20 Shvat 5770
Feb. 4, '10
Inspector General David Cohen - Israel Police Chief Commissioner
Jerusalem
Re: Warning of Imminent Murder on Temple Mount
A. Background
Exercising its exclusive judgment, the Israel Police under your command prohibits Jews who ascend to the site of their holy Temple from praying there. Every religious looking Jew who ascends the Temple Mount is accompanied by a Moslem wakf attendant and an Israeli policeman, who together, scrutinize his/her lips. A Jew who is suspected of praying is detained or immediately arrested. First and foremost, this anti-Semitic conduct humiliates the Israel Police.
Personally, I have the "privilege" of exposure to this Israeli humiliation on my monthly visits to the Temple Mount. I have no illusions that this letter will bring about any change. The Israel Police has long ago forgotten the nation that created it and sent it on its mission.
Nonetheless, I am obliged to inform you of an event that I experienced yesterday on my ascent to the Mount. It signals the fact that murder of Jews on the Temple Mount is simply a matter of time.
Perhaps, after you have stripped the Jews of all their human rights in the place most holy to the Nation of Israel, you will at least function as a professional force (like the UN) and carry out a fraction of your original role. In other words, at the very least, maybe you will protect the right of the Jews - to live.
B. The Event
Yesterday, I stood opposite the site of the Temple with my back to the El Aqsa mosque. A group of Jews was at my side, listening to my explanations on the Temple Mount. As I was speaking, I noticed an Arab woman, covered from head to toe in robes and scarves, walking towards me in a threatening manner. There was no room for mistake, and all the people in the group noticed this woman. Usually, when a person is walking, he will choose a path that will not force him to collide with another person. But this woman confidently strode straight towards me. I was apprehensive that she would quickly take the few additional steps towards me and through her scarves and robes, draw out a knife and stab me.
As you know, Jews are permitted to enter the Temple Mount from the Mugrabim Gate only. Only Jews must undergo an extensive search to ensure that they are not carrying a prayer book or book of Psalms in their belongings, G-d forbid. The Arabs, on the other hand, may enter the Temple Mount from any of its gates without any sort of security check. This being the case, there is no problem for a potential Arab murderer to enter the Mount with his or her weapon.
I was apprehensive, but unwisely relied on the Israeli policeman who was watching our every move and was standing just a few steps away from our group. Everyone else in the group identified the approaching danger. It seemed clear that the policeman, who was ostensibly guarding us, would also identify the danger and would certainly attempt to defend us.
I forgot, though, that in reality, the role of the police on the Temple Mount has been limited to one issue: Ensuring that Jews do not pray there. They are not there to protect Israeli citizens from Arab weapons and murderers. The policeman who accompanies each Jew is concerned only with his lips - making sure that they are not moving in prayer.
As a Jew, I understand that I am the dangerous factor on the Temple Mount and in order not to encounter your wrath, I acted in accordance with your recommendations. In other words, I relied on the policeman.
The Arab woman came right up to me, pushed me and disappeared into the mosque. As opposed to everyone else in our group, the policeman did not notice what had happened.
C. Conclusions
1. Clearly, if the Arab woman pushed me (through her robes and scarves) with her bare hands, she could have done the same with a knife or other weapon.
2. Under the circumstances today on the Temple Mount, the police cannot create a security belt between the Jewish visitors and the Arabs. The police see the wakf as the real sovereign on the Mount and essentially carry out its orders.
3. The self confidence and motivation displayed by the Arab woman testify to the dangerous situation on the Mount. This reality will encourage and imminently bring about attempts to murder Jews.
D. A personal notification
In light of the above, I hereby notify you that I no longer rely on the Israel Police to protect my life on the Temple Mount. I did not mention the name of the particular policeman in this case and I do not intend to provide you with the names of the people in my group because I do not believe that the police can change the situation. At the very most, you will take the easy route, punish the policeman in question and ignore the background that caused his lack of response. As long as you view the Jews as the danger and as long as they are the focal point of the police surveillance on the Temple Mount, any action that you take in this particular case will be strictly superficial.
However, you must know that if an Arab once again approaches me in a suspicious or threatening manner, I will do my utmost to protect my life and I will also recommend to all the Jews ascending the Mount to do the same.
Moshe Feiglin
Karnei Shomron
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