Brutal violence vs deeply symbolic threat
[ by Charles Cameron — two manifestations of the extreme right in Israel ]
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I don’t think too many people will argue that deliberately burning famiies in their homes is less than brutal. My question to ponder here is how brutal human-on-human violence of that kind is, compared with the symbolic impact of rehearsing a longed-for but long-unpracticed ceremonial, accompanied by prayer that the holy places of another religion may be flattened so that the ceremonial may once again be held in its place of origin.
The first is clearly a simple act of murder, the second a presumably legal practice-run for the full restoration of Temple sacrifice.
If I were a Palestinian, I might perhaps be more frightened by the former; as a citizen of the world and as a poet, I find the latter more troubling — as well as considerably more complex.
Sources:
New York Times, Israel Says It Has Uncovered Jewish Extremist Cell in West Bank Jerusalem Post, Hopes for Temple Mount to be ‘flattened’ expressed at Passover sacrifice
April 21st, 2016 at 1:24 am
The call of the sacrificial impulse strong and deep.
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An animal sacrifice is a part of Eid, is it not?
April 23rd, 2016 at 4:22 am
Yes, Eid al-Adha, celbrated at the end of Ramadan, can be translated the Festival of Sacrifice, and involves the sacrifice of an animal, with the meat typically distributed one third to the family, one third to neighbors and relatives, and one third to the poor. It commemorates th sacrifice Abraham / Ibrahim waa prepared to make of his son, and the animal sacrifice that God replaced it with when satified with ABraham’s williongness to put God’s will above the person he held dearets.
April 24th, 2016 at 7:20 am
And then this:
Practice run opposite the Temple Mount, attempt at actual sacrifice on the Temple Mount.