"Abbas says halt to settlements essential; Requires inclusion of East Jerusalem" by Isabel Kershner, New York Times / November 22, 2010
Related:
"Isabel Kershner.... is an Israeli citizen.... possible family ties to the Israeli military"
Oh, one of the tough guys of the AmeriKan MSM.
JERUSALEM — In a move that could further increase tensions with the Palestinians, the Israeli government yesterday approved a $23 million, five-year project to renovate and develop the Western Wall Plaza and its environs....
That seems to be what they do best.
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"Dead Sea drilling seeks ‘archive’; Dig will uncover history hidden in eons of mud" by Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press / November 23, 2010
JERUSALEM — The project is the brainchild of two Israeli scientists, and is one of the few spheres that sees Palestinians and Israelis working together....
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Related:
Why Jerusalem? - Israel's Hidden Agenda
Reliable archaeologists, after examining excavations that contain pottery shards and buildings, concluded that archaeological finds don't substantiate the biblical history of Jerusalem and its importance during the eras of a united Jewish kingdom under David and Solomon.
"Egypt is literally littered with the ruins of the ancient temples and palaces of her rulers. As much as has been found, it is estimated that only 1/3 of Egypt's archeological wonders have been uncovered to date. A newly discovered temple was uncovered while digging a sewer line, and a cache of finely preserved mummies was literally stumbled over by a cow in a pasture.
Iraq's ancient heritage was enshrined in its ancient sites and museum. As a result of the war, many of those sites have been damaged or destroyed. Part of the ancient city or Ur now lies underneath a US air base runway. The treasures of the museum have only partly been recovered. The treasures from the looted archaeological sites have been scattered to the world.
Likewise, Iran has a rich archaeological heritage marking its place in history.
All of this wealth of archaeological treasures must of course annoy Israel. We are raised from birth with Old Testament tales of the greatness of the ancient Israelites, of the powerful kingdoms of Solomon and David and the first temple. Yet Israel, while rich in antiquities, is almost totally devoid of artifacts from this supposedly glorious time in her history. The existence of the fabled First Temple was supported with just two artifacts, a carved staff ornament in the shape of a pomegranate and the Jehoash tablet. Both of these artifacts have been exposed as frauds. We are told that once there was a magnificent temple on that hill, but it "all went away." The wonders emerging from the soil of Egypt, Iraq, and Iran serve as a constant reminder that ancient buildings of such a scale as we are told the First Temple was simply do not vanish without a trace.
There is considerable reason to suspect that the tales told in the Old Testament are just that; tales. The Bible is not science, it is the collected stories of a primitive tribal people reminding each other how important they are. And like fishermen talking about the one that got away, or Ramses with his temple carvings of the did-not-really-happen victory over the Hittites at Kadesh, the writers of the ancient testaments assumed that the people they were telling stories to had no way to verify the claims for themselves. So "embellishment" was a low-risk activity.
We do know from the available archaeological evidence that the Exodus probably actually happened to the Hyksos, not the Israelites. We know that the story of Moses is suspect because no Egyptian princess would hide a Hebrew child inside Pharaoh's household, then give the kid a Hebrew name ("Moses" is actually an Egyptian title meaning "Prince" and is included in the names of many Pharaoh's names such as Tut-Moses, Ah-Moses, Ra-Moses (Ramses) etc.)
Likewise, the story of Masada may be less than accurate. The remains found on the mountain were buried with pig bones, something no proper Jewish funeral would tolerate, which suggests that the bodies found and venerated as heroes of ancient Judea were actually those of dead Roman Soldiers.
JERUSALEM — An official Palestinian report claiming that a key Jewish holy site — Jerusalem’s Western Wall — has no religious significance to Jews evoked an angry response from Israelis yesterday, threatening to further inflame tensions over the disputed city.
Decades of archeology have shown that the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, was a retaining wall of the compound where the two biblical Jewish Temples stood 20 centuries ago.
Hey, what is one more Zionist lie in a paper full of them?
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, is built atop the ruins.
Also see: Netanyahu and the End Times
The latest assertion about the Temples, site, echoing positions taken in the past by Palestinian leaders, including the late Yasser Arafat, underlined the deeply held, conflicting beliefs that must be untangled if a peace accord is to be reached between Israel and the Palestinians.
Al-Mutawakil Taha, deputy minister of information in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which rules the West Bank, said yesterday that his study, published on a Palestinian government website, reflected the official Palestinian position. Part of the report disputes that the Western Wall was a retaining wall of the Temple compound.
“This wall has never been a part of what is called the Jewish Temple,’’ the report says. “However, it was Islamic tolerance which allowed the Jews to stand before it and cry over its loss.’’
If the show were on the other foot.... denied.
The report concludes that since Jews have no claim to the area, it is holy Muslim territory and must be part of Palestinian Jerusalem....
I think it should all be Palestine again. It's the only solution.
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"Also yesterday, Netanyahu harshly rejected an official Palestinian study claiming that the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, the holiest site where Jews can pray, is not Jewish at all and belongs to the Muslims....
That seems to be what he does best.
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"Leader says Hamas would accept peace OK’d in referendum; Haniyeh denies charge Al Qaeda operates in Gaza" by Karin Laub, Associated Press / December 2, 2010
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has removed a report from a government website saying that Jerusalem’s Western Wall isn’t holy to Jews, officials said yesterday, after it provoked furious reactions from the United States and Israel....
Looks like Israel controls more than just the land.
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Given enough time, even a simple story written in jest can take on a life of its own. Scientology began as a bet between two science fiction writers; look how wide spread that has become in just a short time.
But, over time, entire religions with attendant wealth and power structures have been built on the premise that these old testament stories really happened exactly as written. And today, here in the 21st century world, science has started to catch up with these ancient legends and call many of them into doubt.
So, for a nation that justifies its existence on the writings of the Torah, the plethora of sites and artifacts confirming the ancient histories of Egypt, Iraq, Iran, etc. etc. etc. must seem a dire political threat for a nation whose own ancient history seems to have left little if any traces at all." -- Wake the Flock Up
Thus all the "digging" at the Dead Sea.
And look what happens when someone calls them on it:
"Verbal shot over wall raises ire in Israel; Report dismisses religious import" by Diaa Hadid, Associated Press / November 25, 2010