The Fall Avodah Zarah Season Has Begun

Hol HaMo'ed Sukkoth 5772

Christian "friends" of Israel have been pouring into the country, since I don't know when. This particular avodah zarah season culminates in the Avodah Zarah Pride Parade this Tuesday (AKA: The Jerusalem Sukkot Festival Parade).

Their women dress immodestly in religious neighborhoods, and touch men, without any clue or concern of the sensibilities of the locals. Their men pass out their avodah zarah literature. All of them want to "share their love" with us by singing their avodah zarah songs.

Heaven forbid that a tour guide should tell them otherwise.

None of them bother to learn "yes," "no," "please," or "thank you" in Hebrew. Why should they? They step all over us. But, we Jews allow them to!

"Jews" defend these "lovers" of Israel, in the spirit of "freedom of speech." Of course, encouraging Jews to keep Shabbath, protesting the sale of pork in Jerusalem, or recommending the removal of hostile, non-Jewish enemies is not covered under "free speech." Rather, these activities are considered hassatah (incitement).

Today, I saw a Jew exercise his "freedom of speech," by telling some of these Christians to get out, that they were not wanted here. This Jew incurred a yelled, "How dare you!"

The Jew simply yelled back, "How dare I? You just come here, and walk all over us! Why don't you stop worshiping false deities?!"

What else could he do? There is, after all, a positive commandment to chase after avodah zarah in Eretz Yisra'el.

In any other country, such disrespect would not be tolerated. In the U. S., foreign tourists are expected to know something of American culture and sensibilities. Foreign tourists in the U. S. are quick to apologize over any error in protocol. They understand that they our guests in someone else's country.

But, in co-dependent Israel, our main concern is not only how we appear to the goyim, but their opinions of us as well.

Our self-respect, let alone what the Almighty thinks of us, is immaterial.

Like any "good" co-dependent, we seek our validation from external sources. Why we are unable to provide for our own existential validation is debatable.

Is it due to the influence with incurred from 2,000 years in galuth (diaspora)? Goyshe cultures? The hatred toward us by the goyim internalized?

I, myself, am not sure.