” and yet another argued, “You are totally delusional. Please seek medical attention immediately.”  There were numerous supportive responses.  One respondent tweeted, “We love president Trump in Israel!  The best friend the Jewish people ever had in the White House!  Thank you!”  Finally, someone tweeted, “We love President Trump!  And Israel must be thrilled that we have the most pro-Israel president in the history of this Country in the White House.”  


So the saga continues!  The movie is unfolding.  There are just more actors on the stage playing a part.  The question is what kind of movie am I watching?  Is this a comedy?  Or is it a tragedy?  Or is it “noise and confusion” and simply an illusion?  I continue to watch and pray that the thoughts and intentions of many may be revealed.  The Father of time reveals all things.      

Israelis show gratitude to US President Trump just outside the Old City of Jerusalem (Summer 2018) LFL

Jaffa Gate to Old City of Jerusalem (Summer 2018) LFL

Ancient arrowheads found on Mount Zion support the capture and destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonians over 2,600 years ago.

Ancient arrowheads, pottery fragments, lamps, and a golden ornament have been discovered on Mount Zion in the Old City of Jerusalem.  They were found among a layer of ash that appears to confirm the Babylonian conquest and destruction of the city in 587-586 BCE. It is during this time that the First Jewish Temple built by Solomon was also destroyed.  The discoveries were made at an excavation site headed by the University of North Caroline in Charlotte.  The discoveries were announced last Sunday on the Tisha B’av fast that commemorates the destruction of both the First Jewish Temple by the Babylonians and the Second Jewish Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.  The discoveries support the growing evidence that Israel was living in the city over 2,600 years ago.

Mount Zion in Jerusalem (Summer 2017) LFL

Dormition Abbey on top Mount Zion (Summer 2018) LFL 

Scythian arrowhead discover at the Mount Zion Archaeological Expedition/Virginia Withers 

Update from Temple Mount

On Thursday afternoon, an Israeli police was stabbed by two youths after they came out of the Temple Mount.  The officer was wounded.  The two were shot by police.  One was wounded and the other died.  The other died later.  A video shows the two walking out from the mount after which they drew knifes and rushed to stab the officer.  The incident happened near the Chain Gate which opens to the Old City.

Chain Gate viewed from the Temple Mount side (Summer 2017)

Update on US Congresswomen's Visity to Temple Mount

Dome of the Rock (Summer 2017) Can you tell what time it is?

The Israeli government has decided to deny US congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib of (D-Michigan) access to Israel, thus nullifying their visit to the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif).  Some have argued both Omar and Tlaib are against Israel and supporters of the BDS movement that seeks to boycott Israel.  Omar has made comments about Israel that have been scrutinized by both democrats and republicans, however she has since apologized.  US President Donald Trump vehemently spoke out against the proposed visit in a tweet today.

At times like this I pray the thoughts and intentions of many may be revealed.  Who is really for truth and goodness?   Both sides of the US political parties accuse each other of insincerity, bigotry, and hate.  They are like sophists who argue both sides of the argument, or lawyers who argue for their side of the case.     

Update on the Temple Mount

Israeli Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs  Gilad Erdan (ארדן גלעד) called for Israel to change the “status quo” at the Temple Mount following the recent clashes on the site.  Jordan rejected the idea and sent a letter protesting the minister’s suggestion.   However, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz defended Erdan.  

In other news, US congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) may visit the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) during an upcoming visit to Israel.  Both Omar and Tlaib are the first Muslim women elected to Congress.        

Temple Mount 2017

Dome of the Rock 2017

Temple Mount 2017

Fragmented Mentality surrounding Temple Mount

Leaf Fragmentation 

Although some Jews want to be able to ascend the mount and are calling for the rebuilding of the Third Temple, other Jews want to see the temple rebuilt, but argue it is not lawful to go up to the mount because of uncleanness and impurity.  Some Arabs do not want Jews to go up to the mount, yet at the same time other Arabs hope for a more peaceful resolution.  While some Christians look for the rebuilding of the temple, other Christians argue that a third temple is not necessary. 

Update: Temple Mount Clashes

HAARETZ: Violence on Temple Mount sparked on Tisha B'Av, which coincides with Eid al-Adha.  Police claim friction started when Muslims began hurling objects.  15 wounded Palestinians evacuated to nearby hospitals after police fire stun grenades [and] tear gas.

Temple Mount Clashes

Jews worshipers on Temple Mount, August 11, 2019.   Credit:Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael Faithful Movement

Israeli security forces scuffle with Palestinians near the al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount, August 11, 2019. Credit: AFP