Letters to the Editor
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non-sectarianism and free speech
Nice article. It--especially the Air Force Academy anecdote-- makes me think about one Jewish leader (I forgot the name, back in 1996) saying that we're living in a predominanty Christian nation, so what if public prayers are Christian and December is filled with Christmas trees and creches? I agree. If I were living in Israel in the Christian minority, I wouldn't expect a non-Jewish prayer at a public event.
But proselytizing on either side is another matter. I think there should be regulations against proselytizing in any public venue except the church; it has no place at the Air Force Academy, whose business is to train fighters and fighter suppor. If those fighters/supporters want to proselytize, let them go to seminary.
Street-corner proselytizing is fine as long as it is not of a harassing nature (yelling, disturbing the peace, etc.). Handing out leaflets or setting up an information booth is fine. You only see right-wing Evangelists proselytizing so loudly; you never see this from Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, or Jews (or Catholics!)
I think trying to de-Christianise public prayer is too draconian. If there is to be any public prayer, then it should reflect the faith of the speaker, or what the speaker wants to say, unless it is of a harassing nature (e.g. "And Jesus, please save the Jews, who will burn in the eternal flames of Hell if they do not take up the cross and follow you"). If a Rabbi is called to give the only prayer at some event, that is fine. I fully expect to hear a Jewish prayer. But I can do without reference to the State of Israel, which is a political issue.
Bottom line: Keep it civil. Tolerate but don't legislate. And if any group can't play fair, you're gonna get some guidelines.
But we don't have to go all the way to prohibiting free speech in the name of POLITICAL correctness-- which is exactly what it is, on both sides.
Y'all play nice, now.
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Liberal Jews
It is ludicrous that Jews should care if Christians think we're all going to hell when the Apocalypse comes, if that's what it takes to protect Israel --- after all, Jews don't believe that's going to happen, so why even bother getting offended?
Abe Foxman, the Reform rabbi and other left-liberals like them are what gives Jews a bad name. As an orthodox Jewish woman I can honestly say that neither of them represents a single thing I practice or believe, and I have a lot more in common with the average Christian evangelical in terms of my political and social values.
"Reform" Jews who worship Marx and Michael Moore rather than G-d should definitely be worried about a backlash, because the majority of Americans think they --- and all of their political allies on the left --- are a danger to America's future. If you care about Israel you will keep quiet. The religious right is not about to go all Spanish Inquisition on us.
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regarding: Jews and the Christian right: Is the honeymoon over?
"Rabbi... Eckstein...predicts that Foxman's call for a united Jewish front is doomed to fail, since other Jewish leaders won't want to take on the religious right."
The other Salon article you reference, about Sharon and the end times eschatology(or looniness, if you prefer), points to the underlying reason that Eckstein is correct: American Jewry recognize the rabid anti-semitism just underneath the surface of certain Christian right-wingers who say they support Israel, even if that recognition is somewhat inchoate. The loony Christian right have to hate somebody, and as soon as they get bored hating Arabs they'll turn back to the Jews.
Jews allied with the nutso neocons are a little like battered wives sticking up for their husbands. They ask themselves, "what else are we going to do?"
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Judaism and Atheism
This is the price for making alliance with the far-right Christians. Jews share their ludicrous religious beliefs with Christians, but their outlook on the world has generally had more in common with liberal humanists and atheists. It makes me a little queasy therefore that some Jewish leaders still won't recognize the commonality between these groups. Humanists, atheists and Jews need eachother right now.
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Liberal Jews
Mr Yoffie is quoted "Being a liberal believer, he said, 'means believing that religion involves concern for the poor and the needy, and giving a fair shake to all. When people talk about God and yet ignore justice, it just feels downright wrong to us. When they cloak themselves in religion and forget mercy, it strikes us as blasphemy.' "
Ms. Montague says that as an orthodox Jewish woman, she has nothing in common with the liberals. How sad for orthodoxy.
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Israel and the secular (and christian) left
My bona fides: I am a contributor to the democratic party and have contributed to more than one democratic campaign, including John Kerry's and Al Gore's. I despise Republican leadership and all they stand for. I am not religious in any way whatsoever (though I also would not call myself an Atheist, that is not what this letter is about). I am of Irish descent, and as far as I know I have no Jewish ancestors.
Whew. Okay. Noam Chomsky has got to go. He is undoubtedly brilliant, well spoken, and a talented political writer. I happen to agree with him about nearly everything he says, with one big exception: the state of Israel.
The American Jews are in this predicament, and have an uneasy alliance with the religious right, because liberals favor a thugocracy (in the form of the Palestinian Authority), over a democracy (in the form of the state of Israel), in the misguided belief that the Israelis are oppressive bullies, and Palestinians are oppressed innocents.
Surely, Israel has, and has had, its failings. I could write a very detailed article about the history of the region. Unfortunately there is not space for that here, so let me outline some key points, and those with an open mind may do their own reading and see for themselves that I speak the truth.
The Palestinians have been waging an illegal war with Israel for decades. Soldiers are required to wear uniforms that clearly identify them as soldiers. This is a basic tenet of the international law of warfare. They choose instead to hide in civilian clothing and kill innocents.
Israel has also killed innocents, with a key difference: that has never been the *intent*. In fact, when your enemy refuses to face you on the battlefield, your choices are very limited. Israelis make every attempt to spare innocent life when they kill the soldiers of Hamas. The soldiers of Hamas make every attempt to maximize the loss of innocent Jews when they blow themselves up.
The UN consistently drafts language condemning Israel in strong terms. When the US Govt and the Israeli Govt ask that suicide bombing and terrorism also be condemned, they are always met with great resistance. This must contribute to the lopsided view of guilt on the part of Israel in the international community, as well as in the American liberal community.
I wish I could go on forever, but let me leave you with this: original estimates of the number of "ethnic jordanians" (now called palestinians) that were inhabiting Israel/Palestine at the time of the formation of Israel were about 100,000-200,000. That estimate has gone up many times in the intervening years to bolster the Palestinian claim to the land, but no estimate I have seen puts the number greater than 900,000. There are now, by some estimates, 15 million "Palestinians" claiming a right to the disputed lands of Israel. Where did they come from? Answer: all of the surrounding nations have sent their rabble rousers and criminals there to lay claim to Israel for decades. Certainly there are many who call themselves Palestinian now that are legitimately descended from the original "Ethnic Jordanians". Just as certainly, there are many who are not!
To believe otherwise is to believe they have multiplied their numbers anywhere from 15 times (by the generous estimates of today) to over 100 times (by the more conservative original estimates) in the span of 50 years.
Plain and simple, most so-called Palestinians are imposters who are merely interested in the destruction of Israel.
I invite you not to take my word for any of this, but to do your own reading on the subject. Perhaps your eyes will be opened. Perhaps if enough eyes are opened, the Jews will no longer need to ally themselves with the harbinger of their destruction.