The Hole in the Temple Mount Floor

Found this picture of the damage recently caused to the Temple Mount platform due to the earthquakes that have occured these past two weeks:

In the past, the Temple Mount has seriously suffered from previous earthquakes, from damage to destruction.

One never knows.

Ever Wish You Could Tell Amos Oz: "Shut Up!"

This guy did:

Details here.

Israeli Democracy - There Goes Blogging?

A fellow blogger has reportedly been questioned by the GSS about his blogging activities.  (The details are here)

First of all, I am surprised that Israeli security personnel and policemen read English.

Secondly, I'm surprised they read blogs.

Third, doesn't anybody in the system ever undergo a seminar or workshop on what the Western world calls "freedom of expression" and the difference between "incitement" and criticism?

So, dear GSS man reading this blog, rest assured, I do not advocate violence in any of my blogging.  I do not seek the subversion of the state of Israel.  I do believe in the democratic norms that all Western countries uphold.

If any of you GSS personnel reading this have any questions, why don't you drop me a line or comment at this or any of my other blogs?

But, if you really think I represent a danger - after all, I do seek full Jewish rights on the Temple Mount, extension of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, full civiliam residency in those areas until that time among other views - when you do invite me in for a discussion/interview, I take my coffee with one sucrazit or better yet, plain tea with no sugar.

New Digging

I was sent this photograph of new Muslim Waqf digging within the Temple Mount compound. Seems the impunity of the Waqf is only matched, and of course, encouraged, by Olmert's policies.

UPDATE

And it doesn't matter if we kill 10 Arabs as the IAF did this morning (of course, that does help) if we yield on one of the most central aspects of the dispute between Muslims and Jews - is the Temple Mount a Jewish fiction or a Muslim one.

Anti-Presidential-Party-Pooper Petition

President George W. Bush's stay in Jerusalem was traumatic.  And I am not referring solely to the political ramifications ("occupation") or the interference in internal Israeli politics ("protect Olmert").  On Wednesday last week, Jerusalem, for the most part, was a ghost down.  The next day, Thursday, the north was shut down when he went Ramallah and the south was shut down in the afternoon, when he went to Bethlehem. It was a mess and it was outrageous.

I am sure that many people, even those who agree with his pressure on Israel, are personally angry at what he had done to the city. My daughter, for example, was told to stay home for two days as the area she worked in was part of the inner area that needed to be protected and it wasn't worth opening because no one could get there anyway.

So, while we keep up the political counter-pressure and ask our friends and allies abroad to do the same, I think what is needed is a public petition to be signed by as many Jerusalemites as possible.  That petition will ask President Bush to please stay in Tel Aviv when he next comes here in May.  He can fly up by helicopter for any celebrations and go right back.  If he stays in the capital, very simply there will be no celebrations.  No one will be able to get anywhere, visit, dance, set off noisemakers, etc.  It will be the dampest party ever.

Maybe the readers of my blog in America will write the White House along these lines and get their Senators and Congressmen to send the President a bipartisan message: let Israel celebrate its national holdiay freely and without undue interference.  We don't mind admiration from America, but Americans, tell your President not to poop our party.