Tel-Chai Nation

Israeli army general Dov Shefi is an Israeli voice in the battle against the construction of the Cordoba mosque:

No one was more shocked by the news than retired Brigadier General Dov Shefi, a former chief military prosecutor and now attorney general of the Defense Ministry who lost his son in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. "For us it's like bringing a pig into the temple," Shefi told Arutz-7.

According to Shefi, people cannot accept the fact that a mosque will be built on the site of the disaster. "I think that the establishment of a mosque in this place, a place that serves as a memorial site for 40,000 families, is like bringing a pig (an unkosher animal) into the Holy Temple. It is inconceivable that in all the city of New York, this site was specifically chosen to establish an institution that represents the culture that led the terrorists of Al-Qaeda to carry out the greatest crime ever.

[...]

Shefi told Arutz-7 of his son Haggai, and the terrible news on the day of the disaster. He related that Hagai was a "genius of geniuses" and that and at the age of 29 he was already president of a high-tech company.

The Shefi family flew immediately to the U.S. after the disaster, and Haggai's body was found and brought to burial in Israel. Shefi said that Haggai phoned his wife after the plane hit the north tower to say goodbye to her.

Shefi is to be congratulated for stepping forward to present an Israeli view of the case, and also to remind that there was at least one Israeli-born victim of the horror on 9-11.

In related news, Business Wire (via Jihad Watch) reports that the ACLJ is going to file a court challenge against the mosque:

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which is representing a New York City firefighter who survived the 9-11 terrorist attacks, said today's vote by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is deeply offensive to many of the victims and families of the 9-11 tragedy. By a vote of 9-to-0, the Commission, appointed by New York Mayor Bloomberg, failed to landmark a historic site near Ground Zero - a site where the landing gear of one of the hijacked planes from 9-11 crashed through the roof of the building. The vote bolsters plans to build a $100 million, 13-story Islamic mosque on what many consider to be sacred ground.

"The actions taken by the City of New York represent a blatant disregard for the city's own procedures, while ignoring the fact that this is a historic and hallowed site that should not be destroyed to build an Islamic mosque," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "It has been clear from the beginning that the city has engaged in a rush to push this project through - ignoring proper procedure and ignoring a growing number of New Yorkers and Americans who don't believe this site is the place to build a mosque. We're poised to file legal action on behalf of our client to challenge this flawed decision and put a stop to this project."

The ACLJ has presented New York officials with oral and written testimony urging city officials to landmark the site. "The building links two distinct periods in American history," the ACLJ argued. "It reflects the growth and rise of American free enterprise and stands as a symbol of America's strength and survival in the face of brutal, sadistic terrorism."

You can read the ACLJ's letter submitted to the city here.

The ACLJ is planning to file an Article 78 petition in state court to challenge the city's actions. The ACLJ will allege that there's been an abuse of discretion in the Commission's decision and the filing is expected to occur tomorrow.

The ACLJ represents Tim Brown, a decorated firefighter and first responder, who survived the Twin Towers' collapse and lost nearly 100 friends. The ACLJ also represents thousands of Americans who have signed on to the Committee to Stop the Ground Zero Mosque - Americans who oppose building an Islamic mosque on this site which should be used to honor and preserve the memory of 9-11 and its victims.

Correct. The site should be established as a memorial, NOT as a site for terror worship.

Labels: anti-americanism, anti-semitism, islam, Israel, jihad, New York, terrorism, United States