The
Samaritan Update
January 3rd 2002
State of Israel declared Recognition
During our last
meeting with Mr. Moshe Katzav President of Israel, the High Priest Shalom b.
Amram has invited him to come to the Mountain at the middle of January 2002 to
be the guest of honor to the special party for his 80th birthday. It was in
October. At the meantime President Katzav apologized for not fulfilling the
invitation due security problems in the area between Jerusalem and Mount
Gerizim, but instead he suggested celebrating the High Priest Shalom birthday
in his place the house of the Presidents of Israel. To say it shortly: On
January 21, Monday 12:00 noon will be the party in Jerusalem, Isn't this
amazing? It will be the high level recognition of the State of Israel towards
the enormous specific gravity of the Samaritans in the Land of Israel.
the "Island
of Peace" of the Middle East.
The co-editor of the A.B. - The Samaritan News, Mr. Benyamim
Tsedaka, has returned to Israel from a two months journey to Europe and to the
USA. High Priest Shalom b. Amram b.
Yitzhaq, had given his blessing to the trip, with a particular stress on
political meetings intended to promote the social and political future of the
Samaritans between Israel and the Palestinians. Meetings with top echelon members of the American administration
were conducted to this end in Washington, as well as with their high level
colleagues in the British administration in London. In the American capital, to
use the language of American diplomacy, Benyamim met with the persons in charge
of the Israel and West Bank portfolios, with Senator R. Bennett, who is
associated with Israeli affairs in the American Senate and with the staff of
Senator J. Helmes, who chairs the
Foreign Relations Committee in the American Senate. In London, Benyamim met with the officials in
charge of Israeli and Palestinian affairs in the British Foreign Office, with
MP E. Liegh and with Lord E. Avebury, Vice Chairman of the Human Rights
Committee in the British Parliament. The meetings in London have set up by Mr.
W. Wong of Jubilee Campaign for Human Rights. The political situation of the
Samaritans was described in those sessions, their "non splendid"
isolation on Mount Gerizim, their being severed from both Israelis and Palestinians, the decline in
economic conditions, the need to secure the roads leading to Mount Gerizim from
Nablus and from the center of the country and the necessity to expand the
Samaritan living area on Mount Gerizim. After a terrorist attack on Mount
Gerizim at the beginning of September 2001, the Israel Defence Forces cut off
the road leading to Kiriyat Luza from Nablus.
The only road left stretches at the center of the country, moving
upwards from the southern region through the Israeli settlement of Beracha and
thence to Kiriyat Luza. This road too, however, is closed to Israelis and other
travelers who wish to travel to Mount Gerizim.
Thus the Samaritan Museum, the archeological site in which millions of
dollars were invested by Israel, and the shops and restaurants in the Samaritan
neighborhood on the mountain are empty and desolate. This grim reality in its
turn raises even more the tension in the region.
Mount Gerizim - Island of Peace [Insula Pacis].
Benyamim made it clear that obstructing
visitors from Mount Gerizim, whatever the political situation in the region may
be, is detrimental to the peace and safety of the Samaritans, as well as their
social and economic conditions. Therefore it was suggested that in their
communications with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority the
American and the English officials will make an endeavor for Mount Gerizim to
be declared an "Island of Peace," in the sea of hatred that Judea and
Samaria have become. Let Mount Gerizim become a "Geneva of the Middle
East", a Samaritan Peace Center that will welcome anyone who wishes to
ascend it and visit it. The following
requirements are needed for the success of this idea:
A. Israel and the Palestinians will work
for a complete safety of access roads to Mount Gerizim from Nablus and from
Israel. Arafat has complete control over the Palestinian forces in the area.
During the last week of 2001 Arafat spoke of the Samaritans as "The
Samaritan Jews of Palestine" who constitute and example of communal life
with the Palestinians. The Palestinian Legislative Committee of eighty-eight
Palestinian Parliament members including a seat for a Samaritan representative
(at present High Priest Shalom).
B. Both Israelis and
Palestinians will make possible the ascent of Israelis, foreign tourists and
Palestinians to Mount Gerizim after going through security checks in checkup
stations. Breaking up the road from Mount Gerizim to Nablus will be
discontinued and an Israeli checkup roadblock together with a Palestinian
roadblock will be placed at the point where the road had previously been cut
off, until a permanent agreement is reached between Israel and the
Palestinians. The Samaritans too are not interested in the penetration of
terrorists within the boundaries of Mount Gerizim.
C. The Samaritans are offering themselves
as a bridge of peace among the peoples of the region. The community center on
Mount Gerizim will be prepared as a Samaritan Peace Center, with an invitation
to host the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians or any other Arab
nation in the region. It is not required to travel as far as Oslo, Geneva or
the United States. The Mountain of Blessing is an ideal place for conducting
peace talks.
D. In order to establish Mount Gerizim as the Island of Peace the Superpowers will undertake to assure the political and social future of the Samaritans by expanding their living area on Mount Gerizim to around 2000 dunams [the Samaritan living area has remained unchanged in the past 250 years]. Thus, the future of the Samaritans in general and of the new generation of the community in particular will be secured. The clause of increasing Samaritan living area has already been incorporated into the draft of the permanent agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It is in accord with the Six Clauses Agreement written by Benyamim Tsedaka, which had been delivered after consulting with the leaders of the Samaritan community to the superpowers, to Israel and to the Palestinians. The contents of the Samaritan addendum to the temporary agreement include the issuance of a special laissez passer card for Samaritans traveling from Israel to the Palestinian Authority and vice versa, which will be recognized by both Israel and the Palestinians.
The representatives of the British and
American governments gave our requests serious consideration in our talks. Officials of the American Foreign Office
assured us they would place these issues on the addenda of the Israeli
government and the Palestinian Authority with the clarification that the United
States Government supports these requirements.
The idea of declaring Mount Gerizim a center of peace, or an Island of
Peace was accepted enthusiastically by British officials. Lord Avebury and MP Liegh will ask the
British Government to reach a decision on the implementation of this request. Lord Avebury is also of the opinion that no
party can object to ideas of peace. It
has been agreed that during the coming months the British, who are a part of
the European bloc, will move an initiative, together with Samaritan
cooperation, to enlist the support of the European Union in the establishment
of the political, social and economic future of the Samaritans.
A.B.
NEWS Services
Osher has been
busy upgrading our web site,
So please drop by
and please sign our guest book!
Recent addition
to the archives:
BRIEF
THEORITICAL POINTS OF VIEW
ABOUT THE SAMARITAN SECT
OF NABLUS
BY
ATEF NAGI and YUSEF ABU-EL-HASAN- Cohen
Religion of the Sect: The religion of the Samaritans is original, and Adam grew up following this religion, and he was ordered that it should be kept with its language, and he dictated it to Noah who kept it in memory, and he added to it biddings and forbidding which he was inspired by the God’s angels, as also God’s friend, Abraham, peace be upon him, who was the first preacher of the oneness of God in the whole world, and the first person who was ordered to execute the operation made to genital organs for hypurposes (Khitaneh). This religion was transmitted from one prophet to another until it reached the apostle our lord Musas son of Imram, peace be upon him, He kept in memory all the religious ceremonies conveyed to him from his ancestors, and all the religious ceremonies inspired to him. He brought forward the Holy Book and all its Chapters; namely the Origin of Creation, (Genesus), Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. On these chapters the Samaritans depend without any increase or decrease from the original copy of the Holy Book found in their possession, and it is the oldest hand written pamphlet found in the whole world. It is written on skin by the great priest Ebisha’ son of Phinhas son of Eliazar son of Aaron our lord Moses’ brother. This copy is three thousand and six hundred years old (3600 yrs). Samaritans now carry out all its orders and decreed and verses as far as possible. The faith of the Samaritans is built on five foundations;
a) Belief in the oneness of God.
b) Belief in the Message of our lord Moses, peace he upon him.
c) Belief in the Old Testament (Pentateuch) as a book sent by God and the execution of all its decrees.
d) Belief in Gerizim mount as being the pilgrimage place of God, and the world direction to which the people should direct their faces, and that it is specialized for offering offerings and the carrying out of all religious ceremonies.
c) Belief in the day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, in which every human soul is tried according to its deeds of
good and evil. From these foundations issues meanings which cannot be
mentioned in detail, not with standing that which the Bible bids and forbids of
purifications, foods and marriage.
WIN A FREE
BUMPER STICKER
Our website has the written work of ATEF NAGI and YUSEF
ABU-EL-HASAN- Cohen entitled the “BRIEF THEORITICAL POINTS OF VIEW ABOUT THE SAMARITAN SECT OF
NABLUS.” This work displays a list of books that were for sale during the time
when Nablus was under Jordanian domain. Identify as many of the books as
possible and win a free bumper sticker (www.The -Samaritans.com). Send your
answers and your mailing address to webmaster@The-Samaritans.com
or Shomron@Yahoo.com. Offer
expires January 30th, 2002.
LOOKING FOR COPIES OF:
Written material from
1907-1908 by Jacob ben Aaron, the Samaritan High Priest. I cannot locate
“Circumcision Among the Samaritans,” “The Messianic Hope of the Samaritans,”
and “The Samaritan Sabbath.” Any help would be appreciated to finish my collection
of his works. Please contact Shomron at Shomron@Yahoo.com
.
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For Sale:
Samaritan Interactive CD: A Samaritan interactive CD-ROM from Nes
Multimedia Production Ltd. The CD works on Windows and Macintosh computers. It
gives many photos and mini movies. It speaks on the Samaritan religion, their
chronicles, community, language and literature. There is even a quiz that can
be taken. It has the Samaritan singers (Osher sings with them in this cd rom).
Full of information.
Other items: A Samaritan Cook book in Hebrew, The cd of the Samaritan Singers, A copy of the Samaritan Torah, post cards of the Samaritans or if you are looking for something. Interested parties can contact Osher at webmaster@the-samaritans.com
Thank you!
Osher and Larry would like to thank you for visiting the
website, www.The-Samaritans.com in
the past and hope you visit us again real soon. We ask you to forward this
Update to your friends. The purpose at our website is the education of the
existence and history of the Samaritan-Israelites, descendants of the ancient
Kingdom of Israel. Answering questions
from surfers will always be our top priority of our site. We try to maintain
our archives of articles to be the best location on the net for the advancement
of Samaritan-Israelite studies in English as well as Hebrew. Many gracious scholars
have permitted us to exhibit their related articles. Recently we have been
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recommend it to your friends. Again we thank you for visiting us at www.The-Samaritans.com. Take care and
may you be blessed from the Holy One from above.