Ami Horowitz, Nice Video, But...

ג׳ לחודש התשעי תשע"ה

Many of you have seen this video by Ami Horowitz going around the Internet. It is simple, straightforward, and to the point.


(Tip: Stand With Us)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Ami Horowitz, nice video. But, I just have one question for you...

What the heck are you still doing there??

Don't you get it? The sentiments which you revealed on the Cal. Berkeley (AKA: Berserk-eley) are spreading across the U. S., and they are spreading fast.

Are you and your family in immediate, physical danger? Will the U. S. turn into a France or England (...or Sweden or Beligium) anytime soon? The answers to these questions, I cannot say. What I can do, however, is to ask you, "Haven't you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, at the very least, the expression of such sentiments were reminders that the U. S. is not your true homeland?"

It seems that your mother is from Israel, and left. But, you, perhaps even with her encouragement, have also spent some time here. For all I know, you may have extensive family here, and may even be fluent in Hebrew. I do not know.

I also cannot say that I know your views at all about immigrating to Israel. Perhaps that life plan is already in the works. Assuming the worst, I have to tell you that Israel is not just "that place to go to for study and connecting with ones heritage, perhaps serve in the IDF, and then just get up leave.

You have gone out on a limb making very bold statements, and attempting to wake the world up the truths you have uncovered, buried in the sand by the media and by "them." Here is only one of many examples:

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Horowitz charged in a March 2010 article, "has consistently acted as a sanctuary for terrorist activity and employment," and yet the U.S. "has funded UNRWA to the tune of nearly $3.5 billion," thus effectively "acting as their enablers." (Wikipedia: Ami Horowitz)

I have no doubt that you have helped to wake people up to the reality that not everything, published in the mainstream media, can be taken at face value. I am not at all unappreciative of your work.

But, now it's my turn to help Jews to wake up.

The feelings of my fellow Jews' attachment and sentimentality toward the lands of our exile, I cannot, nor will I even begin to argue with. They are feelings. They are what they are. But, setting such feelings aside, the U. S. is only one of many, temporarily dwelling place for Jews, the key word being "temporary."

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ, כִּי-אֵין מִרְעֶה לַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ, כִּי-כָבֵד הָרָעָב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וְעַתָּה יֵשְׁבוּ-נָא עֲבָדֶיךָ, בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן. (בראשית מז,ד)

And they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land we have come; for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray that your let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.' (Gen. 47:4)

Just like our exile in Egypt, and our subsequent exiles, our exile in Edom is temporary.

You don't approach the Torah in the same way as I do? It doesn't matter.

Whether Torah-observant, traditional, secular, I have yet to find any pattern among those who believe this message. There are those from each of these three, general groupings of Jews who believe very strongly in moving to Israel now, and staying, and there are those who do not.

However frustrating it can get to have this message oftern fall on deaf ears, it is my job,...actually the collective job of those of us Jews who made it out of the golah (exile), and back home, to continue delivering this message, regardless of the outcome, regardless of the names we are called, and regardless of any other reactions,

I pray that The Holy One Blessed Be He, continues to send the same message, but that it does not have to become too painful.

And, I pray, that my fellow Jews will pay attention.