                                                               
                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                        August 18, 1996
            The Temple Mount versus Bar Ilan Street
       A Double Standard suggesting Racist considerations
                                
                                
     There has, for many years, been a serious controversy concerning the right of Jews to pray
at our holiest site, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  The problem has, on several occasions, found
its way to the Israel High Court of Justice.  After careful deliberation the high court did determine
that Jews do, indeed, have the right to pray there.  Then came the "catch".  It seems that, when
Jews attempt to exercise their legitimate right to pray there, the Moslems become unruly and start
rioting.  One might expect, owing to the decision of the High Court, that the police would simply
quell the riots.    Wrong.  In reaction, the Israeli Police have made a decision, backed up by the
court, that, due to the dangerous situation created by Jews praying at their holy site, Jews must be
prevented from praying there.  In other words, although Jews have a right to pray, because
Moslems would riot if they exercise that right, the police have a right to prevent them from
praying.   That is the Israeli way of dealing with Moslem violence.
     A recent crisis has arisen over traffic on Shabbat on Bar Ilan Street in Jerusalem. 
Thousands of Haredi Jews have been protesting, demanding that traffic be rerouted away from
their neighborhood on the Sabbath.  In reaction anti-religious Jews have gone out of their way to
drive on this street on the Sabbath and deliberately antagonize the religious Jews, shouting vulgar
epithets at them as they drive by again and again.  The residents took the case to the High Court
of Justice, which came to the conclusion that the street cannot be closed on the Sabbath.  In
reaction, it seems that thousands of religious Jews are prepared to mount violent demonstrations
in protest.  The police have declared that they will enforce the High Court decision, because that
is their job.  That is the Israeli way of dealing with Jewish violence.
     But, wait a minute, isn't there a double standard here?   If Moslems threaten violence the
policy of our police is to defy the Supreme Court in favor of avoiding violence.  And the court
even supports this position.  Yet, should Jews threaten violence, it has been determined that the
court ruling will be supported, no matter what!   
     If the police are prepared to enforce the law when Jews defy it, even should a mass riot
break out, then why can they not enforce the law when Moslems defy it, even should a mass riot
break out?   Why do the Israeli police not have a consistent policy?  Could it be that policies of
enforcement or non enforcement of court decisions are based upon racist considerations?