Monday, November 24, 2014

Massacre in a Jerusalem Synagogue



On Shabbat when I reflect on the previous week, I sometimes wonder and think -- How has our world changed, and what do we know that we did not know a week ago?  Our world is different this Shabbat because, among other things, our family, the family of the Jewish people lost four tzadikim, four righteous precious lives.  Four families as well as one Druze family in Israel have lost their fathers.

Once again we have seen the depths of the depravity, banality and brutality that humans driven by hatred are capable of committing.   A synagogue filled with men who came to recite morning prayers, who would have begun with the same words we said as we began our prayers this morning, “Mah tovu ohelecha Yaakov, mishkentocha Yisrael, How goodly are your tents (i.e., synagogues) O Jacob, your dwelling places Israel” were butchered, hacked, and shot by two Arab Muslims armed with axes, meat cleavers and guns and shouting “Allah Akbar” as they sought to murder any Jew in their sight, and as many as they could.

This was more than a terrorist act.   An act of Islamic Jihad, the graphic pictures of blood stained prayer shawls and prayer books looks more like a pogrom. 

But let us be clear on what it is not.

It is not a response to this or that action taken by the government of Israel.  Such butchery should never be justified or dignified or excused as prompted by grievances about stalled peace talks, or as part of some grand political or economic issues. 

Nor is it part of a “cycle of violence” which equates this act with others and minimizes its uniqueness.  It is a singularly horrific act which, if anything is part of a larger, ongoing decades-long campaign against Jews and Jewish presence in the land of Israel.

If it is to be linked to anything, it should be linked to the fundamental cause which motivates men to go into a synagogue to commit murder, which is the same force that propels Arabs to use cars, tractors and other vehicles to commit homicide by slamming into crowded buses, or other similar acts of violence against Jews. 

It is the result of a value system which embraces and celebrates death, and shows those values for all the world to see by naming schools after suicide bombers and passing out candy to celebrate acts of murder.  It is the result of a society which views as heroes and martyrs those who murder Jews.  It is the product of a people whose mothers proudly say when a child is killed for these acts, that she gets nachas from her kinder (A Yiddish expression for “joy from her children”) for what they have done – that as well as a generous stipend and pension from the Palestinian Authority. 

It is the result of a system that feeds their people a steady diet of hatred and incitement in their schools, mosques, homes, and media and tells them that Jews are descendants of pigs and monkeys.  It is fueled by a rumor hungry society that devours lies and conspiracy theories as dangerous and on a par with the accusations of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Nazi propaganda. 

Nineteen times in a span of 72 hours Palestinian television broadcast the messages of two-faced Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas calling for Arabs to do whatever it took, by all means necessary to prevent Jews from visiting and thereby “contaminating” the Temple Mount. 

It is the result of a world which shows how distorted its values are by rushing to condemn Israel for building homes while ignoring that Palestinians do nothing to improve the lots of their citizens. 

It is the result of all this, and a world sadly indifferent to the killing of Jews.  In the words of Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor last month, when imploring the UN to pay attention to Abbas’ campaign to vilify Israel, encouraged hundreds of Arabs to riot in Jerusalem, including a Palestinian terrorist deliberately driving a car into a crowd at a Jerusalem light rail station killing two people, including a three-month-old baby girl, “It says a great deal that the international community is outraged when Jews build homes in Jerusalem, but doesn’t say a word when Jews are murdered for living in Jerusalem.  The hypocrisy is appalling.”

It is the product of a world and a media which simplistically looks at the conflict and falls for the Palestinian lies and naively accepts their storyline while deliberately not telling of the humanity and decency of Israel and of the restraint it displays in its struggle each and every day against those intent upon its destruction.

Ironically, the attack could occur precisely because the unfounded allegations that Israel practices apartheid are not true.  Jerusalem is open and seamless, without any walls or checkpoints separating the Arab and Jewish neighborhoods.  So the truth is – if it were an apartheid state, not something I or any Israeli official advocates, but the truth is that were that the case, it might not have been able to occur.

And did anyone hear that earlier this week Egypt, concerned about the ability of Hamas to build tunnels longer than they expected once again for the second time, forcibly removed, evicted and evacuated thousands of Palestinians from their homes along the border. Was there a word of condemnation anywhere?   Can you imagine the response and demonstrations had Israel done such a thing? 

The inane comment made by some Jews and others – that we have our extremists, and they have theirs is so lame and inaccurate, as to almost not be deserving of a response.  But it is harmful and therefore must be answered.  There are critical differences.   No one had to tell Israel’s Prime Minister to publicly condemn the murder of a Palestinian child earlier this summer by Israeli hooligans.  No outside force had to demand that the perpetrators be arrested.  I was in Israel at the time, and can testify to the universal disgust and condemnation by all of Israeli society.  There is a significant difference between acts which are aberrations and roundly condemned and those which are celebrated and almost the norm.  A society should be judged not by its extremist elements, but by the way it reacts to those on the fringe. 

How dare anyone fault Israel or its leaders or accuse them of contributing to the problem.  After the mayor of Ashkelon said he would prevent Arabs from working in his city, he was roundly condemned by Israelis.  PM Netanyahu unequivocally and publicly said: “There’s no place for discrimination against Israeli Arabs. We mustn’t generalize about an entire population because of a small minority of violent and belligerent [individuals].”  No one had to apply pressure to the Prime Minister of Israel to express these thoughts. 

If anything I am constantly amazed by the restraint and the decency of Israel and Israelis in light of these attacks and the isolation. 

In contrast, Abbas issued a tepid statement after the massacre in the synagogue, and only after US Secretary of State John Kerry exerted considerable pressure on him and had to make threats about cutting off economic aid did he do so.  His true feelings were revealed by his Fatah associates who called the operation heroic and gleefully posted photos on Facebook of the massacre.  He was more closely aligned to the sympathies reflected by the Jordanian Parliament which rose and held a moment of silence and recited prayers – not for the four rabbis and Druze soldier, but for the two Arab killers.

His true feelings are revealed in a letter to the family of Mu’taz Hijazi, the Palestinian suspected of attempting, on October 29, to assassinate Yehuda Glick, a proponent of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.  Palestinian President Abbas wrote, “Hijazi died as a martyr while he was defending the rights of our people and our holy places.”

After the letter, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “As we attempt to calm down the situation, [Abbas] sends condolences over the death of a man who attempted a vile murder.  It is time for the international community to condemn these acts.”

And let us not overlook the role of those who are enablers of such violence, for it is also the result of those who aid, abet, enable and thereby encourage Palestinian acts of violence by misplaced expressions of sympathy and support.  This includes Jews who put the emphasis on the wrong syllable, as well as an administration that calls for an end to the cycle of violence without recognizing the difference, thereby displaying that they truly do not understand the nature of the conflict, and which side glorifies violence and who are the ones defending themselves against such gruesome assaults on its citizens. 

While it is true that you make peace with your enemies, your enemies have to be willing to make peace with you.  This means being willing to accept your existence and forgoing efforts to eradicate you.  This is not expecting too much as a prerequisite for peace.

I don’t recall any calls after the beheading of westerners by Isis that we should return to the negotiating table with these savage barbarians.  I don’t recall hearing any calls for restraint.  It would have been insulting and demeaning to those who had just been killed and their families.  And yet, after even the anti-Semitic President of Turkey condemned the attacks, that is what our president called for in his condolence statement. 

Unfortunately a passage we studied in our Talmud class this week is all too true.  “Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai says, ‘The Holy One Blessed be He gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering:  Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World to Come.” 

But we also know that the rabbinic comments from the midrash on this week’s Torah reading, explain the verse, “the voice is the voice of Jacob and the hand is the hand of Esau” to mean that while wicked Esau wields power with the physical force of his hands, he can only effect those he can actually reach.  Jacob’s power, however, is in his words and ideas, which can extend and reach anywhere on earth, and which live on throughout the ages.  Therefore, so long as the voice of Jacob is heard in prayer and study, the hands of Esau are powerless against him.  Let us resolve to honor and strengthen the voice of Jacob, in prayer, study, and by advocating for the people of Israel against the assaults against it.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Solidarity Mission to Israel - October 2014



Whenever I return from Israel, especially after the kind of trip I just led, which was a solidarity mission, or after a trying period, as was the case in that we traveled shortly after the conclusion of Operation Protective Edge, upon my return I am asked, “What is the mood of the country”?

It is always difficult to catalogue or sum up in a few words the mood of a country as diverse as Israel.  I am reminded of the joke about the Israeli official who was asked to categorize the mood of the people in a word.  “In a word?” he responded, “In a word, I would say – good.”  And then he is asked a follow-up question, “How about in two words?”  “In two words?  Not good.”

So if I were asked to describe in a few words what I sensed, and what those who traveled with me sensed, I would have to say, “resilient and determined.”  And if asked to expand, I would say, “optimistic, tempered by concern.”  Wherever we went people expressed appreciation for our visit.

Our group of 11 arrived at 7:00 am on Monday morning, and hit the ground running.  The first part of our trip was concentrated on visiting areas affected by this summer’s war with Hamas.  We met some amazing doctors at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva where approximately 800 soldiers brought in on 160 helicopter surreys were airlifted, along with many civilians and children who were treated for a variety of injuries and ailments, including trauma.  We learned of the tension and extraordinary measures taken by people in Ashkelon when they would receive a 15 second notice of an incoming missile.  It is hard to imagine how difficult and traumatic it is to live under such constant threat of random attack.  We saw the nursery school classrooms and shelters, the alarm system on top of the synagogue and began to understand the difficulties of living in such close range to Gaza.  One of our members, Michael Podberesky, led us in a very moving mincha service at the conservative synagogue.

In addition to visiting and meeting with people in the south, we did some volunteer work in a new community south of Sderot called Halutza.  This is where the bomb shelter our synagogue donated was placed. 
Our bomb shelter in Halutza
In addition to visiting the residence of one of the pioneers, a young idealistic medical student, who moved to the area with his wife and young children motivated by the pioneering spirit, we painted an old dilapidated bomb shelter used by the security and communications office of the community and also did work in a greenhouse to help one of the farmers with his eggplant crop.  Halutza was a barren area where all you saw when looking in any direction was sand.  Yet one day it will be a thriving community because of the spirit of those who have moved there determined to make the desert bloom. 
Volunteering in Halutza






Residents of the south told us that Israelis from across the country dropped what they were doing to come and be with them during the war.  The mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev told us that an 80 year old who was having a birthday celebration and his friends refused the entreaties of their children to leave the area.  They had their birthday party and looked at the rockets going off around them as birthday decorations. 

As always, in Israel, one cannot get too far away from history and our past.  A few commented that as tough as the situation was this summer with rockets raining down upon them indiscriminately, unlike during the Holocaust, they were not defenseless or powerless.  They were comforted knowing they did not need to rely on the good will of others to protect them. 

Leaving the Negev on our way to Tel Aviv, we stopped at Yad Mordechai, a kibbutz founded by Holocaust survivors who held off the advancing Egyptian army in 1948 and who suffered during the most recent fighting.  We saw the museum dedicated to the Warsaw ghetto fighters and the story of the hero for whom the kibbutz is named, Mordechai Anilewisz.  We stopped on our way out and couldn’t help but notice some sweet innocent 5 year old children riding their bikes carefree. 

We set out early Wednesday morning for a VIP tour of the Knesset arranged for us by MK Mickey Levy, a friend who has been at our synagogue and worshipped with us on the holidays, who thanked us for coming and our show of support. 
At the Knesset
A quick visit to the Kotel, the Western Wall, preceded an afternoon of briefings at the Foreign Ministry which was the second primary focus of our trip.  In a short period of time we met with a number of government officials and opinion makers to study the situation in depth.  We were reminded that Hamas could have avoided the war, for PM Netanyahu had clearly stated “sheket (quiet) will be met with sheket.“  Hamas could have avoided much of the destruction brought upon themselves had they accepted any of the five ceasefires they were offered.  In the end, they accepted the same terms offered weeks earlier, but after loss of more lives and property. 

Israeli government spokesman, Mark Regev, shared how he approaches his work with journalists.  Palestinians are experts at creating propaganda and know how to manipulate the media, such as showing children’s bodies, which actually came from Syria and not Gaza, as if they are the results of Israeli actions.  We had a good give and take with the Washington Post correspondent based in Jerusalem, William Booth, to whom we expressed our concerns and frustration over the way the war with Gaza was covered.  He said that he has heard Gazans express the feeling that since they have suffered so much, they want to know what they will get, not cognizant of the fact that as he put it, losers don’t usually have the right to make demands.  

On our last day Israel Bonds arranged a fascinating tour and presentation for us of the tunnel being built between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the high speed train that will carry passengers between the two cities in 35 minutes.  One of the highlights of the trip was the almost two hours we spent with former Ambassador to the United States and senior adviser to PM Netanyahu, Zalman Shoval, in his office.  Just looking at the photographs in his office was like viewing Israel’s history right before our very eyes.  He expressed concern over a “November surprise,” a possible deal the United States and P-5 countries will try to make with Iran that may leave it in a position to acquire nuclear capability.  Were Iran to acquire nuclear capability he cautioned, all other Arab countries would want to as well, which would introduce tremendous instability in a highly volatile region.  Hamas did not achieve any of their objectives in the recent war.  The primary goal was to terrorize the population, but Israelis did not succumb to it or allow themselves to live in fear.  Hamas was surprisingly alone and isolated in the Arab world, who did not rush to offer them support.  They incurred heavy losses, but did not get anything in return. 

With Abbas praising suicide bombers and killing of Israeli children, he asked how he can be considered a partner for peace.  Abbas has not shown any movement on any core issues, such as refugees, Jerusalem, or other critical matters, and in recent weeks has made racist inflammatory remarks.  Although not clear to all policy makers, we are witnessing an assault from the Moslem world on what the free and democratic world stands for.  The choices in the Arab world after the recent upheavals is not between good guys and bad guys, but between those who are pro-west and those opposed to the west.  The same borders the Arabs rejected in 1967 as unacceptable are what they seek now, but there is a real danger to allowing what could become a jihadist regime next door to Israel.   He noted that inexplicably the United States chose Turkey and Qatar’s proposals rather than the Egyptian/Arab initiative. 

After a tour of the beautiful IDC college campus in Herzliya Dr. Daphne Richmond Barak, an expert on international terrorism and international law, gave an insightful lecture about the threats presented by the international network of jihadists.  She explained to us the principle of proportionality, a word often misused in the media.  It involves much more than just body counts.  Among the factors that must be taken into account are when an attack is undertaken – in other words, does it take into consideration the time of day, and seek to maximize or minimize the loss of life. 

The concluding presentation was by Asa Kasher, an ethicist and philosophy professor at Tel Aviv University.  The author of the IDF Code of Ethics, he spoke about the morality of how Israel conducted itself in the most recent military campaign.  States, like individuals, have the right to defend themselves.  In fact one of the reasons for a government to exist is to protect its citizens.  He pointed out that there is no philosophical principle that justice resides with the weak.  Rather, it is found with those who act justly.  Unlike most armies, the Israeli military is guided by the principle of the sanctity of life.  As result, they take extraordinary actions to reduce the loss of life.  Every battalion has a population officer whose job is to be aware of non-combatants.  He said that in Gaza there was approximately one civilian casualty for every combatant, and that while the loss of any life is unfortunate, especially of innocent life, the proportion in Gaza was the lowest in any conflict in the modern era.  In Bosnia for example, five civilians were killed for every one combatant.  Whereas Israel draws a distinction between combatants and non-combatants and seeks to target only military targets, its enemy does the exact opposite.  They launch attacks from populated civilian areas into civilian areas.  Just before we left, Fatah and Hamas congratulated the Palestinian driver who killed a three month old baby. 

As you can tell, it was a very packed agenda.  Members of our group joked that they would not be surprised if I planned a lecture for them on the plane ride home.  As we settled into our seats on the return flight and were welcomed aboard by the captain, he announced that flying with us was former Israeli President Shimon Peres.  Everyone assumed I arranged this so he could speak to us – but we let him rest.  We came away with a renewed commitment to do what we can to make sure that Israel and Israelis know that they are not alone.