Declaration of Religious War?

Earlier today Hamas issued a warning that Israel's closure of the Mugrabi Bridge to the Temple Mount is a "declaration of religious war on Muslim Holy Sites." Lest you think this is propaganda from a single extremist terrorist group, it follows an earlier statement by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat who said Israel's plan to replace the current bridge “shows their determination to Judaize Jerusalem and to take over the city’s Muslim holy places."

These statements are false and hypocritical, and those making them know that's the case. They're intended to inflame the Muslim world and put pressure on Israel. We've talked about this gate several times on our program, most recently this past weekend. Here are the facts for those who don't know the full story.

The Mugrabi Gate is the only gateway unto the Temple Mount that is open to non-Muslims, and it's located next to the Western Wall plaza. In 2004 the ramp up to the gate partially collapsed after a heavy winter rain. Israel constructed a temporary wooden bridge to the site that sits on metal scaffolding. (See the picture above from bibleplaces.com, which provides an excellent visual of the structure!) The bridge was only intended to provide temporary access until a more permanent replacement was designed and built.

In 2007 Israel tried to replace the temporary bridge with a more permanent replacement, but work was halted when charges were made that Israel was damaging the Muslim holy sites. (Note in the picture that the bridge is outside the Western Wall and doesn't get close to any of the Muslim Holy sites!) Israel halted work while the UN investigated. They concluded the charges were false, but asked Israel to once again postpone work on the new bridge. Israel agreed, and the temporary structure remained in use for another four years.

The problem now is that Jerusalem's city engineer has declared the current temporary structure to be unsafe and in danger of collapse. Israel's most recent decision to close the current bridge and replace it with a more permanent structure centers on safety. Like any responsible government, their primary concern is that a bridge used by thousands of tourists every week has been shown to be structurally unsound. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership appears to care more about scoring political points than they are about the safety of those forced to use a bridge that is structurally unsound. But one can be sure that when the bridge finally does collapse, they will be quick to blame the Jews!

This is another example of the appalling lack of leadership that characterizes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. My advice to both groups is simple: Stop acting like demagogues and start acting like responsible leaders. The bridge is unsafe and needs to be repaired, and it is outside the Temple Mount area. Get over the fact that Israel is the one fixing it!

Slanted reporting by BBC

There was a time when I thought the BBC--the British Broadcasting Company--was a standard for objective reporting of world news. Sadly, I learned long ago this is not the case. But I'm still surprised when I come across blatant examples of biased reporting coming from the BBC.

As I write this from Israel, I'm shaking my head at the BBC report I just read. The headline reads "New Israeli air strike into Gaza after 'ceasefire.'" The headline suggests that Israel violated its ceasefire with Hamas. The opening summary paragraph also lays blame on Israel for breaking the ceasefire. "One Palestinian was killed in a new Israeli air strike in Gaza, hours after Egypt apparently brokered a ceasefire."

So what's the problem? Well, the reality is that the Israeli air strike targeted a terrorist squad preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. It was the terrorists who were going to break the ceasefire, and Israel responded with the air strike to prevent that attack. The BBC finally says this...twenty paragraphs into a twenty-five paragraph story! And even then they couch it in a way that casts doubt on Israel's motives. "Israel's military said its aircraft 'targeted a terrorist squad... that was preparing to launch long-range rockets'." Come on BBC! Don't you think this might just be a little relevant to the story?!?

Do you want a more accurate account of the event? Try reading the Jerusalem Post article on the same subject. Their headline reads, "IDF strikes Gaza cell attempting to launch rocket at Israel."

The BBC ought to blush with shame at its lack of objectivity on this story!

Mobile Sukkah Brigade

This picture, with accompanying article, in Ynetnews caught my attention. While it might look like a convoy of ice cream trucks, it's actually a group off-road trucks leased by the Chabad movement, one of the largest groups within Orthodox Judaism.

Each truck has a portable sukkah mounted in back. The trucks are now traveling throughout Israel to help people celebrate the Feast of Sukkot. (In Leviticus 23 Israel was commanded to live in booths during the seven-day Feast of Sukkot.) On their website, Chabad also provides instructions on how to build a sukkah for those Jews who might not have been observant in the past but who would now like to celebrate the feast.

I was encouraged by the article...though I also felt a need to go out and order a large soft serve chocolate-and-vanilla ice cream!

Who Owns the Promised Land?

This past week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he knows the answer to all the problems in the Middle East. “If the backers of the Zionist regime want to solve the issue...the solution is simple...everyone should go home.” Of course, he was referring to the Jews, and he was saying they are outsiders and intruders in the Middle East, sent from the West to colonize land that truly belongs to the Palestinians.

So are these the ravings of a demagogue that ought simply to be ignored? I believe it’s important for us to have an answer to his message and not just dismiss it as the rantings of some nut. I say this because many in the Middle East agree with what he is saying. To not give an answer is to let others assume he has made a valid--and unanswerable--point.

The Jewish people weren't sent to the Middle East from Europe following World War II as Ahmadinejad suggests. The Jewish presence in the land goes back thousands of years. And there are other legitimate reasons for supporting the Jewish right to a national homeland. I can think of five.

1. Let's start with the Bible. The Bible makes it clear that the land is the historic homeland of the Jewish people. God gave the title deed to Abraham's descendants through Isaac, and God never abrogated that promise. I realize some might not accept the Bible, so here are additional reasons that support Israel's right to the land.
   
   
2. Let's begin by assuming legitimacy belongs to those who occupied the land first. The Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Jebusites, and other "ites" were there first...but they have disappeared from history. The Jewish people are the oldest surviving occupants of the land. If it belongs to the oldest surviving owners, then it belongs to the Jews.
   
   
3. Or maybe legitimacy should be granted to the group who lived in the land for the longest period of time. The Jewish people (from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the first and second temple periods...and again since 1948) lived in the land for nearly 1,700 years. The Muslims came out of the Arabian peninsula to conquer the land, and they controlled the land for about 1,400 years. If it belongs to those who have lived their longest, then it belongs to the Jews.
   
   
4. Or maybe we should give the land to those who have been the majority in the land most recently. Currently 70% of all the Jews living in the land are native-born Israelis. This is the land of their birth. In contrast, most Palestinians alive today have never set foot in the land. They were born elsewhere. So if it belongs to the largest group that was actually born there, then it belongs to the Jews.
   
   
5. Or maybe we should just resort to the dictum that "possession is nine-tenth of the law." The one who ends up with the land is the presumed rightful owner. Like Abraham and the cave of Machpelah, the Jewish people gained much of the land they held prior to 1947 by purchasing it. But they gained the remaining land they now possess by fighting a series of defensive wars against armies who set out to destroy them. So if actual possession is a legitimate mark of ownership, then the land belongs to the Jews.
   
   

The bottom line is that Ahmadinejad is wrong on all counts. The Jewish people do have a historic right to live in the land, and Israel is as a legitimate nation. And that's why we need to challenge Ahmadinejad's statements.

Understanding the Math

Israel has fared poorly in the United Nations over the years. According to one analysis:

...of 175 total resolutions passed by the [Security] Council, 97 were directed against Israel, as contrasted with 4 against all Arab states combined....In the years 1947 to 1989, the General Assembly passed a total of 690 resolutions (full or partial). Of these, 429 were against the Israeli position while only 56 were against Arab positions. Of the 56 votes not to the Arabs’ liking, 49 concerned the establishment or financing of peace-keeping forces.

While some might quibble with the specific number of resolutions or votes in this analysis, it's hard to argue that the UN seems to vote against Israel far more often than it supports them.

So does this mean Israel is indeed a pariah state, worthy of such condemnation? Or are there other factors at play?

It helps if we understand the math. There are currently 192 countries who are member states of the United Nations.

Israel has one vote; and its strongest ally, the United States, has one vote. Total votes = 2.
The Muslim majority countries each have one vote. Total votes = 48. (If Palestine becomes a recognized country, the total will increase to 49.) The United States and Israel combined represent 1% of the total votes in the General Assembly. The Muslim majority countries represent 25% of the total votes...the single largest voting block of its kind in the UN.

Perhaps that's why so many of the UN's votes seem to favor the Palestinians and condemn the Israelis!

The numbers do get reversed...if one looks at financial contributions to the UN. (Link to the following Wikipedia article, especially footnote 58, for facts to support the following numbers.) The United States is contributing 22% of the UN budget for 2011, while the total for all 48 Muslim majority countries is just 2.9%. In fact, Israel's contribution, at .419%, is larger than the contribution of every Muslim majority country except Saudi Arabia.

Maybe it's time to restructure the UN. I would propose a model similar to the U.S. Congress, with two legislative branches. One would be set up similar to the Senate, with each country getting one vote regardless of its size. But the second would have proportional representation. The current system, which gives the Maldives (with a population of 350,000) equal voting weight as the U.S., makes no sense.

And perhaps the cost to run the entire operation could also be distributed more proportionally.

Right now the math doesn't make sense!

A "Seven Species" Oil Lamp

During our devotional time on The Land and the Book I've been doing a series on the seven species of plants named by Moses in Deuteronomy 8. And so I was more than a little interested when I received the latest edition of Biblical Archaeology Review magazine had discovered an article on an unusual olive oil lamp. The lamp, carved from stone rather than molded from clay, contains seven spouts plus a handle. And carved on top is a relief of the temple menorah...along with carvings of the seven species of plants mentioned in Deuteronomy 8!

The lamp was discovered several years ago, but it has been surrounded in controversy since that time. It wasn't uncovered in a controlled archaeological dig, and that raised suspicions about its date...and even its authenticity. According to the article, a group of scientists studied the object and have apparently now validated its authenticity. The article suggests the lamp might date back to the time of the Second Temple period, putting it around the time of Jesus. Unfortunately, since specific details on where the object was found are not known, any attempt to date the object more precisely is impossible.

If you would like to read a summary of the BAR article, click here. And then keep listening each weekend as we continue our study of the seven species of the land!

The Demonizing of Glenn Beck

Yesterday marked the end of Glenn Beck's "Restoring Courage" campaign in Israel. The level of news coverage was so light that many Americans might not even realize the final rally took place. News editors certainly gave it far less coverage than Kim Kardashian's wedding...an event that, from the level of coverage it received, appears to have been more significant than virtually anything else taking place!

Let me say at the beginning of this post that as an evangelical I have serious disagreements with Glenn Beck's Mormon theology. But having said that, I'm upset with the media's attempts to silence Glenn Beck by ignoring him or, even worse, demonizing him. Character assassination should have no place in any media outlet committed to journalistic integrity.

So what did Glenn Beck say at his "Restoring Courage" rally? If you were to read the article in today's online edition of Haaretz, you would assume the entire event was a cross between a snake-handling tent meeting and an Arian gathering at some beer hall in Germany. The author described the event as a "circus," and compared Glenn Beck to "Joe McCarthy." He went on to call Beck's followers "anti-Semites" and "wachos" who are evidently too stupid to realize their own anti-Semitism...but who were really in Israel promoting a "white, Aryan" agenda. But is this reporter's coverage accurate or true?

I read Glenn Beck's speech online, and I would challenge you to do the same. While I personally would have made some editorial changes in the speech, those changes are relatively minor. On the whole, the speech rises to the level of being quite profound and inspiring--not in the biblical sense of coming from the hand of God but in the sense of crystalizing issues and issuing a compelling call for listeners to respond. After hearing so much drivel from modern-day politicians, this speech rises to the level of some of the great speeches of Lincoln, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

Read Beck's speech...and then read the Haaretz article. By demonizing Beck the article uses the power of negative stereotypes to delegitimize the messenger rather than focusing on the actual message. Sadly, the technique does work. But it illustrates two fallacies that are far too prevalent in journalism today.

The first fallacy is bias. Everyone has presuppositions, and all news is selective--from the stories chosen to be covered to the amount of time/space allotted for the actual report. Ideally, a reporter needs to be aware of his or her own personal biases and strive to be as objective as possible. Sadly, we are seeing less and less objectivity in reporting...from all sides!

The second fallacy is the increasing use of argumentum ad hominem. More than 40 years ago I was taught this logical fallacy in debate class. It seeks to negate a statement by attacking the character of the person making it. In essence if Satan is the father of lies, all I need to do is convince others you are Satan...and then I don't need to deal with the merits of the arguments you are making--since we can assume they are lies. This is fallacious reasoning, but there has been an alarming increase in "character assassination" in the media. (And I'm referring to attacks being made against people on all sides of the political and religious spectrum...from Barak Obama to Sarah Palin!)

So what can you do? First, pay close attention to the arguments being used by the media in their stories. Do they have an obvious bias? Are they seeking to present both sides of an issue? Are they focusing on what individuals are actually saying...or are they simply attacking the person saying it?

Second, look carefully at any visuals being used in a report. Do those visuals present a positive or negative picture of the person being highlighted in the story? Is the media outlet using the visual images to inject bias into the report?

Third, take time to read original sources. The internet gives you direct access to a wealth of information. If you have questions about a report, go online and try to find the complete text of the speech or the event being reported. Become your own media critic!

Finally, be willing to share your informed thoughts and opinions with others. Write a letter to the editor if you see clear evidence of biased reporting. Let them know that you are paying attention...and that you want accurate, unbiased coverage...without resorting to character assassination. Cite specific examples! And if they refuse to change, vote with your feet and your pocketbook. Change channels...and subscriptions. Media is a business, and you can reward financially those media outlets that are committed to being as accurate and unbiased as possible.

I might not agree with all that Glenn Beck says or does, but I think he deserved more honest coverage--and we deserved more accurate reporting--on the event itself!

Israel's Latest Hero

Benny Belevsky, a 60-year-old bus driver, became Israel's latest hero. Belevsky was driving the Egged bus from Beersheba to Eilat that was attacked by three terrorists on Thursday.

So what makes Belevsky a hero?

Put yourself in his place. What would you do if, in the middle of an otherwise uneventful trip, the windows around you suddenly shattered as bullets zipped past your head? I think an individual's first reaction might be to hit the brakes and duck for cover. And that's likely what the terrorists were hoping would happen. With rifles and antitank missiles at the ready, a stationary bus filled with people would make an excellent target.

But Belevsky didn't react that way. Instead, he accelerated...driving through the hail of gunfire and refusing to stop until he reached the nearest military checkpoint. In an interview with Ynet News, Belevsky explained what happened...and why he responded as he did. "The bullets hit the bus and two of them shattered the window near me, passed just above my head and hit the ceiling. I am experienced enough to know that I should keep driving and that I mustn't stop so that the damage doesn't get worse."

It's the quick reaction of ordinary people like Belevsky that helps make Israel such a remarkable country. Thank you, Benny Belevsky, for responding with such wisdom and courage under fire! You really are one of Israel's many unsung heroes!

Hercules Statue in Jezreel Valley

The Israel Antiquities Authority issued a press release today announcing the discovery of a statue of Hercules uncovered during a dig in the Jezreel Valley. The statue dates from the second century A.D. and was evidently part of the decoration of a bathhouse/pool at a Roman villa in the valley.

If you would like to read the full report on the discovery, click on the following link to the Israel Antiquities Authority. And make sure you download the high-resolution photographs of the statue that are also available at the site!

The Sword and the Menorah

These three images are from an Associated Press article reporting on today's announcement about the latest archaeological finds in Jerusalem. I'll be talking more about this discovery on Saturday's program, but I thought you might enjoy seeing these pictures now. The one picture shows the drainage tunnel that has now been uncovered in Jerusalem. It ran along the street that extended from the Temple Mount down to the Pool of Siloam. The other pictures show the sketch of the menorah on a piece of stone as well as the remains of a Roman sword, still in its leather scabbard. These were both found in this tunnel. They are the latest in a string of amazing discoveries still being made in Jerusalem!

Overrun by Coneys!

A BBC report on "coneys" makes for good Friday reading! The coney (also called a hyrax, rock badger, or rock rabbit) is described in the Bible as an animal that makes its home in the rocky crags (Prov. 30:26). But it seems the animal is becoming something of a pest in Israel as it moves into villages and tears up gardens.

A study was done to determine why the problem was becoming more severe, and it turned out the real problem is...people! As land is cleared for new homes in Israel, the rocks and boulders are scraped to the side and piled up. This creates additional "rocky crags" for the coneys, who have been taking up residence in their new "homes."

God created the coneys to live in the rocks, and humans have been creating new piles of rocks for the coneys to call home!

Absolutely Absurd!

Why did America come so close to defaulting on its debt? Was it overspending? Was it the prolonged recession? Was it Congressional gridlock?

Not according to the PakTribune. They have concluded it's all the fault of the Jews!

In a blatant, antisemitic rant a recent article in the PakTribune blames the Jews for the problems facing the United States...and the rest of the world. Here's an excerpt from the article--just as it appeared online!

Zionist elements always influenced the political, CIA and military top brass and shaped the U.S. regional and global political, economical, defence and other local nature of policies in the larger interest of Israel.

It is worth mentioning here that these 2% Jews inhabitants are controlling 82% Christians of U.S. They are playing their negative role in media, prominent institutions, Intelligence agencies since followers of Judaism has faith of ruling the world by hook and crock at all cost. It is added here that many Jews pressure groups are operating in America and world over.

Such propaganda would also be laughable were it not for the fact that many who live in Muslim countries believe the statements are true. And it's that false perception that is behind much of Islam's conflict with the West. But isn't this just a case where you have a right to your opinion, and I have a right to mine?

Daniel Patrick Moynihan is said to have quipped, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." And whether or not Moynihan is the first to have made that statement, the truth of what he said is crucial to any proper evaluation of the article's assertion that the Jews somehow control the world.

The write of the article may feel as if the Jews are in control of the world, but that is only his opinion. It is not grounded in hard, objective facts. While it might be true that the Jews have had an influence on the world that is disproportionately greater than the size of its population, this doesn't prove there is a secret Jewish conspiracy to control the world. Their focus on study, education, and hard work--coupled with God's promise to bless the descendants of Abraham--are far more compelling reasons for the extent of their influence.

If America is in decline, it's because our country has drifted away from the Judeo-Christian values that once made it strong. These values include hard work, personal responsibility, and moral values grounded in the truth of the Bible. To blame the Jewish people for problems caused by our own irresponsibility and poor choices is absurd.

This writer is entitled to his opinion. But until he is willing to accept the fact that his opinion is wrong--and that each individual (and country) needs to accept responsibility for its own problems and failures--he will be incapable of making the hard choices necessary to move forward.

And that's sad!

A Bell from a Priest's Robe

In the Book of Exodus God gave specific instructions concerning the garments to be worn by the priests. One detail seems, at first, to be somewhat unusual...decorative bells and pomegranates that were to be fastened to the bottom of the priests' robes.

Here's the specific command from Exodus 28:33-35:
"And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, that he may not die."

Archaeologists in Jerusalem may just have discovered one of the bells described in this passage! While excavating a drainage ditch from a street that ran along the western end of the Temple Mount, they uncovered a small golden bell (see above) that had evidently fallen off a priest's garment and rolled into the ditch. The bell had a loop on top to allow that would allow it to be fastened to the hem of the robe.

The bell that was discovered is from the Second Temple period, nearly 1,500 years after God first gave the command to Moses. It's another reminder that the Jewish people in the New Testament era were still being careful to follow the guidelines laid down by God for temple worship.

If you would like to read more about this amazing discovery, click here.

Israel's Renewed Fascination with the EU

A survey conducted by Ben Gurion University found that 81% of Israelis would support Israel joining the European Union, and 64% would support the deployment of NATO forces to the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of a peace treaty with the Palestinians. A recent Jerusalem Post article reported on the survey and quoted one of the researchers who conducted it. "Israelis are really into strengthening and deepening the cooperation between Israel and the EU. Israelis understand the importance of the EU for the future of Israel and they want to strengthen the relations."

What significance, if any, could this information have in God's prophetic program? I see two possible points of connection. First, Israel's growing interest in Europe could be connected, at least in part, to its realization that the United States might not always be the reliable partner and friend it has been for the past 30 years. Israel's fascination with Europe could reflect a growing belief that Europe might prove to be the more reliable economic and political partner in the future. Second, the Bible describes the last days as a time characterized by interaction between the revived Roman Empire and a restored nation of Israel. The period begins as a time of cooperation and peace, though eventually the European ruler will turn against Israel. This is described in some detail in Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 12–13.

Pay close attention to Israel's growing desire for rapprochement with Europe. It could eventually prove to be another piece of God's end-time puzzle clicking into place.

Thrown under the bus

I struggle to find words that describe my response to today's speech by President Obama. It looks to me like the United States has just thrown Israel under the bus, harming a longtime ally in an attempt to score points with others in the Middle East.

The United States just reneged on commitments we made in 2004 when we promised Israel we would not force them to return to the 1967 borders--which are not defensible. We might say our commitment to Israel is "unshakeable," but actions speak louder than words. And by our actions we have just put Israel in an untenable position.

It seems as if we have committed our country to a policy of ethnic cleansing, publicly demanding that Israel abandon land that has historically belonged to the Jewish people. For example, from 1948 till 1967 all Jews were forcibly excluded from the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and denied access to the Western Wall, the holiest location in Judaism. Is it our official position to demand that the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem be judenrein?

We are quick to pressure Israel to make concessions, but similar pressure isn't being applied to the Palestinians. When the Palestinian Authority announced a unity government with Hamas, our response was muted, even though Hamas refuses to abandon it's formal position calling for the destruction of Israel. We continue to fund Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority even though he has refused to negotiate with Israel. We say we are committed to Israel's security, but our statements don't align with our actions.

My concern with America's current foreign policy decisions in the Middle East extend beyond just Israel. We abandoned longtime ally Hosni Mubarak, publicly calling on him to step down within days after demonstrations began. We were quick to throw our support behind the "pro-democracy" demonstrators in Cairo. But we didn't actively support the protestors who demonstrated against rigged elections in Iran. And we still haven't called for the removal of Bashar Assad of Syria, even though he has killed nearly a thousand demonstrators over the past several weeks. Yet we pressured Bahrain to give in to the demands of Shiite protestors even though there is evidence that the unrest in Bahrain is being fomented by Iran. Our actions against the leadership in Egypt and Bahrain have offended and alienated Saudi Arabia, which also feels abandoned by the U.S.

It looks like our current national policy is to distance ourselves from friends in the hope of courting the favor of enemies. This won't work. We will end up with no friends...and more emboldened enemies. What western, secular politicians perceive as tolerance and even-handedness is viewed in the Middle East as weakness and vacillation. America's new policy is a policy of appeasement...and it looks much like an earlier version promoted by Neville Chamberlain just before World War II. And my fear is that the results will be similar.

While I'm concerned for Israel, I believe God will take care of them. I'm more worried about the United States. If we turn against Israel, we will be turning against God. As God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." I don't want the United States to become a nation cursed by God. But the path we seem to be choosing is not encouraging!

Bombing update

This photo, from the Arutz Sheva website, shows the telephone booth where the terrorist bomb was planted. The name of the store in the picture, which is by the bus station, is "Blast of a Kiosk." It was given this name after it had been destroyed in a 1993 bomb blast.

A man at the kiosk noticed the suspicious package and told people to stay away. He then contacted police to report the package, which blew up while he was talking with them. His alert action very likely saved additional lives. It also points out the continual vigilance of the citizens of Israel.

Sadly, a 59-year-old woman was killed in the attack, and at least three others were seriously injured by the explosion. An additional 36 people were lightly or moderately injured by the explosion and by the shrapnel packed in the bomb. Earlier reports said the woman killed was an American. This might still be true. But if it is, it's not currently being reported by the news sources here in Israel.

As a result of the attack, security in Jerusalem and throughout Israel has been beefed up. The doormen at hotels are again carefully searching the bags of everyone entering, including our group. Restaurants, malls, and other public areas have also increased their screening process. Sadly, Israel knows how to do security well because they have had some much hands-on experience over the years.

But everyone on our trip is thankful Israel does take security so seriously!

Report from Jerusalem

I just returned to my hotel after a day of touring in Jerusalem. Our group was at Yad Vashem--Israel's Holocaust museum--when we received news of the first bus bombing to take place in Jerusalem in seven years. We had spent the afternoon in West Jerusalem, the general area where the bombing occurred, but we did not hear the bomb go off. The news, however, spread very quickly via mobile phone, so we were aware of what had happened within a few minutes of the attack itself. The most immediate impact on our group was the rapid increase in security at Yad Vashem and on the streets...and the traffic jam in Jerusalem that resulted as the police searched for the bomber.

For family and friends, let me also add some additional details to help you look beyond the media coverage of this event to more accurately understand the current situation here in Israel. The bombing took place near the convention center at a public bus stop. It was specifically intended to target Israelis using public transportation.

As I write this post, the news being reported is that one person was killed and about thirty-five wounded. One preliminary report said the woman killed might be an American citizen. If this is true, it's possible she was a resident of Jerusalem since few tourists use public transportation. Police are still searching for the bomber who may have placed the bomb at the bus stop and then detonated it remotely, possibly with a cell phone. Reports are still sketchy since the event happened just a few hours ago.

Do I still feel safe here in Jerusalem with our group? Yes I do. The incident, as horrible as it is, was specifically designed to target Israelis. The bomb was detonated at a public bus stop used by local riders of the Egged bus system. Tourist sites--and tourist buses--were not the target.

Will this incident impact tours? It probably will...but not in ways you might expect. We have already changed the touring schedule for our current Moody trip for the next two days. The basic change is that we have dropped our planned visit to Bethlehem. I personally would have no problem traveling to Bethlehem, but as a tour leader I will always err on the side of caution. Until the current situation settles down, we will not be visiting Palestinian-controlled areas.

Will Israel respond? Almost certainly they will. There are already reports of Palestinians being arrested in East Jerusalem and in the West Bank. Israel will do everything possible to find and punish those responsible for this attack. Much like the U.S. response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect the safety and security of its citizens.

I'll report back as new details come available.

Hysteria and Archaeology

Israel National News has reported on the restoration of a 2,000-year-old drainage tunnel in Jerusalem. Anywhere else this would be a fascinating piece of historical and archaeological trivia, but in Jerusalem it becomes an international incident.

The drainage tunnel dates back to the time of the Second Temple, and the tunnel extends from just south of the Temple Mount down the Central Valley toward the Pool of Siloam. Part of the tunnel is now open to the public. I actually had an opportunity to walk through a small part of the tunnel while it was still being excavated, and it was amazing.

These excavations shed light on Josephus' description of the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in A.D. 70. Josephus wrote that some Jews tried to hide underground but that the Romans broke up the ground to find and kill them (Wars 6.9.4). No doubt this drainage tunnel was one of the underground spots where these Jewish refugees tried to hide, and in places the stone blocks covering the tunnel had been pried up, confirming the thoroughness of the Roman search for survivors. This archaeological dig helps bring that tragic period of history to light.

Sadly, the archaeological significance of the dig might be overshadowed by hysteria spawned by politics. Charges have already been raised that the dig is threatening the Al Aqsa Mosque. Egypt's Ahram Online captures the hysteria in its caption for the story: "Israel's Aqsa mosque dig-project complete."

But does the project threaten the Al Aqsa mosque? Look carefully at the Google Earth photo I've included with this post. I have labeled the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa mosque, the Western Wall, and the Davidson Archaeological Center (which is where the northern end of the tunnel is located). I've also traced the approximate route the tunnel takes on its 600-meter journey down the Central Valley toward the Pool of Siloam. Note that the excavations do not extend under the Temple Mount, nor to they threaten the Al Aqsa mosque.

Watch for stories about this discovery in your local news. And if they report the excavations threaten Islamic holy sites, please write or call them to point out their error. Reports containing such false statements can lead others to believe such statements are true...when they are not.

Palileaks--The Palestinian Papers

Al-Jazeera obtained 1,600 documents from the past 11 years of Palestinian/Israeli negotiations. They joined with the Guardian newspaper to verify and then publish the documents, producing in effect a Palestinian version of Wikileaks.

The documents paint an interesting picture of the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. They show a Palestinian leadership willing to give up far more than they had ever publicly indicated in order to obtain a Palestinian state, including:
--A willingness to agree to land swaps with Israel that would allow Israel to keep most major settlements.
--A willingness to give up control of much (but not all) of East Jerusalem, and to seek a compromise on control of the Temple Mount.
--A willingness to give up the right of return for millions of Palestinians, accepting instead a token return of about 10,000 Palestinians.

The parties had still not reached a common understanding on these issues, but the documents show the gaps were narrowing. So why were these documents released now, and what impact could it have on any future negotiations?

First, the documents are incredibly embarrassing to the Palestinian Authority leadership. The papers show the leadership was willing to give up far more than they were saying publicly to the Palestinian people. It's possible these revelations will result in the collapse of the current government. It certainly makes their hold on power in the West Bank more tenuous. Were the documents leaked now for this very reason? It's hard to tell.

Second, the documents will probably kill any serious negotiations, at least in the near term. Much like the fallout from the Wikileak documents, politicians will be less likely to engage in serious discussions of issues, and to offer possible compromises, if the discussions have the potential of ending up as front page news.

Third, the documents show that any serious attempt to solve the Israel/Palestinian issue will ultimately need to acknowledge that (a) final borders will not match those of 1967, (b) the right of return to Israel will not be granted to all Palestinians, and (c) most major Jewish settlements will become part of Israel with some type of land swap as compensation.

Fourth, the real issue to watch now is how the Palestinian people respond to these revelations. The expectation is that there will be an angry rejection of the compromises made by the PA leaders. If so, there will be no movement toward an agreement. However, perhaps the shock of realizing the kind of compromises required to reach an agreement will produce more realistic expectations for what any future Palestinian state will need to look like. But I'm not optimistic.

Settlements and Boundaries

A draft resolution is circulating in the UN Security Council that would condemn Israel for continuing construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. And a group of former U.S. diplomats is urging President Obama not to veto the resolution. The draft resolution, as now written, states that "Israeli settlements established in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace."

On the surface the resolution might not seem ominous, but if the U.S. joins with others in condemning Israel, it will be the first time our country will have allowed such a resolution to go through the Security Council. Israel would indeed be standing alone against the rest of the world.

To me the resolution is hypocritical, since settlement construction is not a major obstacle to lasting peace. Let me explain why I believe this is so.

Since 2000 virtually everyone has recognized that the "1967 borders" will not be the final borders of any future Palestinian state. Such borders are not required by UN Resolution 242, passed after the Six-Day War. And the different peace proposals floated over the past decade have recognized that the final borders will be altered slightly, allowing Israel to incorporate a number of the settlements into its final boundaries and providing borders that are more secure.

But aren't the sheer number of settlements being built creating a major barrier to peace? That is, isn't Israel creating a greater problem by continuing to build throughout the West Bank--making it even more difficult to define final borders? A new study by The Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy would suggest that the answer is no. The report, "Imagining the Border: Options for Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian Territorial Issue," suggests the settlement problem is not the issue many are making it out to be. Annexing just 4.73% of the pre-1967 West Bank would allow Israel to incorporate 80% of these settlers into the country without forcing them to relocate. And by ceding a comparable amount of land to the Palestinians, Israel could provide opportunity for Palestinian expansion in the crowded Gaza Strip and as well as in other areas of the West Bank. The study provides specific maps detailing three different options that could be the basis for such a settlement.

So instead of pushing to condemn Israel for expanding settlements that will almost certainly become part of Israel anyway, wouldn't it be more sensible for the Palestinian Authority to resume negotiations to resolve these final boundary issues? Sadly, in the Middle East decisions don't always follow common sense.

If you want to be better informed on what's possible, I urge you to follow the link above and download the report. You will be impressed by its common-sense approach to the issue of establishing boundaries that could be acceptable to both sides. Other issue wold still remain, but this report represents the kind of approach the Palestinians and Israelis ought to be taking to resolving these issues. Let's hope the UN resolution fails and that negotiations again become an option.