Beit Fajar, West Bank – Six rabbis from West Bank settlements have taken a step to defuse tension over the burning of a West Bank mosque, apparently by extremist settlers — they presented 20 new Quran books to replace those damaged in the blaze.
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During their visit to the mosque in the village of Beit Fajjar, Palestinian residents held charred pages of the burned Quran books.
Israeli politicians rushed to condemn the attack. It came as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators try to salvage peace talks by working out a deal over Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.
Rabbi Menachem Froman, who led Tuesday’s reconciliatory visit, said those who committed the attack “oppose peace.”
The attackers left Hebrew slogans on the mosque walls. Israeli police are investigating.
Thank you, Rabbis Lichtenstein, Fruman, Riskin (not Rifkin) and Brin.
Kol hakavod to these Rabbis !
A rabbi should not be giving out korans. For shame on these “rabbis” revrends would be better
Why does #3 not have the courage of his convictions and not hide behind a cloak of anonymous cowardice?
If you are going to slander someone at least have the guts and the gumption to stand up for yourself.
Perhaps these rabbis should be members of the UN delegation. They are doing more for peace than those appointed as peace makers. These rabbis have more seichel than most other people.
Reply to No. 3
The shame is on your head. The torah teaches us to respect the institutions of the goyim. These 3 rabbonim have engaged in a big kiddush hashem and have more to show real leadership than most of the dysfunctional “gadolim” who risk jewish lives by publicly cursing the head of the PA or wasting time arguing over whether to ban chassideshe music
#3 is right. lifnei iver…
they didn’t have to give korans, showing solidarity against hate crimes is enough. wish some palestinian leaders would visit some suicide bomb sites…
#3 also does not know that “Reverend” was the title given to orthodox rabbis upon ordination in the UK until very recently.
Good for them, # 3 can jump in a lake.
sick sick sick! these so called rabbis should be ashamed of themselves! lets see the palestinians stop attacking our shuls and then we’ll talk. Burning a mosque is wrong but for a jew to give a koran to an arab is worse! Shame on them!
Kol Hakavod to the Gush Etzion Rabbis.
Rav Aharon Lichtenstein – Ram -f yeshivas Etzion – is Yoreh Yoreh Yadin Yadin and one of the gedolei hador. He is a great baal midos .
To No. 11 (frumfrombp)
Your are really an AHfromBP (am’haroetz not alov hashsolom). Unless you didn’t bother reading the news, it was JEWS who burned the korans in the mosque so it is only appropriate that jews should be the ones replacing the korans. A koran is like a sefer torah and burning it has the same terrible implications to muslims. Would you be upset if a muslim group were to pay a sofer to replace a sever torah that was burned in a fire started by another muslim terrorist? Please don’t post your nareshkeit without stopping to think.
Reply to #13
Anyone who publicly tries to blow up the peace negotiations by cursing the head of the Palestinians and all their people is no “chacham” unless of course he is seeking to become the chief rav of Chelm. Your blind hatred of all arabs is sickening but you probably already know that about yourself.
Clearly this was an act of contrition and generosity. Israel must indeed support the legal activities of non jewish people in this world. If not, expect more antisemitism and more pain and suffering.
not gonna help. when it comes to jews making peace, everyone ignores
The gesture is beautiful. I’ll admit I’m a skeptic, but I’ll also admit (with enthusiasm!) that I very much hope that I’m proven wrong. If the Palestinians in question will reciprocate with some kind of gesture of friendship and acceptance, what a thing for the world to see!
#16 You call yourself frum. A truly frum person would not speak such hatred about others. Just because you do all the requisite dovening each day does not make you a good person. You call the koran a symbol of hatred – it most definitely is not and it is just as holy to the muslims as the torah is to us. Some muslim extremists have misinterpreted the message of the koran but do not tar and feather all muslims with your bigoted paint brush.
#3,
What makes you think that there is something wrong with giving a Qur’an to a Muslim?
We have always historically had respect for other religions and legal institutions, particularly Islam.
Rav Kook Z’L discusses in LeNevuchei HaDor the idea that Muhammad had a lower level of prophecy.
Many of the themes within the Qur’an are identical to our own, like the emphasis on justice, charity, and prayer to an infinite and singular Deity, respect for wisdom, etc.
Do you see a problem within either halacha or hashkafa for us to encourage people to live a life ruled by law and prayer?
Sorry, Charlie, you’re wrong. “Reverend” was never given to real Rabbis (i.e with Smicha.) It was a title given to those who led congregations but weren’t actual Rabbis per se, but who were often well-learned & highly respected leaders of tiny congregations and/or in far-flung communities in the UK. A very highly respected, super-Frum Sofer I know personally is called Rev out of respect: he has Sofrus but not Smicha as far as I know.
Going on to this topic: when oh when are Jews going to stop their policy of appeasement & apology? Does Hamas apologize for their work? So why should we? And giving out korans? Ridiculous. I’d like to see Hamas sponsor a Sefer Torah in M
TO #22 actually YOU are wrong. Under one of the Chief Rabbi’s about 30-40? years ago, maybe Rabbi Adler, he wanted all Rabbis who got semicha to be called Reverend and he was the only “Rabbi”! All those who got semicha under him were known as Reverend.
it would be very easy for this Arab village to burn their own mosque and then point at the settlers. this would be the ideal time to point fingers a jews.
it’s so sweet of them to replace the qurans! really!
i mean, when a mosque gets burned by jews, it only seems fair for other jews to replace what was lost.
what’s funny is that i don’t hear of any muslim groups (even the ones who allegedly condemn acts of terror) stepping up with offers of new city busses, restaurants, houses, businesses, and of course, the thousands of lives that can never be replaced! not even a lousy bouquet with an “i’m sorry” card.
this is like treating cancer with a cough drop, as if a little sweetness will make the malignant faction disappear. when, WHEN will people learn?
To #21 Even while granting that Islam is not Avodah Zara, it is based on sheker, Rav Kook’s view aside (I say that as someone who has tremendous respect for Rav Kook- his views were not mainstream in many ways). I also have tremendous respect for Rav Aharon and it is in that vain that I ask, yalamdeinu rabbinu, is this not being mechazek yedei overei aveira as well as mechazek sheker?
Contrition is nice but in this case it calls attention to the fact that the Arabs have been killing people the world over for the past 1400 years.