Friday, November 24, 2017

A description of anti-Zionism

Sar Shalom

The current issue of Conversations by the Institute of Jewish Ideas and Ideals contains an article, "Broadening Our Vision: An Introduction to Seven Interesting Middle Eastern Rabbis," by Zvi Zohar about a handful of Sephardic/Mizrahi. (The article is currently not online, but I could provide a link when it is available.) One of the rabbis profiled is Yaakov Moshe Toledano, born in Tiberias of Moroccan ancestry. During his days, Zionism, and the Yishuv which was its prime manifestation, was a controversial notion among religious Jews. Rabbi Toledano responded to the religious opposition to Zionism in a responsum where he wrote:
...in the belief that as long as we are in this hard Exile we are forbidden to lift up our head. Rather, we are commanded to bow ourselves down before every tyrant and ruler, and to give our backs to the smiters and our cheeks to them that pluck off hair (Isaiah L:6); as if the blood of Israel had been forfeited, and as if He—blessed be He—had decreed that Jacob be given for a spoil and Israel to the robbers (Isaiah XLII:24).
Rabbi Toledano wrote in reference to religious opposition to forsaking the lands of our exile. However, removing the reference to exile would make it refer to a more general audience. It would not apply perfectly, as the progressive-left does not view Jews as obligated to bow themselves down "before every tyrant and ruler," as Europeans/Americans and East Asians do not merit such deference. However, the Arabs, as an oppressed people, do merit such deference in their minds. Thus Rabbi Toledano's words as applied to the progressive left would become:
The Jews are commanded to bow themselves down before every Arab, and to give their backs to any Arab who would flog them and their cheeks to any Arab who would pluck their hair; as if Israel had been forfeited, and as if it was decreed that Jacob be given for a spoil and Israel to Arab robbers.
There is a word for that sentiment. That word is Anti-semitism.

8 comments:

  1. Exactly right. That's because they got away with it once. (well, more than once but once in "modern" times.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Of all the minority groups on the planet, Jewish people are the only ones considered to be privileged because considered to be "white."

    That and the fact that in the West - and in Israel - we simply overcame the forces against us.

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    Replies
    1. "taupe, at best"!!!

      Oh, man, what a crack-up.

      Good line.

      Delete
  3. An interesting twist here, Michael. And I appreciate you bringing the original quote to our attention as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. “One [New York] Times opinion editor,
    Matt Seaton, even admitted last year [2014 CE]
    that the newspaper has a policy of veering away
    from criticism of Palestinians.”

    SOURCE: Final sentence of article titled:
    New York Times Editor: Coverage of Israel Most Criticized Aspect of Opinion Pages” by Shiryn Ghermezian,
    2015 October 14, found in: The Algemeiner.
    www.algemeiner.com/2015/10/14/new-york-times-editor-coverage-of-israel-most-criticized-aspect-of-opinion-pages/
    ____________________________________________________
    MR. PATRICK CONDELL SAID:

    “Like all things Islamic, the Palestinians long-been have been officially above criticism in the West…”

    SOURCE: Useful idiots for Palestine
    a YouTube video by Mr. Patrick Condell, 2011 November 4 (available for free on YouTube)

    MICROBIOGRAPHY:
    Pat Condell is an atheist, who was born in Ireland around 1950 CE, and raised in England as a Roman Catholic, and educated in Church of England schools. He has no Jewish ancestors and no religious beliefs that might cause him to favor Jews.
    ____________________________________________________
    PS: Please check out these pro-Israel web sites:

    www.camera.org * www.HonestReporting.com *
    www.memri.org * www.ActForAmerica.org *
    www.aish.com * www.IsraelLawCenter.org

    ReplyDelete
  5. www.algemeiner.com/2017/11/23/60-percent-of-israels-arabs-are-proud-to-be-israeli-new-poll-shows/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry, forgot link to the above quote:
    https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/11/28/the-inevitable-apartheid-nation-where-is-zionism-taking-us/

    From 972Rag, their Leftist-Two-Statery-Isn't-Enough file:
    https://972mag.com/how-israeli-leftists-trivialize-the-palestinian-cause/131031/

    How Israeli leftists trivialize the Palestinian cause
    Secondary title text: "Ending Israel’s military rule in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 will not solve the problem of a state built for one group at the expense of another."

    Quoting Chesty: "That simplifies our problem."

    ReplyDelete