"Lior's rulings also appear to incite racism. Both rulings should be rejected completely because both call for disproportionate collective punishment. It is neither right nor ethical, and will only exacerbate the hatred that already exists between the two peoples. After all, the Arabs who will not be able to find jobs because of their national identity will not be encouraged by this to be more supportive of Israel.

These rulings also heighten a dangerous process in which a national conflict between two peoples that can be resolved by compromise is transformed into a religious conflict where extremist halakhic rulings and fatwas - their Islamic counterparts - prevent compromise and perpetuate hatred."

It would be appropriate for the rabbis to take advantage of their standing to restore calm and step up security at the yeshivas, and not leave them unguarded. And mostly, to confront the roots of the conflict and the need to develop a dialogue between the peoples and religions in

This type of thinking from the Jews deserves a plague, possibly two.