In both “Truth Under the Gun” (Editor’s column) and the Editorial (“Temple Mount Violence: Setting The Record Straight”) in the July 28 issue, the writers provided the logic for the metal detectors and cameras at the Temple Mount.
I myself thought it was a reasonable action. And I found the reaction of Turkey, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority as missing the point and leaving out significant facts, particularly that the action was prompted by the murders on the Temple Mount the previous week.
But there seems to be a larger truth that was overlooked in these articles, and more importantly by Israel. Yes, Israel was right but did not do the smart thing. The reactions in the territories demonstrated that logic or “the way I see things” cannot be the way decisions about the Temple Mount should be made. The “smart thing” leads to fewer deaths and less disturbance; the “right thing” can lead to the apocalypse. But the really smart thing is to figure that out.
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
