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