More Terror

Israel, Terrorism

It has happened again. A young Palestinian has been a “martyr” for his people and murdered at least 3 Israelis, killed himself and wounded 32.

You can read a Ha’aretz news report.

There is so much I could say, but mostly I feel sad and like so much of it has been said before.

May G-d help us find a true and lasting peace.

With prayers for the souls of the departed, for their families and for all those who have been injured.

UPDATE: The pain of the bombing is added to, for it was a place of co-existance as explained in this Jerusalem Post article which includes the comment,

“Jews and Arabs have been working at the market for over forty years, and there has never been an instance of hatred between us,” storeowner Ofer Shmueli also said.

Knesset Passes the Disengagement Plan

Israel

The Knesset (Israel’s parliament, in case you didn’t know) has passed the plan to pull out from Gaza. The vote has already had some interesting political ramifications and I image there will be more. Israel is going to, at long, long last, pull the people and troops out of Gaza. It is about time (and it will be by the time it takes effect).

There are many sides to this issue and many questions in the air, like “Will a non-negotiation de-facto pullout mean the Palestinians will govern themselves?” What will this mean for the larger peace issues. We will have to wait and see.

For more see:
Ha’aretz
Jerusalem Post
Ma’ariv
and, for an interesting and different perspective, Al-Jazeera (yes, I know, but it is interesting to see how others view things.)

Presbyterian endorsement of terrorism

Israel, Terrorism

Recently, an official delegation from the Presbyterian Church (USA) met with leaders of Hizbollah. They praised Hizbollah for their work. (they have claimed responsiblity for many terrorist attacks in Israel.)

I support interfaith discussions, dialogue and disagreement. While I understood the Presbyterian church’s statement this summer for divestiture from Israel, it saddened me for it did not include a statement against terrorism. Well now I think we are beginning to see the true stripes of the PC USA leadership – support of Palestinians and terror.

The leaders of Israel and the leaders of the Palestinians must work for peace, mutual acknowledgement and the ability to live side-by-side without killing each other. However, for PC USA to take such a blatently pro-Palestinian step as praising Hizbollah without even mentioning their terrorism is wrong.

I pray that things can change and that the leadership of the PC USA will acknowledge the pain this move is causing those who support Israel.

The PC USA church issued a statement which somewhat deliniates the full Church position as opposed to those in Lebanon engaging in the meetings, but it doesn’t seem to go far enough.

The leadership of the Reform movement has issued a statement in response. The statement includes a letter sent by Rabbi Yoffie and Rabbi Menitoff to the leadership of PC USA. The letter includes,

We are especially offended by Elder Stone’s remarks that meeting with Hezbollah “is a lot easier than dealings and dialogue with Jewish leaders.” To suggest that dialogue with terrorists is preferable to conversations with the American Jewish community is appalling and has overtones of anti-Semitism.

Based on our recent dialogue, we had hoped that you would swiftly and strongly denounce these meetings and statements by individuals who speak in the name of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Yet your statement does no more than repeat an earlier blanket condemnation of terrorism with no attention to the meetings of and statements from this delegation.

As we said when we met, there can be no religious justification whatsoever for words that serve to encourage terror and justify terrorism.  Surely all people of decency, especially those whose tradition calls on us to “choose life” and “seek peace,” can see that Hezbollah is not praiseworthy.  We hope and pray that you will exercise the moral leadership required at this moment and repudiate these deplorable words spoken in the name of your church. “

May G-d bring wisdom, courage, understanding and peace to us all.

Weekly Torah Commentary – Noah

Jewish Texts - English

It is hard to believe that we are already in the second week of our new Torah reading cycle. Noah contains the familiar story of Noah and the flood as well as the mult-lingual outcome of the story of the Tower of Babel.

There are a number of wonderful commentaries on this week’s portion:

Velveteen Rabbi has an engaging commentary on language.
David Nelson writes on Noah and violence.
Noah’s righteouness & affirmative action
The Tower of Babel and Common Language

Go and Learn!

From the New Editor of the Jerusalem Post

Israel

David Horovitz is the new editor of the Jerusalem Post. In today’s editorial he wrote of the goals he has for his leadership of the JPost. Among his comments were…

“I regard it as an immense responsibility to be editing The Jerusalem Post at this fragile juncture in the short history of modern Israel. …. Similarly, honored that you, our readers, come to The Jerusalem Post to learn the details of Israel’s daily development, and conscious that you make personal, business and all manner of other decisions based on what you read here, we will strive to maintain the highest reporting standards, with coverage and analysis as informative and fair-minded as we can make it. English is not the main language of Israel, but it is the language most widely spoken by Jewish people. The Jerusalem Post is the most resonant name in daily English-language journalism in Israel and the Jewish world, in an era when this article, and every other, can be accessed globally in an instant. We at the Post acknowledge the responsibility, and relish the opportunity, this brings us.”

Read the full editorial here (You may need to log in, but it is free.)

Wishing everyone a shabbat shalom,
May G-d spread a sukkah of peace over Israel and over the world on this sabbath of Sukkot.

Courage to Refuse nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Uncategorized

Wow. Courage to Refuse and its founder David Zonshein were nominated for a 2004 Nobel Peace Prize!

As their website tells it,
he movement and its founder were recommended to the prize committee by two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Captain (reserve) Zonesheine, chairman and founder of the movement: “Our nomination is a victory of Jewish Values and a triumph of the Spirit of Democracy.”

 “The movement’s nomination for such an honorable prize is a decoration for state of Israel. We are all part of a none compromising struggle for Israel’s security and the safety of its citizens, yet at the same time we vow to prevent the loss of innocent lives, to guard human rights and dignity of all those affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We will continue to protect the state of Israel, but refuse to fight beyond the 1967 borders, in the occupied territories” says Arik Diamant, the Director of Courage to Refuse. “Today the settlers of the extreme right threaten to violently resist the evacuation of the settlements. Our nomination marks the line that separates refusal to participate in illegal actions that contradict Jewish values and international law, from the refusal of those who seek to continue the occupation of another people”.

Courage to Refuse was founded in January 2002 and prides today over 600…” keep reading.

Congratulations!

Torah Commentary for this Week – Sukkot

Uncategorized

This shabbat is chol ha-moed (the intermediate days of ) sukkot. Rav Kook, has a brief and beautiful commentary on the fragility of a sukkah and the fragility of peace. (He also links this comment to the daily evening hashkiveinu prayer.)

His comment begins,
The Sabbath evening prayers use an unusual metaphor for peace: “Spread over us the ‘sukka’ of Your peace”.
Why refer to a sukka – a makeshift booth – of peace? Would it not be better to have a secure fortress of peace?

Read the rest here

Moadim L’simchah (may your sukkot celebration be joyful!)!