Does The American Right Know Where It's Going?

I see too many confusing rhetoric and statements coming from the American Right, davka rather similar to the anti-Israel Antisemitic ideology of the international Left. Then I thought a bit more about it when listening to the JNS interview with Natan Sharansky.

Socialism/communism began well over a hundred years ago, and they did something extremely clever. They embedded themselves in universities large and small all over the world, and the fruits of this invasion have been very successful for them and dangerous as we're seeing. I don't know if there's a country that doesn't have socialist/communist/progressive Left on their faculty plus their books in their libraries and on their "required reading" lists, from elementary schools to the most elite universities. And even worse, there's no label identifying their ideology, because their ideas have become mainstream. 

People who don't agree aren't accepted, aren't promoted. They just don't fit in. As I've been saying for years, Liberals aren't liberal. I guess the source of that reality for me was when I was a high school student in Great Neck, New York. This was in the mid '60s when being Left and Liberal was the thing for the academics, especially the upwardly mobile Jews, like my peers. One day I overheard some fellow students talking. One said to the others:

"All the nonconformists have green bookbags."

To me that made no sense. As I understood the word "nonconformist," it meant an individualist, unlike others, who thought for themselves and didn't wear a uniform of any sort. 

To be honest, I was one of the few actual nonconformists, having chosen paths different from others. And even among those who chose similar paths to my new one, Torah True Judaism and Zionism, we found different ways to do it and even dress.

Now just to throw out a few ideas on why both Right and Left are embracing antisemitic and anti-Israel policies... The extreme on both sides demand an unthinking loyalty from their followers. They feel threatened by anyone who thinks for themselves, like a 1960's "nonconformist" who carries books in a briefcase or backpack instead of the uniform green bookbag. 

Jewish survival over the millennium is a "dangerous" slap in the face to classical Christianity, which markets itself as the "new testament," newly revised religion by their version of the Jewish god. The indisputable fact that Judaism has survived over two thousand years after the invention of Christianity goes against the very basic principle of Christianity. There may be just a few million of us Jews, but that makes Christian theologians terrified. Our survival and the rebirth of the Jewish State poke dangerous holes in their legitimacy. 

Some Christians, instead of attacking Judaism for this. have admitted the false premise of their original religion and either become Noahides or even convert to Torah Judaism. 

Back to my original question, there are two dangerous groups in the American Right. One is those educated by "undercover" socialist/communists, who may not even admit to that label. To them, the principles are proper and common sense. Think of who is making up the curriculum and writing the text books. Two are the Christian theologians and leaders, no matter, which type of Christianity, who consider the survival of Judaism a threat to their own theological legitimacy. 

You may not have heard these reasons before... that wouldn't surprise me. What do you think?

There are some interesting things said by Natan Sharansky in this JNS video 

The Tower of Babel and "The Twilight Zone." Parshat Noah

This past Shabbat's Torah Portion of the Week was Noach, or Noah. There are lots of topics in this Parsha, the flood, rainbow, Tower of Babel, antecedents of Abraham and Sarah and more. At our "Parshat Shavua Group," led by a neighbor, we discussed the sin that angered Gd in the "Tower of Babel" story.

In all honesty, I can't quite remember all the details, since my mind kept exploding with inspiration and ideas as she and others spoke. She read from an article that the late Rav Neria had written about it in which he mentioned the difference between  אחדות ואחידות, achdut viachidut, unity and uniformity. Unity is good, but uniformity אחידות achidut isn't. In both Hebrew and English both words seem almost the same. They are from the same linguistic roots meaning "one."

I was warned not to get into politics. You must know that a mantra of mine in recent years is:

Liberals aren't liberal.

We see this all over the world. Those who ascribe to the Liberal philosophies are horrendously intolerant. Socialism evolved into Communism which ran countries with very tight fists and forbade religions. And today Leftist leaning universities, politicians etc call those who disagree with their philosophies and leaders "wrong" rather than respecting the rights of others to other opinions.

When I was still a rather impressionable youngster, I'd watch the iconic and legendary television show The Twilight Zone. One episode has stayed strongly rooted in my mind for over half a century. It was set in the "future." This was a very regimented time, when even home libraries were limited to "approved books only." And not only were books censured, but people had to dress and look in the required way. At a certain age everyone was to choose a certain face from a catalog and submit to surgery. The episode told of a family of rebels which had forbidden books, and their daughter refused to submit to the surgery. They refused to conform to the uniformity of society. Finally the authorities seized the daughter, brought her to the hospital and operated. As I remember it we were shown her reactions as the bandages are being removed. She looks in the mirror for the first time at her new face:

"Oh, how pretty I look." She said sounding amazed and pleased. Then she looked at the woman who was holding the mirror for her and continued. "And best of all, I look just like you."

Light faded; the show ended. I'll never forget it. When they gave her the uniform catalog face, they also changed her brain, her independent mind implanting something to make her a complete law-abiding conformist.

Gd created us humans with Free Will, even though it meant that not all humans would follow Gd's laws. We're challenged by Gd to overcome our Evil Inclinations, which tempt us to conform to human philosophies and ideologies, rather than Gd's laws.

We're supposed to be united under Gd, for Gd and help others. The Sin of the Tower of Babel was that they made their own language, laws and morality. By creating a new language and building a tower they considered godly, they rejected Gd as Supreme Being and Commander.

We must unite under Gd not unify to defy Gd.

In Matan we learn as one, unified, united but not in a uniform. No uniformity

Today's Anti-Semitism is Coming From the Left

In this modern world political labels and intolerance are nothing like they once were. As I've written many times, Liberals are not at all liberal in the true meaning of the word.

lib·er·alˈlib(ə)rəl/
adjective1.
open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.
"they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people"

2.
(of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.

synonyms:

wide-ranging, broad-based, general "a liberal education"

1. • 
     
   • 
     
   • 
     

There is a total lack of flexibility and a rigid worship of the latest in Liberal dogma/, which they consider the early 21st Century utopian ideology. Many of these dogmas, including Palestine replacing Israel, rejection of standard religious belief/practice, many of which are in John Lennon's iconic "Imagine." And if one dares to question the logic or historic fact in any of these principles or leaders, one is condemned as racist, fascist and even, most ironically, antisemitic.

If you want to hear anti-semitic rhetoric in an American political party, listen to what the Democrats are saying. Remember that Keith Ellison lost the chairmanship by a hair and was compensated by Perez who... "offered the newly created position of 'deputy chair' to Ellison, which Ellison accepted." (theintercept.com)

The non-Traditional, anti-Torah values Jews of J Street are held as the epitome of Jewish tradition, values and pro-Israel policy.

The international media and academia promote their philosophy and muzzle any who dare to disagree.

PA depicts a world without Israel
The Palestinian Authority makes no attempt to educate its people towards peace and coexistence with Israel. On the contrary, from every possible platform it repeatedly rejects Israel's right to exist, presents the conflict as a religious battle for Islam, depicts the establishment of Israel as an act of imperialism, and perpetuates a picture of the Middle East, both verbally and visually, in which Israel does not exist at all. Israel's destruction is said to be both inevitable and a Palestinian obligation. (PMW)

Here in Israel we keep on hearing that the Arab terrorists are "just like us," and everything will be humdinging fine "when they get a state." The fact that they celebrate terrorism, even when it includes the death of their own terrorist family members, is ignored, because it doesn't fit their ideology. And of course the lack of peace here in this tiny part of the world is blamed on Israeli intransigence and the "settlements."

Please don't forget that support for a Palestinian state and blaming Israel for the lack of peace are mainstays of Leftist ideology. It is davka the Right, the so-called "conservatives" who understand Israel's dilemma and security needs. We do have a religious problem with many Right wing Christians who would like to convert us, but they aren't pro-Arab like the Left wing is.

I hope I'm not preaching to the converted here and that those who consider themselves pro-Israel and pro-Jews, good Jews and "liberals" will read this and think a bit. Please be truly liberal and not dogmatically Liberal.

Trump Should be Cheered by AIPAC!

Donald Trump. (photo credit:REUTERS)

As a long time American olah, immigrant in Israel, I just don't get the point behind the planned protests during Republican front-runner Donald Trump's appearance at AIPAC.

• First of all, it's rude and immature
• Second, it's a sign of closed-mindedness, Liberal not liberal...
• Third, it's a chillul Hashem, makes Jews look bad
• Trump's policy/statement about Israel is the most honest and sensible of all the candidates and top American officeholders I've ever heard!

Everyone knows that Trump's speaking style is to exaggerate and speak in headline grabbing ways. When it comes to his policies, they aren't what the headlines reported. 

And everyone knows that politicians lie and promise pretty much anything if they think it will give them more votes. When they finally get into office, they rarely keep their campaign promises. So I don't think that anyone should get so concerned about the Archie Bunker style talk. It's no more real than all those United States Presidents who had promised to support moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. 

The only topic Donald Trump has been rather quiet about has been Israel and the Middle East. He has admitted that the more facts he hears it's not easy to decide what he thinks. Trump hasn't repeated the usual mantras that make American Jews feel "loved." Considering that they are just "mantras," slogans --LIES-- that produce cheering crowds and not real policy, BIG DEAL. Why should American Jews keep on believing the same lies over and over again? 

Maybe if Trump is elected he'd spend more time on America's problems and keep out of my neighborhood. That would be nice. Because one thing for sure, whether Hillary or Bernie, it would be very bad news for the State of Israel!

A Popular Free Newspaper, What's the Problem?

Typical Left Wing Hypocrisy, Quashing Opposing Opinions

For many of us, the closing down of the arutz 7 radio station was a blow to democracy, freedom and true liberal life in Israel.

The Israeli Left claims to be "liberal," but they're not. They are strict ideologues totally intolerant of other opinions.

One of the reasons I always refer to the political Liberals as Liberals with a capital "L," is because their ideology is a fanatic, close-minded religion. It bears absolutely no resemblance to the dictionary meaning of the word "liberal."

lib·er·al

ˈlib(ə)rəl/

adjective

1. 1.

   open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

   "they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people"
2. 2.

   (of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.

   synonyms:

   wide-ranging, broad-based, general "a liberal education"

The followers of Liberalism are basically messianics who consider themselves as having all of the answers to the world' problems and are highly critical of all other opinions.

In the twentieth century, a viewpoint or ideology associated with free political institutions and religious toleration, as well as support for a strong role of government in regulating capitalism and constructing the welfare state.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition

Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

They tend to be as close/narrow-minded as is humanly possible, because accepting the legitimacy of other opinions means that their Liberalism is a faulty god. In Israel, the political Leftists claim to be Liberal.

Today's rant is because deja vu the Leftists are at it again. This time, and remember that the Likud was also in power when Arutz 7 Radio was declared illegal, the Leftist Knesset is after Israel Hayom, a very popular free newspaper which is printed in Hebrew and online in both English and Hebrew.

Israeli print newspapers, like most (or all) commercial print newspapers in the world, including the most prestigious, like the New York Times, have been suffering financially, because fewer and fewer people read paper newspapers. I'm constantly getting email offers to sign up for full email editions of various newspapers. Nowadays very few are totally free even on the internet. The Jerusalem Post, for instance, has some articles free and others in their pay for "Premium." The NYT limits the amount of articles a non-subscriber can see.

The concept of free newspapers isn't new, and it's actually the most profitable in many cases. This was explained to me and a friend many years ago by the legendary "renaissance man," David Bar Illan, then Editor in Chief of the Jerusalem Post, whom we consulted with when we dreamt of starting a paper promoting the Israeli Right, pro-Land of Israel for Jews etc. This was after Counterpoint closed down. I got my writing start in Counterpoint, for which I wrote my humorous "Baile Rochel" column, which got me the moniker of "the Israeli Erma Bombeck."

Bar Illan explained that a publication got advertising by proving its circulation numbers. If a paper or magazine is dependent totally on subscriptions and sales, it's very hard to inflate these numbers to attract advertisers. And it's the money the advertisers pay that supports the publication, not the subscribers and sales.

After that talk with Bar Illan I developed a respect for the free newspapers/publications. 

Now, what has really been bothering the Israeli Leftists about the free Israel Hayom? They don't like its popularity. They don't like that the papers are grabbed from their distribution points all over the country. They don't like the fact that the writers are from the Right and are writers who aren't accepted by the old Left wing papers.

They claim that it's  not fair and that the free papers take away customers from the paid papers.

That's capitalism. That's freedom. Maybe if the Leftist papers offered articles and writers that people want to read, they'd have more people willing to buy their publications.

One of the reasons I blog, actually the main reason, is that I realized that I'd never get a regular paid column in the Jerusalem Post, which is the only English language newspaper in Israel.

I highly doubt if the Israeli public, Left, Right and Center agree with the MKs who support the tailor-made law to stop Israel Hayom. But obviously public opinion isn't the criteria for the MKs' vote.

Check out Israel Hayom, and find out more of the story.

10 reasons to reject anti-Israel Hayom bill

Pure Racism is Arab Terrorism Against Jews and All Other Forms of Antisemitism

Evyatar Borovsky, 31, was laid to rest Tuesday evening, Arutz 7

 

 

Another innocent Jew was murdered today by an Arab terrorist.  Nu, is the world up in arms against those Arabs?  No, I haven't heard anything.

• I just checked CNN, nada, nothing
• BBC did mention the terror attack but also made a point of mentioning that "nine Palestinians have been killed in various incidents with Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of this year," and the victim lived in a "settlement." And "settlements are considered illegal under international law..."
• Nothing about the terror attack in The New York Times, but it did have this headline, Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Kills 1 Palestinian, and it also mentioned the Israeli President Shimon Peres met with the new Pope and asked him to help the so called "peace" sic process.

I'm dreading to hear what gifts and promises Peres make to the Pope.  The Vatican has been angling for parts of Mount Zion, which we shouldn't give away. The Vatican already owns/controls too much land here, and there is no reason for the Israeli Government to evict The Diaspora Yeshiva which has been there for over forty years.

I'm also disgusted with the fact that Tsipi Livni has been entrusted with negotiations with our enemies.  Read Ruthie Blum's latest Israel Hayom article about that.

And I don't like the fact that NRP-Bayit Yehudi's Naftali Bennett is promoting a referendum on whatever agreement Tsipi wants to sign. I don't want any negotiations at all.  There's nothing to negotiate.

This morning's terror attack, like all of the Arab terror attacks against Jews, is an act of violent racism, pure and simple. There is no other way to describe it.  Killing a person just because of his religion/nationality is a form of racism for sure, and I honestly don't understand why people ignore that simple fact.  So, all those Leftists aka Liberals should be against Arab terror attacks which target Jews.