Report: Chief Rabbi says move Gazans to a Palestine in Sinai

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has been quoted as calling for Gazans to be transferred to the Sinai Peninsula, to a Palestinian state whichj he said could be constructed for them in the desert.

In an interview in English with the British weekly The Jewish News, the chief rabbi also said that while peaceable Muslims should be allowed to pray in Jeruasalem mosques, they should recognize that Jerusalem belongs to the Jews. Muslims have Mecca and Medina, he was quoted as saying, adding that "you don't need a third place."

Metzger called for Britain, the European Union and the United States to assist in the construction of a Palestinian state in Egypt's Sinai Desert.

According to Metzger, the plan would be to "take all the poor people from Gaza to move them to a wonderful new modern country with trains buses cars, like in Arizona - we are now in a generation where you can take a desert and build a city. This will be a solution for the poor people - they will have a nice county, and we shall have our country and we shall live in peace."

Metzger was quoted as telling the paper that the plan was new and he had not presented it to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert."

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[bemildred]

1. Oh yeah, that will work. nt

[kayecy]

2. I wonder why the Good Rabbi's ancestors didn't think .......

the plan would be to "take all the poor people from Gaza to move them to a wonderful new modern country with trains buses cars, like in Arizona

If his suggestion is serious, I wonder why the Good Rabbi's ancestors didn't think of doing that for the Zionists of 1917?

Jews and Arabs could then really have lived in peace and saved the lives of thousands.

[Vegasaurus]

3. There's a really clever comment, not. nt

[Tom Joad]

4. So, the Chief Rabbi is the stupidest person in Israel. Is that how he it gets chosen for the

position?

I am sure there was intense competition (like here... look at the republican primary!) but i'm sure they made the right choice, if that was the criteria.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Sounds like one of many unrealistic suggestions!

[Tom Joad]

6. what the Rabbi is suggesting is grave violation of international law.

He supports a crime against humanity.

I think it goes beyond something that is merely "unrealistic".

[Vegasaurus]

7. I happen to agree

However, are you equally outraged when people (Ahmadinejad, as one of many examples), states that the entire Jewish population of the middle east should be moved (or worse, as Hamas states)?

There will be no population transfers of this nature. Not Jews or Arabs. This is one reason why the call to move a half million people from the WB won't happen either. There simply will not be large transfers of populations, on either side.

[Tom Joad]

9. I certainly oppose any population transfer of any group.

I support only solutions based on international law.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Unrealistic, in that it won't happen.

It would also be a crime against humanity to move the Israelis to Germany (as has occasionally been suggested); but that won't happen either.


ETA: This is not in any case the sort of decision that rabbis (or imams, or bishops) should be involved in making. Fortunately, Israel is not a theocracy, so this rabbi will hopefully have no influence on the matter.

[Tom Joad]

10. Bibi and Avigdor appreciate the support, and either one of them can come to power soon.

but we can hope not.

Olmert's crimes against humanity are severe enough.

[LeftishBrit]

11. Avigdor won't get to be PM; Bibi sadly might (hope not!!!)

but even if he does, he'll be terrible, but he will NOT move all Palestinians to the Sinai.

That is one thing that's certain.

[Tom Joad]

12. the total disregard for international law on the part of the current regime is bad

enough.