The Fast of Tisha B’av has Nothing to Do with the Delay in Eviction

Concerning the notion that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has delayed the eviction of Jewish communities in order to avoid a conflict with with Jewish customs of the mourning period that commemorates the destruction of the two ancient Jewish Temples in Jerusalem, the Jewish customs in this regard remain quite different.

Clause 122 of the Code of Jewish Law mentions that does not build a “home of joy and happiness” during the three week period of mourning in Jewish Law.

Eviction is hardly a situation of “joy and happiness”.

Clause 141 of yet another Jewish legal text, known as the Mishne Brurah, actually requires a person of the Jewish faith to move into a new home during these three weeks of Jewish mourning if his previous home has been destroyed.

According to sources at the Israel Ministry of Finance, the reason for delaying the eviction of entire communities is because the Government of Israel does not yet have the way to cover the costs required for such a monumental task at hand.

Implemementation of this Israeli government policy is completely dependent on funds which have been promised yet not allocated by the US government for this purpose. President Bush may have promised some of these funds. There is no indication that the US Congress will approve.

Indeed, in May, 2000, President Clinton promised Israel an $800 million incentive if the Israeli government would withdraw its troops from Lebanon. Israel withdrew its troops and the US Congress did not approve of the allocation.