Shades of the British Mandate- Israeli Court Copies Anti-Jewish Policies

One of the human/religious rights abuses of the British Mandate in Palestine sic, pre-State of Israel, was the law they imposed to forbid the ritual blowing of the shofar at the Kotel, Western Wall, Jerusalem.  This week, an Israeli Court made the same sort of decision.  The British took over in July, 1922 at the request of the League of Nations  and decided that shofar blowing would endanger the peace and anger the Arabs, so instead of protecting Jewish worshippers, they punished the Jews by forbidding ritual shofar blowing.  In this week's decision, the judges gave the police the right to decide when shofar blowing could possibly cause Arab disturbances and instead of instructing the police to control the Arabs, they instructed the police to forbid Jews from keeping Jewish Law.




There's a very serious anti-human/civil/religious rights inconsistency here.  During the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours, the IDF instructed soldiers not to eat in public, as to not "tease" or disturb the Muslims.  But at the same time, the IDF punishes Jewish soldiers who for religious reasons leave ceremonies that include women singing.  They may excuse themselves from attending the event if they know in advance, but they aren't allowed to leave in the middle.  This compromise has taken a long time, and the controversy most probably isn't over yet.

I must say that the IDF has become much more welcoming to religious soldiers, most probably because the demographics of the IDF has been changing.  More and more strictly religious soldiers are moving up the ranks, entering and leading the most elite units and making careers as officers.  Contrary to what the media and many politicians say, the largest growing group of Israelis getting exemptions are the secular Left, not the religious.

And don't forget that Israel still restricts Jewish presence on our most holy Temple Mount, the location of our Batei Mikdash, Holy Temples.  The Temple Mount is much, much holier than the more popular and more accessible Kotel.  The Kotel and Kotel Katan are remnants of outer walls.

We won't have true peace until our priorities change.  Israel must function as a Jewish State with Jewish Values and Jewish Priorities.