Temple Mount

A site as holy as the Temple Mount should be a place of peace and goodwill, especially between monotheists such as Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The Muslims are our cousins. They are also descended from our father, Abraham. Unfortunately, though, family feuds tend to be the most bitter, and also the most tragic.

God might well be weeping because His children lack the grace to rise above their differences. They are killing each other. And this is happening in the Holy Land itself.

It is time for cool heads to prevail.

MARTIN ZAGNOEV Johannesburg

It would help calm the situation if the government said loud and clear – in Arabic as well as in Hebrew – that Israel and the Jewish people have no designs on the Aksa Mosque. To claim that Israel wants to “judaize” it is dangerous nonsense and has led to bloodshed. It should be stressed that for the Jews, the Western Wall is a major Jewish holy place and should be respected as such by Muslims.

It would also be beneficial to point out that in Jewish tradition, prayer replaced animal sacrifice 2,000 years ago, so all the loose talk about “rebuilding the Temple” (which fearful Muslims take seriously) means no more than a vague longing. If realized, it would abandon 2,000 years of religious, cultural, philosophical and spiritual growth, and Judaism would be turned backwards into a cult of fanatics. It would also lead – God forbid – to a real clash between Jewish and Muslim believers about the future of the magnificent Dome of the Rock, a building that in essence is a shrine to the memory of Abraham, who taught Jews, Muslims and Christians the ideas of monotheism.

As a secular Israeli Jew trying to live in Jerusalem despite the insanity and violence, I call for clear, calm and responsible leadership – political and religious – on both sides before we get to a point of no return.

DAVID ZOHAR Jerusalem

The writer is a retired diplomat.

Since the Palestinians so forcefully maintain that Israel is changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, why not make it a self-fulfilling prophesy? Keep Muslims and Jews separate there.

I propose that Jews and Muslims have the Temple Mount to themselves on alternate days. Christians with Palestinian ID cards could go with the Muslims, and Christian tourists with the Jews. This way there would be no clashes, no violence.

JOE FRANKL Savyon