Absurdity bequeaths absurdity.
As in discussions as to whether Jews incite some kind of religious or political war by visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
If Jews (or Protestants, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Bahai, Druze, atheists or others) visit Vatican Square, is the Vatican checking?
If non-Jews — including Palestinian Muslims — visit the Western Wall, is any rabbi in Israel or elsewhere checking?
If any adherent of any religion visits any house of worship of another religion, is this considered a hostile act?
Switch to Islam. If Jews visit the area commonly called the Temple Mount or Dome of the Rock, suddenly this is considered by Muslim authorities an act of war, a deliberate show of disrespect. It’s absurd.
Absurdity bequeaths absurdity: the claim that in return for the Jews’ deliberate act of war — merely stepping foot in an area considered holy by both Jews and Muslims — Muslims must launch bitter denials of any Jewish link to the Temple Mount, denial of the existence of the First and Second Holy Temples in Jerusalem — a denial formulated in classic non-sequitur form: Judaism has absolutely no historic link to the Temple Mount. But if it does, this is irrelevant to current political realities.
Earth to Islam: Chill. In the big wide world of religions on this earth in the 21st century, people disagree about ultimate truth, but in virtually every instance do not care if the adherent of one religion takes a peek at the claims or the holy places of another religion. Every day of the week around the globe the adherents of one religion visit the spaces of other religions, and you know what happens? Nothing.
Yes, there are still religious hostilities, but their frequency and intensity have dropped drastically. The same should be true in Jerusalem. Let Jews and non-Jews continue to visit the Western Wall every day of the week without incident.
Ditto, the Dome of the Rock.
Copyright © 2015 by the Intemrountain Jewish News
