While Palestinian Authority Arabs have been working hard to keep Jews and others off the Temple Mount with violence and riots, a U.S.-born Israeli rabbi and Israeli Druze Likud member have just returned from a trip abroad to discuss peaceful co-existence.
Temple Mount activist and Heritage Foundation head Rabbi Yehudah Glick traveled to Turkey last week to talk about peace. Glick, who traveled to Istanbul with Likud party Druze member Mendi Safadi, met for discussions with Islamic officials and those of several other faiths.
The two men were hosted by Islamic scholar and peace activist Adnan Oktar, who has long been the quiet “matchmaker” for numerous other such meetings with other Jewish and non-Jewish officials.
Among others, Glick and Safadi met with state official Aydin Yigman, Mufti of the Beyoglu District on the European side in Istanbul. During their conversation, Yigman firmly condemned the assassination attempt that nearly cost Glick his life after a speaking engagement in Jerusalem last year.
“Any religion would condemn this attack,” the mufti stated. “It’s unacceptable.”
Local sources told JewishPress.com the conversation between Glick and the mufti was “very friendly” and described the atmosphere as “cordial.” Glick’s views on peace, particularly important during Ramadan in an Islamic nation whose bond with Israel has faltered in recent years, were “well received,” the source said.
The two Israelis also joined Oktar and others at a large festive Iftar meal to break the daily Ramadan fast on Thursday evening, held annually by Turkey’s A9TV, which is owned by Oktar’s organization. In addition to Islamic clerics and adherents, other participants included representatives from the Protestant, Assyrian, Armenian and Mormon churches as well as politicians, artists, academics and sports figures from Turkey.
In an interview with Glick on A9TV earlier in the week, Oktar recounted for his viewers in Turkish the tale of Glick’s brush with death last October and his miraculous survival, describing his role in fighting for Jewish access to the Temple Mount.
(The entire interview with English-language subtitles may be accessed by clicking here.)
During the interview, Glick remarked in English, “The worst thing about terrorism and violence is when people do it in the name of God… This makes it ten times worse… In a civilized society when two people are arguing and one gets up and beats the other one up, it does not mean he is right. It means he needs help and this help is calling to God’s name peace, Islam, Shalom – this is God’s name.
“They tried to kill me because I represent the people of Israel coming to Israel,” Glick added. “And this they tried to harm. And the situation today is, I am alive and he (the assassin) is dead. So we have to thank God for this.”
In response, Oktar commented, “It is the most despicable, lowest, outrageous thing to shoot a person who works for God’s pleasure all the time…
“According to Islam [R. Glick] is a person of the People of the Book and he is a very religious person… insha’Allah (God willing), God will show this beautiful person the King Moshiach – in other words, the Mahdi (Messiah) – and we will rebuild the masjid (ed. – mosque) of the Prophet Solomon, pbuh (peace be upon him), and the palace of Prophet Solmon, pbuh, and God will show him very beautiful days.