[Los Angeles Times] Walter Reich - Israeli archeologists announced earlier this month that they found the tomb of Herod the Great - builder of Masada, Caesarea, and the grand expansion of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem - at Herodion National Monument, eight miles south of Jerusalem. In Israel, anything that demonstrates the area's Jewish past makes a big impression. For Israelis, such finds are seen as an emblem of the Jews' ancient and unbroken connection with the land, going back 3,500 years, that justifies the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. For Palestinians, they're seen as a way of legitimizing Israel. The writer is a professor of international affairs, ethics and human behavior at George Washington University and a former director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
2007-06-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive