Over the past month or so, I have been following the posts on Blogs Of Zion related to the relationship between Jews and non-Jews in Eress Yisrael:
Racism In Israel?
by Zachary Katowitz, 25 Oct., 2006
"All Citizens of Israel Deserve Our Support"
by Ariel Beery, 16 Oct., 2006
Helping Those Who Live Amongst Us - The Ger, along with the Widow and Orphan
by Ariel Beery, 12 Sept., 2006
Below I provide my "Esser Agaroth" on what is presented there, the original, primary purpose of this blog. I highly recommend that you check out Blogs Of Zion, and chime in....
It is true that Jews have always fought for the rights of others. It is ashame that we have not, fought for Jewish rights, not in a long, time. We all seem to be concerned about what the goyim think, than what we think of our own self-worth, let about what HaShem thinks. (Sure, there are those "hallacha according to feelings" types. But they will be addressed in the future.)
Few remember that it was the [politically-incorrect] Rabbi Meir Kahane ZTz"L HY"D who raised the issue of the Jews in the Soviet Union, their oppression and suffering, while the prim and proper Jewish rganizations in the U. S. sat by and did nothing, because they didn't want to rock the boat. In fact they did worse than nothing. They fought against his efforts. Then when I was in college in the mid-80's, it was acceptable for us fight for the release of our brothers and sisters in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Kahane didn't care about the credit; he cared about saving Jewish lives. It just gets me how easily, and "conveniently" people forget....
In a nutshell, Jews recall the pasuq in Parshath Shoftim:
"צדק צדק תרדוף"
"Justice, justice, you shall pursue..."
But, they always forget the continuation:
למען תחיה וירשת את-הארץ אשר ה' אלוהך נותן לך - דברים טז:כ
"...so that you may live and inherit the land that HaShem your God gave to you." - Deuteronomy 16:20
Bottom line, HaShem gave it to us (See RaSh"I on Genesis 1:1), and not to the Yishma'eim (Arabs) nor Edomim (Rome).
We pursue justice not so that we can get along with the goyim, in or out of the Land, but because HaShem commands us to do so. Incidentally, the goyim are also required to set up courts, and to pursue justice (Genesis 9, Mishnah Torah). Everyday that goes by when we refuse to accept the gift which can be so easily accepted, we are spitting in HaShem's face, Has we'Hallilah!
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Zachary has stated that he does not believe in justice for non-Jews for the above reasons, but because he believes it is the right thing to do. For this, I have to respect Zachary, not because I agree, or disagree, with him. But because he does not seem to make any bones about where he is coming from. He does not try to pretend that he believes this to be the Hallachah. At least he hasn't said so. I want to be careful not to put words in his mouth. But, so far he really seems to be consistent in his reasoning. So, I can't really argue with him, unless I get into "the Hallachic way of life is the proper way of life for all Jews" mode. And, although I do believe that, I do not believe it's always the best course of action. Call me selfish, but I am interested in meeting Jews from diverse backgrounds, as long as they (we) are willing to listen.
Another Blogger Of Zion is still searching for a non-existent source from the Ramba"m claiming that "ger" refers to a non-Jew. I have a "feeling" I know where that argument will lead...to "feelings."******************************
I responded to Zachary's response to my response to his piece (did that make any sense?) thusly...
I was providing you with my preception of the actions of the Jewish People. I have no doubt that their are many like you who believe that this is the proper course of action. However, I believe that as a people this is part of our cycle of attempting to assimilate, 2) not getting acceptance anyway, 3) then repeating the same mistake over again expecting different results.
I do not believe for a minute that this (the above) is the Torah (Read: Hallachic) perspective, but rather a Western (Edomi, New Roman Empire, European) one.
The hallachah regarding the status of Yishma'elim, or any group of people which lays claim to the land of Israel, is that they are to be treating as a threat, and are obligated to the punishment.
Now here's the REALLY politically-incorrect (Read: what "feels" weird to many because we've [Ashkinazim, anyway] been influenced by the Edomi/Roman/European mentality and culture for roughly 1,700-2,000 yrs.) part:
The common people have this same status as their leadership. This, I believe, many, if not most Jews in the World find problematic. I can't repeat enough the dictate that "feelings" do not [for the most part] play a role in determining the hallacha.
Now, in regard to Avodah Ivrith (Jewish Labor), there is another component to my personal perscetive with which you may even agree.
I happen to believe that we, Jews, need to take full responsibility for ourselves, and that includes cleaning up our own trash, building our own houses and streets, shepherding our own herds, and otherwise growing and raising our own food. So, my attitude anyway, is not just an anti-Arab attitude; it is a pro-Jewish, getting up off our proverbial tuchuses and doing for ourselves attitude. Our dependence on the Yishma'elim and other foreign workers is another component of our social psychological malaise.
Another component if the "if you're not a doctor, lawyer, or accountant, then you're nothing" attitude in much of American Jewish society, has filtered its way into Israel, too. Now the big thing is "high tech." I believe that is also a maskili/Western Jewish (& not terribly old) attitude which is unhealthy. (BTW, yes, I am willing to do these various jobs, and DO get my hands dirty in the fields when I can. For some reason, people in the comunity felt that I would be better suited to being an English teach. Go figure....)
This attitude put forth by the (mostly non-religious) Ashkinazy Jews in the 5700-5720's (40's & 50's) was responsible for the horrendous treatment of Sephardim, Iraqim and Temanim, as their cultures were not considered to be on par with their Ashkinazy counterparts.
Do you detect a little socialism? I hope so,...but no that much.
There is, also, a practical, hallachic matter here:
פיקוח נפש דוחה את כל המצוות כולן חוץ משלוש
The saving/protecting of Jewish life takes precedence over all other misswoth save for three (murder, forbidden sexual relations, and avodah zarah).
It only takes one Arab to kill one time, say by attempting to poison customers at Cafe Rimon. It doesn't matter [hallachicly] how many Arabs are inconvenienced or as you say "oppressed," as long as even one Jewish life is saved or protected from harm.
Politically incorrect? Perhaps. But, that is the perspective from where I am coming. Once again I realize that's not the perspective from which everyone approaches such issues on this blog (Blogs Of Zion).
Would you be pleased to hear that Adi Ginsburg, the big moser nefesh (self-sacraficer) behind much of the effort to get Jonathan Pollard released, was arrested and harrassed by the ,the universalist, globalizationist, Israeli [Erev Rav] police for a website encouraging support for Avodah Ivrith. Well, he was, and he was forced to take it down after threats, unrepeatable here.
You may not like the so-called "racial" implications here, but what about the additional clear evidence that rights to freedom of speech is not distributed equally in Israel? And all he was doing was to say "support such-and-such business...."
But, of course, that does not make the news like a goyah in the north supposedly not getting a job because she was not Jewish.
I'll end with some good news:
Arab Interest in Emigration Soars
by Gil Zohar, 4 Marheshwan 5767/26 Oct., 2006
The percentage of Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza (Yesha) willing to relocate abroad jumped to 32%, according to a Birzeit University survey last month....(click here for more)
Let's hope the leftist pons of the Erev Rav Israeli government do not block the emmigration lines, begging the Yishma'elim to stay,...like they did back in 5709 (1949).
Talk about trying to undo the work of HaShem!
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Notes:
1) A memorial event for Rabbbi Me'ir David be Yehezqail HaKohen Kahane ZTz"L HY"D will be held this Wednesday, 10 Marheshwan 5767/Nov. 1, 2006, 5:00pm at the Caesar Hotel in Jerusalem. A Hebrew shi'ur at 5:00pm will be followed by a brief concert by Dov Shurin at 6:00pm, and by speakers Yequti'el Ben-Ya'aqov, Shifrah Hoffman, and Atty. Barukh Ben-Yosef, and Shmu'el Cytryn in English at 7:00pm. Space is limited, please RSVP to mishallyisrael@yahoo.com.
2) I have it on high authority that the Avodah Ivrith blog will shortly be back up and running after a long hiatus.