The Myth of Jordanian “Moderation”

UPDATES 

9:00 am Israel time, Friday, September 25 2015

**The daily Palestinian terror report from yesterday . . .

As takes place everyday, there were numerous Palestinian terrorist “rock” throwing incidents throughout Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.

For example, at 4:05 pm, Palestinians hurled “rocks” at the Kiryat Arba industrial zone; at 4:45, Palestinians attacked Israeli motorists at several major intersections in Samaria; at 7:27 pm, Palestinians attacked Israeli motorists at Neve Tzuf; at 8:00 pm, Arabs threw “rocks” at Israeli security forces on Sultan Suleiman Street in Jerusalem; at 8:35 pm, Palestinian rioters in Beit Furik assaulted Israeli security forces with “rocks” and Molotov cocktails; at 9:45 pm, Palestinian terrorists struck a bus near the Mt. Hebron bypass road smashing windows and traumatizing passengers.

**The Netanyahu government attempts to put a bandaid on the problem . . .

In an attempt to stem the tide of Palestinian violence, the Netanyahu security cabinet passed these new measures last night:

1. Police may now open fire if anyone’s life is in danger. Believe it or not, they could previously only fire if their own lives were in danger.

2. Police may now use Ruger .22 sniper rifles to disperse rioters.

3. The mandatory minimum sentence for adult throwers of “rocks” and Molotov cocktails will be increased from three to four years.

4. There will be an increase in fines assessed against minors who throw “rocks” and Molotovs, and their parents. Parents will not receive “child support” payments for imprisoned minors.

The four steps above will do absolutely nothing to quell the violence.

As your humble servant has written on many occasions, increasing police use of weapons and increasing penalties on “rock” and Molotov throwers and their families is not the answer. The only answer is a massive change in attitude by the Israeli government. 

Not until our Netanyahu government stands up without fear and proudly asserts our sovereignty over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria will the situation begin to change.

**Meanwhile over in Egypt, we see a leader and government that is unafraid . . .

A group of Egyptian women wearing various forms of hijab. As Muslims move into Western countries, these forms of dress are becoming ever more prevalent. Many American universities now have “a hijab day” on which non-Muslim female students are encouraged to wear a hijab beside their Muslim “sisters”.

It came to light yesterday that President Sisi has instituted a total ban on the wearing of the hijab by Muslim women in Hurghada and Sharm el- Sheikh. These tourist areas are now called “Areas Without A Hijab.” Sisi took this step because he felt that foreigners seeing “hijab-ed” women was hurting Egyptian tourism.

Unfazed by protests from some Muslim women, law enforcement agencies are now working in happy conjunction with restaurants, hotels, and pubs in these areas to fine any woman seen wearing a hijab.

An anti-hijab Egyptian cartoon. “Wearing a hijab is a deen for us girls” means “wearing a hijab is a way of religious life for us girls.” The humor here is obvious.

 **What is this boy holding holding in his hand?

Hint: it is something of great historical importance found at the Temple Mount Sifting Project (all pictures from Ir David and the Temple Mount Sifting Project).

Of course, you cannot see what it is in the above photograph, but what the boy is holding is a 3000+ year old “seal” found in the rubble dumped off of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem–rubble from the illegal excavations carried out by the Islamic Wakf.

It dates to–and perhaps predates–the time of David and Solomon and the First Temple in Jerusalem. It most likely belonged to a government official and was used to stamp various documents–and even pottery.

There are two engraved animals on the seal, one above the other. The dimensions of the stone are 16mm in height, 14 mm in diameter at the bottom.

The seal was found by the Russian boy in the picture, who is visiting Israel with his family. The family decided to spend an afternoon at the Temple Mount Sifting Project on the Mt. of Olives–where your humble servant has spent many an interesting day.

Another perspective:

The hole in the seal was apparently to accommodate a chain or string with which it could be worn around the neck.

If you come to Jerusalem, you should visit, volunteer at, and participate in the recovery of Jewish history at the Sifting Project. 

TODAY’S BLOG:

A daily event on the streets of Amman.

The news out of Jordan yesterday is that King Abdullah is “so upset” over the events at the Al-Aksa Mosque that he is now refusing to talk to PM Netanyahu.

More than this, he has ordered Jordanian diplomats at the United Nations to vehemently condemn Israel unless Israel “removes its hands” from the Temple Mount and stops “Judaizing” Jerusalem’s holy places.

Even more, the Jordanians have now stopped importing Israeli goods and foodstuffs.

Even “even more”, Jordan is now threatening to expel the Israeli Ambassador.

This is all coming from a country that is supposed to be “a moderate Sunni” nation. But, of course, Jordan was never “moderate.”

It was Jordan that carried out the ethnic cleansing of the Old City of Jerusalem as well as Judea and Samaria of all Jews when it occupied the territory between 1948-1967. And it was Jordan that systematically blew up, desecrated, and destroyed every Jewish holy place under its control during the same period.

Was current King Abdullah’s father, Hussein, a “moderate”?

Let’s not forget that much of the ethnic cleansing and destruction described above took place after King Hussein assumed the monarchy in 1952. Let’s also not forget that when given the opportunity to do so in 1967 and 1973, King Hussein launched military attacks against Israel.  

And what about Jordan’s much vaunted “peace treaty” with Israel–the same peace treaty that the Jordanian legislature demands be abrogated everyday?

Yes, Jordan signed a treaty–a treaty by which it gained territory at Israel’s expense, and a treaty by which Israel surrendered “spiritual dominion” over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is true, perhaps, that a cold treaty with Jordan is better than no treaty, but to suggest that the terms of that treaty were “moderate” is balderdash.

Now we are hourly subjected to scathing attacks from Amman on every subject from the import of potatoes to the rebuilding of the Tiferet Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.

No moderate country is Jordan–but the myth of Jordanian moderation serves the West well.