[Esther Ruth]

rest of article.....

The Scotsman news agency reported that the Cabinet decision not to destroy the synagogues "dampened any hopes for a more peaceful era."

The New York Times implied that Israel was at fault for the destruction and told its readers, "Israel had leveled all the other buildings in the settlements in an agreement with the Palestinians but chose, at the last minute, not to destroy the synagogues because a number of Israeli conservatives argued that it was wrong for Jews to destroy synagogues. As a result, settlement synagogues were standing and vulnerable to vandalism."

Similarly, the Associated Press wrote, "The Israeli Cabinet decided at the last minute Sunday to leave 19 synagogue buildings intact, drawing complaints from the Palestinians and criticism from the United States."

The burning of the synagogues and use by at least one of them by a Hamas terrorist for Moslem prayers came at the same time Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar said that Moroccan King Mohamed VI said he would intervene to prevent desecration of the synagogues. Similar assurances were received from Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In Israel's Knesset, Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said he supports demolishing the synagogues, but not the burning. He told the Knesset, "The Palestinian Authority must destroy all symbols of the occupation....The problem is that you are asking the Palestinians to be more Jewish than the Jews."

Arab MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe said, "Synagogues located throughout the entire Arab world are being preserved, but this is a unique case.

Shas Sephardic party leader Eli Yishai stated, "I expect the Arab Knesset members to condemn the barbaric acts that are taking place in the Gush Katif synagogues." MK Uri Ariel (National Union) tore his clothes, one of the Jewish acts of mourning.

The United Nations 1947 armistice agreement provides for preserving holy places in Jerusalem. The armistice was intended to establish Israeli and Jordanian states, but Jordan and other Arab nations immediately tried to destroy Israel in what became Israel's War of Independence.

The U.N. document states, "Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred character.... Similarly, freedom of worship shall be guaranteed in conformity with existing rights, subject to the maintenance of public order and decorum."

After the War of Independence was concluded in 1949 and Jordan took over Jerusalem's Old City and the eastern part of the capital, Christians and Jews were denied access to holy places until Israel recovered the land in the Six-Day War, in 1967.

Published: 18:53 September 13, 2005 Last Update: 18:59 September 13, 2005

[gondramB]

I thnk the bigger question is why, in an area of poverty, is either side destroying any buildings at all. How wasteful.

[BenLurkin]

"The news agency did not tell its readers that the Al-Aqsa mosque still stands on the Jewish Temple Mount and enjoys the same protected status as Christian and Jewish places of worship. "

Keep the truth out there. Otherwise, the evil people in the media will attempt to extinguish it forever.

[BigFinn]

First of all, never expect the Intl. Media to ever say anything good about Israel, period. And peace with the Palestinians will NEVER happen. They fool themselves. And talk about desecrating the holy places. The Palestinians have been destroying all evidence that the Temple mount, where their Al Aqsa presently stands, was once the holy site of the Temple. here

[lilylangtree]

Not surprising that the media justifies the burning. They've been justifying everything that proceedith out of the mouths of the terrorist palis as the gospel according to the media.

[2banana]

'I want to destroy everything here. It's a symbol of occupation. Destroying it is a symbol of Islam.'"

True words spoken by a muslim...

[Convert from ECUSA]

" Several major international media outlets have justified Arab burning 19 synagogues remaining on the ruins of Gush Katif. Arab Knesset Knesset supported destroying the Jewish sanctuaries."

Sadly, no big surprise there. As for the heathens destroying Christian places in Judea and Samaria, that wouldn't even be on the MSM's radar. The media only cares about the Koran and mosques, it doesn't give a flying rat's fig about synagogues, churches, Jews and Christians (except for the useful idiot lefty-religious-in-name-only types).