Thursday, the rabbi tries to defend himself (and fails miserably)
Greetings from Paris Charles De Gaulle where once again it is a travel day.
It was a crazy weekend, so I didn't get to post this, but on Thursday someone shared with me a long email received from Rabbi Neil Blumofe of Austin, Texas, trying to defend the itinerary for his 'even-handed' Israel trip that included a visit to the tomb of the father of terrorism.
The email is way too long to post in its entirety, but I want to post part of it and comment. The full email is embedded below.
In our tradition, we have intractable enemies. While we blot out Haman's
name on Purim, we do so as we articulate it. We must find allies and
must not retreat into absolute positions. To be present somewhere is not
to pay homage -- rather it is to say we are still here, reclaiming the
memories of those who Arafat and his followers murdered, and educating
others about the continuing dangers of his legacy. This tomb is a
propaganda tool that is used to shore up mindless support for our
dehumanization. In turn, not to discuss this stymies dialogue, which
leads to our peril. Let us not fall into this trap. To think otherwise
empowers our real enemies and continues to drive us apart, intensifying
our systemic, historical traumas.
Yes, the tomb is a propaganda tool, so why would you visit it? If you want to visit a place to prove the point that 'we are still here,' visit Auschwitz. Remind your congregants what happened when Jews had no place to flee, when there was no State of Israel, and when the British - in competition with France for the second biggest anti-Semites in Europe after the Germans - barred the doors to keep Arafat's uncle (the Mufti al-Husseini) happy. That's saying 'we're still here' - not visiting the tomb of a terrorist that you admit is a propaganda tool.
What dialogue is the rabbi afraid of 'stymieing' if he does not go to Arafat's tomb? Dialogue with the 'Palestinians'? Has the rabbi elected himself Prime Minister of Israel? Why is it that no Israeli government minister and no non-Arab Knesset member would dream of visiting Arafat's tomb except in an IDF tank? Maybe it's because nearly all Israelis - even the Left - understand that paying homage to Arafat, even if it would be 'identifying with the other,' would do precisely nothing to advance the 'peace process'?
Day after day, I speak to people who are concerned about the slackening
of support, and the growing difficulty of advocacy for Israel in our
charged, polarized political climate. We see the dangerous way that the
repugnant BDS movement (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) movement has made
incursions on our college campuses and I applaud and support those on
these front lines, directly beating back these efforts that seek to
delegitimize Israel and dehumanize our Israeli brothers and sisters.
I'm glad to hear that. But if that's the case, why do you feel the need to cooperate with many of the groups that fund the BDS movement?
I believe that we must do something too. We must learn the language of
those with whom we disagree -- especially those with whom we most
profoundly disagree. We must see the narratives, symbols, and myths --
and question them. We must develop a more sophisticated, critical
understanding of the world around us, as opposed to reducing our
justified fears to an "us versus them" mentality. We must learn to think
for ourselves and not accept whatever we may read that encourages
embitterment and distance. We must learn to have more informed, examined
opinions and hear competing voices so we may be more fully confident
and present in our own story.
The problem is that the average Jew in America - and even many in Israel - have no idea what 'our own story' is. The very suggestion that the 'Palestinians' have an ancient connection to the land of Israel, or that their connection is anywhere near as longstanding as ours, is simply farcical. You've read Tanach. Do you believe it? Where were the 'Palestinians' during the time of the Tanach? Do you think it's acceptable for them to pretend that the Temples just didn't exist? You know they did. Are we obligated to listen to every narrative regardless of how ridiculous it is? Are we required to accord credibility to every narrative?
By the way, have you ever read Joan Peters' From Time Immemorial?
I am sorry that a proposed stop in an internal draft document has caused
such furor. While it was a point of conversation within a larger
itinerary, I certainly do not seek public controversy and upon
reflection, I see it as a misstep in what I was seeking to accomplish.
What I think the rabbi might have missed is that the stop was just one point - the most outrageous one and the easiest one around which to rally opposition - in a very problematic itinerary.
Here's the full email:
Tuesday the rabbi's congregants conducted a witch hunt?
Yehuda Kurtzer, director of the Shalom Hartman Institute in the United States, published a lengthy and whiny piece in the Times of Israel complaining about the 'witch hunts' that are allegedly being conducted against 'my friend and colleague Rabbi Neil Blumofe — a great rabbi, leader, and
lover of Zion — was brutally smeared and defamed due to a perfidious
interpretation of how he built the itinerary for a congregational trip
to Israel.' That's a story I covered here.
For those who have forgotten, Blumofe canceled the itinerary, and promised that a new one would be issued that would not include a stop at Arafat's grave. Kurtzer brushes over that:
Rabbi Blumofe has expressed his regret for the decision to have his
synagogue stop at Arafat’s grave, as well as for the circulating widely
of a complicated itinerary that — taken out of context — was
misrepresented as the manifestation of an insidious agenda. One could
well imagine an aggrieved congregant who trusted Rabbi Blumofe’s
character taking issue with some of the trip’s content, express the
grievance, and then bring about a positive change. Once the grievance is
translated into the public sphere, however, even the capacity to bring
about change on the issue begins to decline.
The problem is that while the congregant who publicly took issue with Blumofe chose to focus on the Arafat stop - the most outrageous item - there was plenty more on the itinerary that a true 'lover of Zion' would find objectionable. Look at the itinerary above, and tell me that it doesn't reek of a political agenda that doesn't reflect 'love of Zion.' Look at the 'extra' descriptions in the entries for June 8 and June 13. Note the lack of politics in the June 14 and 15 descriptions. Which sounds more like 'If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium'?
This evening, I received by email the following reply to the Kurtzer article from Sloan Rachmuth, one of the people who demolished an attempt by a rabbi in Raleigh, North Carolina to visit Arafat's tomb (covered originally here):
Rabbi K - why the rabbinical panicked hysteria in the face of communal opposition? Here you decry public objections to percieved rabbinical toʿevahs as "witch hunts." But in a marketplace of ideas this is called "opposition."
Opposition to these two rabbis occurred when they took a stand by publicly advertising (for money) a trip they had each planned, which included meeting with pro-Hammas groups topped off with a tribute to Arafat's grave to "understand his legacy." Our opposition to the actions of these two rabbis is not a withchunt, but a marketplace reaction best described by Newton's Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
And this reaction did not happen overnight. Members in both the Norh carolina and Texas communities wrote letters and had persoanl meetings with these rabbis months before the media learned of these two controveries. We sought to understand why these rabbis would lead delegations from our states that clearly endorsed a pro-terror, anti-Israel message. The rabbis igored us, they refused to answer our questions on more than a dozen occasions.
Rabbi Solomon in Raleigh has now gone on the attack against us, publicly shaming us as haters and "right-wing extremists" and demands we shut up and stop asking questions about the trip. Rabbi Solomon recently implored the community in his shul to do whatever it takes to silence his opposition (us).
Was Rabbi Solomon's reaction here in Raleigh also a with hunt? Or opposition?
To great credit of Rabbis Solomon and Blumofe, they raise their voices in opposition to issues of civil righs violations here in the south. They both understand that they have a resposibility to raise their moral voices to the markeplace of ideas regarding racial justice and equality. These rabbis know that taking a stand has its rewards and, sometimes, opposition.
By taking the premeditated action to plan, promote, and now defend a trip with a pro-terror narrative while Israel and the world is seeing extremist terror first-hand; these two rabbis are experiencing opposition. Not a witch hunt.
In case you were wondering about Yehuda Kurtzer's pedigree... I asked. He is the son of former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer, who was twice called a Yehudon ('little Jew') a decade ago, and who had a lengthy history of interfering in Israel's internal affairs during his term here (same link).
My recent emails concerning
your activities, including planning a trip to Yasser Arafat’s tomb, have
started a conversation that I hope will produce good results for the
community.
As a Rabbi in Raleigh, you are in a position
of great influence to both the local Jewish community and our non-Jewish
neighbors. After the responses I have received, I know that I am one of
many people in the community that have concerns about your activities
that unfairly criticize the state of Israel.
You ask the
Jewish National Fund to adhere to the “Moses Standard” of transparency.
You write, “If Moses could ensure that all his financial records were
fully transparent, then we should expect nothing less from a Jewish
organization like the JNF which has held our people’s sacred trust for
over 100 years. Why should the JNF be afraid to share where our money
goes after it leaves the little blue box?” (Documents, page 59) Can we hold you to the same standard and ask for your response to the following questions?
What
purpose does your visit of Arafat’s tomb serve? What is Arafat’s
legacy? Why can’t you find time in a 10 day trip to visit Yad Vashem or
Har Herzl in Jerusalem when you plan on going to the Mahmoud Darwish
Museum? (Documents, page 16) A bonus question, who is Mahmoud Darwish
and why does he have a museum that you want to visit?
In
a related question on your itinerary, you write “Ascend the Temple
Mount for a tour of the precinct and have a question and answer session
with a local Muslim imam.” I see no mention of the Western Wall (Kotel),
the holiest site in the world for Jews. Do you plan to let your trip
participants pray at the Western Wall and possibly meet a local rabbi?
If not, why not?
How do you answer your own
question to the JNF, “Will my money strengthen Israel’s democracy and
civil society? Will it move us closer to peace?”
Are
you aware of the relationship between your tour operator, Mejdi, and
its links to pro-Hamas support groups such as Holy Land Trust? Reverend
Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, currently with Mejdi Tours, was a senior member of
the World Vision NGO. World Vision was just accused of funneling
millions of dollars to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Coincidence? (page 57)
My good friend Ronit Bart lives next to the border of Gaza. (see video) Over
the last 12 years their community has had to live with daily rocket
attacks and terror tunnels from terrorists that are trying to hurt her
and her family. What can the State of Israel do to these terrorists so
there will be peace? How have your actions helped with this effort?
As
someone who has lived in the Raleigh community for 32 years, I would
like nothing more than a cohesive Jewish community that works together
to guarantee a safe Israel and a good future for our children and
grandchildren in Israel, in the United States and ideally, everywhere in
the world.
I ask the community to review the information I have assembled
and come to their own conclusions. I also ask that the community
forward this email to friends and family who share my concern. I updated
the file with an article from The Washington Post (page 57) and your
request to the Jewish National Fund (page 59). In addition, the
previous two emails are included at the end.
Rabbi Solomon, I look forward to hearing from you directly and sharing your responses. I can be reached at raleighjew@gmail.com.
Sincerely, Steven Rosenberg
Through all of this, Steven is now a friend of a friend of a friend (someone I know who is from that area introduced me to someone on Facebook who knows him).
On Wednesday, Steven sent someone in New York, who has me on his mailing list, an email that he describes as "the most incredible letter of support yet!!"
And indeed it may well be. The writer of the letter below is RB, who "was born & raised in Raleigh. In fact, Beth Meyer Synagogue [Rabbi Solomon's synagogue] is named after her grandfather, Meyer Dworsky!" (I have redacted all email addresses from this email, but I have them all).
Dear Friends,
Please forgive the group email.
I am forwarding to you an email that I sent to the BMS Board and to
Rabbi Solomon. I want you to be aware of my decision to suspend my
affiliation with Beth Meyer. I regret that this decision will probably
affect how often we see each other, but it need not
mean that we'll stop being involved in each other's lives.
I love each of you.
R
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: RB
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 12:21 AM
Subject: Suspension of Affiliation with Beth Meyer Synagogue
To: Eric Lamb
Cc: Rabbi Eric Solomon
Dear Members of the Board of Trustees:
With deep sadness, I am notifying the BMS Board of Trustees of my
decision to suspend my affiliation with Beth Meyer Synagogue. I hope
that this decision will not be construed as an attack leveled against
the Board or any of Beth Meyer's rabbis because I am
truly grateful for the spiritual, educational, and social experiences
that were the consequence of membership in a thriving congregation led
by insightful, empathetic, energetic rabbis; gifted and giving lay
leaders, and an effective governing board.
So whence comes my decision to give up -- at this time --
my BMS membership?
Although I respect and admire Rabbi Solomon and
although, until recently, I have not been troubled by the gulf between
some of his viewpoints and mine, Rabbi Solomon's decision to
encourage Jews to sign up for a trip that includes a visit to Yasser
Arafat's grave altered my view of our differences.
Responding to
problematic situations, I typically engage in
on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand inner dialogues and exchanges.
There
are, however, times when I realize that, for me, there is only one
hand. My feelings about any Jew's visit to Arafat's grave are such that
I can say, without hesitation, "I object to this choice, and there is
no other hand."
Some connections survive upsetting circumstances; and without being a
member, I still expect to feel connected to the Beth Meyer congregation.
With hopes for peace and understanding,
RB
In the meantime, JTA, the voice of knee-jerk American 'Jewish' liberalism, reports that Truah, the organization to which Rabbi Solomon belongs, is making a habit of tours to Judea and Samaria led by Breaking the Silence.
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, which represents 1,800
North American rabbis and their constituents, and Breaking the Silence,
IDF veterans who speak out about their service in the West Bank and Gaza
and advocate against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, are
sponsoring “Go and See” trips for Jewish groups as part of their Israel
itineraries.
The aim is to “empower more American Jews to meet both Palestinians
and IDF veterans who have served in the territories, to listen deeply to
their narratives, and to bring these perspectives into working toward a
better future for Israelis and Palestinians,” according to a news
release Wednesday.
Breaking the Silence has often come under fire
in Israel from the political right and center for testimonies, some
published anonymously, that accuse the Israeli military of excessive
force and corruption.
T’ruah will facilitate the groups during and after the program with
the aim of engaging participants in Jewish learning related to the
issues, according to the release. Breaking the Silence staff will share
their perspectives on how the occupation affects Israelis and
Palestinians.
“Of the thousands of American Jews who travel to Israel each year,
only a tiny number visit Palestinian areas of the West Bank or hear from
Palestinians,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah.
“Go and See” will help those who take part to see the “effects of the
ongoing occupation and understanding that it is damaging the lives and
souls of both Palestinians and Israelis,” said Yuli Novak, executive
director of Breaking the Silence.
The groups have already partnered on a trip to Hebron.
It is time - indeed it is long past time - for the Jewish community abroad to stop beating their breasts with guilt over the fact that we cannot reach a denouement with the 'Palestinians,' to awaken to the reality that we face here in Israel every day, and to take action to ensure the survival of the State of Israel rather than joining our enemies. Truah and its ilk will not ensure Jewish survival. We must take responsibility for doing so.
As to Rabbi Solomon, here's hoping that more of his congregants see the light.
Tuesday, the rabbi brought Breaking the Silence to his shul
You will recall that last week, I posted about a rabbi in Raleigh, North Carolina who is running a 'behind the scenes' tour of Israel designed to indoctrinate congregants with the 'Palestinian' narrative.
It has now come out that (a) the same rabbi took a group to meet Breaking the Silence (see more below on this organization) three weeks ago and (b) the rabbi's wife is the 'rabbi' at a local Hillel.
The following came to me by email.
As you know, Eric Solomon is running a rabidly anti-Israel,
pro-terror trip out of Beth Meyer in March that he's actually selling in
his
own shul.
New development: I learned that Eric and Jenny Solomon co-chaired a trip in Israel July 4th for Breaking the Silence with
the goal of bringing the movement to local communities. http://www.truah.org/rabbisday.html
This isn't J Street or Jewish Voice for Peace, Breaking
the Silence is the most virulently racist, anti-Semitic group
operating.
They have just openly accused Israeli Jews of poisoning the drinking
water of Arabs! Israel has identified this group as an enemy and has
taken actions to protect Israeli citizens and Jews abroad from their
harm.
Problem: Jenny Solomon is the new Rabbi at NC
Hillel. I interviewed her today and she told me her role was to
"educate, provide spiritual guidance, and shape the Jewish identity of
university students." Jenny also told me that she 100% supports
Breaking the Silence.
So we have 2 rabbis in multiple Jewish institutions
promoting anti-semetic, pro-terror education to children and adults
young and old. This is not an exaggeration - this is the situation.
Along with others, I am involved in coordinating an
international response including one from Israel. I ask you to please
alert everyone in the community about the situation. And, what can
be done here? Raleigh is now forming a response.
Eric is now trying to pretend he is pro-Israel to let this blow over but it won't go away.
J.
Sloan Rachmuth
For those who are not familiar with Breaking the Silence....
Michael Oren: 'Non-Orthodox' intermarried Jews in Obama administration don't understand Israeli character
Michael Oren continues to pound away at Barack Obama and his administration.
In an appearance at New York City's uber-Leftist 92nd Street Y on Sunday, Oren explained that his book was directed at American Jews (and here I thought it was directed at Israelis who still don't get that Obama is not our friend) and that he pushed to have it published now because of the critical juncture of the Iran negotiations.
Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren
says he pressured Random House to publish his controversial new book
“Ally” now, rather than during book season in September or October,
because “Israel is at a fateful juncture” before the deadline of the
Iran talks and the vote on the French initiative on Palestine in the
Security Council. He said that one of his main objectives was to
“motivate, animate and inspire my readers” in advance of these
challenges “to do more than just stand there”.
“It’s about saying no” to an Iran deal that
“everybody in the Knesset agrees is emphatically bad,” Oren said. He
compared “this critical moment” to the Holocaust era, when American Jews
had an opportunity to “intercede and perhaps save millions of Jews”.
Oren received a surprisingly warm reception from the 92nd Street Y, where he made remarks that might be read by some as an indictment of American Jewry.
Oren discussed what he described as the unprecedented predominance of
American Jews in the Obama administration – “there were discussions in
the White House in which there were six Jews – 3 Americans and 3
Israelis, discussing a Palestinian state - and the only non-Jewish
person in the room was the President or the Vice President.” He said
that the non-Orthodox and the intermarried American Jews in the
administration – “have a hard time understanding the Israeli character.”
Well, yes, but that's not just the administration. That's true of American Jews in general. For years now, there's been a split between American Jewry and Israeli Jewry, but that split has been virtually non-existent among Orthodox Jews. Orthodox Jews also consistently vote Republican (or have since Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980), and the more Orthodox, the more consistent they are about that. And Orthodox Jews and most Israelis would disagree with Oren's statement that Obama is not anti-Israel. He most definitely is anti-Israel. As I said once before:
Oren doesn't go far enough. His claim that Obama was 'never anti-Israel' doesn't square with the facts that we knew long before Obama was elected President.
The fact that the one example Oren gives of 'significantly strengthened
security cooperation' under Obama relates to a natural disaster and not
to a military action is telling.
And Oren ties the Obama White House in with the anti-Israel bent of American academia.
Recounting his academic experience in America, Oren said that “1968
revolutionaries” had taken over the Middle East and international
relations departments of American universities and that unless one
published their “neo-Marxist ideas”, one would not get tenured or
published. When he came to Washington in 2009, he encountered the same
ideas in his talks with Obama administration officials in the White
House and the State Department: “I could tell what professors they had.”
Oren went on to claim that the term “Israel Lobby”,
which was condemned when it was used by Professor Stephen Walt and John
Mearsheimer, is now an accepted term in Washington discourse.
The recent uproar over remarks (later walkedback) by the President of the French international phone conglomerate Orange about how he would shut down operations in Israel if he could, was the result of pressure applied by Leftist Israeli NGO's financed (via the New Israel Fund) by European governments and American Jewish Federations. Ronn Torossian reports (Hat Tip: Richard A).
What prompted these statements? Several NGOs that lead the boycott
against Israel in Europe, including the Israeli organization “Who
Profits from the Occupation?” issued a report in France intended to
pressure Orange.
In
2013, following the growth and establishment of a research center under
the auspices of "Who Profits", the project registered as an independent
organization, and today they run joint activities as sister organizations. "Who Profits" is one of the leading organizations in the Anti-Israel boycott campaign and manages a website with a database on companies that invest or are
involved in projects located over the Green Line or in Israeli security
companies.The website encourages international companies and foreign countries to divest themselves of such investments.
...
In short, the NIF provided funding to Coalition of Women for Peace
during the launch of the "Who Profits" project, one of the leading
organizations in the boycott campaign against Israel. The damage caused
by the activities of Coalition of Women for Peace continues to have
repercussions to this day.
Shamefully, certain American Jewish extremists including The Jewish Communal Fund, Alisa Doctoroff, President of UJA-Federation,
the Leichtag Foundation and others donate significantly to The New
Israel Fund, thus supporting and encouraging boycotts against Israel.
B'Tslem admits its primary researcher in Judea and Samaria is a Holocaust denier
A month ago, I reported that Atef Abu-Alrub, 'human rights group' B'Tselem's chief source in Judea and Samaria, is a Holocaust denier.
At first, B'Tselem claimed that Abu-Alrub's remarks were 'lies' and were 'taken out of context,' but now they're changing their tune.
[O]n Sunday, a Facebook post by the group pledged to "seriously examine the issue."
"After an [initial] investigation conducted with the researcher, and
in a letter sent to our employees, we established that Mr. Abu feels
'unequivocally that the Holocaust is a 'crime,' was a 'threat against
the Jewish people,' and that Channel 2 translated the words of another speaker who was present," the organization began.
"[However,] a few days ago a video was posted of the full
conversation. Indeed, most of the conversation that was filmed is
translation of a third person [present at the interview]," it continued.
"But, upon watching the video, we saw that it shows that contrary to
the above, the [remarks about the Holocaust] were not translating the
words of a third person, but were made directly by Mr. Abu-Alrub."
"In view of this, we seek to fix our response on this matter,
which was given in good faith and make it clear that we are disgusted,"
it concluded. "B'Tselem is careful in maintaining the
reliability and accuracy of its work and publications. Therefore, we
promise to hold inquiry as soon as possible into the incident and we
will publish the decision as soon as it is made."
I'm shocked. No, not shocked that B'Tselem would use a Holocaust-denying researcher, but shocked that they would admit it and pledge to do something about it. Please - shock me again and actually do something about it.
B'Tselem is the main
supplier of factual background material thanks to researcher Atef Abu
a-Rub who is also a Holocaust denier. The man is responsible for dozens
of "researches" and reports about the Israeli abuse in the territories.
He is so good at his job that when foreign reporters calls B'Tselem to
visit the territories, it is Abu a-Rub who is sent to serve as their
tour guide and shows them the area through his eyes.
The problem is not Atef Abu a-Rub; the problem is his operators.
His former boss was Lizi Sagie, the organization’s former information
director. Lizi claimed that Israel is responsible for humanity's
greatest atrocities and that it adopted Nazi values. Sagie quit
B'Tselem, but her spirit remained.
Member of B'Tselem public council Hussein Abu Hussein described
Israel as a "big monster that attacks us on a daily basis and nibbles
through our flesh… we all feel like crushing its head, but just talking
will not help, therefore everyone has a role. Atef Abu a-Rub has a role.
He is responsible for a flowing supply of "information" to describe
Israel as a monster.
How much Abu a-Rub's information is worth? According to him, the
mountains adjacent to the Jordan Valley used to be green until the Jews
came and stole the water beneath them. In addition those Jews "kill
dozens in their sleep and tell everyone it's because of the resistance".
But the Jews, he said, manage to hide their evil deeds because they
have a strong media. Yes, that is the man's opinions and the world is
fed with B'Tselem "researches".
This diabolic propaganda is fascinating, because it succeeds in
turning the tables. Holocaust surviving Jews become part of Hamas'
propaganda mechanism that wishes to continue the work of those who were
engaging in extermination of the Jewish people. Abu a-Rub and other
"human rights" activists like him, succeed in creating one of the
biggest scams of recent decades.
On one side stands a terror organization, who is also recognized as
such by the EU and most of the Western powers, and declares regularly,
in the most explicit manner, that its main goal is to annihilate the
Jewish people. Since the Nazi regime there hasn't been such a strong
body, almost a country, with such a diabolical ideology. On the other
side stands Israel who withdrew from the Gaza Strip and begs this reign
of terror to renounce terror and choose prosperity.
But the good Jews, the "Tikkun Olam" followers have really
turned a corner. There is no doubt that Abu a-Rub and the likes of him
have achieved an amazing success. The responsibility of most of it is
his employers; B'Tselem's board which Hussein Abu Hussein is one of its
members.
Amos Oz and A. B. Yehoshua, who are also sit in B'Tselem board,
have completely different opinions, but them sitting there gives
legitimacy to Abu a-Rub and Abu Hussein's radical views. They are having
a hard time admitting that their organization is not dealing with human
rights, but encourage anti-Semitism; it's not about criticizing
Israel's actions or about healing the world, it's about Jewish support
of fabricated blood libels meant to assist Hamas.
Abu a-Rub's story is taken from a fascinating book called "Catch
the Jew" by Tuvia Tennenbaum. Tennenbaum, a former Israeli, wrote the
book to a German publishing house following a similar journey through
Germany, which was depicted in his book "I Sleep in Hitler's Room" Where
Tuvia posed as a German reporter and toured the realm of the "human
rights kingdom". The results were terrifying.
Tennebaum is a figurative character with figurative writing.
Initially, I thought he was exaggerating, but I was worng. Tennebaum
wasn't only writing, he also documented everything via photos and
recorders. Tennebaum asked from B'Tselem a tour in the territories and
B'tselem sent Atef Abu a-Rub who, off course, told him his 1001 Arabian
Nights tales about the Jews' wrong doings.
It's important to mention that Abu a-Rub also contributes to
Gideon Levy's research, so next time someone is reading this research
they should know that perhaps, occasionally, they point out to things
that needs fixing, but mainly they prove that this is a satanic
propaganda mechanism; it is not clear whether B'Tselem and Levy planned
it that way, but they sure serve as key players in it.
Reporter poses as German, produces video proof of 'Palestinian' and leftist Holocaust deniers
Journalist Tuvia Tenenbaum is known throughout the 'Palestinian Authority' as 'Toby.' The 'Palestinians' and the Leftist internationals were convinced that Toby really was a German and they shared their real views with him.
The video below is Hebrew only - I'm hoping to get an English subtitled version within a couple of days. But I am translating the article from Israel's Channel 2's website into English for all of you. First the video, then the article.
Let's go to the videotape.
And the translation of the article, which summarizes the video.
"The Europeans aren't really familiar with the Middle East dispute and they did not do an investigation. They are coming out of every hole here. They don't want to help, but rather to catch the Jew doing something bad. It comes from hatred," claims Tuvia Tenenbaum. "I didn't lie in this case when I presented myself as a German journalist - I wanted to know what these people think. Even if there had been a conspiracy and it had been the only way to expose the truth, I would have done it, he added.
From the beginning, "Toby" joined a group of young Italians who learned about the dispute in Schchem (Nablus) and in Israel, with funding from the European Union. But the Israeli guide, Itamar Shapira - the brother of the pilot Jonathan Shapira who refused orders and became an extreme Leftist activist - presented himself to the group as "former Jew" and said harsh things against Israel.
During a tour of Yad Vashem, Shapira chose to focus specifically on stories of the massacre at Dir Yassin [the Jenin lie of the 1948 War of Independence. CiJ] and told the young Italians that it's necessary to impose a boycott and sanctions on Israel because "we have to stop an additional Holocaust." Shapira was fired in the past from Yad Vashem after he compared the Holocaust to the Naqba [the Palestinian characterization of the creation of the State of Israel as a catastrophe. CiJ], but today he leads private groups there.
The Palestinian guide who accompanied the group was Ataf Abu Rob, a Palestinian journalist and investigator for B'Tselem who is responsible for several stories published by the [extreme Leftist Haaretz] journalist Gideon Levy. Abu Rob told "Toby" that the Holocaust is "a lie. I don't believe it."
The senior Fatah commander Jibril Rajob also opened his door after he heard about the book that "Toby" planned to publish and told him: "Israel is racist and fascist, it will be isolated like South Africa." Rajoub's close confidantes whispered to Tenenbaum "We are all German, but the only problem is that that we know that General Rommel did not succeed in coming here."
Tenenbaum's book Catch the Jew will be published this week, and he will then not be accepted as a prodigal son in the Palestinian Authority once his cover is blown.
Yad Vashem reacted: "Yad Vashem is careful that the subject of the Holocaust will be presented in detachment from any political agenda. Itamar Shapira was employed in the past as a guide in Yad Vashem and was not careful about these norms, and therefore it was decided about five years ago to terminate him [after he had worked there for three and a half years! CiJ]. Today, we allow outside guides, but we are considering changing this policy."
From B'Tselem the following reaction was received: "B'Tselem condemns any expression of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. The matter will be clarified with the investigator with the full necessary seriousness." Journalist Gideon Levy added: "I traveled to the territories a number of times over the course of the years with Atef Abu Rob. I never conducted political discussions with him and I am not aware of his views. I very much hope that Holocaust denial is not one of them.
Anyone still want to argue that anti-Zionism isn't anti-Semitism? Think about that, Leftist American and European Jews.
He's not very funny, is he? You don't think he has a personal thing about Israel, do you? Maybe he's ashamed of his own heritage.... In case you didn't notice this post's title, his real last name is Liebowitz.
J Street prays for the safe and quick return of the three Israeli teenagers missing since Thursday in the West Bank.
We hope that security forces are able to locate them and bring them home safely and quickly.
While the security forces do their work and try to find them, our
thoughts are with the students, and our hearts go out to their family
and friends.
Missing? Well, yeah, they're missing alright. Maybe they just fell asleep on a bus and no one has started that bus since then.... Oh, wait.... They called a police station and said they were being kidnapped, and the IDF is looking all over Judea for them. So maybe they were kidnapped.... But don't expect J Street to admit that, let alone admit who kidnapped the boys.
But most telling about this post is that two days later, it's only been shared eight times on Facebook and once on Twitter. Even my posts get shared more than that.
Pro-Israel? You gotta be kidding.
The image is one of many of the 'Palestinians' celebrating the kidnapping posted by Aussie Dave here.
US chief Middle East negotiatorbottle washer Martin Indyk went on a 30-minute anti-Israel rant at a Washington bar on Thursday night just before meeting with former Defense Minister and Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Indyk—who has been identified by the Washington Free Beacon as the source of a recent series of anonymous quotes in the press condemning Israel—was caught openly lashing out at Israel over drinks with several members of his staff and wife, Gahl Burt.
The conversation took place in the hotel bar at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday night, shortly after Indyk finished delivering remarks at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s (WINEP) annual gala.
While Indyk was critical of Israel in his public remarks, he and his staff are said to have let loose on the Jewish state over drinks before Indyk was scheduled to meet with former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
“The tone was nasty,” according to the source who overheard the conversation.
Indyk and his staff “openly blamed” conservative Israeli politician Naftali Bennett and others for “sabotaging the [peace] negotiations” by issuing permits for new Israeli housing blocks in Jerusalem.
“In the 30 minute conversation, no one at the table mentioned a single wrong thing the Palestinians had done,” according to the source who overheard the conversation. “There was no self-criticism whatsoever.”
Indyk’s staff also weighed in on the peace process, saying that while the press may believe that peace negotiations broke down over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ unilateral bid for statehood at the United Nations, “they knew the truth and that [talks had broken down] way before that due to settlements,” according to the source.
“The staff relished how critical Indyk was of Israel in public speech,” the source said. “They laughed about it.”
Indyk also took aim at WINEP executive director Rob Satloff, who had moderated a question-and-answer session with Indyk earlier in the evening.
Indyk “was incredulous” that Satloff had offered an alternate explanation of the settlement issue, one that applied less blame to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Indyk told his crew that Satloff’s explanation “was just false” and that no one he knows believes it.
The conversation then turned to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, according to the source, who additionally provided a hand-drawn map of the bar area pinpointing Indyk’s location.
Indyk did not respond to emails requesting comments, and the State Department is denying that the conversation took place. But there are far too many details in this story.
If you want to get an idea of the kind of visceral hatred for Israel that exists in the American national security establishment, have a look at this piece in Politico from Zbigniew
Brzezinski, Frank Carlucci, Lee Hamilton, Carla A. Hills, Thomas Pickering and Henry
Siegman (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News). With the exception of Siegman, who is just another self-hating Jew, and Hamilton, who is a former Congressman, the rest are all former Secretaries of State and/or National Security Advisers. The word 'terror' doesn't appear in this piece. To give you a flavor, this is how they dismiss Israel's security concerns:
The United States has allowed the impression that it
supports a version of Israel’s security that entails Israeli control of
all of Palestine’s borders and part of its territory, including the
Jordan Valley. Many former heads of Israel’s top intelligence agencies,
surely among the best informed in the country about the country’s
security needs, have rejected this version of Israel’s security. Meir
Dagan, a former head of the Mossad, dismissed it as “nothing more than
manipulation.”
Israel’s confiscation of what
international law has clearly established as others’ territory
diminishes its security. Illegal West Bank land grabs only add to the
Palestinian and the larger Arab sense of injustice that Israel’s
half-century-long occupation has already generated, and fuels a
revanchismthat sooner or later will trigger renewed violence. No
Palestinian leader could or would ever agree to a peace accord that
entails turning over the Jordan Valley to Israeli control, either
permanently or for an extended period of time, thus precluding a peace
accord that would end Israel’s occupation. The marginal improvement in
Israel’s security provided by these expansive Israeli demands can hardly
justify the permanent subjugation and disenfranchisement of a people to
which Israel refuses to grant citizenship in the Jewish state.
Here's a very different perspective on Israel's national security.
Although Palestinians have conceded fully half of the territory assigned
to them in the U.N.’s Partition Plan of 1947, a move Israel’s
president, Shimon Peres, has hailed as unprecedented, they are not
demanding a single square foot of Israeli territory beyond the June 6,
1967, line.
Remind me please which side rejected the 1947 partition plan? Why should they have any right to even mention it now? June 6 line? I thought the war broke out on June 5 and we usually talk about the June 4 line. And as to 'Palestinian' demands on that territory, you can bet they will come right after a 'treaty' is signed.
Do you still wonder why America's foreign policy establishment hates us even though the American people love us?
"In the Palestinian Authority, whose leadership presents itself as
one that is striving to reach an agreement with us, the brutal,
insufferable incitement against the State of Israel and the Jewish
people continues," Ya'alon said.
"This incitement is manifest in
the education system and the media, where the hatred and poison ought to
be an affront to any human," he said. "It is creating another
generation of Palestinian children who are taught to look at the
expulsion and destruction of the Jews as a realistic possibility instead
of educating them toward a culture of peace and co-existence alongside
Israel."
Given that for the last 20 years, we have continued to trip over each other in efforts to give them land and a reichlet, why shouldn't they see our destruction as a realistic possibility? For that matter, if we continue in the direction that our Prime Minister is following at the behest of Obama and Kerry, the destruction of the Jews - at least in Israel - IS a realistic possibility, God forbid.
Seven and a half years ago, people who wanted to do things like this were kicked off Birthright. Now, we're paying for it. Something is seriously wrong with our government and with our self-image.
In Berkeley (where else?), they held Helen Thomas Day on Sunday.
And some unconfirmed facts about the sponsor, the 'Middle East Children's Alliance' (from a friend in the area):
While
Middle East Children’s Alliance is marginal, it is Jewish led (of
course!) by one Barbara Lubin. It raises some $4 million per year to
disburse to “children’s charities” in the Middle East, meaning mostly
Gaza. None of the money goes to Middle Eastern children who happen to
be Jewish and live in the Jewish state. MECA (an apt acronym) is one of
the Bay Area’s most active anti-Israel NGOs, having served as the
fiscal sponsor for the ISM, and I believe also the JVP.
It's been a while since I've written about Peter Beinart, but he's back in the news again.
Beinart has attacked Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, the leading Democratic candidate to replace Frank Lautenberg as a US Senator from New Jersey. This particular internecine Democratic dispute shows Beinart's obsession with bashing Israel: He attacks Booker for his associations with the Chabad movement. Beinart bashes Chabad for being 'deeply, primitively racist.' That's a ridiculous charge, as Dovid Efune explains.
I wonder what the many Asian victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
who were the benefactors of Chabad’s color blind relief effort, would
have to say about Beinart’s assessment. “When it comes to the aid, we
have seen no lines in who we assist,” Yosef Zaklos, a Chabad rabbi
involved in the relief efforts, told the Jerusalem Post at the time, “Just the other day, we gave aid to a Muslim family. It’s not Jewish-oriented aid, it’s humanitarian aid.”
Perhaps another point of call for Mr. Beinart in his efforts to
research Chabad should have been the members of the largely African
American community whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in
2005. “One of those rescued from New Orleans put it this way: In the
days after Katrina hit, Chabad saved lives,” said President George W. Bush, singling out Chabad for praise.
Victims of Hurricane Sandy,the Japanese earthquake of 2011,the recent Oklahoma tornadoes
and numerous other crises will tell you the same story. Perhaps Mr.
Beinart, before trumpeting your wholesale slander of one of the most
active and powerful Jewish humanitarian organizations the world has ever
seen, you will provide one, just one example of an act of racial
prejudice that has been perpetrated in the name of Chabad’s ideology.
But Beinart's real bone of contention with Chabad is the fact that its most recent Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson zt"l, was a staunch opponent of giving land in Israel to the 'Palestinian' Arabs. Efune says that Beinart's wrong about that too.
But if Beinart actually made an effort to research Chabad’s position
on the creation of a Palestinian Arab state he would come to understand
that it is rooted in the ultimate justice: the preservation of human
life.
“The only subject matter under discussion –at any rate, from my
treatment of it – is the purely Halachic (Jewish legal) subject of the
preservation of life as it affects the question of returning any part of
the liberated areas,” wrote the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem
Schneerson, in correspondence with the late former Commonwealth Chief
Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits on the matter, between 1980 and 1982. “Now in
regard to the liberated areas, all military experts both Jewish and
non-Jewish agree that in the present situation giving up any part of
them would create serious security dangers,” he explained.
Perhaps Beinart can explain why Palestinian Arab nationalism is so
important a goal in his eyes that he does not even consider the concerns
held by Chabad to be worthy of consideration.
Perhaps to Beinart, the preservation of human life isn't justified when the human lives in question are Jewish lives. Why Beinart has any credibility or influence in the Jewish community is simply beyond me. He's nothing but a self-hating Jew.
The video is a response to Rabbi Michael White and Rabbi Jerome
Davidson's article in the Jewish Week called Hate Speech Has No Place in
a Synagogue dated Tue, 04/09/2013, which led the cancellation of a
speech by Pamela Geller. This is also a message to her critics and those
critical of her message.
They blocked Pamela Geller of Atlas
Shrugs website by saying that her anti-Jihad ads are hate speech and a
hate crime, but are they? Or is she just telling the truth about Jihad
and terrorism.
Geller's adverts don't target Muslims but targets
Jihadists who attack Israel, Buddhists, Christians, atheists, Hindus,
and other groups. Most of her ads are in response to anti-Israel ads
that call for the unfunding of Israel and making false claims against
the only Jewish nation state in the word.
Are Rabbi Michael White and Rabbi Jerome Davidson ignorant of what the Quran says about Jews, Christians and others, like this;
Qur'an 3:32—Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.
Qur'an 5:51—O
you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends;
they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a
friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the
unjust people.
Qur'an 9:29—Fight
those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that
forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor
acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book,
until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves
subdued.
Qur'an 9:30—And
the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The
Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they
imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy
them; how they are turned away!
Qur'an 9:73—O Prophet! strive
hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to
them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.
Qur'an
9:111—Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their
property for this, that they shall have the garden; they fight in
Allah's way, so they slay and are slain; a promise which is binding on
Him in the Taurat and the Injeel and the Quran; and who is more faithful
to his covenant than Allah? Rejoice therefore in the pledge which you
have made; and that is the mighty achievement.
Qur'an 9:123—O
you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and
let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who
guard (against evil).
Qur'an 47:35—Be
not weary and fainthearted, crying for peace, when ye should be
uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for
your (good) deeds.
Qur'an 48:29—Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.
Qur'an
98:6—Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islam, the Qur'an
and Prophet Muhammad) from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and
Christians) and Al-Mushrikun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are
the worst of creatures.
Sahih Muslim 33—It has been narrated on
the authority of Abdullah b. Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: I
have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there
is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they
establish prayer, and pay Zakat and if they do it, their blood and
property are guaranteed protection on my behalf except when justified by
law, and their affairs rest with Allah.
Sahih Muslim 4366—It
has been narrated by 'Umar b. al-Khattab that he heard the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) say: I will expel the Jews and Christians
from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim.
Al-Bukhari,
Al-Adab al-Mufrad 1103—Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not give the People of the
Book the greeting first. Force them to the narrowest part of the road."
Sahih
al-Bukhari, Ch. 88—Narrated Ibn Umar that the Prophet said, "My
livelihood is under the shade of my spear, and he who disobeys my orders
will be humiliated by paying Jizya."
Are White and Davidson like
the old Nazsi judenrats who sided against their own Jewish and Israeli
people hoping that nothing will happen to them...or are they just stupid
and ignorant about what Islam teaches and says about Jews and the
Jewish people, not only Jewish people but all other people, like Hindu,
Buddhist, atheist, Christian people? Are White, Davidson and their ilk
the new Judenräte?
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
