Yes, They are Addicts

Another Tack: They're no quitters
By SARAH HONIG

This is a totally brilliant article which compares Israel's "peaceniks" with smokers who can't break their habits, even though they know that it's probably killing them.

Unfortunately the picture illustrating it doesn't appear on the JPost internet site, but this is the caption:

Doctor in cigarette ad. As more and more political fortunes were invested in Osloite 'peace,' it became harder to kick the addiction.

Doctors and smoking remind me of once, 27 years ago, when I went for a check up while pregnant. It was "National No Smoking Day." I was horrified to see that the doctor was smoking. You shouldn't be surprised that I told him to stop and asked him how he could smoke in the clinic, especially on that day. Yes, things have changed in Israel. There was a time you couldn't go any place which wasn't filled with cigarette smoking.

Maybe, G-d willing, we can work the same miracle on the "peace addicts."

The Terrorist Repents

If you haven't read much about WALID SHOEBAT , then read this article.

Jeremy and Ari draw the lines

Posted by Ellen W. Horowitz

At the beginning of the week I posted a hardhitting update entitled “Riskin, the Rav and the Rebbe”.
I plan to meet with Rabbi Riskin after Pesach to discuss my concerns, so until I get some answers, I will refrain from online discussions of his activities with the Evangelical community.

However, in that post which was directed to Rabbi Riskin, I did refer to some statements made by Jeremy Gimpel during a lecture and an interview.

I used those excerpts, because I firmly believe that when our rabbinic leaders fail to draw or adhere to clear halachic lines, then our teachers can inadvertently fall out of line, or blur the lines.

Jeremy is an outstanding and respected teacher, but I felt uncomfortable with his presentation, because of what I deemed to be mixed messages.

Since that posting I have had some very good, thoughtful, sincere, and reflective correspondence with Jeremy. We discussed at length the statements in question, his intentions and direction, as well as any misunderstandings I may have had.

We agreed that these are awesome times and that drawing proper red lines in our alliances with Christian friends is indeed a very difficult test for the Jewish people.

Not only did Jeremy clear things up with me, but he and Ari Abramovitz went on the air on their A7 Wednesday radio show and laid down the law – the Jewish law - in no uncertain terms.

Listen to their show at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125855

Jeremy and Ari are very well-loved and respected and my comments were intended as a call to order and accountability, rather than an affront to their reputations. And I think we are all in agreement that regardless of the changing times, we Jews are obligated to hold our ground –spiritually and physically- and adhere to the following formula:

a) remain fiercely loyal to One G-d
b) keep the fences around the Torah intact
c) keep idolatry away from our people and the Land of Israel
d) educate by bringing close with the right hand and pushing away with the left
e) respecting and suspecting our Gentile friends

Shabbat Shalom.
Ellen

How One Sees Onesself

There's a very interesting TV show on IBA. It's totally Israeli in Hebrew, and I don't know if they got the idea from somewhere else.

They bring three artists to a famous/prominent person, the site of his/her choice, and they must paint/draw a portrait of the person. After that meeting, the artists finish the portrait in their studios from photographs taken at the session.

Then the finished portraits are later brought to a "gallery" and displayed to the subject, who gets to choose one to keep.

Last night the subject was MK Dr. Arieh Eldad, MD. He chose the setting to be his living room in his home in Kfar Adumim, which is in the southern part of the Jordan Valley, though I think the TV guy referred to it as "Midbar Yehuda," the Judean Desert. The Eldads have a balcony with the most dramatic view of a waadi, desert mountain cliff.

Eldad is generally ignored by Israel's media, since he's a proud right wing nationalist. During the prepainting session, he joked about it by saying that he hopes that the artists won't paint his "horns," alluding to the fact that Left wingers consider him a monster. His pleasant personality, talents and intelligence are probably whet frighten them the most. Finally they gave him a forum which brought out the best of him. Unfortunately, the show was broadcast at 11pm, when most people are going to bed, or using their TVs to watch movies.

The resulting paintings were all very different. Eldad described one as looking just like him today, which was painted by a female landscape painter. The second predicted what he'll look like in the future, and the third took him out of the comfortable chair he had posed in and used the dramatic waadi as background.

Most of us are vain and want to be seen in the most flattering lights possible. We would go for the first or third painting, but Arieh Eldad, one of the world's top plastic surgeon burn specialists, sees things very differently. He chose the second picture, the one that ages him with wisdom and experience.

His "postscript," the few words of politics they didn't edit out, was food for thought. He mentioned that the members of the Israeli right wing professors group consists mainly of scientists and mathematicians, not those in the humanities, and that's because "it's more logical to be right wing."

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach
Have a Happy and Blessed Shabbat

McCain, Too, Wants To Play G-d

Doesn't he understand that you can't negotiate force peace?

Israelis and Arabs aren't a bunch of kids bickering over a bicycle. It's not a matter of negotiating an agreement. The Arabs want us dead, destroyed, gone. They educate their youth, from the youngest age, to want to murder us.

Every single "peace" move has caused a deterioration in our security.

McCain doesn't understand it any better than Bush, Clinton (his and hers,) Carter, etc.

I pointed out that President Bush had waited until the end of his second term to get involved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. When would President McCain get involved?
"Immediately," he said. "And, as I said, I don't know how many trips I've made to Israel. I know all of the leadership well. I know the parameters that they're operating under, and I feel fully qualified to hit the ground running." (click for complete article)

Doesn't the United States have enough problems of its own? There's a serious recession; people are losing their homes to the bank. That should be the priority of any new American President. Take care of your own country and don't try to be some sort of "savior" where you can only do damage. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Dangerously Nuts

Just after reading this:

Israeli Intelligence Foils Terrorist Poison Plot in Ramat GanTwo PA Arab restaurant workers were convinced to become terrorists and poison their customers. Fortunately, Israeli intelligence agents found out.
More

I saw:

Barak Calls for More PA Arab Workers

Believe me! I am not making this up! Barak is supposed to be our Defense Minister. He's a "decorated war hero." Is there a screw loose someplace?

There is hardly a restaurant, hotel, or student cafeteria which doesn't have Arab workers. Many Jewish Israelis hire Arabs to repair, clean, build in their own homes. Is the financial savings worth the risk?

Others Are Noticing

I first saw this article in the International Herald Tribune:

60 Years After Israel’s Founding, Many Are Not in the Mood for a Party
By ISABEL KERSHNER
Many Israelis, disillusioned with their leadership, oppose a government plan to spend $28 million on the country’s Independence Day celebration....

Then I searched for it online. Click the title, and you can read the entire article.

I remember that in 1974, a half a year after the Yom Kippur War, there was talk in the media about not having anything to celebrate after such a difficult war. So many of our soldiers had been killed, since the enemy took us by surprise. My feeling then was that if we had been able to ask our friends, who had been killed, they would have said:

"Celebrate! We won. There's more to celebrate when you've won a difficult war, than after winning an easy one."

Now, my feeling is that we have to celebrate to stop the destruction of the country. We must celebrate our independence from the political maneuverings. We must show our true independence.

Olmert is planning an extravaganza, an expensive party for his friends, the media and foreigners who like to hobnob. Those parties with Barbra Streisand, George Bush and other celebrities should be cancelled. They are just a bunch of PR exercises to make Olmert look popular. They aren't celebrating 60 years of an independent Jewish State. The opposite. They are celebrating Israel's dependence on foreigners.

That's why the Israeli public isn't all enthused about our upcoming "Independence Day." It's so clear that the politicians are trying to G-d forbid dismantle the country, give away our Land to our enemies and kowtow to foreign rulers.

• I pray to celebrate new leadership and new direction in the State of Israel!
• I pray to celebrate the speedy retirement of the present government, every single one of them.

Just like we must rid our homes of the forbidden chametz, we must change the media, the government and the judicial here in the Land of Israel.

Rabbi Riskin responds, and so do I

Posted by Ellen W. Horowitz

I gotta start cleaning for Pesach, but this issue is also pressing :
Batya’s husband has posted a response by Rabbi Riskin to my posts at http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/2704

I also received that response from Rabbi Riskin, and Rabbi Riskin’s office has been very considerate in trying to arrange a time for me to discuss my concerns. In the meantime, below are Rabbi Riskin’s points, followed by my comments:

Rabbi Riskin: For the last five years I have been involved with some major evangelical groups on many different levels; never during those years was there any kind of missionary activity which they initiated, certainly not with me, but neither with any other Jews in Israel or the Diaspora.

My comment: I can understand that you have not been personally targeted by the groups that you work with, but how can you speak for “any other Jews in Israel or the Diaspora”? Would you be willing to name those various groups?
----

Rabbi Riskin: The Jewish people is facing an existential battle for our lives against Islamic Fundamentalism, which is fast taking over Europe and is slowly becoming more and more vocal and visible in the United States. This is the most critical threat facing us a people and facing the entire free world - and there are only less than thirteen million Jews against over a billion Moslems. And there are at least a billion and one half Christians

My comment: The few against the many is certainly nothing new for us Jews. It’s been that way since time immemorial. Why is the numbers game so important now? Is this “the last crusade” - a final epic battle between religions? It’s that apocalyptic and absolutist Christian fundamentalist reading of the map which may alienate so many would-be Zionist Jews from the Land of Israel camp (it may also be a factor in turning off many non-evangelicals who would otherwise take an intellectually moral stand with Israel). It feels strange to them. There is a critical global security threat for sure, and Israel stands on the brink of a, G-d forbid, nuclear confrontation. But if we inextricably fuse our security crisis in Israel to a greater global religious conflict, then we restrict our ability to act unilaterally as an independent nation under threat. Do we need to base our calculations along distorted religious lines –the vast majority of those Christians would not come to our aid, neither are they pro-Israel evangelicals. However in a serious crisis, those righteous Gentiles who take a truly moral stand with Israel – regardless of religious affiliation – will come to our aid. Shouldn't we be presenting our case in intelligent, grounded terms?
----

Rabbi Riskin: Yes, for close to 2,000 years the church has spewed anti Semitic hate and its only interest in the Jews was either to kill us or convert us. Open your eyes ! This is not the situation today ! The evangelical community in USA are the staunchest supporters of Israel and especially of settlement Israel, they believe in us and our right to be where we are. And if they believe that at the time of the resurrection we will convert to Christianity, I respect their right to that belief; I believe that in the Messianic age all the Christians will convert to Judaism, and I say this vocally. The Nature of our relationship is not eschatological theological debate.

My comment: Rabbi Riskin, I beg to differ with you, as the facts on the ground are telling a different story:
a) This month the World Evangelical Alliance launched a major campaign calling for renewed efforts at Jewish conversion. They took out full page ads the New York Times and other major newspapers. That organization claims 420 million evangelicals in 128 countries
http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news/view.htm?id=1733

b) Missionizing of Jews in Israel and abroad has reached epidemic proportions - and is having a devastating effect. The Jerusalem Institute of Justice claims 15,000 “messianic” Jews and 120 congregations in Israel (that’s up from 7000 in 2005)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3521856,00.html

c) Rabbis like Shmuley Boteach are being called upon to engage in public theological debate by evangelical institutions (granted Shmuley likes the PR, but still the fact that there are Jews being called to defend their faith through public debate with Christian clergy is disturbing and reminiscent of other tragic incidents in our history which started out as friendly interfaith discussions).
http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=59240&ATypeId=1

d) There are major Anti-Semitic accusations (blood libels? ) against the Orthodox community by the Baptist, Anglican, and Messianic evangelical churches. Without evidence, they are publicly accusing Orthodox Jews of attempting to murder a Pastor's family in Ariel. And Pat Robertson"s CBN News network which is directed by a member of Pastor Hagee's executive board is giving air time to libelous charges against the Jewish community.
http://www.netivyah.org/
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/344905.aspx

Sounds to me that we are in a state of “shmad” in Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora. I discussed this very issue with my rav last week. When asking him to define the term shmad –conversion, he said it actually means spiritual destruction, and then he gave me the following stunning example from Megillat Esther (7:4):

Esther refers to three types of destruction: "The Jews were sold to be destroyed, slain, and exterminated”. The first term, “destroyed”, relates to spiritual destruction. Esther puts spiritual destruction at the top of the list – before physical destruction.

So while some of us are busy counting the centrifuges in Iran, others are looking at the destruction taking place in within our borders. I think we need to have an awareness of the full picture – and unfortunately rampant missionary activity by evangelicals is a part of that picture.
-----
Rabbi Riskin: Rav Soloveitchik spoke to and lectured Christian theological groups . His first address on the Lonely Man of Faith was presented in a Catholic University in Boston (I believe it was St. Johns) He was against theological debate on religious issues in which we are not respected equals in the eyes of the Christians. So am I. However, I do not believe he would be against our relationship today on behalf of world peace and against Islamic Jihad.

My comment: So why is it that the majority of poskim refrain from interfaith prayer banquets, events, and debate in both Israel and America? What did the Rabbinical Council of America issue a statement in 2006 reaffirming the Rav’s psak on this matter? And why is it that the Chief Rabbinate uses this very psak in their ruling against Jewish participation in the Christian Feast of Tabernacles events in Jerusalem?

To be continued…

Blacks Against Obama

Watch and listen to this!


Hat tip Israpundit!

In the meantime, I guess that McCain can just campaign against Democrats of any stripe.

Meat or Not

One of the major dilemmas during years like this one, when Passover starts on Saturday night, is what to eat on the Shabbat immediately preceding Passover.

There are those who take the Shabbat song lyrics very seriously and always eat "bassar v'daggim," "meat and fish" on Shabbat. I take those words with a grain of salt, especially since I was an ova-lacto vegetarian for over twenty-five years.

There are a few things to take into consideration. One is that the morning meal with the last of the chametz (bread, challah, rolls, pita, bagels) must be eaten very early in the morning, and another is that there will be a festive meal with meat at night during the seder.

How much meat/poultry does one need to eat within 24 hours? How well can you digest it all early in the morning?

That early morning meal can be dairy on rolls, bagels, pittot, with lox, or spreads, served as a festive picnic. Then later in the day another festive meal on Pesach plates, either meat or fish but without any grain product can be eaten. Those who eat kitniyot can have kitniyot during that meal.

Before Shabbat is out, when one can still eat, then have some coffee and non-matzah meal cake or some macaroons. If you can have dairy, a nice fruit-yogurt "soup" would be a nourishing treat. Of course, that's after the nap, a luxury one doesn't always have when Passover is preceded by a weekday.

Thanks for Nothing, Rabbi Yoffie

Posted by Ellen W. Horowitz

This is in response to this article in the Jerusalem Post:
After their verbal sparring, Hagee and Yoffie may meet
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207649969594&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
------

You know, I spend my day and most of the night doing my very small part in trying to ensure Jewish spiritual integrity and physical continuity in Eretz Yisrael.

To the chagrin of some, most of my recent efforts have focused on the Israel-Evangelical alliance, where I have been trying to get my fellow Jews to take a more profound and critical look at that relationship and all that it entails.

I feel that our serious flirtation with a Judeo-Christian union is made of the same common commitments, values, and trust stuff that compelled us to walk arm in arm, with our American partners, down aisles which culminated in the disastrous Oslo and the Disengagement agreements – complete with all of those irreversible strings which came attached. The lessons to be learned are not necessarily strategic, tactical, or political in nature. They may be more ethical and religious in make-up, and I wonder if our failing grade in emotional and intellectual maturity as a nation also plays a role.

We cannot reap the benefits from any of our alliances if we cannot establish and hold by red lines. The reality on the ground in Israel today reflects our inability to keep our fences intact and assert ourselves as a unique and sovereign nation with exceptional obligations. And we are paying a high price for our inability to politely and firmly say "no".

And just when I think my efforts have the possibility of making a minor dent, along comes Reform leader Eric Yoffie. He and his comments are so irrelevant and detached as to cause any Jew, who cares about the integrity of the Land of Israel, to run blindly in the opposite direction – into the no-questions -asked, loving arms of Christian fundamentalists.

This is not a political or social/cultural issue. It is a Jewish/halachic one of the highest order. But an halachic system that builds fences around the Torah means nothing to the Reform “rabbi “. Maybe Yoffie’s “inner Jew” is genuinely uncomfortable with the apocalyptic mega-preacher - but Yoffie sure manages to come up with all the wrong reasons. And his inability to firmly grasp and grapple with the true Jewish issues at stake, results in a ridiculous floundering and skirting – and an eventual surrendering of all that really matters.

I was raised as a Reform Jew and appreciate the social consciousness that was instilled in me via that progressive and pro-active movement. My fierce commitment to Zionism also stems from that upbringing.

But Torah observance entered the picture, and I guess you can now best describe me as an uncompromising and committed “G-d fearing liberal”. Now I know that very combination would cause a man like Pastor John Hagee to plotz. But truth be told, there are far more menacing contemporary couplings like “Judeo-Christianity” or “Islamo-fascism”.

G-d fearing liberals really crave Jewish unity, and we feel a bit crippled without our “left” hand, but then again, we suspect that Jews like Rabbi Yoffie have lost their “right “mind.

It’s really very okay and extremely normal and healthy for a Jew to feel uncomfortable with the magnanimous gestures and powerful rhetoric of a fundamentalist Mega-Church leader who loves Israel and the Jewish people –and who acts as our spokesman - but who aspires to see Jesus sitting on the Temple Mount, ruling the world with a rod of iron.

But it’s downright pathological for a Jewish leader to reject his own people’s unrelenting aspirations and prayers to inherit a complete Eretz Yisrael and their longings for Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Third Temple .

Eric Yoffie has lost that part of himself. And until he finds it, he will be unable to address and define the crucial lines which separate us from the Christian fundamentalists. And he will lose in any confrontational or reconcilatory dialogue with John Hagee.

Yoffie – and all of us - will lose when he meets with Pastor Hagee, because while Yoffie - on a gut level - may still possess a natural Jewish aversion to that which is foreign and forbidden to us, he is incapable of expressing what’s in his Jewish heart. He is so alienated from his heritage and so immersed in political correctness, that he is loathe to say the fundamental truth.

Yoffie is simply not rabbi enough to explain to the Jewish people that what’s ultimately sacred for Pastor John Hagee is blasphemy for us. And we Jews do have significant irreconcilable spiritual differences with our evangelical allies, which is why we need to exercise extreme caution - and why Pastor Hagee cannot act as spokesman for the Jewish people.

So Yoffie best sit down, and the rest of us better hope and pray that an articulate, effective, proud, and Torah literate Jewish leader will stand up soon.