Today, Israel re-opened the traditional site to Christians where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist along the Jordan river, a place called Qasr-el-Yahud.
Opening the site to Christian worship involved Israel spending $2.3 million to renovate the site and to remove mines laid down by Jordan along the Jordan/Israel border, a little factoid most of the stories about this omit so you'll get the impression Israel mined a Christian religious site.
A small ceremony was held to mark the occasion, attended by Interior Minister Silvan Shalom and local Christian dignitaries.
Of course, the 'Palestinians' were solidly against this, since if it ever becomes a state Islam is going to be the official religion of 'Palestine' according to what passes for law here.
"This is a site in the occupied territories, and whatever Israeli authorities are doing on Palestinian sites we consider illegal and part of seizures related to the occupation and Israel's monopoly over our historic and touristic resources," said Khouloud Daibes, the Palestinian tourism minister.
I guess that's why neither Jordan or the 'Palestinian Authority' saw fit to spend any effort to renovate it or to open it to Christians in all this time.That was left for Israel and the Jews to do, which I find entirely appropriate and fitting.Israel, after all, is the only place in the Middle East where the Christian community is growing and not under siege.
Oh, by the way, Khouloud...in Arabic, the name of the place, Qasr-el-Yahud means 'castle' or 'fortified place of the Jews.'
Who's occupying who's land, saddiqh?
( hat tip, Carl)
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