The Supreme Court of Israel just made a very bad decision, one that seems very difficult to understand. It is now allowing the building of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance. The problem is that three-acre sight in Independence Park includes a Muslim cemetery that dates back 300 to 400 years. The cemetery fell into disuse after Israel gained statehood in 1948. The court said that since there had been no objections in 1960, when the city built a parking lot over part of the cemetery, it would not block construction of the museum on the same property, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The $250-million project had been delayed since early 2006, when builders unearthed ancient bones. The Court’s ruling requires builders to consult with Israel’s Antiquities Authority on reburying any remains found during construction. They also must create a barrier between graves and the building’s foundation, according to the Los Angeles Times.  Still, that’s not enough.

Simply put, this is an idea fraught with explosive possibilities. The Wiesenthal Center and the government of Israel simply need to do a better job at handling this most sensitive of matters. One finds it hard to understand how building on such a site after a legal contest promotes tolerance. At minimum, the grounds sacred to Muslims must be preserved as is, including public access.

Regardless, Jews should never place themselves in a position of disturbing the graves of other people – lest we give excuse for such abominable behavior to ourselves. To understand the sensitivities of Muslims in this matter, we simply need to place ourselves in their position. How would we respond were such news coming out of Saudi Arabia or Egypt or Morocco? We would justifiably be outraged and demand action. How can we treat others differently?

This is the best Italian food in town. We have tried many others and nothing can top Fazzini’s. Everything is fresh, homemade and delicious.

The pizza here was undercooked and really doughy.
entrees on other tables looked good though.

we like fazzini italian kitchen because of good wait staff and consistently good italian food. everything there is homemade; pasta, sauce,bread,pizza dough,etc.  large portions and reasonable prices and no ambiance!