Settler group brings Korans to Palestinians after mosque attack

First, you have to prove it was a Jew that did the deed, as it is, you're putting the cart before the horse Did you even wonder how some Jews were able to get into an Arab village without being detected? More than likely is was one of their own that did the deed becasue they had an internal dispute over control of the Mosque or finances Jews don't have to model themselves on the Arabs, the Arabs do an ample job of copying each others violence Hamas & Fatah don't get along too well with each other, now do they?

Everyone, it seems, is blaming "the settlers". But Haaretz did not quote Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who also tried to go to the village to express his condemnation of the act. He said on the radio yesterday that the villagers refused to let the Israeli Police (who are responsible for security in this village) from investigating the act. Also, the villagers fixed up the damage right away. Why? Rabbi Lau hinted that it makes one wonder who really did this . . .

"I wonder: When Muslims burn each others mosques to the ground, do the arsonists bring Korans to show their good will?" (Malach HaMavet) Don't wonder: Has nobody told you that Muslims are not Jewish? There is a much better reason for you to wonder, and that is that unlike your friends the arsonist settlers, not all Jews are prepared to model their conduct on that of their enemies.

When Muslims burn each others Mosquest to the ground, do the arsonists bring Korans to show their good will

Mayble it was a Shiite Mosque and a Sunni wasn't happy with it being there, then as in Iraq, he blew destroyed it to show his displease with the other fellow beliefs Happens all the time in Iraq Seems what's holy to Muslims is MAYBE some of the other fellows beliefs, however when it comes to Jewish or Indian Temples, destroy away in the name of Allah

Hey David... you are living in New York but not on anyone else's land, so I guess that makes you one of the First Nations, yes? Now I know you did not personally come over from England and steal it yourself, but you've never hurt anyone so I'm sure you've checked to see what has become of the tribe that used to live on wherever your home sits now. Maybe I am assuming too much and you actually are of the First Nations. In which case, sorry. I've just heard a lot of self-righteous North Americans talk this way on the subject of Israel. Jews at least have a history and have always had a presence there, unlike Europeans in the New World. But hey, that happened so long ago, right? And since the First Nations have not decided to launch terrorist attacks for their rights, here in North America we don't really have to make any tough moral choices about how to respond and can therefore assume that we *would* act better if we were in that position and sit back in judgment of those who are.

# 3 + Indrajaya. A Chinese Proverb: "Crowded elevator smell different to midget."

Be surprised: There are people who refuse to hold all arsonists to the same standard. Take this one, for instance: "The ME conflict has forced Israel to adopt a stance that conflicts with the ideals of Judaism. U.K. chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks said that the current situation in Israel has caused the country to adopt a stance 'incompatible' with the 'deepest ideals' of Judaism and that the current Palestinian conflict is corrupting Israeli culture. 'There are things that happen on a daily basis [in Israel] which make me feel very uncomfortable as a Jew' " August 27, 2002. www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,781113,00.html

" ... when the synagogues at Gush Katif were burned." (MK Michael Ben-Ari, of the National Union) A typical piece of cheap and ridiculous right-wing propaganda. Naked beton walls cannot burn. The National Union is the most right-wing party represented in the Knesset (4/120 seats). It states that Israel should formally annex all the territories captured in June 1967.

"When Jews are killed, you don't seem to hear a peep from [Pres.] Peres or [former PM] Livni." (Stacy) And what is more, everybody remembers well their staunch opposition to Operation Cast Lead, winter of 2008?2009. Except of course blockheaded people like you.

you are right.But where were you for long time? We missed your posts

Every new settlement is an invitation to war. Hamas and the settler movement are working hand in hand against a Palestinian state alongside of Israel. "In an interview with Haaretz, the general Gadi Shamni, current head of Central Command, claimed that factions of the rabbinic and political leadership support the Jewish thugs, whether through explicit statements or in silence." in "Commentators in uniform", Haaretz editorial, 05/10/2008 Straight from the horse's mouth: "The settlements prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Land of Israel. This is the goal, and this is the reality." Daniella Weiss, a prominent veteran settlement leader, former mayor of Kedumim (a West Bank settlement) from 1996 to 2007, to Bob Simon reporting on the spread of Jewish settlements, in CBS ?60 Minutes?, Jan. 25, 2009. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/23/60minutes/ main4749723.shtml

"haven't Muslims avoided justice too many times?" (BBQ) In other words, since the scoundrel who assaulted your wife has avoided justice, why are you getting so worked up when I want to assault her too?

You comment (unfavorably) on Palestinian unwillingness to console you. One of the drawbacks of oppressing people is that those you grind down are not likely to have much sympathy for you. Sow the wind and you will reap the whirlwind.

burned - several times- the Joseph's Synagogue in Nablus ? Or those Gaza "peace lovers" that burned the 10 synagogues in gush katif after withdrawl from Gaza? Or burned the Christian Library in Gaza ? Or indeed -in your own country- the christian people of ACE?

I too, will NEVER FORGET, NEITHER FORGIVE what happened in Gush Katif to those beautiful synagogues, AND, hasveshalom, having to disinter the dead, z"l. Exactly because of this, we cannot stoop to the same level of behaviour. As Peres said, it runs contrary to not only Jewish values, but any human values. What Menachem Froman did, was a beautiful gesture, a real mensch! Also, I agree w/Ms. Livni about the human rights march which was to honor the anniversary on Dec. 10, of the drafting of the International Declaration of Human Rights, co-authored by Rene Cassin, of the Alliance Israelite Universelle, a little-known fact. The future lies in cooperation between Jews and Arabs, lest we suffer the same fate as we Jews did in Europe. "Derech Emunah".

If only the world, and Muslim leaders were to respond the same way when Jewish holy sites were vandalised... Unfortunately it is already clear the weak Israeli political framework is incapable and unwilling to respond as fervently when the violence is directed against Jews. Thanks Tzippy and Shimon, you guys are truly great...

Koran. I hope that the Pales, will reciprocate in like manner,if & when such a situation arises.

...I`ve missed you:^).. You2. This conflict has been raised to the new level of crazyness by Israel. So sad.

Mosques hit in Gaza? Did they have any problems with desecrating Mosques by using them for military purposes?

"The main reason Jews have to apologized for this vandalism, is to discourage the world`s 1.25 billion Muslims from seeking revenge" You mean, they'd seek revenge for this mosque above any other thing they blame on Jews? Moron. These people are genuinely disturbed by such an atrocity. You are simply disturbed.

Don't be an idiot. It's not the replacing of the Koran that is important because you are right we don't need it but it is the gesture that counts.

Remember all those times the Palestinians sent delegations to console us after terrorist atrocities? You don't? Neither do I.

These may be well-intentioned settlers, and their empathy can be appreciated. They may very well practice the Jewish commitments to truth and justice. However the continuing practice of the Israeli government and many other settlers has been to strip away Palestinian land and Palestinian dignity. One must not forget that there is much more Israel needs to do in terms of public policy to heal the decades of Israeli transgressions.

on Israeli civillians? That preceeded cast lead not the other way around. No horrors there to arouse your humanitarian instincts,no need for any marches when a Qassams land on an Israeli kindergarten,school or hospital ? You may want to check where all the money given by your government to the Pals went and read the Hamas charter while you are there. Intersting how you can get in and out of Gaza while the claims are that it is sealed.

after Gaza Mosques were hit? Did they say anything about desecrating a Mosque by using it to store explosives or other miltary purposes? Have you? Did they count the number of Qassams fired at Israeli civillians before operation cast lead? Did you?

When faced with an indefensible act, you say the other side is worse and you're all out to get us. Who can negotiate with people with such attitudes? Who can even stand to listen to them? Your self-righteousness stinks.

Definitely the Jewish way -- but to my knowledge, this kind of action is anomalous in this conflict. Where has this kind of action occurred before? What Jewish action was taken after Palestinians have died after being held long at checkpoints? What actions are taken when Israeli's refer to Arabs as animals and worse?

There is nothing Jews can do to prevent the 1. whatever billion from seeking "revenge", even though it ain't revenge. We know its simply another attack. Hey Neville, we will fight back but we will also reject attacks on civilians and civilian places that don't harbour terrorists and armaments.

to war, what do you call the sells, bullets, and invasions from Israel? If the attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Gaza (that constitute war crimes) happened before any rockets flew, wouldn't that make the rockets a reaction to an unpunished war crime?

when Arabs attacked Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 & 1973, it was done in defiance of the UN Partition Plan So don't talk about legalities when your side refuses to abide by them Settlements are on land that Arabs used as jumping off points for their attack on Israel Settlments serve the very same purpose the forts of the Old West did, keeps the hostiles at bay and contained

Did those reports include anything about the use of those Mosques as storehouses for terrorists, as storehouses for offensive equipment? Oh how shocking.

I do applaud decency and I do think that these Jews did a decent act. But whether their motive was more than self interest, well that's another matter.

Same sentiment that threw almost a million Jews out of Arab countries. Interesting that you would seek to throw Jews out of "your land". Even it it were, one wonders why you want to throw all Jews out. Do you think it legitimate for the Jews of Israel to do that to your brethren? I don't.

First things first, Arabs have to rebuild and restore the Yeshivoth & Jewish Religious schools they destroyed when Jordan conquered Jerusalem in 1948, and they can include restoration of the tombstones as part of their restitution

to stop destroy their fellow Muslim's Mosques when they have a dispute It's been done time and again in Iraq While you're at it, how about condemning the burning of Synagogues and Yeshovth in Jerusalem when the Arabs capture that city in 1948? Adding to that, an apology for have defiled our cemeteries and stealing the gravestones

Did it ever occur to you that the shells were Hamas rockets that fell short of their targets in Israel?

by the brighter side of settler representation from whom, unfortunately, very little is heard in the media... which also highlights the mutual empathy and cooperative coexistence that could, and SHOULD, exist between israeli and palestinian; no matter what the setting.

The Jews has narrow knowledge on the implications of arson attack. If provoked religiously one more time, their temple around the world may not be safe. Extreme muslims may target their temples.

The US state department got in on this one?!? I of course condemn the act as I condemn all acts of violence, but I don't think a day goes by that a synagogue or a Jewish cemetery isn't vandalized with swatsikas and the like. Joseph's tomb was one of the holiest sites in Judaism. The Palestinians turned it into a trash heap. Where was the worlds condemnations then? Did even the "moderate" Abbas condemn it? I guess the world must really believe Jews are the chosen people. Why else do they hold them to such different standards?

you are nearly always a voice of sanity, crying in the wilderness, usually alone.

"The main reason Jews have to apologized for this vandalism, is to discourage the world`s 1.25 billion Muslims from seeking revenge." The main reason anti-Semites try to turn a nice gesture by Jews into something less than what it is -- is -- well, they're anti-Semites.

The main reason Jews have to apologized for this vandalism, is to discourage the world's 1.25 billion Muslims from seeking revenge.

There's a chance a death sentence in the form of a fatwa will be issued against the perpetrator. Even if the perpetrator moves out of the West Bank, he will be condemned for the rest of his life in the eyes of 1.25 billion Muslims.

It's true we took other people's land, but we have become civilized since. I would ask you; are you as complaisant about the Nuremberg laws as you are about land acquisition processes in Israel? I have a mindset which is basically anti-zionist in that I believe that if it is wrong to be done TO a Jew, it is wrong to be done BY a Jew.

now get off our land!" Give. Me. A. Frackin. Break.

Of course I have no problems with Jews living on land they bought. This is not the case, though, with most of the settlements; people just moved in and took over without any legal sanction.

Thanks for the article. Peace & respect are always wise. I hope someday there will be equal human rights for all people in Israel/Palestine regardless of their religion or ethnicity. I'm also going to Gaza for the Gaza Freedom March to call for an end to the Siege and show my solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza on the anniversary of Cast Lead and its horror. I only wish my "representatives" who provided the money & arms were going to see what our $$ have done, but since they won't. I must.

jewish desecration. I wonder why. These attacks are wrong and rightly condemned but I never hear it when there have been so many desecrations of jewish holy places by muslims. In fact the muslims deny that they are jewish holy places.

his congregation are held up for several hours at an IDF check point.

Every time I hear about Reb Fromans deeds, I think what an example of living religion. No matter if we are jews, christians or muslims, we are human beeings, sharing the same planet..so we have no choice but to reach out for reconciliation and peace. Thank you, Rabbi! I hope these misguided hilltop-hippies in Yehuda and Shomron will find a teacher like you, and learn that the love for the holy land cannot be lived through hatred and arson. If you love the land you must share your love and the land.

So the fact that Jews have thousands of years of history in the land before Islam makes no difference. The fact that the Jews have been victims of Arab/Muslim aggression in all the middle-east region (even before there was a modern Israel) makes no difference. In all the Muslim attacks on Jews, their houses and their places of worship, I don't believe there was a single case of any Muslims trying to make up for the attack. You are a true Muslim.

(The delegation from the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, led by peace activist Rabbi Menachem Froman) If their peace activists are settlers..think about the warmongers..They already swallowed the land.

Instead of ignorantly claiming that the Jews were the first victims of violence in 1920 Palestine, do yourself a favor and pay attention to Herzl's colonialist discourse and the criticisms Ahad Haam aims in the 1890s at the humiliation of the Arab natives by recent Jewish immigrants. To be sure, that is not the whole story. It cannot be told in a reduced space such as this. I don't claim reductively that the Arabs or the Palestinians are blameless. But before writing in vitrolic fashion about matters beyond your comprehension, do read the work of the new Israeli historians. You might learn. for instance, that Palestine was not a land without a people. You might also have occasion to reflect upon the non-commodified meaning of the verb "to belong". The psychological mechanism that turns ignorance into verbal abuse is worth studying. Go see a shrink!

by the brighter side of settler representation from whom, unfortunately, very little is heard in the media... which also highlights the mutual empathy and cooperative coexistence that could, and SHOULD, exist between israeli and palestinian; no matter what the setting.

I seldom write here any longer, as haaretz tend to censor my first post, and I rarely bother with writing 2 or 3 of them, Can`t even remember what I wrote now (may I say haaretz that I am of the opinion that you have a bit too much censorship, or perhaps the reason is that you don`t bother, since I wrote nothing agressive at all, all though I did compare Aron (45)s logic to that of Odinist vikings destroying monastaries. As they as well feared their new God "White Christ", that their continental neighbours had adopted; thus did the viking age arguably begin, and it is also one of the reasons why monastaries was targeted (along with the property in them). I want to spend this post not chasising the one that supported the mosque burning, but commend from all of my heart, those brave men and women from the Gush Etzion settlement block who this time, did this act of kindness to the victims. I sincernly applaud them, and I hope that they will lead by example. This was not tactics.

violence begats violence

What have the Arabs ever offered for destroying Synagogues or desecrating Jewish cemetries? What makes you think the real Pastor Hagee does not know that? John Hagee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to Relationship with Israel?: Hagee has been to Israel 22 times and has met with every Prime Minister of Israel since Menachem Begin. ... Biography - Personal beliefs - Relationship with Israel en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hagee - Cached - Similar -

I'm sorry Magid....from Newark, NJ in the USA....but did you say "get off OUR land?" Sounds like a strong statement regarding the land in the middle east....made from THOUSANDS of miles away. If that is your land, then why don't you go there and leave this country.

stored in those Mosques? Did the Pals replace the prayer books they desecrated in the Joseph's tomb synagogue under the eyes of uniformed armed Pal police.? Any reports from your sourcess on what happenned to the Synagogues that the Arabs took over in the West Bank Gaza and Jerusalem after they ethnically cleansed or killed the Jews living in those areas in 1948?

if any Jew celebrated this, or any Jewish group failed to condemn it, then obviously Judaism must be a violent religion, the Jewish people must be a violent people, there will be a referendum to prevent the erection of Menorahs (a symbol of militant Judaism) and all the rest. Of course, if you find these sorts of charges ridiculous (or offensive), I hope you react the same when it is Muslims being held to those standards.

Actually I am in Europe so I keep up with what's happening in your neck of the woods. There have been A LOT of synagogue attacks throughout Western Europe. Just google "synagogue attacks Europe" and you will see for yourself. I am also disgusted by the settler attacks on Palestinian mosques (and Palestinians in general nor do I support the settler movement. But at least some of their leaders graciously reached out to the Palestinians, something I haven't seen a lot of from the other side (though it does exist). Anti-Semitism in Europe is a big problem. This is a fact. Between the far right facists, the increasingly radical Muslim population, and cowardly leftists who are only comfortable attacking America and Israel, Jews in Europe don't have much of a future. Who knows, maybe this incident in the West Bank will be a blessing in disguise, bringing enemies together to talk.

Myself as an American Jew, condem the criminal and unholy desecration of the West Bank Mosque. These thugs who are acting more like Nazis then Jews do not in the least bit represent the overwhelming sentiments of the Jewish People around the world. Some of the comments I see sicken me. When will this all end? We as Jews are supposed to have rachmonas which is compassion for others. That includes the Palestinian People who are suffering so much. Right wing Jewish radicals who are filled with so much venomous hate are no better than the Islamic radicals.

SDHD i didn t say yaffa tel viv the ,negev,yaffa i mean 1967 borders the same one the UN AGREES ON NOT THE SWISS CHEESE ISREAL WANTS TO SETTLE ON BEING PALESTINE BE REAL MAN

Please explain then when your own muslim brothers are bombing each others mosques, murdering each other. Sunni and Shiite.

hi chris. there are almost twenty thousand murders annually in the usa.it is a little strange therefore to see you studying our local crime scene so earnestly.what do w have in israel that matches the levels of these numerous murders?

That's what this attack is: a response that approaches proportionality to the acts of Hamas (if only they just burnt books, but they randomly hit physical properties of Israelis and sometimes Israelis, whenever they can). On the other side, the Israleis never respond. for once, they took the initiative with this proportional response. But ignorant anti-Zionists like Mark of Lewinston will never admit the truth. It's been like that ever since the Egypt liberation and the creation of the first self-hatred Jews.

Koran to Palestinians,by settlers. If indeed the settlers were to blame,then this gesture was the correct thing to do.

I concur with Jane Fl. This is a great act of kindness and respect. Why o Why can both sides talk and respect each other and treat each other with dignity.

they raped iraqi women.they blew up towns like faluja after american contractors were brutally murdered.we have never perpetrated a fraction of the crimes commited by american soldiers. we took far more care not to harm civilians then you have done.the figures speak for themselves.hundreds of thousnds of iraqis have been killed in the war. there have been no losses of this magnitude in our region.

Whilst it is upsetting to read of this incident, I suggest that the moaning muslims doing their usual world attracting performance, show to the world the pictures of the destruction by these same muslim people of the beautifully built shuls in Gaza, after the Jewish setellers were asked to give up this territory.The current Hamas leaders were amongst the populace inside these shuls witnessing and encouraging their citizens to tear down and destroy whatever was in sight.I had the photographs many years ago of the incidents but unfortunetly I have eliminated them from my website.Maybe a reader of this article has copies.

we all know in what direction Sky news leans. "Sky plays to the audience which is somewhat not pro-Isreal or pro-Jewish." wj Just google Sky news and George galloway. Oughta give even you a clue.

you were saying. Your post is pure nonsense--Jews burned it down because they are not being allowed to build illegal settlements.Not because their synagogue was burned down. Is that the Jewish approach you had in mind. Or are you being selective in your approach.

... shoot first, ask questions later Is that your answer for everything? Look how well American aggression worked in Vietnam, and is now working in Iraq and Afghanistan. Your brute force has won you nothing; and will never win you anything. If you are so stuck on your Zionist Jihad, why are you not there murdering and occupying illegal land like the rest of the right wing American settlers that will cause the inevitable implosion of the holy land

"Thanks settlers, you are very humane! Although you steal the villagers` land" Jews who reclaimed their properties after it was stolen from Jordan didn't steal anyone's land. " and build your own Jewish-only roads," There are no Jewish-only roads. There are Israeli-only roads since the Palestinians saw fit to fire upon, blow-up, and otherwise attack cars with Israeli license plates. "you are still the best and most humane religious fanatics in the Middle East!" And you are just a clown.

"Friends of Humanity Organization International have issued an extensive report detailing 27 Mosques destroyed in Gaza by Israel." Don't use houses of worship for housing weapons.

"BK, I find it sickening that you would compare rockets that have no "aim" and no "direction" If they have no, "aim" why do the Palestinians use Google Earth to choose targets? If they have no, "direction," why don't half of them fall on the Gaza side of the border?

1. More Muslims attack Mosques than Jews - look at Iraq, Pakistan etc... 2. If you think that a death sentence is justice, then you are barbaric and living in the dark ages. 3. Name me a time when a Muslim has showed compassion for a burnt down synagogue and brought Jewish prayer books.. I cant think of any

Kuddos to the Rabbi, this prves that extremisim is the real enemy of both people. Ahavat Jinam Lo Isa goy el goy Joreb lo ilmedu od miljama. "One nation will not raise a sword to another nation and they shall know no war"

If you knw anything about these very righteous Jews, you would know that they are very happy to live in a state together with the Palestinians. One country and two people. They are kind and live by the laws and morals of true Jews. They do not hate their neighbors and there is mutual respect between them and their Arab brethren. Hopefully, someday you too will achieve this level of righteousness.

You live in another country - probably in one of those Haredi Shetels. You have NO BUSINESS telling Israelis what to do. You are not sending your children to defend our country. Most of the people who think like you and live here in Israel don't even send their children to defend this land. You have no right to comment on our lives here. Go away - STAY away - Let us build and defend our country - which by the way does NOT include these settlements. They will be in the State of Palestine G-d willing. You can go to live there if you like, but NOT in Israel.

The sad thing SDHD is that you really think Jews are better than Arabs. It's all there in what you say. You ignore the fact that it was European Zionists who went to an Arab land to colonise it who started the Middle East problems. You ignore the centuries and centuries of Jews living as part of Muslim communities up until then. You look down on Arabs. It's no wonder you have problems with them.

Dump archaeological relics into garbage fills and people are supposed to worry about their little clubhouse getting torched? One Mosque for every ounce of Temple Mount soil removed. Quid Pro Quo.

This is cool...these people are to be commended. The violent extremist settlers make all of Israel look like Nazis.This proves that not all Jews are rabid Zionists, and likewise not all Americans are warmongering imperialists. May good prevail...there and here.

You are right , everyone is doing bad things , but there are levels of that bad . I do not want to pat myself on the shoulders , but to compare Jews with what going on in Arab/Muslim world is a parody , it is an empty attempt to make moral equations where there are not any . . Open the paper daily and see how many mosques are being suicide bombed with hundreds murdered . And it is taken as natural in that society , with very little indignation and not much of a loud protests .

Attacking any non military or non military/political edifice is offensive in at any time. However, the fellow who wandered in and wandered out of the mosque may not have left his real name if any name at all? Sky plays to the audience which is somewhat not pro-Isreal or pro-Jewish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPtbG0vtkHY&feature=popt00us12

Ruben. This is typical american terror mongering. There are no daily attacks on synagogues in Europe. Keep this kind of hysterical talk in your hysterical country. We do not need your fear and hate.

The Peace activist Rabbi Menachem FROMAN is certainly a man with a great Jewish Value, he should keep on working for PEACE on a more conspicuous way. I'm sure he will have a lot of GOOD Followers too . May ALLAH bless you.

Although you steal the villagers' land and build your own Jewish-only roads, you are still the best and most humane religious fanatics in the Middle East! I am not a religious guy, but I have not stolen anything from anybody, nor I have ever hurt another human beig. If there is a hell and a heaven, I don't believe that these zealots and extremists will arrive to the latter before me. Does "God" love racists and aggressors?

Equal treatment. Equal housing. Equal employment. Equal justice. That's the only way to prevent vigilantes. This Mosque thing. Somebody knows who did it. It could have been anybody. Maybe they were minors? Maybe they were Iranian Black Ops? Israel should post a reward for information leading to the culprits. If the amount of money is enough, somebody will likely tell. Another thing. I think the Muslims and the Jews should be able to both live in the settlements. Jews don't get along with just each other all the time. Neither do Muslims. I'll give you an example. I remember going to these Jewish Single Dances when I was young. The guys would nearly always outnumber the girls. Out of the girls, there would always be one that would be the best looking. So what happened would be 10 guys fighting over the same girl. See? Treat everybody the same from now on. That's the only way we can all get along.

To all those with feel-good gestures towards Arabs, and to those that are shaking in their sandals out of fear of reprisals, let's not forget Arabs burnt down Yosef Ha'Tzaddik's grave twice, long before any settlers burnt down their mosques. Plus considering Arab craving to denigrate Jews, it is not unlikely that Arabs did this, or even Barak and Shabak's henchmen.

There are good and bad within every group in the Middle East including settlers, and this group renewed my hope for a peaceful resolution some day. Maybe I'm grasping at straws? I don't know any more.

"we don t need your korans get off our land and we would nt be in this problem and disarm settlements" The problem is, you think that the land is 100% yours. If you gave up on claims to 100% of it, and haven't been attacking Jews relentlessly since 1920, you wouldn't be in this problem.

"Now I can tell you mate, that Jews are no better and no worse than anyone else." Now tell us mate, when have Arabs reciprocated to Jews in such a manner? "You think Jews are better than their enemies? They`re not. Terrorism is the weapon of the weak, used by Irgun against Arab civilians and now too often used by Arabs against Jewish civilians." The Irgun was formed after 15 years of brutal attacks against Jews. So, if the Jews aren't better than the Arabs who are at war with the Jews... Tell us -- when have the Arabs made attempts at peace in the same manner as the Jews just did? Why are there 1.5 million Arabs living in Israel but the Arab world has been wiped clean of 99% of its Jews? Person-for-person, Jews and Arabs are no better than one another. However, you can't point to a single example of Arabs bringing bibles to Jews who've had their places of worship destroyed, can you?

"Way Too Little, Way Too Late. A pathetic apology from a group who supports the radical settlers. Nothing more than a PR move." Nonsense. Most Israelis are appalled at this sort of thing. A shame we don't see that type of reciprocation from any Palestinian group after Palestinian thugs destroy Jewish places of worship.

Friends of Humanity Organization International have issued an extensive report detailing 27 Mosques destroyed in Gaza by Israel. The Turkish Weekly report Israel destroyed 41 Mosques during its (Cast Lead) 23 day assault on Gaza.

"anyone know how many synegogues have been attacked? during the past year around the world boy these guys didn`t feel that distressed did thehy???" Jews understand the sanctity of all religions and the need to respect places of worship. When synagogues get burned down, they don't go out burning churches and mosques in retaliation. When a mosque gets burned down by hoodlums, they bring korans and offer apologies. I wish this could serve as a learning opportunity.

Such decency shows these devout Jews are true to their faith.

the perpetrators will be found out. As you said in another post; they can run but not forever, they can hide, but not forever. I've missed you:^)

But they will earn the name of self hating Jews who have no wish for peace or justice. The PETER s,m,s AND CO. Their justice is that of oppressors and thieves.

BK, I find it sickening that you would compare rockets that have no "aim" and no "direction" and that thousands and thousands of have killed only some 12 people to directed and deliberate attacks by Israel and by its settlers on Gaza, on this mosque, on Palestinians daily. The Kassam is an irrelevant weapon whose sole purpose is to plant fear in you and make you worry about attacking Palestinians. It is the weapon of those who have no weapon and have no way to fight because for far long they have been shut off and brought down and persecuted. Israel is one of the biggest military powers in the world and has used its weapons repeatedly directed and aimed to kill Palestinians (well, they do have an aiming mechanism). To fan the flames, Israel has allowed its extremists free reign in the occupied territories (+ automatic weapons of course) to harass and make life hell for Palestinians everyday. Bravo to the moral state of Israel. Rise up Jewish people of the world and say: Not In My Name!

I read lots of people pedantically justifying depraved acts by citing other depraved acts. While mutual depravity is reinforcing, it does not justify anything. Not only is 'Tu Quoque", a logical fallacy, it is disgusting when used to justify depraved behavior. Equally disgusting are those who argue that a kindness by opponents is either insufficient, or wrong. Such arguments are a pious fraud.

When Jews are killed, you don't seem to hear a peep from Peres or Livni. When an arab building is burned however, it is a "despicable act of provocation." Where is our self respect?

we don t need your korans get off our land and we would nt be in this problem and disarm settlements

You are an extremist if you believe people should die for vandalism. What you seek is not justice, but a backward system of retribution that exists in many Asian countries, even more in Muslim countries

At least these settlers had the integrity to apologize and condemn the attacks. Where are the Muslim apologies for attacks on synaogogues all over Europe day in and day out?????

You said: "IF YOU WANT WAR". Indrajaya,it's doubtful Muslims want war against Israel. After all, they always lose!! LOL You said: "Every attack on mosque is an invintation [sic] for war, nothing else". Totally wrong. The attack on the mosque is not an act of war. It was a terrible act by extremist lunatics who need to be apprehended and tried in a court of law. It's a legal matter, not a military one.

have to do with what happened in the West Bank?You are talking about two different things.

And I mean that. A kind gesture. "The delegation from the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, led by peace activist Rabbi Menachem Froman, met the village elders at a nearby checkpoint after being held up for several hours by the Israel Defense Forces." The unfortunate fact is that the IDF managed to hold up those trying to do a decent thing for 'several hours' yet never seems to be able to halt those intent upon depravity for a moment. So we see the two Israel's in bold contrast. The one Israel which wants to be decent, obstructed by the one which allows idepravity to prevail. We behold a decent act by decent people. It cannot undo the vile act, but it proves there are those trying to be decent. I am reminded of my favorite Surah, 107. "Has that observed him who belieth religon? That is he who repellth the orphan, An urgeth not the feeding of the needy. Ah, woe unto the worshippers Who are heedless of their prayer; Who would be seen at worship Yet refuse small kindnesses!"

"But regardless of who did it the Jewish ways are filled with Jewish (human) values not found among most of our enemies." You know what's happening here Tomy? Jews have been oppressed and powerless for over 1700 years. Consequently they have come to regard themselves as always the victims, always good. Now I can tell you mate, that Jews are no better and no worse than anyone else. Sorry, but that's the case. And what's happening is that now Jews have power over others, you're getting the same tendency to violence and oppression that the rest of us show in those circumstances. The slight problem is that while the rest of us know we're flawed and failing, some Jews think they're special and better. You think Jews are better than their enemies? They're not. Terrorism is the weapon of the weak, used by Irgun against Arab civilians and now too often used by Arabs against Jewish civilians.

A pathetic apology from a group who supports the radical settlers. Nothing more than a PR move.

While I do not support the burning of the mosque, I'm sure the mosque was empty of people. Your kassams are directly aimed to kill on purpose. I do not see the equivalence. This just gives you and excuse to complain more. At least we saw some apology on our side. Where is yours?

If the vandal was Jewish he must be prosecuted to the full extend , if not , it might of been an Arab provocation . But regardless of who did it the Jewish ways are filled with Jewish (human) values not found among most of our enemies . The act described here is just a testimony to it . Does anybody , who tries to bash us by all means , see the reality? Probably not , the blind hate is too strong and too thick to see through .

"they incinerated numerous mosques in iraq.and not a few in afghanistan" not deliberately they didn't

I am a Jordanian Palestinian Israeli; I knew Yasuf and its people very well, peace loving people, hard working and tolerant. I have many friends there including Sheikh Jamal chief of the village's mosque. They received from me the Bible (Tanach and New testament)and honoured it. The assault against the village mosque hurt me deeply and I condemn it. But I also salute the courage of the delegation from Gush Etzion and the call of President Perez. To my Jewish friends I say: You do not express your love to the Land by hating the Palestinians; you are supposed to be light to the nations. To my Plaestinian friends I say: Faith in God and forgiveness is better than revenge. Whether we like it or not WE ALL ARE ONE FAMILY.

don't agree what happened but aren't you getting a little worked up here?

It would seem only logical but who knows. Only peace can solve all of this mechugas.

The very sad part of this is that Jews have learned the lesson that terrorism is rewarded in Israel. In Israel, terrorists are responsible for deaths, injuries, and destruction of property--but they are rewarded with more land, more rights, and freedom from prosecution. Even when they are prosecuted, they are released in "prisoner swaps." Not so for law-abiding Israelis who try to protest against the government's ill-conceived laws. Those law-abiding Israelis are beaten, their land given away, their livelihood destroyed. They are kept from their homes, their families, and they are jailed. Unlike the arab terrorists who take hostages, our Jewish men and women don't get released in prisoner exchanges. So, what was the Israeli government expecting? When they reward terrorism, they get more terrorists. It is time that Israel started showing equality under the law. The Israeli government must stop rewarding terrorism.

the same cannot be said about the mosques (and indeed every other building) in Imwas, Beit Nuba, and Yalo. Despite the pretense behind the 'condemnations', the destruction of mosques has been an Isreali practice for some time. The only problem is that by not first driving the worshippers away, closing the area to reporters, and then building something different on the same site, this one got publicity.

See what happened to FATAH. Instead of curbing their numbers in the West Bank, this Government, in fact is doing its best to increase their numbers, does this make good sence to all of us the Silent Majority. These settlers are mostly from abroad with DUAL Passports, one day when there will be massive retaliations, all they will do is Packing and GONE, leaving us in the SSSS

"When rachels tomb was set afire.." Could have been Jews trying to trying to create more tension.. "Before you spout off, there is no current evidence to say who did this." Irrelevant. That's not the game.. Blame first, even if there was no crime at all. http://tinyurl.com/y8ewves/myths-mis-conceptions-propaganda/#Gaza-greenhouses " Could have easily been paklis trying to create more tension, could have been a settler. " could have 'easily' been a settler... (to be fair) "regardless, lets see where the evidence goes and then punish the doers hasrshly" I await your response if it was settlers ..

with oneself,and with other HUMAN beings. All descent people agree that the damage done to the MOSQUE by these perpetrators were utterly wrong. I hope that the Palestinians remember the words in our Quran (60/7/8)(58/9) "WE SHOULD DEAL KINDLY and JUSTLY EVEN WITH THOSE A G A I N S T U S." Hoping that my fellow Muslims brothers in the W B WILL NOT retaliate against OUR cousins, but leave the punishments in tghe hands of OUR ALMIGHTY ALLAH. I sincerely hope too that This Israli Administration will refrain from demolishing the HOUSES of these VANDALS, as they would have done if it was a case of Palestinian Hooligans attacking a SYNAGOGUE,using it as a deterrent for similar future attacks from others. SALLAAM/SHALOM

no american it is the iraqis and afghans who have more to fear. the other day the iraqis lost one hundred and twenty dead and four hundred wounded.well out of the ball park as far as we are concerned.

The Israels will just limit mobility even more for the Palestanians. That is business as usual.

When rachels tomb was set afire by the palis, they avoided justice, Before you spout off, there is no current evidence to say who did this. Could have easily been paklis trying to create more tension, could have been a settler. regardless, lets see where the evidence goes and then punish the doers hasrshly

Seems politiciand say it was settlers, without any evdience to support the statement. Perhaps it was palis who want to inflame tensions what better way to do so. Then again there is no proof. Logic would dictate more than one poerson set the fire, which means many know. Three can keep a secret when two are dead. Which means those who did this if they are settlers will soon be at each others throats to keep it quiet. Let the investigation go ahead, let Netanyahu demand the palis search their ranks as will ISrael , and then find them, and punish them severely, as they could have started a major confrontation. If it was a settler, move their entire family out of the area

If Israel were truly serious about stopping "progroms" then all the hand wringing and exagerated "fears" of reprisal would be moot. The IDF and ShinBet have lots of experience to stop these Israeli "brown shirts"! How about taking a page out of the past when dealing with the Palestinians i.e. Surround the "settlement" at 2 or 3 in the morning call out on loud speakers for all males aged 14 to 45 to come out or face death, then hood them mark them with I.D. numbers and load them on buses to be interrogated, while the IDF goes house to house searching for "terrorist" weapons......the settlers of course will not be given this as their "price tag". That will be saved for Palestinian "reprisals" only.....PEACE EVER?

throughout history a percentage of non jews could not help themselves from interfering in jewish affairs... jews never interfered with the religions of others etc. you are simply a continuation of this - why r u so interested in jews ? do u have nothing better to do ?

all of the americas, nz, aus are colonised lands and it continues....go speak to amazonian indians etc....yet u r concerned that jews ant to live in judea and samaria and speak hebrew..i guess speaking european languages in the former territories is more authentic

Won't happen. There are many in the Israeli government who support this. Even in this talkback there are people who suggest that the Palestinians don't even exist. One of the reasons we are making inroads in the UK in our opposition of Israel. The Internet and 24 hour news channels are showing us the extent of behaviour by Israelis and their settler friends against a defenceless people. Even Sky news ran a story two weeks ago that showed Israeli citizens stoning Palestinian children on the way to school whilst the IDF looked on. Israel is looking increasingly illegitimate and the settlers are increasingly percieved as the bastard children of Israel. At least we'll know where Israeli produce is actually from. Didn't have any Pomegranates this year because I didn't know if they were from Israel proper or the occupied territories. Happy Hannukah

Good Job Settlers! You are in the front lines of this Holly War! You must be brave, and dont let the arabs or the Israeli government intimidate you. We as Jews must fight for every inch of our holly land.

arrested yet. You telling me that the perpertrator who left his name in the mosque was able to wander unmolested through countless checkpoints without his presence being noted using vehicle recognition technology? The attack on the mosque was made with the full cupability of the Israeli government in the hope of igniting terrorism by the Palestinians so that they can avoid the implementation of the two state solution. Easier ways of doing it of course Ariel Sharon attempted to occupy the Al Aqsa mosque. Which got President Clinton off Israel's back, and 9/11 got George W Bush off Israel's back and allowed for Cast Lead and other atrocities.

Just how many of us go into emotional meltdown and end up blaming the Palestinians. Are we so emotionally stunted that we can't deal with this as grown ups? If this story is correct, the perpetrators of this heinous crime should be locked up for a very long time.

Test for you. Where was the mosque? Was it under Israel's jurisdiction or under the PA's? Maybe it was Israel's duty to protect the people of Yasuf they way they protect the nearby settlers so that no-one would be able to run amok there? Hmmm? Looking for the perpetrators is not enough. Pious apologies are not enough. The conditions that allow settler thugs to run wild wherever they please in areas the safety of which are ISRAEL's responsibility to assure, need to be remedied. And fast. For our own sakes, not only those of the Palestinians.

And before they (you mean people in Gaza, right?) were firing qassams this one or that one got killed and so on and so on. Are you excusing the destruction of a west bank mosque or what? With friends like you who needs enemies?

...attacks a mosque they avoid so easily the justice thats why ur sentence.. 1. You don't know that for sure. 2. If captured, people who attack mosque will be sentenced to death, no matter who the perpetrators are. 3. If they can run for awhile, it doesn't mean they can run forever from justice.

Wise Zionists would just condemn the mosque burning or not comment at all. But inevitably you get the people on here who try to justify, try to say 'it was the Pals who did it themselves' or 'even if it was Jews, there's only a negligible percentage of Israelis who would do such a thing' or 'it's only one mosque, what about all the synogogoues' or 'muslims destroys mosques as well.' It's actually worrying how many of these posts there are, because these are the people in denial about growing extremism in Israel and in that sense they are its fellow travellers. There is no doubt this is a huge test for Israel. The world is watching. If Israel catches the perpetrators fast and treats them as ruthlessly as it would if Pals attacked a synogogue, then the world will be impressed. If the attackers are never caught or are not severely punished, the world will draw its own conclusions, that the fellow travellers are now moving into the Israeli mainstream.

http://tinyurl.com/y8ewves/myths-mis-conceptions-propaganda/#Gaza-greenhouses Or urinating near the Torah Scrolls? http://tinyurl.com/y8ewves/myths-mis-conceptions-propaganda/#Muslims-urinated-next-to-Torah

attacking a worship place has no excuse. but i would be more pleased if i ve seen as many muslim fellows condemning the attacks on synagogues as pro israelis who condemned this attack. cuz this year there have been attacks on synagogues in france and in latin America after cast lead the only comments closest to condemnation was 'we re sorry that happened but u deserved it because of attacks in gaza' type. it made me proud to see many pro isr people condemning withouth trying to legalize the attacks(of course there r exceptions). I expect the same thing from my fellow muslim friends when there will be an attack on any worship place cuz i know the islam is a religion of tolerance in reality and its ignorance and manipulative leaders who turns it in todays view of islam in west!

In Iraq when terrorist attack and kill moslims attacks a mosque they avoid so easily the justice thats why ur sentence should be; NOBODY WHO ATTACKS MOSQUE CAN AVOID JUSTICE SO EASILY, EXCEPT FOR MUSLIMS! THEY HAVE RIGHT TO DO ANYTHING TO THEIR FELLOW MUSLIMS NOBODY COMPLAINS.

jews lived in WB for decades when hashemite king occupied that land they were thrown out! these re not only arab land its jewish land too only in Isr occupation muslims cn live on their land. so ur hypothesis with somebody else's land is far away from reality! jews have right to live in WB like arabs who can live in any part of isr! they do live why cant jews live in WB? by the way many lands have been sold to jews that makes them the owner. after u buy a house house belongs to u not to the old landowners!

to garner sympathies,but an immediate all out 100% investigation is imparative.

you took aother peoples land and that has been made legal by the passage of time.so to with the aussies and the kiwis. save your abuse and wait for the passsage of time.

the other side.if outcasts among us take that away then we are left with little to hold on to.we can redeem ourselves only by showing how much we feel humiliated by this action.and more importantly to make sure that this does not happen again.

You didn't finish the last sentence of your post. You said "Jews are fighting for the right to stay" without completing it with "on someone else's land".

Strange how thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and other places have been mass murdered in mosques in the past decade, yet none of the people talkbacking here have done anything about it. But, if a mosque is vandalized in Israel while nobody is hurt, there is a demand for justice and war crimes trials. The blood of thousands of innocent victims around the world is screaming for justice, yet all you talkbackers care about is making sure you badmouth Israel. Such two-faced racism is standard practice of radical Islam, which deflects its own war crimes onto others in order to continue their quest for world domination (sounds pretty gruesome, huh? but that's what al qaeda and others want...the Iranians less so, but they still want to Islamicize the world).

this are the facts, all this goberment has feed those people who love intolerance, and live up to the rules of ancient times. It is time to make clear, that is not to practive a religion, this is to make from the religion an instrument of violence. It is not private that those people are often isolated but that they are used also by the leader of the region to extreme the already difficult situation. So, stop this, until now no rab has made an declaration againts this barbary...

during the past year around the world boy these guys didn't feel that distressed did thehy???

Mosques are bombed and attacked by Muslims nearly every day and this case may be no different. Naturally the Jews will blamed but aren't they always!

rubbish as usual

theyey do immense damage to themselves by taking a passive view of this.they have spoken out but they have not acted.

For those in Israel, those that live and labor within the Green Line, those that we call the true society of Israels honest and decent citizens one can only say one word. "Shocking"! Past Israeli Governments allowed the proliferation of settlements and worst of all turned a blind eye on the growing right wing movement that will no doubt become the cause of further strife. As one of those "green line" citizens, I believe that we have passed the road of no return. Unless, that is, the government, which preaches so openly for a peace plan with the Pals, cannot control this growing menace, a cancerous tumor from spreading, is for said government to step in a forceful manner whereby zero tolerance against said perpetrators vis a vis law and order. Good day from freezing Swiss Alps.

that is the only way to make sure they do not shame us again.

rebuild the mosque at the state's expense.if refused do other work for the area. those who did the deed should be jailed for many years.

americans had better keep away from this story.they incinerated numerous mosques in iraq.and not a few in afghanistan.

ALEX its formidable how concerned and upset you are about the horrible Israelis. Did you show same concern when Arabs in your state burned A synagogue and a Jewish religious center in Ft lauderdale? Secondly Israel today doesn't occupy any land it didn't belong to it. If anything the Arabs have occupies the land of Israel, In Gaza Israel has returned land Jewish people bought over 100 years ago during the Ottoman's conquest of Israel. You need to read Mark Twain's book Innocents abroad a book that was written over 100 years ago long before there were "Today's Palestinians" The only Palestinians then were the Jewish people. Also look at 500 600 years old maps, or older, the only thing you will find are the lands of the 12 tribes and Gaza. No Palestine. How can you occupy something that didn't exist? If you put as much effort in finding out the facts you'll be singing another tune. I do not condone what has happened and the thugs/criminals that burned the Mosque should be punished.

If the perpetraters of the Mosque attack are discovered and brought to justice in a short period of time,then you'll know Bibi's on the level. A cash reward may help.

There is terrorism and murdering of Jews even when Moslems are being given gifts.

"A peaceful PA is a danger for settlers who want land not peace" You probably haven't realized this, but a peaceful Israel is in danger of Palestinians who want land, not peace. Poor anti-Israeli idiots can't fathom that BOTH people have lived on those lands. The Palestinians are fighting for 100% Jew-free land, and Jews are fighting for the right to stay.

of thugs and vandals. This case of course is a sample. So, first, as a Jew and an Israeli, I wish to apologize to the people affected while hoping that they will recover from this case as fast as possible both physically and emotionally. Second, I wish to point out to them and to others the fact that upon learning about this case Jewish leaders in Israel - political, educational and religious - have condemned the case and explicitly stated their objection of harming any innocent person and their strong objection of desecrating any religious site, be it Jewish, Christian, Muslim or Druze. And finally, Israel's police, it is widely reported in the Hebrew press, has started a major hunt after the perpetrators with the full intention of catching them and bringing them to justice. Let us hope this is the last case in which "the other", be it an Arab, a Jew or anyone else, is targeted to be harmed and violated.

This is aimed to anger Muslims and stop any peace talks but books and buildings can be replaced. With as many cameras in W. Bank but both sides know were most are. The question is when IDF finds out who did this and I am sure they will in time, will they go to jail or pay for repairs?

"exercising tutelage over land that belongs to the Palestinians. " Exactly when did this land you blather about belong to the Palestinians exclusively? Are you flapping your gums without a clue, or what? Did you know, for example, that the JEWISH QUARTER of Jerusalem was in EAST Jerusalem and was only cleansed of Jews for 19 years? Are you saying that the Jewish Quarter belonged to the Palestinians? When did you sell it to them?

Probably these settlers think they are so smart to attack mosque.

Next excuse please.

such attacks on religious places of worship have been common and yet to respond in revenge is not wise. This appalling attack should not be used as a pretext to reprisal. Those responsible should be caught and imprisoned.

it would alSo be a great copout for the Pals who are refusing to negotiate.

Regardless of which party has held power in Israel since 1967, it has by and large pursued what can only be described as the official state policy of either colonizing or, in the case of Gaza after the abandonment of the settlements, exercising tutelage over land that belongs to the Palestinians. Unless Israel's political leaders have been dense--which I doubt--they must have known exactly the kind of irredentist politics to which the settlers are committed. Said leaders' condemnation of the arson attack notwithstanding, they are not without responsibility for what has just transpired.

What's that about? And no details about 22 year old stabbing victim?

Has anyone been caught and tried for uprooting and/or burning olive groves? Have we heard about the culprit who stabbed an Arab passer-by in Ramat Eshkol a few weeks ago or the others in another Jerusalem stabbing a few days ago? Where do you live lily? Obviously not on Planet Earth.

We're back to fearing attacks by Palestinians, suspicious objects, increasing security, etc., etc., and all this just in time for the holidays. Who will have time to bother with "settlement freeze" inspections? Who will have the inclination to care about peace talks?

If the rockets actually were fired and weren't computer ghosts, it's likely they were to retaliate for the shelling of the refugee camp in Gaza, yesterday. Since the IDF can't control some Israelis, who knows who shelled the camp? http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=246107

Every attack on mosque is an invintation for war, nothing else.

and on we go. People who do nothing to worry the pals always see fit to lob bombs into their midst so here we see that any excuse will do for what every our pals want to carry out. Will they be brought to justice? I am sure the people who attacked the mosque will be brought up to court.

One day in the future, the settlers are going to invade a Palestinian village where the Palestinians are prepared to resist. And the IDF won't be along to suppress the resistance. It will be hard to characterize the armed settlers as lost tourists with benign intent. It will be even harder to characterize the resistance as terrorism when somebody is defending their house and children from armed settler thugs. One day, the IDF will have to learn counterinsurgency to control the settlers and hill-toppers.