Evening at the Kotel, Jerusalem, Israel
MordechaiKedar | June 12, 2008
mkedar@mail.biu.ac.il Dr. Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University defends the Jewishness of Jerusalem, the Jewish capital for over 3000 years. He also defends the right of Israelis to settle in Judea and Samaria, the West Bank.
Gil Ronen
Gil Ronen
Video:
"We were here when your forefathers were drinking wine, burying their daughters alive and worshipping idols" -- this was just one of Bar Ilan University political scientist Dr. Mordechai Kedar's ripostes to questions by an Al Jazeera interviewer two weeks ago, in an interview that has received rave reviews from Israel-lovers the world over for its forcefulness.
"We were here when your forefathers were drinking wine, burying their daughters alive and worshipping idols" -- this was just one of Bar Ilan University political scientist Dr. Mordechai Kedar's ripostes to questions by an Al Jazeera interviewer two weeks ago, in an interview that has received rave reviews from Israel-lovers the world over for its forcefulness.
"They did not expect me to take the discussion to history and especially not to religion," Kedar told Israel National News. But discuss religion he did in the above video, reminding his interviewer that Jerusalem was not mentioned even once in the Koran and saying directly in fluent Arabic that "Jerusalem is not on the negotiating table," and that "Jerusalem belongs to the Jews, period."
"This was very aggravating" for the Al-Jazeera interviewer, Kedar explained, "because in the Islamic view, Islam came into the world to replace Judaism and Christianity, not to live side by side with them. And here, all of a sudden, the Jews are coming from exile and building their state again and G-d forbid they also regained Jerusalem." Judaism is thus regaining its meaning, and Islam is challenged by this, the Bar-Ilan professor explained.
"This was very aggravating" for the Al-Jazeera interviewer, Kedar explained, "because in the Islamic view, Islam came into the world to replace Judaism and Christianity, not to live side by side with them. And here, all of a sudden, the Jews are coming from exile and building their state again and G-d forbid they also regained Jerusalem." Judaism is thus regaining its meaning, and Islam is challenged by this, the Bar-Ilan professor explained.
"The mere existence of the State of Israel and the fact that we are in Jerusalem is some kind of challenge to the legitimacy of Islam in their eyes," Kedar explained.
"This is not pro-Israel public relations," Dr. Kedar told Israel National News. "This is a battle for the Arab heart, which Israel is apparently losing because Israel gave up on the main tool which should have served it, which is an independent Israeli Zionist satellite channel in Arabic." Many Arabs, he said, would consider changing their views if such a channel were available.
"This is not pro-Israel public relations," Dr. Kedar told Israel National News. "This is a battle for the Arab heart, which Israel is apparently losing because Israel gave up on the main tool which should have served it, which is an independent Israeli Zionist satellite channel in Arabic." Many Arabs, he said, would consider changing their views if such a channel were available.
Mordechai Kedar in al-Jazeera about Jerusalem & Islam
Dear Ladies and Gentleman,
I received this video this morning by E-mail, from one of our dear Israeli friends. I note that the video was posted in 2008, but as appropriate as it was then, it is even more urgent to share with everyone today!
Within the last 24 hours there has been an onslaught of attacks against our ally and friends in Israel. I will be posting throughout the evening/early morning messages from Turkey, that call for Americans to disassociate with Israel; Turkey's propaganda and lies pour forth like fire from a dragon these days. For what purpose, one may ask and the answer can only be that Turkey, like Iran is building up a nasty nest of lies, believing that its new friends in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, will join in to the tune of yet an out-right war against the Israelis.
I asked a few months ago, "How can America remain friends with Turkey, when Turkey has embraced America's worse enemy in the world, Iran?" I have read apologies, excuses from our own State Department and last week, quoted Ms. Clinton, Secretary of State, stating that she (as in, the Obama Administration) is not concerned about Iran's
Bushehr nuclear-power plant.
We have read within the last 24 hours of the Palestinians Arabs claiming that one of Israel's most holiest sites, Rachel's Tomb, is "actually a mosque"! I say if Rachel's Tomb is a mosque, than Mecca is a synagogue! While the Arabs hold great hatred towards the Jews, the Christians are not any safer from Islam's ideology, for it is also reported that they build a huge wall, without building permits, around the Garden - a very holy site for Christians.Now, dear American citizens - does anyone believe the lies about "tolerance" when the Muslims insist upon building a huge 13 story mosque at the area surrounding Ground Zero?
Islam is a religion of Jihad and founded on hatred towards all "infidels" and if you are not Muslim, you are an infidel. Consider that when next our president attempts to speak about tolerance towards an ideology that condemns us; beheads us; flies planes into our buildings and attacks us both on our own soil and our troops in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iraq and anywhere an American walks - our safety should be this Administration's Number One priority - and that would mean, choosing sides - the side of our enemies, Islamic extremists, or the side that represents freedom and that would include the democracy of Israel.A fire is being lit throughout the world - it is a fire that cannot be extinguished unless each and every civilized country begins to recognize that Islam is at war with us. Immigration should cease and desist from allowing Muslims to enter our country until they demonstrate to the world that they prefer peace, not war.
Bee Sting
