The tone of the Yahoo article is basically snide, which I do NOT impute to the appender.
The relevant two paragraphs are:
" The declared reason for the proposed delay in the Gaza plan is respect for Orthodox Jews, who observe a three-week mourning period for the destruction of the biblical Jewish Temples. Many of the 9,000 settlers slated for evacuation are observant.
But some Cabinet ministers have suggested the delay is needed for the government to iron out the many snags in the preparations. The government has only begun making compensation payments to settlers losing their homes, and there are no concrete plans in place yet for providing them with new housing. "
Unlike many appenders - I also included the second paragraph, which I regard as being snide editorializing, and which may indicate a different reason.
Realize, the subject time is Tish A'Bav - period of mourning for the Destruction of both Temples. It is take sufficiently serious by observant Jews, that wedding are not permitted at this time.
There is an.
LET ME MAKE THE OBVIOUS COMPARISON - SO THAT APPENDERS WHO ARE BLIND TO CONTEXT AND SENSIBILITIES UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE -OR DOES IT ONLY GO ONE WAY?: How would the Palestinians react to a Jewish March on the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock during Ramadan?
Let me push it further - as many appenders on the IP forum do. The rule seems to be we can't do anything to antagonize the Palestinians during Ramadan, but we can piss off the observant Jews during Tish a'Bav any time we want to.
So, I guess the rule is "Insult Observant Jews - and disregard sensitivities that go back to 70 CE, but bend over backwards to placate Palestinians."
That's real common sense, real decency, real Hamischekeit.
Might I suggest Matlans and Magida,
"How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook, 3rd Edition" and Magida and Matlans, "
How to Be a Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1893361675/qid=1114093493/sr=8-4/ref=pd_ka_1/103-7823000-4319830?v=glance&s=books&n=507846,http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1893361012/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/103-7823000-4319830?v=glance&s=books&n=507846&st=and to be even more blunt
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