Jerusalem – The IDF’s chief rabbi, Brig.-Gen. Rafi Peretz, was recorded speaking strongly against members of the Muslim faith who pray at the Temple Mount. In a transcript of a religious lecture uploaded to the website Kippa, at Mechina Atzmona, Peretz is quoted as answering student questions regarding the significance of the Temple Mount in Islam. Channel 10 later aired a recording of the lecture.
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“Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran even once,” Peretz said. “Not at all. Not even once. You know what? It’s not even hinted at. You know what? 90% of Arabs don’t know what’s written in the Koran. I’m telling you this–we know a lot better than them,” he added.
Addressing Al-Aksa, the chief rabbi can be heard asking, “What are they doing at the Temple Mount? [if the Muslims] bow down to Mecca in prayer, while their behinds are turned to the Temple Mount.”
Peretz’s speech lasted around an hour. The lecture was not given while the rabbi donned his IDF uniform.
The Brig.-Gen. released a statement through the IDF’s Spokesperson Office asking to clarify that his words were taken out of context and “do not reflect the views of the IDF’s chief rabbi.” The IDF message conveyed that “the Rabbi apologizes if his words offended the Arab population.”
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
This is great news! Now all he has to do is convince a billions Muslims that they are all wrong and he is right. This will change everything!
The mindless rants and sheer stupidity of some of these rabbonim is beyond belief. Is her purposes seeking to inflame the current tense situation and cause more bloodshed? Was not the tragic attack on the shul in Har Nof not enough for him? Even if his comments were correct, which they are not, why does he believe it necessary to make such public comments? You have to wonder what is their real agenda in throwing gasoline on a fire.
The problem is we live in a world of tremendous falsehood. As such no one really cares if in truth it has little to no meaning in their religion. However although it’s not mentioned at all in the Koran I think they believe their man went up from there or something. So I don’t think you can go around telling them it has no importance in Islam.
Ein Torah ba goyim. All of them make up whatever they want whenever it is convenient. So it doesn’t matter what someone once wrote in some musty book. However, I don’t see why this Rav should lie to his talmidim concerning the facts when asked a direct question. It also seems that he tell them to daven at (or even visit) the temple mount Unfortunately, the Jews have always been their own worst enemy. The persons that publicized the lecture are the ones that will be responsible for the consequences (G-d forbid). They are the villains, not the Rabbi.
The truth just doesn’t matter any more. The facts on the table are that the Arab population gives this place -Temple Mount -aksa- the highest religious significance in this region.
To tamper with it touches a raw nerve not just here in Israel but wherever Arabs are (read :everywhere) cause blind religious frenzy which knows no bounds.
the significance of Al-aqsa is that the koran says that mohammed went to the furthest mosque in one night. furthest mosque translates as al-aqsa. in order to establish -dominance over the Har Habayis the built a mosque and called it al-aqsa and said that this is the place he went to.
so pretty much their entire claim to Har Habayis is made up
Nothing productive will come of this remark.
“Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran even once”
It isn’t in the Torah either.