Pilgrim's Regress?

Tension remains high between Jews and Muslims at a disputed Jerusalem holy place after several days of unrest

But why is it disputed?

Is it really true that Muslims assert a claim over Jerusalem, because the prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, had a dream that he mounted a white, winged, flying horse and flew to Jerusalem? And because of the dream, or as Scrooge said, perhaps a bit of undigested food, that people are killed and destruction follows?

Is this right? Or did I get the story wrong?

Robert Berger should be ashamed of himself for writing this.

He is mouthing Arab muslim agitprop in virtually every line.

Let's rewrite it so that it bears some small resemblance to the truth.

'Israeli border police officer, masked plainclothes police officers detain local Arab Muslim young men after Muslim riots in east Jerusalem

'The local Muslims are ramping up their aggression over the Temple Mount after days of Muslim violence that have marred the Jewish festival of pilgrimage.

'Israeli Arab leaders visited the Mosque of Al Aksa in Jerusalem's Old City and blamed Israel for allegedly 'provoking' the recent Arab Muslim attacks on the Jewish police.

"The attacks are being made during the week-long holiday of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, when thousands of Jewish and Christian pilgrims have been visiting Jerusalem.

'The attacks started after local Muslim leaders told Muslims that Jewish 'militants' planned to pray at the Al Aksa compound on the Temple Mount, which modern Muslims allege is the third holiest place in Islam.

'Historically the Mount was the site of the two biblical Temples and it is Judaism's most holy place.

' Israel has closed the site to young adult male Muslim worshippers for several days, in an attempt to limit Muslim violence.

'Israeli Arab Muslim parliamentarian Taleb al-Sana accused Israel of denying Muslims freedom of worship by closing adult male Muslim access the Mosque of Al Aksa.

'Repeating a classic Muslim propaganda lie that has been spread in recent days, Al-Sana falsely accused Israel of conducting secret excavations under the mosque, thus stirring up Muslim fears that the Jews might assume control of the Temple Mount,

'Jewish officials say that local Arab Muslim leaders are deliberately inciting violence during the Feast of Tabernacles.

'Elisha Peleg is a member of the Jerusalem City Council. "It is well organized," Peleg alleges. "They know when to increase the riots and where to make the riots; and unfortunately, our neighbors do not like to see us very much celebrating and praying to our God."
(In Muslim lands, historically, Jews and Christians living as dhimmis, under a form of religion-based apartheid, were forbidden the public exercise of their religions ).

'The Arab Muslims claim that Israel is''provoking' a third Palestinian [sic] uprising.
'But Israel has deployed thousands of police and soldiers in and around Jerusalem's Old City, in an effort to suppress Muslim aggression."

Now, how does that sound?

(I really must 'preview' more often).

In my suggested rewrite of Mr Berger's 'report' above, I failed to notice that I had missed something.

The sentence reading '"It is well organized," Peleg alleges', which I reproduced unchanged from the original report, should probably read, '"It is well organized," Peleg explains.'

Israel should, preferably, bulldoze Al Aqsa and get on with the business of rebuilding Solomon's Temple. If, as I suspect, their conscience wouldn't allow them to take such drastic action, then they should simple disassemble it and rebuild it on a new site. Muslims will complain, of course, since it would deprive them of their present squatters' privileges atop Temple Mount. But since it is well known that Al Aqsa wasn't built for something like 50 years after Mohammad's death (whatever Muslim myths might assert to the contrary about his riding Buraq from Al Aqsa), they should yield on this. Undoubtedly they would agree with this, right? Maybe Nobel Laureate Obama could engage his golden tongue and talk some sense into them.