burning the Torah?!?

Madina Archives


Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board

burning the Torah?!?
Saleema
10/07/00 at 15:55:24
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Israel promised ``forceful action'' after violence spread Saturday to its border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah guerrillas attacked Israeli forces and captured three soldiers.

The flare-up on the border came as Israeli officials expressed their outrage after Palestinians stormed Joseph's Tomb, a holy site in the West Bank city of Nablus, setting fires and trashing Hebrew texts, just hours after the Israeli army vacated and handed the tiny enclave to Palestinian control.

Sharply criticized for what was seen as a capitulation in Nablus and now facing the spread of violence to the volatile Israeli-Lebanese border, Prime Minister Ehud Barak told his army to ``take forceful action to ensure the security of the northern settlements and soldiers.''

In a statement from his office, Barak also called on Syria and Lebanon ``to cease the hostile activity on the border forthwith and impose their authority on the organizations operating there.''

The Israeli army confirmed that three of its soldiers had been captured by Lebanese guerrillas Saturday in violence that broke the fragile peace that has held along the border since Israel ended its 18-year occupation of south Lebanon in May.

Hezbollah said it seized the three soldiers in an ambush on an Israeli patrol while attacking Israeli border posts with rockets and machine-gun fire.

The Hezbollah assault came after Israeli troops opened fire on hundreds of rock-throwing protesters at another part of the border, killing one and wounding 14, Lebanese officials said.

Barak was to meet with his senior defense staff and then with his Cabinet later Saturday over the spread of violence after 10 days of clashes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem that have left 80 dead, mostly Palestinians.

Israel television reported that his top officers were advising him that the Palestinians ``are no longer a partner'' and that the army should be permitted to use stronger means to quell the disturbances.

Until now, the army has used assault rifles, snipers and rockets launched from helicopters. Israel has trained tank guns on Palestinian towns as a warning, but has not fired.

``If we have to, we will fight on two fronts,'' said Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, a top adviser to Barak. ``We have enough strength for that. We shall have to be less restrained than we were in the past.''

Three Palestinians died early Saturday of injuries sustained in clashes with Israeli soldiers Friday, but no new gun battles were reported. The violence across the area was sparked by a Sept. 28 visit by hard-line opposition leader Ariel Sharon to a Jerusalem shrine holy to Muslims and Jews.

In the West Bank town of Nablus, Palestinian gunmen and civilians stormed Joseph's Tomb, ripping apart sacred Hebrew texts - including prayer books and bible commentaries - and setting fire to parts of the compound in a show of triumph, just hours after Israeli troops evacuated the site.

The pre-dawn evacuation of the enclave in Nablus ordered by Barak was the first time Israeli relinquished territory as a direct result of Palestinian violence. One soldier was shot and wounded during the evacuation. The army said Barak had extracted promises that Palestinian authorities would protect the site.

``We consider this a big victory,'' said Ali Farraj, a local Palestinian leader. ``It cost us a lot of blood.'' Six Palestinians and an Israeli border policeman were killed in a week of daily gun battles at the site.

Sneh said that Joseph's Tomb - home to a Jewish seminary where about 30 students studied during the day - was simply not worth holding any longer, and had become a liability.

``The question is, what interest did we ever have there?'' he said. ``Over the years, the army has protected a small, marginal group that wanted to use this site as a foothold for settlement in Nablus, that is the honest truth.''

Still, senior Israeli officials were furious with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for failing to protect the site.

``It went beyond any limit I can imagine,'' said Brig. Gen. Benny Ganz, the Israeli commander in the West Bank. ``Joseph's Tomb is not a military post, it's a holy place ... It was an arrangement with our so-called partners, that they will take their responsibilities, which they didn't.''

The trashing of the Joseph's Tomb compound was likely to contribute to Barak's increasing political isolation, and make it harder for him to negotiate a peace deal. Barak was weakened politically by far-reaching proposals he made to Palestinians at the U.S.-sponsored talks at Camp David, in July.

``It is a surrender to Palestinian violence, and the state of Israel will pay a heavy price for it,'' Danny Naveh, a legislator with the opposition Likud party, said.

Scattered clashes continued Saturday. In Hebron, the site of another tiny Jewish enclave, troops faced down stonethrowers with rubber bullets, injuring five.

In Madrid attending a conference, Arafat described the Israeli evacuation of Joseph's Tomb as ``a good step.''

A Palestinian spokeswoman said the hope was that the evacuation signaled a new Israeli approach - one that could lead to the resumption of peace talks.

``Pulling out from areas of confrontation and preventing direct provocation would also put an end to clashes and conflict,'' Hanan Ashrawi told The Associated Press. ``So, I hope that this is a precedent and that they will pull out from all areas in the Palestinian territories because that is the only way to end the conflict.''

_______________________________________________
Burnign the Bible/Torah is not a good idea. First of all, our Prophet, (S), told us to respect other people's religions. Then, secondly, they are People of the Book. Yes, they are killing us and hate us, but that doesn't give us the right to BURN peoples' sacred texts. We are taught to especailly respect the Bible/Torah. We know that not much truth is left in there, but still, there is *a little bit* of truth in there.
__________________________________________________



Individual posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Jannah.org, Islam, or all Muslims. All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster and may not be used without consent of the author.
The rest © Jannah.Org