A Long Time Coming
"This is a violent, criminal, and despicable act that undermines the foundation of democracy. The fact that it was an arson attack on an educational framework that advocates coexistence severely undermined the fabric of relations between Jews and Arabs."
"This is more severe because the perpetrators chose to harm the soft underbelly of society: the kindergarten, in which young children learn. I call on the Israel Police to act immediately and waste no time to bring the perpetrators of this vile act to justice."
Rabbi Shai Piron, Israeli Education Minister
"I just spoke with Rabbi Konstantyn of the Tel Aviv synagogue where the walls were sprayed with graffiti and books were burned. The rabbi spoke painfully about the crime in the synagogue which works to bring people together."
"Burning books -- religious books or otherwise -- is a violent and criminal vandalism whose perpetrators must be captured, prosecuted and punished severely."
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni
"This morning a slew of politicians were condemning the arson of the bilingual school in Jerusalem, but tonight there was nearly no one to be found to condemn the burning of the synagogue. This is proof that we forgot that we are first and foremost a Jewish state and the importance of the Jewish State Law."
"I would expect all those who were quick to condemn the burning of the school in Jerusalem to also do so with the vandalism of the synagogue in Tel Aviv."
Deputy Minister of Religious Services, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan
Earlier, a Jewish-Arab kindergarten school that teaches one thousand pupils from across Jerusalem was set on fire by vandals intent on causing strife between Israeli Jews and Arabs. An act of sabotage of social values roundly denounced by all points of the political compass. On Sunday night it was revealed that a synagogue in Tel Aviv was vandalized with graffiti reading "In a place where the Jewish State Bill will be legislated, books will be burned".
Burned books were left next to the wall with the graffiti. This took place at the Tel Aviv International Synagogue of the Orthodox Zionist Tzohar Rabbis organization. To say that tensions are high in both communities of Israeli Jews and Arabs represents an understatement. The increasingly uneasy relations between Israeli Jews and Arabs has been frighteningly volatile of late, incendiary in their outcome resulting from deliberate aggravation over the status of the Temple Mount.
Jews in Israel, their Jewish state, are disadvantaged to the advantage of Arab Muslims who claim the most sacred site in Jerusalem as their third most sacred site, where the Dome of the Rock sits atop the archaeological ruins of ancient Israel's two consecutive Temples of Solomon, with the Arabs naming the site the Noble Sanctuary, hosting the al-Aqsa mosque as well. Muslims refuse to permit Jews to pray at their most holy site, insisting that only they must have the privilege of Islamic prayer there.
So much for a Jewish State. Because of the violence that has resulted from the disruptions when Palestinian youths throw rocks at Jews appearing on the Temple Mount, their presence there has been restricted, raising further issues of violence with claims that Israeli authorities plan to change the long-held protocol permitting Islam the major precedence of worship, restraining Jews from prayers on the Temple Mount.
The recent lethal violence seen by mortal attacks by Palestinians against Jews and the steadfast refusal of the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League to recognize Israel formally as a Jewish State has led the Government of Israel to prepare to enact a sweeping legislative package om top of the new Jewish State legislation to deter further terror attacks and prevent violence against Israeli citizens. The preventive provisions of the bill are meant to apply equally to all Israeli citizens, regardless of religion.
This would include Jews, and those who hold not only citizenship but also residency permits, represented mostly by the Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem. There are eight steps in all that represent the full content of the bill and they seek to comprehensively throw a blanket of preventive protection over the nation, with penalties for those who deliberately seek to overthrow the authority of the State of Israel and to perpetrate violence upon its people.
- Anyone convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack or who directly assists in an attack will be stripped automatically of Israeli citizenship or residency rights. After serving a prison sentence they are to be expelled to Gaza or another place not under Israeli control.
- Anyone found to have carried out a terror act, even if killed, will cause the home of the terrorist's family to be destroyed. The family will have the right of appeal, but if upheld the order for demolition to be carried out within 24 hours after the attack.
- The bodies of those who carry out terror attacks not to be returned to families for burial but to be buried without ceremony in a state cemetery, details not to be passed on to the family.
- Anyone convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails or fireworks to be automatically deprived of citizenship or residency. Upon completion of a prison term, to be deported to Gaza or another place outside Israeli control.
- Anyone inciting terror attacks, who throws stones during demonstrations or waves an enemy flag, including the flag of the Palestinian Authority, to be arrested and will lose state health and social security benefits for ten years, and the right to hold a driver's license.
- Family members expressing support for terrorists or their actions to be deprived of Israeli citizenship or residency rights, and to be deported to Gaza or another place not under Israeli control.
- Police or civil administration to order the immediate closure of any printing company or business publishing posters in support of a terrorist attack or a terrorist.
- Employers to be able to turn to the police to determine whether an employee or prospective employee has been convicted of any security offence.
Labels: Conflict, Defence, Islam, Israel, Judaism, Palestinians, Security
posted by Pieface @ Monday, December 01, 2014
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