Israel /Palestinians Anna Salmon If what you say is true then why do the so called Palestinian Arabs refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish State and refuse to make peace with it .Why did Arafat deny the existence of the Temple of Solomon In Jerusalem ? During the holocaust a great Rabbi urged the Jews to resist as the Nazis simply wanted to kill us all as Haman did .We are reestablishing our homeland and have every right to protect the lives of the Jews who are its citizens
holocaust victims When I was a child and Hitler and his army overran my country, I asked the L-rd G-d why are they fighting" His answer "greed" so isnt this what wars are about greed, and superiority, where Hitler taught his people they were the superiour race. and does the L-rd G-d not require of us to be contrite and humble in spirit? So was it not ideology that gave rise to Hitler's war where some say Hitler brought out the best in some and the very worst in others. G-d bless Israel and its people.
False witness Some of the comments made could well be in the category of "bearing false witness". Words, accusations, ideas and intentions have been put in my mouth that were simply not there. Bearing false witness against a brother or sister is serious. We should try to look at the actual content of a posting, ask if it's content is truthful or not, and take care not to interpret the persons words or intentions maliciously.
Anti Semitism
I have found that in order to persecute the Jews in the worst way we were very often presented as the bad one who deserved to be destroyed.
We poisoned the wells!
We killed their lord!
We killed christian children to use their blood!
We kill the arabs!
In reality we are persecuted in this way to a much worse degree, but it's always behind the cloak of us being terrible. This only worsens the hatred we have always and continue to endure.
Ah, Sara?! Oh, my dear Sara...do you really mean what you are saying? Are you "blessing" or "cursing" our brother Jews? Do you mean the Jews just wanted Hitler to inflict on themselves! I pity you, Sara!
Zionism only for the sons of Yehuda?
Zionism is the love of the Mount where it symbolizes the love of the sons of Yacub, or for that matter, the sons of Yisrael, for the Almighty.
We are all sons of Yacub from the 10 lost tribes of Yisrael.
Zion is not only for the Jews, it is for those who love the Hachados Baruch Ho (the Holy Blessed One).
to response to holocaust
You have no idea what you are talking about!
Jews are NOT haters. The whole world has hated the Jews because they are G-d's people and many people hate G-d.
I watched Schindler's List and I was sick for three days because of what Jews endured.
G-d says in Torah "Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you."
response to Holocaust
Hateful political comments are not very helpful, especially so biased and one-sided. I am sure there are many websites and blogs which will serve your agaenda better. Your statements sounds like echoes from these horrible years which I still hear especialy during sleepless nights: "The Jews are our misfortune!!" Your statements also adds to the Holocaust deniers scream: "If the Holocaust really was so bad, the Jews brought it on themselves."
Be careful with your words. You can never take them back and the hateful words can return to you.
PS I have myself worked among Arab children and their mothers. Don't take it for given that "The Jews" are haters of Arabs/Palestinians!
Michaels unjust comments
Michael,
Personal attacks and hurtful accusations are no part of a considered, reasoned discussion. This forum is exactly the right place to plea for the application of principles of justice, law and humanity to all people, including Palestinians who are also children of G-d. Only when Jews are seen to apply justice and love universally will the divine light shine for the world to see.
Yiddin HaShem gave us the Torah. Hitler tried to take away the Torah. But it was not Hitler's to take.
Response to anonymous
If a people are enclosed behind an illegal wall, restricting or blocking their daily freedom of movement, if Christians and Moslems are forbidden access to their holy places, if their houses are demolished, their economy crippled through sanctions, their children injured/imprisoned, their olive trees destroyed, if students are forbidden to take up places at universities abroad, if patients are prevented from getting specialist treatment outside Gaza, then we should not be beguiled by the selective good treatment of the few by their persecutors. Palestinians should not have to depend on the benevolence of others - they are well qualified to run their own medical system and economy if allowed to do so.
I know about the mufti's contacts with Hitler and about Zionists meetings with Hitler. Neither of these justify the destruction of 500 villages, expulsion of the people, the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The behaviour of Israel is a travesty of the best in Jewish values.
Just read your so called educated comment. This is not the place to post your thoughts about Zionsm. Your are truely a very hateful person towards the Jewish People and for a so callled educated person have your head screwed on backward. Thank G-d for Zionism and the State of Israel. All my life I have seen hateful people like you.
Arabs and Holocaust
Anna, surely for someone with an advanced degree in Holocaust studies you're aware of the meetings between the Mufti and Hitler?
I too have worked in Israel with the children of Palestine. They are brought in from Gaza by Israeli's so they can have donated life saving surgeries at hospitals. They are treated very well, provided a comfortable home, meals, transportation, clothing in needed plus moral support. The picture you paint is far from what really exists. The conditions you describe in Palestine are a result of their own government. Surely you must know this.
Holocaust - Our Response
Sara's post: On the contrary, I taught Holocause Studies on an MA Degree so I'm fully aware of the consequences of racist/sociallly-selective ideologies, but we should apply the lessons to every human being including the Palestinians.Far from depending on any media reports, I've worked in Palestine on several occasions and seen for myself the inhumanity of Israeli crimes against Palestinians - the repetition of the crimes inflicted on some of their forbears by Nazis. The Arabs had nothing to do with the Holocaust.
Zionism is a racist ideology and has merely repeated the hateful racism it claims to oppose. The solution is inner spiritual, moral, humanistic renewal of all people so that all people are safe everywhere with no need for nationalistic or racist boundaries.
holocaust,our response
To Anna Salmon:
It sounds like you believe everything you read/hear in the news and believe the slander and lies. Maybe one should first of all start with improving oneself?
Israel is the only real responce to the Holocaust!
Otherwise the slogan "never again" has no positive content!
Instead Anna S. declares the "different world" instead of existing Israel.
The anti-Zionism among Jews must be defeated for the future of Jewry!
The Holocaust: Our Response
All the steps advocated are useful in building up a different world. They also need to be applied to non-Jews including the Palestinians. How can renewal of Jewish life take place when Jews are constantly in the news for driving Arabs out of their homes, bulldozing Arab properties, illegally detaining Arab children in Israeli prisons, stealing Arab land etc etc?
Spiritual renewal also extends to political and social justice.
holocaust, our response
Shabat Shalom!
Thank you for this moving piece.
You saved the best mitzvot for last.
Bullying Jews as a whole and as an individual have been bullied for thousands of years. I suffered severe bullying that drove me to two suicide attempts. As I look back (the windshield is much greater than the rear-view mirror!) the bullying made me more of a mensch today than I think I would have been had I not been bullied. It is the classic paradigm of the Phoenix Rising that permeates our World. So I bless those that bullied me because they, without knowing it, gave me a gift I didn't even realize I was receiving...character, maturity and strength of conviction.