As I reported in an earlier posting, on August 23 a three-judge panel of Israel's High Court of Justice ruled that the government could tear down most of the synagogues in Gaza after the area was evacuated. Two were to be relocated in Israel; the rest were to be desanctified and destroyed. However the decision led to an outcry from a number of quarters. Not only, as reported in my previous posting, did Israel's Chief Rabbinical Council oppose the ruling, but so did the Law Committee of Israel's Knesset (Parliament). This led the High Court of Justice to have second thoughts. Last week, according to the Jerusalem Post, it issued a temporary injunction delaying the razing of the synagogues until an extended panel of the High Court considered the case.
Today's Jerusalem Post carries a long story on the issue as the larger panel of judges in the High Court prepares for a hearing today. The government claims that leaving the synagogues intact will lead to their desecration by Palestinians and will send an incorrect message that Israel plans a future return to Gaza. The Chief Rabbinical Council says it would be better to have the synagogues destroyed by Palestinians than by IDF soldiers acting on government orders. Others opposing the government's position argue that as a legal matter, the destruction violates various United Nations resolutions, and as a practical matter will hinder efforts to prevent destruction of synagogues in other countries.
UPDATE: Haaretz reports on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority rejected an Israeli request, made through an American mediator, that the PA take responsibility for protection of synagogues in evacuated Gaza settlements.
