THINK-ISRAEL

FROM EZRA HALEVI, NEW IMMIGRANT TO JERUSALEM

posted by Judy Balint, July 20, 2002

"Sha'alo Shalom Yerushalayim, Inquire after the peace of Jerusalem," wrote King David in Tehillim. He never doubted the legality of such inquiries and had no reason to. It would not have occurred to me either, had I not had the following experience with the Israeli police on Thursday, July 11th - one month after my Aliya to the Land of Israel.

I woke up a bit late on Thursday and headed toward a meeting I had in the Old City planning to pray at the Kotel before the meeting. Upon arrival I ran into an old friend and a discussion ensued which took me right up to the time the meeting was scheduled. The meeting, about student activism on US campuses and the continuation of our Exodus Shabbat Programs, went great.

The moment we finished I went strait toward the Kotel plaza and as I had done upon every visit to the Kotel since 1998, made a slight detour on my way to the wall to "inquire after the peace" of the holiest site of Judaism. I walked over to the soldiers guarding the path leading up to the Mughrabi Gate leading to Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount).

"Efshar l'hitpalel b'Har HaBayit hayom, Is it possible to pray on the Temple Mount today," I asked. Usually, the response is a smile and an "od lo, not yet," but not this particular summer day in the City of Mundane Miracles. A policeman who was speaking with one of the soldiers asked me what I wanted and I repeated my request. He told me to come with him "to see if it was possible."

Now, of course, from past experience and the knowledge of the history of our Holy Mountain ever since Moshe Dayan handed the keys back to the Wakf in 1967, I knew I would not be granted entrance. My reason for asking the question every time I visit is to let those Jews guarding the entrance, and hopefully those higher up, know that there are still Jews who have not forgotten that it is our holiest site. That there are still Jews who care that our holiest site is being systematically gutted and archaeologically transformed into one of the world's largest mosque's.

Most of all, I always thought it extremely important to call attention to the bizarre Orwellian status quo where on the rare occasion that non-Muslims are allowed to ascend the Mount - it is forbidden for them to pray. Members of the wakf and the Israeli police follow them around and watch their lips for fear that they might desecrate this sacred site of Islam by uttering a prayer to God.

So I went with the officer, whose name was Aharon Richman (badge # 1000017). He brought me to the police station at the rear of the Kotel plaza where he proceeded to go through my belongings, removing my journal, tapes, CDs, Cell phone and stickers with a picture of Arafat and the caption "terrorist" on them. He seemed extremely suspicious that a Jew would be so interested in the Temple Mount. He asked me what interest I had in it and I told him it was the nine days leading up to the 9th of Av and the destruction of our temple is on the mind of many Jews.

• He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked me who this "Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach" that I had tapes of in my bag was.
• He wanted to know why I had a CD called "HaLeviim," "The Levites," with a picture of the Temple on it.
• He wanted to know who sent me.
• He wanted to know if I had family here in Israel.
• He wanted to know who knew I was here.
• He wanted to know what this Kumah thing was.

He read through my journal (he knew English because he had made Aliya from Philadelphia). The commander came in and leafed through it with him.

• "Why does it say 'ki Atah Imadi' - what do you mean by that? You think God is with you?"
• "Who is this 'Kli Yakar?'"
• "What is this 'Clarity' you are always writing about?"
• "What is this 'Amalek = safek = self-doubt?"
• "Why do you write so many p'sukim (verses)?"
• "Why are you interested in Har HaBayit?"

The situation was beyond absurd. I had arrived in the Jewish State, asked a policeman whether Jews were allowed to pray on the Temple Mount and was now stripped of all civil liberties, had my passport, Teudat Oleh and personal belongings taken away simply because I expressed interest in the Temple Mount. When I began speaking about my studying law they began to get a bit nervous. They had me sign a piece of paper they said simply stated that my possessions had not been returned to me. Officer Richman kept promising that we were almost done - it would only be a couple more minutes. He spoke on the phone and described me in Hebrew as a young Oleh Chadash who looked like a chozer b'tshuva who "tried to ascend the Temple Mount." I objected to his description as it was false and in English he assured me that everything would be OK.

Finally the other officers came and brought me in a police van up to Jaffa Gate to the large compound called the "Kishle." Officer Richman had promised me it would only take about ten minutes, but after waiting for forty-five minutes while they inspected, detected, selected and neglected various possessions of mine, I decided to put on my tefillin right there in the police compound. They were already operating under the assumption that I was the leader of some new Jewish Underground after finding several Kumah pins on my person so I figured donning my phylacteries couldn't make matters any worse and might even please my Creator enough to bring about a happy ending to the whole sorry episode. As I prayed, I thought of Abraham, who nearly sacrificed Yitzchak on that mountain and Jacob who slept over there one night only to dream of angels ascending and descending the spiritual ladder connecting heaven and earth at that spot. I remembered the first Temple and its destruction, the Jews returning to the Land only to see their second temple destroyed as well - thrown back into exile with many of their brethren who had chosen not to return in the first place.

My praying in the police station spurred a whole new line of questioning as to what I was praying for, why I prayed davka in the station during an investigation, and could I please give them a list of all my friends and family in Israel.

Finally the real interrogator came in. He wore a kippa and said his name was Ofir. He had a gentle smile and calmly asked me for my life story. I told him it would be easier if he would ask me specific questions and he proceeded to do so. At one point he asked me if I was upset that they brought me in for all this time.

I said "No, I'm not upset, I just think its incredibly absurd that there is a nation of a billion people who are trying to wipe us off the face of the Earth, Imam's who preach our destruction from atop our Holy Mountain every Friday, members of our own government who endanger the existence of the Jewish State in their last-ditch efforts to get rid of Judea and Samaria - and I, a new oleh who came willingly from the US, am sitting in a police station being interrogated because I inquired as to the status quo of the holiest site of my religion and happen to have a beard."

He laughed and said, "it was very interesting talking with you. I learned alot. We need more people like you here." We shook hands and he left. One of the less friendly officers from earlier came in and gave me back my things after having me sign a piece of paper which he was suddenly unable to translate. I asked him for some sort of notice to prove that I was detained for five hours and he suddenly knew even less English and dismissed me with a wave of the hand.

Now, I know from conversations with activists here in Israel that there do not exist much in the way of civil liberties in the Jewish State, but five hours in detention complete with every possible violation of privacy and person is a little ridiculous. I am forced to conclude that there are orders from higher up designed to send a very clear message to Jews like myself: Give it up. Har HaBayit is not a Jewish Holy site, it is a sensitive Islamic shrine. Stay away from it and do not even ask questions about it or you will be dealt with.

I broke no laws. I did not even come anywhere near breaking any law, by any stretch of the imagination. I have only one request of you, my brothers and sisters. I ask that you, this Tisha B'av, mourn not only for the destruction of our Holy Temple, but for the systematic eradication of our connection to the heart of the Land of Israel and the focal point between heaven and Earth. The Arabs have no problem calling their murderous war the "Al-Aqsa Intifada." We would not dream of fighting for our holy sites. Joseph's tomb has been made into a Mosque, the Temple Mount has two mosques on it, the Maarat haMachpela in Hebron is 1/3 Mosque and the State of Israel has just detained a 22 year old oleh chadash for daring to remind a fellow Jew that the Temple Mount is ours. In 1967, when the paratroopers captured it, they uttered those famous words: "Har HaBayit b'yadeinu - The Temple Mount is in our hands." Now, two years after a Prime Minister of the Jewish State attempted to undo the miraculous results of those six days, the sad truth on this Tisha b'Av is that Har HaBayit LO b'yadeinu - the Temple Mount is NOT in our hands.

There exists one place in the whole world where Jews are forbidden to utter a prayer and that place is the site of our Holy Temple.

There is an old song by Arlo Guthrie called "Alice's Restaurant" and this situation reminded me of it. As I walked out of the interrogation room I asked, "So, we have established that I broke no law - is there any problem with me going right back down there and asking whether Jews can pray there yet?" The less-friendly officer just scowled. I therefore propose that each one of you, upon visiting the Kotel, take a slight detour to your right and "Shaalo Shalom Yerushalayim - Inquire as to the well-being of our holiest site, at the heart of Jerusalem." All it takes is about 30 seconds and with everyone's participation the effect will be immeasurable. Just saunter up to the bored Border Police sitting at the entrance to the path leading up to Mughrabi gate and ask, "Efshar l'hitapalel b'Har HaBayit hayom," wait for an answer and then go about your business.

Oh, and if you happen to be a lawyer, please get in touch with me. b'ahavat yisrael,

from the City of Light and Song,
Ezra HaLevi, Jerusalem