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How many more murders by the “settlers” will have to take place?
How many more villages will need to be attacked and destroyed?
How many more children will have to die in Gaza?
How many more Palestinian areas will have to be “cleared” or “fenced off”?
How many more Palestinian medical personnel have to be murdered?
How many more churches or “safe areas” bombed?
When are we as American Jews going to stand up and say enough is enough!
When are we going to realize what Israel has become since the occupation… since she began settling in Palestinian areas?
When will our rabbis speak out about Jewish law that demands that we our obligated to protect those who live under our control?
When will our “leaders” speak out against an Israel who arms, financially supports and protects the murderous terrorists (that now are attacking Christian churches) she has pampered and protected for four decades? Or speak against American Jews who send tens of millions of dollars to support them?
When will we wake up to the tinderbox that Israel has created in the West Bank?
When will our rabbis speak out against the racism and hatred spewed by the “ultra-religious” fanatics that now represent Israel?
When will we have the guts…the chutzpah… the courage… to tell Israel we will no longer send our congregants over to study? or have our meetings and conferences in Israel? Or send money?
When will we realize that Israel has been destroying herself morally, ethically, and spiritually these 60-plus years? And that she has taken us down with her?
Israel and a compliant Jewish leadership have made sure to squelch dissent and control the discussion in our American communities. We have compromised our own freedom of expression here through anti BDS legislation and now the antisemitism legislation.
In Israel voices are clearly stating that massive non-violent demonstrations are needed to change the government. Sadly, there will be violence because that is how the Israeli government acts toward dissent. There will be violence because forces on the anti-democratic, religious fanaticism, and Arab-hating body politic that is in control will strike back.
Here, in the United States. we need to build a grass-root Jewish movement that is not afraid to use the methods of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movements to reclaim our morality as a Jewish people and help save Israel from herself. Change will not come from our “leaders.” It took student and lay-led groups to embarrass the American Jewish establishment and Israel to stand up for Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian Jewry. We need to create a new Jewish Street! We need action!
I am a Rabbi and I would like to speak up in the defense of Israel. Firstly, many of the things our media tells us about what Israel is doing are one sided and half truths. But more importantly, I don’t see in your op-ed any solution of how Israel should protect itself from Hamas and its ilk who are clearly set out to kill as many Jews as possible.
Secondly, the view that is against Israel of taking a harsh response to terrorism, is what led to October 7. Fighting Hamas in Gaza is a necessary but painful war for Israel.
Whatever we build to protect ourselves from Hamas, they will either go over it or under it to kill Israelis if we don’t destroy the governing power in Gaza.
With blessings and prayers for a real peace!
Rabbi Pesach Scheiner