Rabbi Kook in Open Court Disposes of Mosque Area Myth

Rabbi Abraham Kook, Chief Rabbi, took the witness stand in public today at the Inquiry Commission’s hearing, Quoting the sages. Rabbi Kook declared himself unafraid, not bashful and ready to tell the truth. He explained that he appeared in public, although the Commission was prepared to come to the house, because it was his custom to make all pronouncements in public and besides the Commissioners merited the honor, since even the High Priest of old appeared before the Judges when summoned.

Pointing out that professing Jews are not permitted to trespass on the Temple area on account of its holiness. Rabbi Kook gently disposed of the Jewish encroachment myth and added that the ultinate hope of Jewish redemption was through the coming of the Messiah when the Temple would be a house of prayer for all nations.

NO DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE NEEDED

Twice he read the Shulchan Arauch the Book of Laws, showing that it was customary to sit on the ground on Tish B’Av and on other occasions and that mourning and the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn) are integral parts of the Yom Kippur service. Rabbi Kook declared that the Rabbinate had furnished no documentary evidence of

The venerable patriarch wept as he told the Commission that owing to his weakness he had been unable to make the barefoot pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall on Yom Kippur as the Hebrew Law required and therefore he was entirely unfamiliar with the actual happenings at the Wall. The Rabbi’s evidence appeared to make a deep impression on the Commission. The sessions were attended for the first time by Rabbi Meyer Berlin, president of the Mizrachi, Orthodox Zionist Organization, in honor of Rabbi Kook,

JEWS REPAIRED WAILING WALL

Evidence that the Jews repaired the pavement in front of the much disputed Wailing Wall thirty-eight years ago, was produced by Chaim Solomon. Jewish Vice-Mayor and acting chairman of the Vaad Leumi, during the riots of last August, when he appeared before the Palestine Inquiry Commission. A native son of Jerusalem, Solomon was the first Hebrew speaking witness to appear before the Commission.

Silley, assistant counsel for the Arabs, tried to show that in 1912 the Jews applied for permission to make repairs similar to those made thirty-eight years ago and were refused. Examination of the records showed that the refusal was dated 1840.

Viscount Erleigh, son of Lord Reading, and assistant of Merriman, counsel for the Jews, in examining Solomon, introduced the appeal of the Vaad Leumi (Jewish National Assembly) dated November, 1928, after disturbances on Yom Kippur, calling to Moslems everywhere to disbelieve the stories that the Jews design to capture the Mosque. This appeal, stated Erleigh, was broadcast through the Moslem world by means of the Jewish communities. Distribution in some countries was unnecessary as hostile propaganda had not penetrated.

The document of the Jewish National Assembly impressed the Commission. Silley, continuing cross-examination of Solomon, succeeded in obtaining from him only a reiteration of his direct testimony that he advised Jews not to come to Jerusalem in large crowds because he was aware some Arabs were anxious to use any gathering as a means of aggravating the excitement. The witness stated that in regard to the Moslem shrine in the Zichron Moshe quarter, although he was unaware that the shrine was more than a scaled tomb surrounded by a courtyard, he sent responsible Jews to disperse the excited Georgian Jews who had had their synagogue sacked and their quarter demolished, and who “swarmed like fleas” around the yard, wishing, the witness said, in their madness to somehow retaliate for the numerous indignities that had been inflicted on the Jews in the three days previous.

VICE-MAYOR WARNED GOVERNMENT

A new bit of testimony was offered regarding Jewish warnings to the government when Solomon testified that be himself had notified the authorities a day before the riots that an Arab vegetable woman had warned his wife, “Tomorrow is our day. We shall trample you under foot, and massacre you.”

People thronged to attend the Mizrachi boy’s funeral, Solomon said, not to demonstrate hostility, but to pay respect to a martyr. “A Jew innocently killed for being a Jew is a martyr.” said the witness. In view, however, of the six attacks on Jews that day the Jewish authorities wanted a quiet funeral. Questioned by Preedy for the government, the witness declined to withdraw his statement that British police in dispersing the Jews had beat some “without pity or restraint.”

HOROWITZ GIVES TESTIMONY

A former Manchester barrister was the next witness. Solomon Horowitz, who as a member of the Jewish counsel, heard all the witnesses, had never been associated with Zionist politics until last July when he was invited to act in the capacity of an honorary advisory member to the Zionist Executive during the absence of the regular member. He became an important figure in the most critical period of Palestine’s modern history. His house in the Rehavia quarter became the regular headquarters of the Zionist Executive when the former quarters had to be evacuated. For twenty-four hours of each day for ten days, he told the Commission, cries for help from attacked Jews, requests for escorts, warnings of impending attacks and reports of actual attacks came to him over his telephone. Horowitz, who was instrumental in arranging most of the Jewish side of the case in preparation for Sir Boyd Merriman and Viscount Erleigh, was examined by the latter. Testimony was being heard regarding the fateful meeting at Acting High Commissioner Luke’s house on August 23rd when Horowitz had expressed his bitter disappointment that the promised security had not been provided. Session then closed. This morning Chief Rabbi Abraham I. Kook will be heard, interrupting the testimony of Horowitz who will be heard again at the afternoon session when Rabbi Kook will not testify because of the approaching Sabbath. Arabs friendly to the Jews are expected to testify tomorrow.