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Non-Orthodox Win
Kotel Prayer Pledge

mated. The Crusaders remained in
Palestine nearly 200 years, but they
lasted only 88 years in Jerusalem. It
was only after Saladin's historic victory
Israel's new govern-
Jerusalem (JTA)
that Jerusalem captured a central role
ment has agreed to provide "requisite
in Islam, along with the holy places in
services" for non-Orthodox Jews who
Mecca and Medina.
want to pray at a specially designated
It is therefore not surprising that
area close to, but separate from, the
Arab historical and political writ-
main prayer plaza of the Western Wall.
ings, frustrated with the develop-
The commitment, made in a letter
ment and prosperity of the Jewish
from the Religious Affairs Ministry,
state, have tried to draw parallels
marks the first time an Israeli govern-
between Zionism and the Crusades.
ment has officially recognized the
"The similarity is there, all right,"
right of non-Orthodox Jews to hold
said Mohsen Yussuf, a member of the
egalitarian services at the Kotel.
history department at Bir Zeit
After receiving notification of the
University, near Ramallah.
government's position, the Conservative
He pointed out that both move-
movement in Israel agreed, as a "one-
ments originated in the West, adding
time gesture," not to hold any mixed
his belief that both were religiously
prayer services on Tisha b'Av, which
and militarily motivated.
began Wednesday night. Such services
But Yussuf himself is aware of a
have resulted in conflict with Orthodox
weak link in the comparison — that
worshippers in the past.
history may not repeat itself.
"I don't know that the fate of the
Zionist movement will be identical to
that of the Crusaders," he said.
The Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem
Israel's public secu-
Jerusalem (JTA)
last week devoted a daylong sympo-
rity minister is expected to recommend
sium to the place of the Crusades in
that the Palestinian Authority's de facto
the history of the region.
headquarters in eastern Jerusalem not
Professor Yehoshua Porat, one of
be closed. Shlomo Ben-Ami said politi-
the foremost scholars of the
cal activities are no longer being car-
Palestinian national movement, said
ried out at Orient House.
the Palestinian educational system is
The closure order had been issued
preoccupied with the Crusades.
during the tenure of former Israeli
The equation of the Crusades with
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Zionism "is not new," Porat said, "but
the Palestinians, and not only them,
bring new life into it."
Recently, a group of evangelical
Christians known as Reconciliation
Buenos Aires (JTA) — Argentina's Jews
Walk visited the Gaza Strip and
marked the fifth anniversary of the
begged the forgiveness of Muslims
deadly bombing of the Jewish commu-
for the Crusades. In response, a local
nity center in Buenos Aires by reiterat-
religious leader reportedly told
ing their long-standing calls for the cap-
them: "It's all very nice, but the new
ture of those responsible for the crime.
Crusaders still occupy our lands."
An estimated 3,000 people attended
Last week, on the 900th anniver-
the ceremony Sunday commemorating
sary of the conquest of Jerusalem, the
the AMIA bombing, which killed 86
Christian mission of apology finally
people and wounded 300 others.
reached the Holy City.
Their arrival in Jerusalem marked
the culmination of a journey that
began three years ago in Cologne,
Germany — where the First Crusade
Only $26 million of
London (JTA)
was launched in 1096 — to trace
the
$60
million
that
has been pledged
the path of the Crusaders to the
to a gold fund to help needy
Holy Land.
Holocaust survivors has been handed
In Jerusalem, the Christians held
over. The figure was revealed July 16,
hands as they sang and prayed outside
when representatives of 18 donor and
the walls of the Old City.
potential donor states met at the
They eventually met with Israel's
British Foreign Office to review
chief rabbis and top clerics of the
progress of the fund. It was established
Muslim and Greek Orthodox faiths
by Britain at a December 1997 Nazi
to beg forgiveness for the crimes
gold conference in London.
committed by their forefathers.

—

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Argentine Blast
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Nazi Gold
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Detroit Jewish News

7/23
1999

19