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The synagogue in Neve Dekalim. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners September 9, 2005 |
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| A rabbi speaks thursday at the Neve Dekalim synagogue, stripped of its ark and other sacred aspects. (AP) |
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IDF forces have blown up two command and control structures in Gaza's Erez industrial zone, demolished a military courthouse, and several factories. But acceding to a request by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed Thursday at midnight to delay the order to blow up Gaza's remaining synagogues until after a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
Israel's High Court voted 4-3 earlier Thursday to permit the destruction of the synagogues, giving the government a green light to demolish any houses of worship that could not be dismantled. "The specialness of the synagogues continues to exist even after they are abandoned," wrote the majority group of justices. "This principle is part of the international concept regarding the protection of holy sites, holy buildings and holy places wherever they are. Alongside these considerations, there are various diplomatic considerations which effect the decision about how to deal with the synagogues remaining in the evacuated area. The fate of the synagogues is, indeed, a complex and multi-faceted issue. The government is the body directly responsible for that question."
The majority decision was made by Supreme Court President Aharon Barak and Justices Dorit Beinisch, Ayala Procaccia and Asher Grunis.
Dissenting Justices Edmond Levy, Edna Arbel and Elyakim Rubinstein ruled that the question of the synagogues' fate was important and sensitive enough that the court should reconsider its previous decision. "The decision in this court, in a Jewish and democratic state, in a matter of such enormous sensitivity as the destruction of synagogues, because of its great importance and problematic nature, because of its halachic and national implications and in view of its implications for international Jewry" fulfills the conditions in the law for rehearing High Court of Justice rulings."
Attorney Gilad Corinaldi, who petitioned the High Court against the cabinet decision, told The Jerusalem Post that the court's ruling was "a regrettable one made by a majority of one. It will be a matter of endless trouble and will create a dangerous legal precedent. The religious community and the rabbis must search their souls for having taken so long to present a clear halachic [Jewish religious law] position according to which Jews must not destroy synagogues."
Former Gaza Beach Regional Council Spokesman Eran Sternberg slammed the decision, saying the decision had further tarnished the High Court's credibility has been shattered. "The High Court of Justice, which raised its hand on flourishing communities and synagogues, is undermining the Jewish people's rights and holy places in a manner that would not shame any anti-Semitic court in the world. It appears those who razed the Temple could not have imagined better heirs," he said.
Opponents of the destruction of the synagogues made last-ditch attempts to enlist allies. Israeli President Moshe Katsav expressed his wish not to see the synagogues destroyed, after meeting Friday with members of the central rabbinical committee, Israel Radio reported. The rabbis said they had been in touch Palestinian religious leaders in Gaza, who had vowed to protect the synagogues.
Education Minister Limor Livnat said, however, that the destruction of most of the synagogues was inevitable, but said that international recognition should be sought to protect the four largest places of worship.
Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra insisted that while some synagogues could be destroyed, the Palestinian Authority should take charge of the remainder. "We should not do to ourselves what we don't want the non-Jews to do to us," Ezra explained.
However, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Israel to demolish the synagogues, saying it would be unfair to put the Palestinians in a situation of "damned if we do, damned if we don't." Erekat insisted: "We maintain the highest respect for Judaism. We don't want to be put in a situation that we are demolishing synagogues in front of the world, or some of our people may do something that we don't want them to do."
On Friday morning, Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz demanded that the remaining syagogues be "demolished immediately," arguing that "all delays to the demolition will cause a delay in the pullout, causing the IDF to stay there for no reason."
Mofaz, perhaps with his political plans in mind, has suddenly come out against destroying the synagogues. "As a Jew and the defense minister in the State of Israel and as someone who grew up in a religious-traditonal home and believes in the Torah of Israel and the sacred sites of Israel, it's very difficult for me to instruct the IDF to destroy and blow up Jewish synagogues," the Defense Minister told Israel Radio.
Mofaz said he would prefer that Israelis have nothing to do with destroying synagogues. "I think it's preferable for the destruction to be carried out by the Palestinians, as many rabbis and Israeli citizens think will happen, than for IDF soldiers to do it." At times during the interview, he sounded even more forceful. "We must not demolish the holy buildings in Gush Katif," he told Army Radio. "The synagogues will remain intact. The Palestinians will be requested to safeguard them, despite having rejected this proposal."
Mofaz reportedly is seeking an alternative solution and is believed to have discussed the issue with Palestinian interior minister Nasser Youssef, and Palestinian planning minister Rassan al-Hatib. The Palestinian Authority has refused to protect the synagogues, saying that would be like a "Trojan horse" affording Israel a lingering foothold in Gaza.
The Cabinet will decide on what to do during its weekly meeting Sunday. A government decision to demolish synagogues in the evacuated areas, Mofaz said, would delay the completion of the army's withdrawal from the Strip by one day, to Tuesday.
IDF leaves valuable properties, structures for Palestinians
In a report published in Arutz 7, Aviad Visuly, head of the Haifa-based Land of Israel Task Force, described the vast amounts of valuable equipment and infrastructure that Israel has left behind in Gaza for future Palestinian use. "The gov't/media spin is that Gush Katif is destroyed, except for the synagogues. But in fact, many dozens of buildings, and much valuable merchandise, has been left for Arab use."
Visuly said "90% of government-owned assets in Gush Katif remain intact, and hundreds of millions of shekels' worth of property will soon be handed over for the terrorists to use or sell. The government did not dismantle anything except for the residents' houses. All the public buildings -- schools, yeshivot, children's nurseries, offices, community centers, factories, stores, gas stations, warehouses, shelters and the like -- will be given as a gift by the Government of Israel to Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, and their ilk."
"But Israel is not only giving the terror organizations inestimable amounts of property and buildings. It is also transferring to them infrastructures and equipment worth many tens of millions of dollars, which they will be able to sell to pay and then use the money. This includes fences of all types, including electric and warning fences, concrete blocks that can be used to protect their headquarters against IDF attacks, antennas, hundreds of kilometers of metal cables, water piping, pumps, irrigation systems, sewage systems, electrical equipment including substations, transformers and cables, and more."
"Sharon and his government thus become the official source of funding for terrorism, and he deserves the Nobel Prize for Terror."
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