Pope Lands in the Promised Land

The Pope has landed in the Promised Land.

The Ministers from the Ultra Orthodox Sephardic Shas party did not show up at the Pope's official greeting ceremony at the Ben-Gurion airport (reported on Galei Tzahal news), but then again, the same Shas ministers didn't show up on time to yesterday's cabinet meeting on-time either.

Apparently, they have a late morning prayer service, and the government's cabinet meeting was moved to an earlier slot (9:30 AM) and so the Shas Ministers came late. Aguda MK and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman arrived on time to yesterday's cabinet meeting, as he goes to an early morning daily prayer service. (source in Hebrew)

Back to the Pope: Freedom of Speech and Expression is alive and well in the State of Israel...

1:03 PM Two Ultra Orthodox Jews were arrested by the Israeli Police near the Augusta Victoria Hospital for carrying signs against the Pope's visit to Israel. (ynet)

Israel's President, Shimon Peres has been doing his best to force convince Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) to transfer sovereignty over 6 sites in Israel to the Vatican...

Peres is pressing the government to agree to the Vatican's request that Israel surrender control of six religious sites, among them the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth; the Coenaculum on Mount Zion in Jerusalem; the Gethsemane, which sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem; Mount Tabor; and the Church of the Multiplication, which hugs the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. (Haaretz)

Transfer Sovereignty from Israel to the Vatican? Is Shimon Peres the President of Israel, or the official emissary from the Vatican to Israel? I think now would be a great time for "settler youth" to erect a new "outpost" atop Mount Tabor.

The mountain is mentioned in Joshua 19:22, as border of three tribes: Zevulun, Issachar and Naphtali. Deborah the prophetess and judge of the children of Israel, summoned Barak (from the tribe of Naphtali), giving him G-d's command, "Go toward mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zevulun" (Judges 4:6). Descending from the mountain, the Jews attacked and vanquished Sisera and the Canaanites...

Has President Peres no shame?

The "Sack of Jerusalem", pictured on the right is located on the "Arch of Titus" in Rome, and depicts the exile of the Children of Israel as they were brought to Rome after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

For years, many have alleged that the Golden Menorah from the Temple are now in the Vatican...

Therefore, 2 activists, Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir filed a criminal complaint, listing Pope Benedict XVI on the list of defendants. The criminal complaint details a record of treasures and possessions that belong to the Jewish People that are being held in the Vatican in Rome, including various volumes of the Talmud, books of Maimonides, and around 7,500 works on Jewish philosophy and science that were stolen and remain in the Vatican library. (source)

At least one archaeological researcher claims that the Temple Treasures are not being held by the Vatican. Dr. Sean Kingsley, author of God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem, has stated that the looted treasures are somewhere in the Holy Land. “One thing is for sure – it is not imprisoned deep in Vatican City,” Dr. Kingsley told the British Sunday Times in 2006.

While its doubtful that the Temple Treasures are in the basement of the Vatican, its an undisputed fact that these stolen Jewish books are in fact, in the possession of the Catholic Church.

Another important item that Israel should be demanding is the list of Jewish children who were housed by Christian families during the Holocaust, and converted to Christianity. These children are Jews. The Vatican's refusal to hand over this list so that these people can now be made aware of their true heritage, is a crime worthy of the Church that burned people alive during the Spanish Inquisition, for refusing to convert to Christianity.

Despite the Vatican's refusal, where is the Rome of two thousand years ago and the heritage of Titus? We're here -- and they aren't.

The famous Arch of Titus gained a new addition a few decades ago, as the Hebrew words, "Am Yisrael Chai" [The Nation of Israel Lives] were added to the base of the arch.

The Roman Forum's Arch of Titus, which commemorates the sack of Jerusalem, has become one of the most powerful symbols of the diaspora. Its carvings depict the emperor's triumphant procession carrying loot from the Temple, including a large, seven-branched menorah.

The arch became such a powerful symbol that Roman Jews refused to walk under it.

It was only in 1948, with the founding of the state of Israel, that they passed through it in a solemn procession -- in the direction opposite to that taken by the triumphant ancient processions. (source)

Shimon Peres would be well advised to remember which country and religion he comes from.

Last but not least - Jerusalem is now ensnarled in traffic, as streets throughout the city have been closed off in honor of the Pope's visit. A word to the wise: your car will be towed at your own expense if you parked it on the "wrong" street.

Update: Special Mention to R' Rabinowitz, the administrative official in charge at the Kotel and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem Rabbi of the "Kotel" (Western Wall) and Jewish holy cites in Jerusalem, for refusing to allow the police to close the Kotel to Jewish worshipers during the Pope's visit to the Wall. That's Backbone.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד