If you’ve been watching the news the last few days, you might think you are caught in a time warp.  ‘Al-Aqsa is in danger!!”  Raed Salah, screaming at the top of his lungs for Muslims to defend Jerusalem.  You might think its 2000 again.  You’d be wrong.

Ramadan 2009 passed for the Arabs in Israel with unfettered access to the Temple Mount and most of all, quiet.  This Sukkot has seen clashes with the police, a border policeman stabbed in the neck, rabble-rousing from the PA itself and of course, help from the Islamic movement.  Now, reports or even emanating that the outbreaks of violence are even more widespread than is being reported in the major news outlets, with a boost given by the Muslim Brotherhood’s call for Oct 9th as ‘Al-Aqsa Day’ .

The restrictions for the Sukkot holiday were put in place by Israel so the Jewish worshipers wouldn’t get bashed in the head by falling rocks from above.

Israel won control of the Temple Mount from Jordan more than 40 years ago.  They magnanimously handed the keys and day to day control back to the Waqf a day later and have for the most part kept only Christians and Jews from visiting and even praying in this area.   The only people who seem to have to worry about defending their right to visit the Mount are anyone not Muslim.  With a 40 year track record of control and no real Israeli plans to change the status quo, what exactly are the Muslims screaming about?  And why now?

I hope the police and the government will be more proactive this time around in quelling the seething unrest and protecting the Israeli Jewish public.  No one wants to see a repeat of anything even remotely resembling what happened 8 years ago.  I can’t imagine it won’t end a lot worse for the Arabs this time around than last if they keep rioting.

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