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Ankara - Turkey: 'Rachel's Tomb, Ma'arat HaMachpela Was Never Jewish'

Published on:   March 7, 2010 10:23 AM
News Source:  Jerusalm Post
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Jewish men pray in the cave of the Patriarchs. Turkey Says that 'Rachel's Tomb, Ma'arat HaMachpela Was Never Jewish. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90 Jewish men pray in the cave of the Patriarchs. Turkey Says that ‘Rachel’s Tomb, Ma’arat HaMachpela Was Never Jewish. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90

Ankara - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday continued his verbal assault on Israel, according to Saudi paper Al Wattan, which quoted him as saying that that al Aksa Mosque, the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb “were not and never will be Jewish sites, but Islamic sites.”

Erdogan was referring to Israel’s recent inclusion of the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb on its national heritage list, but it was unclear why he mentioned the Aksa Mosque, since that site was not included.

Speaking to Palestinian journalists, Erdogan reportedly said, “Palestine [was] always at the top of Turkey’s priorities.” He expressed his support for the renewal of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Donning a cloak of pan-Islamic identity, Erdogan told Al Wattan that he “loves my brothers in Fatah and my brothers in Hamas to the same degree, because they are my Muslim brothers and I cannot distinguish between them.”

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Turkey’s prime minister began criticizing Israel in the wake of Operation Cast Lead last year, and has been punctilious in voicing his opinion on Israel’s actions since. In the recent past, he sharply criticized Israel during press conferences with the Lebanese prime minister and with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Turkey also recently distanced itself from the United States, withdrawing the ambassador from Washington after a congressional committee decided to recognize the killing of Armenians during World War I as a genocide. In a sign of tensions between Israel and Turkey, Ankara did not seek the help of Jewish lobbies in Washington, and these groups, which have traditionally advocated on behalf of Turkey, refrained this time from pressing Congress not to accept the resolution.


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Read Comments (50)  —  Post Yours »

1

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:34 AM Anonymous Says:

What a jive turkey

2

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:46 AM Anonymous Says:

we have proof that Avraham paid for the Machpela!!!

3

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:47 AM anonymous Says:

Mohamed was not born when these sites were Jewish and they are the religious sources stolen by Islam

4

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:50 AM anonymous Says:

The Greeks are right boycott Turkish figs and dates

5

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:53 AM Babishka Says:

What breathtaking stupidity.

6

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:29 AM Anonymous Says:

we should boycott any Turkish product including pesachdige hazelnut oil.

7

 Mar 07, 2010 at 10:22 AM Avi Says:

Looks like Iran found a lackey. I don't know what's more sad, that Turkey is saying these things or that most of Europe will believe them.

8

 Mar 07, 2010 at 10:29 AM Anonymous Says:

why pay any attention to this idiot?

9

 Mar 07, 2010 at 10:48 AM HolyMoe Says:

Boycott Terkishe taleisim.
Even Kmoi Terkish.
We'll teach them a lesson!

10

 Mar 07, 2010 at 10:53 AM Anonymous Says:

The building at Machpela was built by King Herod at about the same time as he built the Temple. This guy's just stupid. I say we start to claim that Istanbul is actually part of Finland.

11

 Mar 07, 2010 at 11:04 AM His economy must be terrible Says:

So he is looking for diversions. In next election he will be thrown out by such an embarrasing magnitude.
BTW now is the time for the Kurds [who are Muslims too] to work on their independance from Turkey Iraq Iran seria & azarbeigan. They have a chopped up country. It is time to help them [not the so called Palistinians who were dumped on our land by the Turks] get independance. Now Turkey is weak & using Anti- Israel reterict to geain points, you could tell how bankrupt they really are.
Let us see a Kurdistan, Obama do something good for a segment of your suffering brothers, get Kurdistan established you will go down as a historic leasder.
Go Kurd Go.

12

 Mar 07, 2010 at 11:09 AM formally Says:

Reply to #2  
Anonymous Says:

we have proof that Avraham paid for the Machpela!!!

no you don't.
The statement in the Torah is not a legal document it just tell a story, would not hold up in any court of law

this is sad since,m turkey has been somewhat of a friend to Israel, this could be a sigh that the Islamic fanatics are gaining power in Turkey. And if history repeats itself the army will have to take over the government again

13

 Mar 07, 2010 at 12:21 PM Milhouse Says:

Reply to #2  
Anonymous Says:

we have proof that Avraham paid for the Machpela!!!

We have the Torah, which Moslems don't believe in. And in any case they claim Avraham and Rachel and David were all Moslems!

14

 Mar 07, 2010 at 12:25 PM Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

15

 Mar 07, 2010 at 12:49 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #12  
formally Says:

no you don't.
The statement in the Torah is not a legal document it just tell a story, would not hold up in any court of law

this is sad since,m turkey has been somewhat of a friend to Israel, this could be a sigh that the Islamic fanatics are gaining power in Turkey. And if history repeats itself the army will have to take over the government again

Erdogan is an Islamic fundamentalist who is trying to steer his historically secular Moslem country in the direction of the rabid Islamic nutballs who run Iran and Saudi Arabia. Historically, the Army and judiciary have been the bulwarks of the secular Turkish state founded by Kemal Attatuk after WWI -- but Erdogan is trying to undermine the Army by making wild charges that top officers are plotting against him, and also the justice system, by having spurious charges brought against a state prosecutor who was investigating Muslim extremists whom Erdogan is cozying up to. Ironically, his drive to Islamicize Turkey may be blunted by, of all people, Europe -- certainly no friends of Israel and WAY too sympathetic to the phony claims of the "Palestinians" -- Europe is starting to (slowly, too slowly) wake up to the dangers of the Muslim immigrants and home-born jihadis refusing to assimilate, carving out their own little Sharia-obeying Muslim satraps (from which they will work to dominate the host countries) and there is great resistance to letting Islamic Turkey into the NATO alliance. Hopefully, Turk voters will realize this clown and his Islam are more trouble than they are worth

16

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:01 PM Anonymous Says:

According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Was every other person in the Middle East from that period exterminated that only Yishmael and Yitzchak had descendants? Just because the Arabs call themselves Yishmael''s descendant's doesn't mean we have to drink the Kool-Aid.

17

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:11 PM 5T Resident Says:

He was speaking to Palestinian journalists. What did you expect him to say? He's just giving them red meat. How is this news?

18

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:16 PM chosid Says:

Why didn't the Torah begin with the first mitzvah? So when the goyim come and accuse us of stealing the land, we will respond that the earth belongs to Hashem, and just as he gave it, so too he took it from others and gave it to Yisroel. -Rashi. Its importance to yiddishkeit is obvious by this being the first Rashi. On...ce you know there is a G-d, the next thing is to know ALL of eretz yisroel belongs to yidden!

19

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:38 PM anonymous Says:

Reply to #15  
Anonymous Says:

Erdogan is an Islamic fundamentalist who is trying to steer his historically secular Moslem country in the direction of the rabid Islamic nutballs who run Iran and Saudi Arabia. Historically, the Army and judiciary have been the bulwarks of the secular Turkish state founded by Kemal Attatuk after WWI -- but Erdogan is trying to undermine the Army by making wild charges that top officers are plotting against him, and also the justice system, by having spurious charges brought against a state prosecutor who was investigating Muslim extremists whom Erdogan is cozying up to. Ironically, his drive to Islamicize Turkey may be blunted by, of all people, Europe -- certainly no friends of Israel and WAY too sympathetic to the phony claims of the "Palestinians" -- Europe is starting to (slowly, too slowly) wake up to the dangers of the Muslim immigrants and home-born jihadis refusing to assimilate, carving out their own little Sharia-obeying Muslim satraps (from which they will work to dominate the host countries) and there is great resistance to letting Islamic Turkey into the NATO alliance. Hopefully, Turk voters will realize this clown and his Islam are more trouble than they are worth

well said and hopefully the Army kicks him out but the Western powers will acquiecsce

20

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:47 PM Kasha Says:

Reply to #18  
chosid Says:

Why didn't the Torah begin with the first mitzvah? So when the goyim come and accuse us of stealing the land, we will respond that the earth belongs to Hashem, and just as he gave it, so too he took it from others and gave it to Yisroel. -Rashi. Its importance to yiddishkeit is obvious by this being the first Rashi. On...ce you know there is a G-d, the next thing is to know ALL of eretz yisroel belongs to yidden!

That Pasuk and Rashi can only help us when Moshiach comes and the Goyim accept our Torah.

21

 Mar 07, 2010 at 01:51 PM Anonymous Says:

I will not buy any more Turkish olive oil or textiles until this sonei is out of office.

22

 Mar 07, 2010 at 02:06 PM Babishka Says:

Reply to #14  
Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Except that Abraham disinherited Ishmael and sent him away.

23

 Mar 07, 2010 at 02:30 PM Chaim Says:

Reply to #9  
HolyMoe Says:

Boycott Terkishe taleisim.
Even Kmoi Terkish.
We'll teach them a lesson!

You cracked me up :-)

24

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:04 PM Milhouse Says:

Reply to #14  
Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Nope. Yishmoel was the son of a slave. According to ancient tradition he should have been part of the property that passed to Yitzchok. In any case, as the Ibn Ezra points out, there's no reason to suppose the Arabs are descended from Yishmoel.

25

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:09 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #9  
HolyMoe Says:

Boycott Terkishe taleisim.
Even Kmoi Terkish.
We'll teach them a lesson!

The "terkishe" taleisim never came from Turkey. They came from Tunisias which was then part of the Turkish Empire. Most "terkishe" taleisim are now made in Israel of USA.

26

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:11 PM Anonymous Says:

Perhaps he read about the Yisrael Beitenu bill to remove the right of geirim (like Rochel [Lavan and his wife were not Jewish], Sara and Avraham [who as the first Jews were obviously not born Jewish]) to become Israeli citizens

29

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:16 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #14  
Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Nope!
1. Yishmael was not a son of a wife.
2. Avrohom gave everything to Yitzchok in his lifetime (end of Chaye Soroh)
3. Avrohom himself had another 6 sons after Sarah's passing (according to some the same woman as Yishmoel's mother).
If somehow the arabs do have a claim to any part of what they call Palestine it is more likely to be from Keturaoh's children than from Yishmael.
All, of course, meaningless because of 2. above and also Ki b'Yitzchok yikorei leco zora.

30

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:21 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #14  
Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Ay?! Avrohom forefather of the arabs?
What about Nochoir's 12 children?
What about Amoin and Moi'ov?
What about Eisov's 12 sons?
What about the b'nei Keturoh?
What about all the descendants of Shem besides the Abrahamic line?
What about the many b'nei Chom and Yoffes that stayed in what we now call the middle east?
I'm sure there's plenty I have missed. Were they all childless?

31

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:30 PM Reality Check Says:

It belonged to Israel much before the turkish invaded the land.

32

 Mar 07, 2010 at 03:33 PM Liepa Says:

Yes, and Turkey belongs to Greece.

33

 Mar 07, 2010 at 04:01 PM Anonymous Says:

al Aksa Mosque, the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb were not and never will be Jewish sites, but Islamic sites ,,, its comments like this that should be the reason why we make sure history and the world documents that these sites were in fact jewish sites. arab media thives on sending out information, we have to do the same.

34

 Mar 07, 2010 at 05:55 PM Anonymous Says:

it belonged to the jews way before muhammad and christianity ever appeared on the scene

35

 Mar 07, 2010 at 06:44 PM Anonymous Says:

This is more ridiculous than someone saying the earth is flat! So utterly ridiculous - if ever there was a pure Jewish site and solely Jewish, it is Kever Rachel, the mother of the Jewish nation and of no other! The Cave of the Patriarchs are our fathers and mothers. The only one that is there that has to do with another people, is Avraham Avinu, as he was the father of Yishmael also. The other fathers and mothers are JEWISH only! Yishmael was the son of a concubine, a handmaiden to Avraham's Wife, Sarah, who hasn't the legal rights of a wife and the Torah (Bible) indicates very clearly, that HaShem tells Avraham, 'your son, your only son, Yitzchak. The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!

36

 Mar 07, 2010 at 07:07 PM Bukharian Man Says:

Kurdistan, Cyprus..... and just about all the horrific world dominance under otteman rule.... these pm of turkey is a real turkey belongs in the zoo

37

 Mar 07, 2010 at 07:40 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #10  
Anonymous Says:

The building at Machpela was built by King Herod at about the same time as he built the Temple. This guy's just stupid. I say we start to claim that Istanbul is actually part of Finland.

actually Istanbul was never actually "Turkish" but Greek until the Moslems overran Byzantium and claimed it for themselves.

38

 Mar 07, 2010 at 07:43 PM just for that Says:

Reply to #10  
Anonymous Says:

The building at Machpela was built by King Herod at about the same time as he built the Temple. This guy's just stupid. I say we start to claim that Istanbul is actually part of Finland.

I say the Greeks should take back Istanbul and reclaim "Byzantium". The Turks can go back and frolic in the Aral Sea where they came from.

39

 Mar 07, 2010 at 08:07 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #35  
Anonymous Says:

This is more ridiculous than someone saying the earth is flat! So utterly ridiculous - if ever there was a pure Jewish site and solely Jewish, it is Kever Rachel, the mother of the Jewish nation and of no other! The Cave of the Patriarchs are our fathers and mothers. The only one that is there that has to do with another people, is Avraham Avinu, as he was the father of Yishmael also. The other fathers and mothers are JEWISH only! Yishmael was the son of a concubine, a handmaiden to Avraham's Wife, Sarah, who hasn't the legal rights of a wife and the Torah (Bible) indicates very clearly, that HaShem tells Avraham, 'your son, your only son, Yitzchak. The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!

"The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!"

Not everyone reads the bible (aka torah) and even those who do may not accept it as the word of G-d as we do so I'm not sure what your point is. The issue is not to convince yiddin that these site are ours. Obviously, we believe they are. The real issue is how we handle the geopolitical aspect of control over these sites and on that issue, EY is doing a lousy job and seem intent on provoking the muslims.

40

 Mar 07, 2010 at 08:11 PM Anonymous Says:

The War with the Muslims goes back since the start of Mohammad (the fake prophet). The Muslims believe that Yishmael was the rightfull continuation of Avraham. This means the story when Avraham Was about to Shecht Yitzchak was really Yishmael. (According to all muzlims) The war Muslims have with us Jews is to deny our history, for it dissproves their religion.

41

 Mar 07, 2010 at 09:40 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #40  
Anonymous Says:

The War with the Muslims goes back since the start of Mohammad (the fake prophet). The Muslims believe that Yishmael was the rightfull continuation of Avraham. This means the story when Avraham Was about to Shecht Yitzchak was really Yishmael. (According to all muzlims) The war Muslims have with us Jews is to deny our history, for it dissproves their religion.

good point

42

 Mar 07, 2010 at 10:27 PM Anonymous Says:

President Erdogan, Don't start up with the Jews. You ,and your country may suffer a catastrophic event.

43

 Mar 08, 2010 at 07:27 AM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #39  
Anonymous Says:

"The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!"

Not everyone reads the bible (aka torah) and even those who do may not accept it as the word of G-d as we do so I'm not sure what your point is. The issue is not to convince yiddin that these site are ours. Obviously, we believe they are. The real issue is how we handle the geopolitical aspect of control over these sites and on that issue, EY is doing a lousy job and seem intent on provoking the muslims.

If it provokes Muslims , so be it. Just by being Jews , we provoke hostility from the nations. So should we abandon Judaism?

44

 Mar 08, 2010 at 12:01 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #39  
Anonymous Says:

"The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!"

Not everyone reads the bible (aka torah) and even those who do may not accept it as the word of G-d as we do so I'm not sure what your point is. The issue is not to convince yiddin that these site are ours. Obviously, we believe they are. The real issue is how we handle the geopolitical aspect of control over these sites and on that issue, EY is doing a lousy job and seem intent on provoking the muslims.

They are not provoking the Muslims. Israel has bent over backwards and made concession after concession to the Arabs in peace efforts. Throughout history no other nation after being victorious on the battle-field has conceded as much as Israel.
Just one example. The Sinai oilfields to Egypt after Sadat's visit. And what did they get in exchange? Zilch. Hundreds of other cases.

45

 Mar 08, 2010 at 12:03 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #38  
just for that Says:

I say the Greeks should take back Istanbul and reclaim "Byzantium". The Turks can go back and frolic in the Aral Sea where they came from.

And I say the native Indians should take back America and the Wasps can go back to Europe and frolic where they came from.

46

 Mar 08, 2010 at 01:35 PM Askupeh Says:

Reply to #11  
His economy must be terrible Says:

So he is looking for diversions. In next election he will be thrown out by such an embarrasing magnitude.
BTW now is the time for the Kurds [who are Muslims too] to work on their independance from Turkey Iraq Iran seria & azarbeigan. They have a chopped up country. It is time to help them [not the so called Palistinians who were dumped on our land by the Turks] get independance. Now Turkey is weak & using Anti- Israel reterict to geain points, you could tell how bankrupt they really are.
Let us see a Kurdistan, Obama do something good for a segment of your suffering brothers, get Kurdistan established you will go down as a historic leasder.
Go Kurd Go.

I could never understand why all those who are for so called "self determination" for the Arabs in Eretz Yisroel who now (in the last few decades) have started calling themselves "Palestinians"; yet for the Kurdish people who have had their identity since time immemorial, for them there is no one to argue that they deserve self determination!

Until recently it could have been a little understood that the United States didn't want to anger Iraq, Iran and Turkey (three countries that have confiscated all of Kurdistan); but NOW why is everyone quiet? I think anyone who is for self determination for Palestinians (who want a destroyed Israel much much more then they want a Palestine), should at least be for a Kurdistan for the Kurds. Why do we tolerate such hypocrisy? Why don’t we expose these hypocrites?

47

 Mar 08, 2010 at 04:42 PM Askupeh Says:

Reply to #20  
Kasha Says:

That Pasuk and Rashi can only help us when Moshiach comes and the Goyim accept our Torah.

When Moshiach comes they will believe us anyway; so why did the Torah start with Bereishis and not with Parshas Boi? The answer says Rashi's father Reb Yitzchok, is because BEFORE Moshiach comes the Goyim will say Listim Atem, and we will answer that G-d gave it to us.

How far have we sunk that for the Shittah, we are willing to misinterpret the Torah. Facts, and even a Rashi don’t matter.

48

 Mar 08, 2010 at 07:37 PM Milhouse Says:

Reply to #47  
Askupeh Says:

When Moshiach comes they will believe us anyway; so why did the Torah start with Bereishis and not with Parshas Boi? The answer says Rashi's father Reb Yitzchok, is because BEFORE Moshiach comes the Goyim will say Listim Atem, and we will answer that G-d gave it to us.

How far have we sunk that for the Shittah, we are willing to misinterpret the Torah. Facts, and even a Rashi don’t matter.

Goyim in Chazal's day believed in the Torah (shas is full of such assertions). Goyim in medieval France also believed in the Torah. But Moslems don't.

49

 Mar 08, 2010 at 07:34 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #39  
Anonymous Says:

"The world is going into spasms of insanity and leaders of nations are going in circles. It is a war against the Creator, the G-D of Israel. Everyone,read the Bible!"

Not everyone reads the bible (aka torah) and even those who do may not accept it as the word of G-d as we do so I'm not sure what your point is. The issue is not to convince yiddin that these site are ours. Obviously, we believe they are. The real issue is how we handle the geopolitical aspect of control over these sites and on that issue, EY is doing a lousy job and seem intent on provoking the muslims.

#39 - can't understand how you don't understand something so simple. From some of these posts here, it seems that even some Jews (supposedly religious)don't understand either. You ask what to be done, well, it should be the government leaders to tell the world, that these are the gravesites of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people and no other. Other than Avraham Avinu, who fathered many nations, not only Yishmael (via concubine), it is a solely a JEWISH heritage site!

50

 Mar 08, 2010 at 10:21 PM Anonymous Says:

PM Erdogan, The earthquake was just a reminder: Beware .

51

 Mar 08, 2010 at 10:53 PM Anonymous Says:

Rabbi Avi Weiss : Your silence is deafining. Are you too busy with narishkeiten, to draw attention to Turkey's provocation .

52

 Mar 10, 2010 at 06:23 PM Anonymous Says:

Reply to #14  
Anonymous Says:

Commenters are forgetting that Avraham is the forefather of the Arabs as well. According to ancient tradition, the property should have passed to Yishmael as the eldest son.

Sorry #14, the inheritance goes to the son of the "wife" and not the concubine. The Bible tells you the whole story. People love to pick and choose what they wish from the Bible, depending on their religion. But the Torah (what non-Jews call the Bible) is the whole basis of the history of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and Abraham bought the Machpela SOLELY for the burial of his wife, Sarah! There's no mystery here!

53

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