(Times of Israel) The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Friday lambasted the UN Security Council's statement about violence on the Temple Mount issued Thursday. The compound is the holiest site in Judaism, the site of the biblical temples. Under long-standing regulations introduced by Israel after the 1967 war, Jews are allowed to visit but cannot pray there. Stephen Greenberg, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said it was "unacceptable that the members of the United Nations Security Council continue to lend themselves to the denial and denigration of the Jewish connection to its holiest site as well as the historic associations of Christians to the Temple Mount." They criticized the Security Council for neglecting to mention "that the violence was organized and initiated by Palestinians." "President Abbas' declaration that 'we cannot allow the filthy feet of the Jews to desecrate al-Aqsa,' is outrageous and an invitation to further escalation of the assaults. The Security Council did not find it worthwhile to mention, let alone condemn, these instigations by the head of the Palestinian Authority." "His periodic resorting to bigoted and charged statements, including fraudulent charges on the internet, that al-Aqsa is under siege, arouses passions, not only in Jerusalem but throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Abbas knows full well that this is a baseless charge and can result in injuries and death. Yet he is never held to account by the same people who regularly condemn Israel on any pretext." The COP leaders called on the Security Council "to end its biased approach" and give more accurate accounts of events by "ascribing responsibility to the parties who initiate and exploit violence and hatred for political and extremist ends."
2015-09-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive