Jordan threatens Israel with a weapon called, hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is getting a lot of play these days.

First, Arabs initiated violent aggression against Jews in Jerusalem (“Abbas Calls to Stop Jews Visiting Temple Mount Using 'All Means'”, Arutz Sheva, October 18, 2014; and “Hamas Official Declares Intifada in Jerusalem”, Arutz Sheva, October 25, 2014). Then, when the violence against Jews escalated, Arabs blamed Israel for that aggression (“Abbas to Obama: Stop 'Israeli Escalation' in Jerusalem”, Arutz Sheva, October 27, 2014).

Meanwhile, the US demanded a ‘speedy’ Israeli investigation into the death of a teenage Arab-American boy killed by Israeli police while engaging in violence against Jews (“Riots resume in Jerusalem after Palestinian teen killed in West Bank”, Times of Israel, October 24, 2014). But when an Israeli-American Religious Zionist Rabbi who promotes freedom of religion for Jews on the Temple Mount was shot by an Arab assailant, the US demanded nothing of the Palestinian Authority (PA) which, after the shooting, had called for a ‘Day of Rage’ against Jews (“Abbas's Fatah Calls for 'Day of Rage' Terrorism”, Arutz Sheva, October 30, 2014).

Now, hypocrisy gets a shot of adrenalin from Jordan. Jordan has just declared that is might terminate a 1994 Treaty with Israel because Israel had temporarily closed the Temple Mount to both Jews and Muslims after the Religious Zionist Rabbi (above) was shot and Arabs called for that ‘Day of Rage’ after prayers (Muslims flock to the Temple Mount to pray there). A spokesperson for the King of Jordan said the peace treaty is "under threat" if Israel continues "breaching" the status of the Temple Mount (“Jordan Threatens to Revoke Peace Treaty Over Temple Mount”, Arutz Sheva, October 31, 2014).

Jordan says it’s worried that the ‘status quo’ for the Mount will change. The ‘status quo’ completely bans Jewish worship on the Mount. A Jew who attempts to pray there will be immediately arrested. The ‘status quo’ also places harsh restrictions on Jewish access to the Mount. By contrast, Arabs are restricted by Israeli police only when there is a viable threat of violence by Arabs on the Mount.

The Religious Zionist Rabbi who was shot (above), Yehuda Glick, heads an organization that works to establish freedom of worship and freedom of access for Jews on the Temple Mount. He had just given a speech at a conference called, ‘Israel returns to the Temple Mount’, when he was gunned down (he continues to be listed in critical-but-stable condition).

Muslims are in an uproar. They want Jews banned from the Temple Mount. They don’t want people like Rabbi Glick talking about getting more Jews onto the Mount.

That’s why Jordan threatens to cancel its Treaty. It wants to pressure Israel to keep those Jews off the Mount.

It’s a hypocritical ploy. That 1994 Treaty protects Jews wishing to pray at the Temple Mount. The Treaty doesn’t give Jordan (or Israel) the right to ban Jews.

If anything, Jordan breaches that Treaty every time it demands that Israeli police remove Jews from the Mount. It violates that Treaty every time Jewish worship is denied.

If you want to understand the Jordanian hypocrisy, here is Article 9 of that Treaty in its entirety; the bold-face type is my emphasis:

Article 9. Places of Historical and Religious Significance and Interfaith Relations

1. Each Party will provide freedom of access to places of religious and historical significance.

2. In this regard, in accordance with the Washington Declaration, Israel respects the present special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Muslim Holy shrines in Jerusalem. When negotiations on the permanent status will take place, Israel will give high priority to the Jordanian historic role in these shrines.

3. The Parties will act together to promote interfaith relations among the three monotheistic religions, with the aim of working towards religious understanding, moral commitment, freedom of religious worship, and tolerance and peace.

 

The treaty is clear: each Party (Israel and Jordan) agrees to provide freedom of access to places of religious and historical significance.  Israel does that for Muslims (except during periods of Arab violence). Jordan tries to ban Jews every day it can.

Jordan violates the Treaty.

Also, each Party (Israel and Jordan) agrees to promote the freedom of religious worship for the three monotheistic religions. Israel does that. Jordan refuses to do it.

Now, when an Israeli Jew (Rabbi Glick) works to enforce that Treaty (by seeking more access to Jews on the Mount), not only does he get shot in an assassination attempt against his life, Jordan threatens to revoke the Treaty.

That’s hypocrisy: Jordan says one thing (it agrees to promote freedom of worship for all, including Jews), then does the opposite (it tries its best to deny that freedom to Jews).

What’s Israel going to do about that? Ban Jews from the Temple Mount?