Nice to see that someone is still and ever optimistic and trying, yet the situation is depressing and practically hopeless. While there are many good people in Israel, a vast minority who want peace and support the actions described in this article, demographics have already handed the victory to the evil side.

The only thing that could tip the scales in favour of reason and moderation was if that wall fell. Nothing good could happen so long as that wall still stands.

No, not that long snaking wall that is mentioned in the article: that one is relatively benign - it's the straight wall in the old section of Eastern Jerusalem, the one with huge stones, that one which Jews use as an idol and stick pieces of paper with pleas among its cracks. Since 1967, most Israelis became intoxicated by that wall, which has become a symbol of nationalism and military might, where military parades and swearing-ins are conducted. Evil draws its power from the stones of that wall.

I don't know how this can be done - not without many human casualties, but if the author is seriously looking for a solution then he should at least devote one article in this series to the question of how, from an engineering/logistical point of view, can this wall be brought down against the will of the current Israeli government and with the least number of casualties.

Hi Yuyutsu,

Do you mean the Wall of the Temple of Solomon ? And the reason that there is just a wall left is that, after the Romans destroyed most of it, Muslim invaders built their Al Aqsa Mosque smack bang on top of it, in the common fashion of invaders ?

The whole complex is a holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims: to Jews because it is, after all, the site of their most significant temple; to Christians as an extension of their belief in the Old Testament; and to Muslims because Muhammad, on his deathbed, flew there from Mecca on a winged horse with a woman's face.

Why to Jerusalem, and to that site, I hear you ask ? Because, according to Jewish tradition, the only way to get to Heaven/Paradise was to climb up Jacob's Ladder, which led from the Temple of Solomon. Early Muslims followed Jewish and Christian tradition closely, after all. Their earliest coins even had a figure of Muhammad and a cross on them.

And winged horses with women's faces ? Fly a horse like that somewhere and wherever you land, that's yours. Sounds pretty convincing to me, especially for a religion of peace/submission bringing joy to the world.

Cheers,

Joe

The author presents useful and relevant examples of the female peace methodology proposed. However, I think that Palestinian women can more readily become peace partners with Isreali women when "they love their children more than they hate Jews".

Careful definition of terms such as 'occupied territory' etc needs a paradigm shift by both female participants and this author. Perhaps Palestinian women can start a dialogue with Isreali women by agreeing to a bit of 'tweeting' of the school curriculum?

Destruction of the Western Wall...... Hmmmm, does the mosque go along with that?

Dear Prompete,

«Destruction of the Western Wall...... Hmmmm, does the mosque go along with that?»

No, better keep it this time, otherwise the Jews will use the opportunity to build a new temple there and become even more crazed with nationalism and militarism, so this is the least of the two evils.

Yuyutsu,

Why the hell shouldn't they have the right to re-build their former Temple ? It's not going to happen, not with the Al-Aqsa Mosque built slap-back on top of it, in typical invader fashion (cf. Ayodhya) but, even as an atheist, the inequity, not to say the anti-Semitism, of even contemplating that the Wailing Wall, the only remnant left of Solomon's Temple, should be damaged let alone destroyed, is utterly repugnant.

And is it true that, out of deference to the Muslim conquerors, Jews have all manner of restrictions on their access to the area ? I wonder if their are reciprocal arrangements in Mecca.

By the way, what did happen to the Ayodhya Temple ?

Joe

Dear Joe,

Lord Rama deliberately deserted Ayodhya when his time on earth was over. The people of Ayodhya, young and old, walked with him to the river Sarayu, where they all ascended to heaven. The city was left empty, the kingdom was split and Rama's two sons, Lava and Kusha (who were not in Ayodhya at the time), founded two new capitals.

Why, Ayodhya is a minor issue relative to http://www.liveindia.com/bridge
Ayodhya existed long before Rama, but this bridge between India and Sri-Lanka was built by Rama himself with the aid of his army of apes. Cutting through this bridge to allow for movement of ships has been even more controversial.

Nevertheless, one ought to worship Rama himself, who was an incarnation of God - not stones, not his birthplace, nor the bridge he made. If stone-worship is in the way then it's good for those stones to be removed.

And in the Jewish case, that wall is driving some Jews to stone-worship, but also drives secular and semi-secular Israelis to worship the nation and its army.
This is an internal Israeli matter and destroying this wall is for the good of Israel itself. The presence of an Islamic shrine there is completely incidental.

Yuyutsu,

But back on earth, that doesn't make a great deal of sense.

So because Rama was displeased, he approved the destruction of the Ayodhya temple by the Muslim invaders and their building a mosque smack-bang on top of it ? And that somehow justifies the Muslims building the Al-Aqsa Mosque on top of Solomon's Temple ?

Nope. Still doesn't make much sense.

Oh, because Muhammad flew to Jerusalem on a winged horse on the night he died ? Therefore Jerusalem is Muslim ?

Would that have been one of the winged horses being bred in Yemen ? The ones with the woman's faces ?

Nope, still doesn't make much sense.

Joe

Joe (Loudmouth).
How about the Hagia Sophia mosque being handed back to the Eastern Orthodox Church? I am sure that will solve a heep of middle Easter problems, try to appeal to the 'moderate' Christians in Turkey, some wonderful multicultural outreach. :))

Dear Joe,

I was writing specifically about the "wailing wall", that it should be destroyed because it drives the Israelis nuts. The next-door neighbour happens to be a Muslim mosque, alright, so what? You keep deviating from the topic, writing about mosques and all things Muslim, then you answer yourself in circles. Why?

Shri Rama left the earth, His mission accomplished, His people of Ayodhya fulfilled in heaven too and having set an example to the world of the perfect human-being. Ayodhya has served its purpose, with stripes, then it was spent: why should anyone worship the geographical spot Shri Rama happened to live in? Why should blood be spilt over it?

Yuyutsu,

You're probably aware that the Al Aqsa mosque is not so much a next-door neighbour of the Wailing Wall but an upstairs tenant: the al Aqsa Mosque was purposely built, as in the manner of conquerors, right bang on top of the ancient Temple of Solomon, as a symbol of obliteration. Or, if one is Muslim, as a symbol of the religion of peace.

I'm not sure if the BJP interprets the Muslim destruction of the Ayodhya temple as generously as you do. As I recall, their followers destroyed the mosque in about 1992 and re-built the Hindu temple on the site, and in the ensuing discussions with the religion of peace, hundreds were killed.

Anyway, yes, Israeli and Palestinian women should come together to try to talk some sense into the empty heads of the Hamas and PA leaders. Fat chance though at present.

Joe