Simon’s Tomb and Jewish Refugees

The normally placid surroundings of the Tomb of Simon the Just have been shaken in recent months by regular protest demonstrations where moral fervor and strident self-righteousness take pride of place. The demonstrators ostensibly protest evictions, of Arab families in this case, although we may doubt their opposition to evictions in principle, since the notable personalities among them were absent from demonstrations five years ago against eviction of 8,500 Jews from their homes in the Gaza Strip.

Be that as it may, whenever we see mass outpourings of emotion, of love, anger, sentimentality, grief, hatred, we may wonder just what participants know of the historic context of the cause for which they demonstrate. Indeed, Simon’s Tomb and its surroundings merit being seen as a symbol of the anguishing struggle here between Jews and Arabs as well as interested foreign parties, that has flowed and ebbed for generations. In this history, the area of Simon’s Tomb witnessed the very beginning of the surge of violence starting shortly after the UN General Assembly recommended partition of this country on 29 November 1947. It also witnessed the first flight of refugees who could not return after the war. It may surprise some that these first refugees who could not go home were Jews. Yet this is well-documented in the archives of The Palestine Post --The Jerusalem Post’s forerunner-- among other sources.

Simon the Just was a historical personality of Second Temple times who accomplished legendary exploits in Jewish tradition. He is identified with two high priests named Simon, one at the time of Seleucid emperor Antiochos III circa 200 BCE. Another, tradition holds, appeared in white garments before the conquering Alexander of Macedon (332 BCE), thus inducing Alexander to leave the Jews in peace to follow their religion and manage their own affairs. Simon’s tomb is traditionally located in a cave on the lot in question, just meters away from cave tomb complexes unquestionably of Second Temple times.

For those who question the tomb’s authenticity, we cannot prove that Simon is buried there any more than anyone today can prove that Jesus is buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Indeed some Christians propose other locations. Yet this location as Simon’s tomb was attested in 1235, 775 years ago. It is depicted on illustrated charts of Jewish holy sites, a kind of Jewish folk art, as we see in an album published by the Israel Museum (Rachel Sarfati, ed, Offerings from Jerusalem: Portrayals of Holy Places by Jewish Artists [Jerusalem 2002]).

Lag b’Omer pilgrimages to the site long competed with pilgrimage to Shimon bar Yohai’s tomb in the Galilee, as it was easier to reach for Jerusalem’s Jews, already a majority in the city by the mid-19th century.

In 1876 the Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities joined to purchase the site –called al-Yahudiya by Arabs-- from the Arab real estate owner who had charged Jews a fee to approach the tomb. Besides enhancing the tomb, homes for poor Jews were built on part of the site while most of the 18 dunam plot was left undeveloped. Jerusalem Jews called it the Shimon haTsadiq Quarter and it appears by that name in Dan Bahat’s Jerusalem historical atlas (Jerusalem: Carta 1989). It was adjacent to Sheikh Jarrah but not part of it, contrary to common usage today by press and protestors.

In 1947, among the first shots of the Arab war against Jewish independence were those fired at a Jewish bus on the Mount Scopus road adjacent to Shimon haTsadiq on 11-30-1947 after the UN partition recommendation (Palestine Post, 12-1-1947; p 1, col 8). Throughout December 1947, Jewish traffic was attacked on the Mount Scopus road as were Shimon haTsadiq and nearby Jewish quarters, Nahalat Shimon, Siebenbergen Houses etc. After hours of intense attack on 29 December, Jewish families fled the neighborhood on the night of 12-29 to 12-30-1947, though some remained for several more days. The Palestine Post reported on 4 January 1948 that Jews were fleeing Shimon haTsadiq and other areas. British troops helped induce the exodus by disarming Jews in the Quarter (Pal. Post, 1-4-1948; p1, col 6). Hence, the Jewish refugees from Shimon haTsadiq were the first war refugees in the country who could not go home after the war (Jews also fled in December1947 from parts of Jaffa and south Tel Aviv, but could go back after the war).

From 1949 to 1967, whereas Jews could not visit Jewish holy sites under Jordanian rule --in violation of the 1949 armistice accord-- the deserted Jewish homes in Shimon haTsadiq were inhabited by Arab families, while homes for Arabs were built on undeveloped parts of the site circa 1955. After the Six Day War Jews could again visit Simon’s tomb while Arabs remained in the once Jewish homes on the site. However, in 1998 when an Arab tried to incorporate the synagogue into his own house, Jews moved back, first into the synagogue, which bore, by the way, clear Hebrew inscriptions, despite claims made to me by an Arab spokesman, Mr Hijazi, that Jews never lived there.

More recently, courts ruled that Arab houses on the site belonged to the Jewish land owners. Talented authors, Amos Oz and David Grossman, have taken part in protests –in the name of peace and justice-- against evictions ensuing from refusal of certain Arab tenants to pay rent, thus rejecting the exercise of Jewish property rights in Shimon haTsadiq. Yet, the moral-political stances of authors do not impress. For example, before World War 2 equally or more talented French authors, Jean Giono and Jean Giraudoux, praised Hitler, demanding peace with Germany. Giono even described Hitler as “a poet in action.” By their protests, Oz and Grossman now implicitly endorse the expulsions of Jews from their homes in the War of Independence, the first refugees in that war who could not go home afterwards.

Furthermore, is a religious body entitled to maintain the area around its holy places for its believers to worship in peace and dignity? Do Christian churches want non-Christians living too close to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and other Christian holy places? Are non-Muslims allowed into the city of Mecca?

Justice is based on truth, not omitted history or inconsistent principles.