Strange Bed Fellows

Be careful of judging people by their manner of dress, or accent. Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper's editor, the bearded and kippah-wearing David Landau is a case in point.

He used crude, graphically sexual language to describe what would" turn him on" to the US's Secretary of State, Condeleezza Rice. No, he wasn't "hitting on her." He was explaining what he thought the United States should do to the State of Israel. He said that Israel needed to "be raped."

“I did say that in general, Israel wants to be raped - I did use that word -— by the U.S., and I myself have long felt Israel needed more vigorous U.S. intervention in the affairs of the Middle East.”Landau, often outspoken in his views, is a bit of an anomaly in Israeli society in that he is a native Brit editing Israel’s oldest newspaper and an observant Jew (and former yeshiva student) with decidedly left-wing views.

He told The Jewish Week that the context of his remarks was that each of the dinner attendees spoke of Israel’s challenges, and when it was his turn he pointed out that since 1967, Israel has failed to resolve its territorial conflicts with the Palestinians.“I told [Rice] that it had always been my wet dream to address the secretary of state” on these vital matters, he said. (complete article)

As you see, Landau's clarification is no better.

If you had ever wondered how an Anglo (native English-speaking immigrant), who considers himself religious, can be editor of the most Left wing Israeli newspaper, you have your answer. There must be some sort of schizophrenic-masochist syndrome to explain people like him. And, of course, there's no doubt that David Landau is the front-runner for Yid with Lid's Self-Hating Jew's Hall of Fame, in the Journalist Category.

Let us all pray that he and his fellow nominees, understand the errors of their ways and words, לחזור בתשובה repent and use their talents for the good of the Jewish People and not encourage and aid our enemies.