MANN WAS HIT HARD IN THE FACE and fell to the ground striking his head heavily against a low wall. Sitbon ran to help, he was a trained army doctor, but a large woman who had been standing nearby was already leaning over Mann who was unconscious and bleeding from the nose mouth and ears.
‘Let me help I’m a doctor,’ Sitbon said.
‘I’m a teacher,’ the woman replied.
‘He’s a doctor!’ said Laura.
‘Prove that you’re a doctor.’
‘I don’t have to prove anything to you, but for the record I’m a Tsahal military doctor.
‘But I trained two years as a teacher.’
‘What are you going to do teach him English!’ shouted Laura.
‘Go read your guide!’
‘At least I can!’
A crowd had gathered around and several armed men from the security forces arrived, their arms at the ready. A few moments later an ambulance arrived from nowhere and two paramedics pushed their way through the crowd.
‘Okay now, move aside!’
Sitbon stood up and stepped to one side.
‘His pulse is low and is showing signs of concussion.’
‘Just step aside and let us get on with our work.’
Sitbon hesitated.
‘We’re looking after this, step aside.’
‘I’m just letting you know the situation. I’m a doctor and have given him first aid.’
At that moment a police patrol car arrived and a youngish police officer appeared.
‘Move aside now,’ he said aggressively to Sitbon.
‘Okay, I was just helping.’
‘Are you responsible for this?’
‘I’m a doctor.’
‘I’m a friend of this person,’ added O’Connelly
‘Just move aside.’
‘Okay, I was just explaining.’
‘I’ll ask you one more, if you don’t get out of the way I’ll arrest you.
‘But we’re with him,’ said Laura.
‘Move on or you’ll be arrested too.’
‘I’ll make a complaint.’
The police officer pointed to the number on his shoulder and shouted, ‘There's my fucking number, report me then.’
During this exchange Mann lay on his back unconscious and bleeding profusely. Two more medics had now arrived with first aid material and a stretcher was brought.
A several soldiers appeared and the entrance to the ramp was sealed. A senior police officer appeared and the security men were pointing and describing the incident. Then the senior police officer approached to question them.
‘Please tell me what happened?’
‘We were visiting the area around the Wall and the Archaeological Park when a man came out of the crowd and hit Mr Mann in the face for no reason.’
‘What was he like?’
‘Average height…’
‘I mean was he an Arab or what?’
They looked at each other.
‘I think he had a beard and was wearing a kippah.’
‘A Jew?’
‘I suppose so.’
The officer turned and talked to his men in Hebrew then with continued them in English.
‘I think he was an extremist, a Jewish extremist. What does your friend do?’
‘He’s the president of a trust for peace.’
‘Ah! Peace! That’s always the cause for anger or violence.’
Mann had come to, it was not clear how badly he had been hurt, but in any case he was seriously shaken. After the first aid he left in the ambulance accompanied by Cedric for an x-ray examination and observation.
They returned to hotel shaken by the gratuitous attack on Mann, by an apparent stranger, questioning the reasons and the strange behaviour of those present. Laura and Tamara went over the scene repeatedly wondering where he had been taken.
‘What did you want to get involved for in the first place?’ said Tamara turning on Sitbon.
‘Well I’m a doctor, it’s normal.’
‘I’m a doctor too.’
‘You’re still a medical student,’ said Sitbon!’
‘I’ve studied for years, the title’s just a formality.’
A general shouting match developed each one launching accusations and counter accusations backed up justifications.
‘Tell me Henri, why would someone do that?’
‘You’re in Jerusalem, passions are high especially why something religious is involved.’
You think someone had it in for Mann?’
‘Certainly, not everybody likes his imams and rabbis thing, don’t forget for many of the religious sects here there’s a lot of anger with the Muslims position regarding the Esplanade, where most Jews believe the Temple stood.’
‘Do you think it was a warning?’
‘Possibly, but who knows, perhaps it was something to do with de Lussac?’
Mann had overstepped his right to interfere and to confirm it on his return to Paris he found his office invaded by representatives of the French financial brigade sifting through his files. A couple of hours later he found himself at their headquarters replying to questions of tax fraud and inappropriate use of the trust’s funds. The next day he left for the relative safety of Zurich.
64
The Temple Mount Dispute
The Legacy of Solomon Page 64