bs"d
In Defense of the Rabbi's Who Courageously Defend Our Birthright!
Please read the Statement of Rabbi's from the Committee to Save the Land and the People of Israel.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/177114#replies
by Ari Yashar
A group called Rabbis from the Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry this Sunday, warning him to end his "antagonism" towards Israel.
The rabbis sharply criticized Kerry for his plans to establish an Arab capital in Jerusalem for Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and to have Israel withdraw to the 1949 Armistice lines. On Saturday, Kerry threatened Israel with an international boycott if peace talks fail, in addition to previous threats of a "Third Intifada" last year.
"Your incessant efforts to expropriate integral parts of our Holy Land and hand them over to Abbas'sterrorist gang, amount to a declaration of war against the Creator and Ruler of the universe. For G-d awarded the entire Land of Israel to our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in order that they bequeath it, as an everlasting inheritance, to their descendants, the Jewish people, until the end of all time," opens the rabbis' letter.
The letter was signed by Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod, emeritus head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Chairman of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Ben Tziyon Grossman of Migdal Haemek, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, Dean of the Institute for the Complete Code of Maimonides, and Rabbi Yigal Pizam, Dean of Yeshivat Kiryat Shmuel.
Warning of the imminent security threat that Kerry's plans would place Israelis in, and bringing the example of Gaza's having turned into a launching pad for rockets, the rabbis slammed the plan for seeking to immediately uproot "20% of the Jews now living productively in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan valley."
The letter adds that Kerry's plan "would force tens of thousands of Jews to be evicted from their homes and livelihoods, devastating their lives financially, economically and psychologically, as happened to those expelled from the flourishing Gaza settlements, most of whom still suffer from the expulsion's ruinous after-effects."
Drawing on Jewish history, the letters declares to Kerry: "If you continue on this destructive path, you will ensure your everlasting disgrace in Jewish history for bringing calamity upon the Jewish people – like Nebuchadnezer and Titus who destroyed, respectively, the first and second great Temples and the entire Holy City of Jerusalem, and who, by Heavenly punishment, brought eventual disaster upon themselves, too."
"By the power of our Holy Torah, we admonish you to cease immediately all efforts to achieve these disastrous agreements – in order to avoid severe Heavenly punishment for everyone involved," warned the rabbis.
The letter closed with a reference to the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, in which the Book of Esther records Haman's genocidal plots against the Jewish people were turned against him and he was "hung on the very same gallows he had prepared for Mordechai, the Jew."
Employing the language of scripture, the rabbis warned "conspire a plan and it will be frustrated; talk the talk and it will not be fulfilled, for G-d is with us" (Isaiah 9:5).
by Ari Yashar
A group called Rabbis from the Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry this Sunday, warning him to end his "antagonism" towards Israel.
The rabbis sharply criticized Kerry for his plans to establish an Arab capital in Jerusalem for Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and to have Israel withdraw to the 1949 Armistice lines. On Saturday, Kerry threatened Israel with an international boycott if peace talks fail, in addition to previous threats of a "Third Intifada" last year.
"Your incessant efforts to expropriate integral parts of our Holy Land and hand them over to Abbas'sterrorist gang, amount to a declaration of war against the Creator and Ruler of the universe. For G-d awarded the entire Land of Israel to our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in order that they bequeath it, as an everlasting inheritance, to their descendants, the Jewish people, until the end of all time," opens the rabbis' letter.
The letter was signed by Rabbi Gedalya Axelrod, emeritus head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Chairman of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Ben Tziyon Grossman of Migdal Haemek, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, Dean of the Institute for the Complete Code of Maimonides, and Rabbi Yigal Pizam, Dean of Yeshivat Kiryat Shmuel.
Warning of the imminent security threat that Kerry's plans would place Israelis in, and bringing the example of Gaza's having turned into a launching pad for rockets, the rabbis slammed the plan for seeking to immediately uproot "20% of the Jews now living productively in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan valley."
The letter adds that Kerry's plan "would force tens of thousands of Jews to be evicted from their homes and livelihoods, devastating their lives financially, economically and psychologically, as happened to those expelled from the flourishing Gaza settlements, most of whom still suffer from the expulsion's ruinous after-effects."
Drawing on Jewish history, the letters declares to Kerry: "If you continue on this destructive path, you will ensure your everlasting disgrace in Jewish history for bringing calamity upon the Jewish people – like Nebuchadnezer and Titus who destroyed, respectively, the first and second great Temples and the entire Holy City of Jerusalem, and who, by Heavenly punishment, brought eventual disaster upon themselves, too."
"By the power of our Holy Torah, we admonish you to cease immediately all efforts to achieve these disastrous agreements – in order to avoid severe Heavenly punishment for everyone involved," warned the rabbis.
The letter closed with a reference to the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, in which the Book of Esther records Haman's genocidal plots against the Jewish people were turned against him and he was "hung on the very same gallows he had prepared for Mordechai, the Jew."
Employing the language of scripture, the rabbis warned "conspire a plan and it will be frustrated; talk the talk and it will not be fulfilled, for G-d is with us" (Isaiah 9:5).
----------------------------
There was a strong backlash to this letter:
Rabbinical Council of America and Orthodox Union Repudiate Statement by Some Israeli Rabbis Denouncing Secretary of State Kerry
Today, the leaderships of the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest Orthodox Jewish rabbinical organization in the United States, and the Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the United States, issued the following statement:
"It has been reported that a group of rabbis in Israel calling themselves 'The Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel' has issued a letter denouncing Secretary of State John Kerry and his Israeli – Palestinian peace process efforts. The reports indicate that in the letter these rabbis engaged in extreme and offensive rhetoric, and seem to arrogate to themselves unusual insight into the desires of the Almighty. The letter also claims these rabbis represent hundreds of other rabbis around the world.
The Jewish Press.com by Yori Yanover on the other hand defended the Rabbis. It was cached for some reason and no longer accessible in its entirety. I managed to retrieve one page
The OU and RCA found no reason to question the Obama administration's intentions, but do they understand those intentions are to kick Jews out of their homes?
lTo the point, if you ask me, and not a minute too soon, considering the onslaught of boycott threats and security promises from Kerry and his Israeli and Jewish-American collaborators. Finally someone is putting the Boston Brahmin in his place. Enter the nice rabbis of the OU and the RCA, with a rebuke to these brave men, who are fighting for their homes and their lives. It's nice to have brethren, isn't it: Rabbinical Council of America and Orthodox Union Repudiate Statement by Some Israeli Rabbis Denouncing Secretary of State Kerry Today, the leaderships of the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest Orthodox Jewish rabbinical organization in the United States, and the Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the United States, issued the following statement:
Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
lTo the point, if you ask me, and not a minute too soon, considering the onslaught of boycott threats and security promises from Kerry and his Israeli and Jewish-American collaborators. Finally someone is putting the Boston Brahmin in his place. Enter the nice rabbis of the OU and the RCA, with a rebuke to these brave men, who are fighting for their homes and their lives. It's nice to have brethren, isn't it: Rabbinical Council of America and Orthodox Union Repudiate Statement by Some Israeli Rabbis Denouncing Secretary of State Kerry Today, the leaderships of the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest Orthodox Jewish rabbinical organization in the United States, and the Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the United States, issued the following statement:
"It has been reported that a group of rabbis in Israel calling themselves 'The Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel' has issued a letter denouncing Secretary of State John Kerry and his Israeli-Palestinian peace process efforts. The reports indicate that in the letter these rabbis engaged in extreme and offensive rhetoric, and seem to arrogate to themselves unusual insight into the desires of the Almighty. The letter also claims these rabbis represent hundreds of other rabbis around the world. "We, the leadership of the RCA and the OU, repudiate this letter and the rhetoric they have deployed. While the people of Israel and Jews around the world may properly possess serious concerns about proposals Secretary Kerry is putting forth, such concerns must only be expressed with civility and on the substance of the issues, not degenerating into personal venom and threats. "We have personally engaged in discussions about these matters with Secretary Kerry and other Obama Administration officials, and while we may disagree with their views we have found no reason to question their intentions in pursuing this effort–which are to, as they see it, support the long term security and welfare of Israel, as well as the United States. "The letter of the Committee to Save the Land and People of Israel may represent the views of its signators; it does not represent ours."
I understand that, living on American soil, in the heart of galut-diaspora, these wise rabbis have their own interests to consider. It's possible that a clash is coming between the Jews of Eretz Israel and the Obama Administration, at which point things might get so bad, they would have to make Aliya in a hurry, and who wants that? I also understand that when push comes to shove, some of our Orthodox brethren in America would rather watch us be deported than risk their popularity with the U.S. government. We need to know this as we commit to resisting the second deportation of Jews in Israel in less than ten years. What drove me absolutely bonkers, to the point that if I owned a dog I would have kicked the poor thing, was this excerpt: "We have personally engaged in discussions… with Secretary Kerry… and while we may disagree… we have found no reason to question [his] intentions…" Holy macrobiotic snacks, Batman, these people are so full of hot air, I hope they don't hit the ceiling… I don't question Kerry's intentions either. Kerry's intentions are to kick Jews out of their homes. I was reminded of a passage from tractate Gittin which we usually learn on the 9th of Av. It is a lesson the gemorah has been trying to teach us for two millennia, and, alas, the folks at the OU and the RCA are yet to get it.
*the rest of the post is inaccessible (Robin)
-------------------------------------------
I am not sure why even Arutz7 emphasized the "Divine Wrath" aspect of the letter in the headline. While one might argue that perhaps it was a bad PR move on the part of the Rabbi's to speak about Divine Wrath and not necessary for this discussion, history can back up the facts that those that destroyed the Temple were themselves punished. In Psalms 137 the prayer Al Naharos Bavel, the well known psalm "on the Rivers of Babylon" a prayer recited by all Orthodox Jews before Grace After the Meal in the month of Av, the wording can be quite harsh as well. Would the OU and RCA repudiate the author for extreme and offensive rhetoric?
It is quite understandable that those who really feel the destruction of the Temple and the destruction of their homes and communities would have feelings of resentment. Remember that the expulsion of Gush Katif did happen on Tisha BaAv and the day after.
Unlike the Jewish Press that is difficult to access, media reports blasting the Rabbinic Statement are quite accessible on Google http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/US-Orthodox-groups-blast-anti-Kerry-letter-340628 where they selectively pick and choose parts of what the Rabbi's write in order to put them in the worst light possible! They purposefully omitted the first 4 paragraphs of the Rabbi's letter in their reporting, whereby the Rabbi's make some very lucid points like pointing out the security threat Kerry's plan would place on Israel as well as the expulsion of tens of thousands of Jews. Apparently these points are of no importance to those who only wish to blast the Rabbi's and chose character assassination and delegitimazation as modus operandi.
Why didn't the Jerusalem Post report the Rabbi's comments in full as did Arutz7? In due fairness to the Rabbi's position, Rabbi Sholom Dov Wolpo is the founder of the Gush Katif Museum dedicated to helping the refugees of Gush Katif and doing what it can to prevent another expulsion. The Jerusalem Post chooses to quote Avraham Avi-Hai. "Avraham Avi-Hai, a former chairman of the United Israel Appeal and a former member of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency, sent a letter to Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein asking him to open an investigation into the letter and its authors on suspicion of incitement to murder."
-----------------------------------------------------
They want to investigate the Rabbi's for inciting murder? Whose murder? Is this the only way to respond to those who voice opposition to a suicidal plan of Kerry? character defamation?
Now I would like to address the Rabbi's of Agudah, Young Israel, OU, Chabad and RCA etc and ask them why they are being Silent when the world is accusing us of "Illegal Occupation".
How is Truth of Torah being defended by the Nation of Israel? Why leave it up to Netanyahu who is not representing Torah but is in a political position.
What about the Gemorrahs about property rights? What is the Halacha about the uprooting of fruit trees in Aish Kodesh in Samaria? Why didn't the Rabbanim protest this Torah inhibition by the gov't of Israel?
Can we be selective in what Torah Commandments we wish to adhere ignoring some when it doesn't fit our agenda and nisht inzera Sugia? Why isn't this a matter of relevance even if it is not my house that is being threatened with destruction?
How can we be silent when there is talk about uprooting 90,000 fellow Jewish brethren from their homes?
How can a seeming apathetic Rabbinic application of Torah to the plight of possibly uprooting of 90,000 G-d fearing Jews living in Judea and Samaria, the uprooting of thriving settlement and communities, stand on any solid ground as being consistent with the Written Torah?
Wasn't the Holocaust proof enough of the wrath of G-d on Israel? Rabbis in Eastern Europe by enlarge, remained Silent and did not take an active role to encourage Aliya with numbers as per their following. With numbers they could have possibly exercised the necessary influence to see that the Zionist gov't of Israel acted in accordance and consistent with Torah which includes the Mitzva of defending the Land of Israel (Milchemet Mitzvah). They were/are content with blasting secular Zionism but did not exercise Rabbinic influence to promote Aliya according to Torah for the purpose of keeping the Commandments in the Holy Land and the dessemination of 6,000,000 Jews was the end result?
I cry and should cry if I am not crying, when I write/think these words since I too am unworthy. How can we fathom G-d's ways or put blame? Only for the purpose of preventing another Holocaust do I even suggest that had Rabbi's spoken up and the people would have demanded they do so, history might have taken on a different course for the good saving countless lives.
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach!
Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment