In what could trigger further violence between Jews and
Palestinians, an Israeli organization says it has rescheduled earlier plans
to "lay and anoint" the cornerstones for the "Third Temple
of Israel."
http://templemountfaithful.org/ The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful
Movement, in a statement released yesterday, said the event was being planned
for Oct. 4 at 9:30 a.m. local time in Israel. Officials are instructing
those who wish to participate "to march to the Temple Mount and to
participate in the ceremony of the anointing of the two cornerstones."
The event has the blessing of the Israeli government, which has pledged
to protect event organizers and participants, the group said. Last October
the event was canceled by Jerusalem police over safety concerns, WorldNetDaily
reported.
Two 4.5-ton blocks of marble will be anointed as cornerstones for the new
temple.
In biblical times, the people of Israel worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem
the hub of Jewish activity. After Israel's enemies destroyed the temple,
it was rebuilt only to be destroyed again in A.D. 70 by the Roman Empire.
Previous efforts by the group to lay the cornerstone of the Third Temple
were also stopped by officials due to the potential for further violence
in the war-torn region.
The event poses a threat to Muslims, since the site of the new temple,
the Temple Mount, is also the location of the Dome of the Rock a Muslim
mosque.
Some Israelis believe that to begin full-scale construction of the temple,
the Dome of the Rock must first be torn down. Others believe the temple
can be built adjacent to the Muslim shrine.
Arabs say any effort to rebuild the temple would amount to a "grave
provocation."
http://templemountfaithful.org/vision.htmIn Its "Vision of Redemption,"
the Temple Mount Faithful Movement states its belief that the creation
of the modern state of Israel is "the beginning of the redemption
of the world," which is completed with the building of the Third
Temple.
According to yesterday's press release, the group plans little changes
in the way it will stage the event from previous attempts. Group members
and participants are to gather at the Western Wall plaza, where the Wailing
Wall is located. From there, participants will march to the Temple Mount.
In the past, members of the group were allowed to go to
the Temple Mount as individuals.
In July, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., introduced a measure that would halt
all U.S. monetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority until excavation
of the Temple Mount being undertaken by Chairman Yasser Arafat is stopped.
Two weeks before introducing his bill, Cantor returned from a trip to Israel,
where he says he met with individuals and government officials who verified
the media reports of the destruction.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24662
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