Gary Fitleberg, July 20, 2005

The Kotel, also known as the Western Wall or "Wailing Wall" was built during Herod's reconstruction of the Second Temple. It is the revered site of Jewish pilgrimage and prayer. During the "occupation" by Jordan for nineteen years from 1948 through 1967, no Jews were allowed to make pilgrimage or pray there.

Some 91 percent of the Jewish public in Israel would be unwilling to give up Israeli control of the Kotel, also called "Wailing Wall" or Western Wall, or in exchange for peace, according to the results of a survey published Wednesday.

A representative sample of the Jewish population was polled on whether, in exchange for a final real peace agreement, Israel should transfer a number of sacred sites to the Arab "Palestinians", be prepared for joint control, or keep the sites under sole Israeli hegemony.

None of those polled said they would agree to Arab "Palestinian" control over the Western Wall, although six percent were willing to see joint control.

With regard to the Temple Mount, 46 percent would agree to joint Israeli-Palestinian control, or sole Arab "Palestinian" control, according to the survey conducted by the Dahaf Institute. Nine percent of the public were in favor of transferring control to the Arab "Palestinians", 36 percent favored joint control, 51 percent favored Israeli control only. With regard to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, 13 percent were in favor of giving control to the Arab "Palestinians", 33 percent for joint control, and 49 percent for sole Israeli control.

Thirteen percent of those questioned said the would agree for the Tomb of Rachel to be in Arab "Palestinian" hands, 30 percent would opt for joint control, and 53 percent wanted to see Israeli control only.

The Arab "Waqf", which controls the site of the Holy Temple, has destroyed and pilfered archaeological biblical evidence of the existence of the Holy Temple and Jewish shrine. The last remnant is the wall. The Arab’s degradation and desecration of the Holy Temple site caused a bulge in the wall and crisis which might possibly have caused the destruction of the Temple Mount, and the Arabs would have then blamed Israel and the Jewish people. Despite the fact that Jews face Jerusalem and Muslims face Mecca and Medina the presence of a Mosque on a Jewish Holy place is a masquerade to a claim to a capital not known or mentioned in the Quran.

Arabs also recently completely destroyed and razed Joseph’s tomb in the Jewish ancient biblical city of Shechem which the Arabs now call Nablus in an attempt to wipe out the rightful claim by Israel and the Jewish people to its "Holy Land" or "Promised Land" given by G-d to the Children of Israel (Hebrews, Israelites, Jews, "Palestinians") in an eternal covenant that can never ever be broken.

During the Arab "occupation" of Jerusalem for nineteen years by Jordan from 1948 through 1967, the famous Hurvah synagogue as well as most others were completely destroyed. The ancient biblical cemetery on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Holy Temple Mount, was defiled by Arab marauders, and they used the gravestones and tombstones for latrines and to pave roads. The burial place and holy place today is in East Jerusalem and it is very dangerous for Jews to go there to pay their respects to thousands of generations of their ancestors.

Much like Al Qaeda and the Taliban these Arab Muslims obliterate the holy shrines of other faiths and religions.

Jews favor keeping their capital city Jerusalem and the Kotel a Holy place forever and ever.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2005 Gary Fitleberg