J.Post February 23: Moral delusions & biblical distortions

While I join Dov Lipman in his totally justified condemnation of Deputy Minister Meir Porush for his boorish, ugly, and polarizing remarks concerning the Women of the Wall (“Fire Deputy Minister Porush,” Observations, February 5), I am profoundly disturbed by the contrasting example he offers.

Lipman passionately endorses the reactions of Michal and Shivi Froman after the pregnant Michal was stabbed by a 15-year-old Palestinian terrorist. Both husband and wife declared that they had not changed their views, adding: “There has to be recognition of the other.... We must make their lives easier and help them develop economically.”

Sadly, the Fromans’ lack of hatred and harshness reflects an apparent inability to express their absolute loathing of the savage beast that committed this atrocity. Are these proclamations of moral confusion deserving of Lipman’s unstinting admiration? I think not! We are being placed in a confessional and are hearing egotistical declarations of moral delusions that are rooted in moral cowardice. The Fromans are, in reality, fearful of recognizing the “other” because they would be confronted by a demonic monstrosity disguised as a humanoid and driven by a legacy of over 2,000 years of ingrained hatred of the Jew.

Such a monstrosity must be met only by utter revulsion and consummate detestation. Its evil culture of death defies and betrays all human attempts at understanding.

I am also unfortunately led to believe that Lipman himself shares some of this moral confusion when he resorts to biblical distortions in attempting to vindicate the Fromans’ distinctly non-Jewish reaction to conspicuous evil. By some bizarre exegetical casuistry, he attempts to relate to the Torah’s command to be kind to the stranger.

Let the reader be assured that the Divine wisdom that requires the utmost concern for the stranger, widow, and orphan does not include in that grouping the ogre who wants to take your life.

Zev Chamudot

Petach Tikvah

J.Post November 9: Editorial Distortions

Sir, - Your editorial "Terrorism, not terror" (October 29) has several unforgivable distortions that raise serious doubts about the objectivity of its writer. 

An editorial that justly portrays the murderous intentions and actions of the Palestinians and then devotes half of its content to the supposed sins of the Jews, settlers, rabbis, and crazies leaves the definite impression that there is moral equivalency between the two sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is one of the major distortions that has already been adopted by the UN, the United States, and, above all, the murderous terrorists themselves. 

It must be made quite clear to all that although we have some extremists in our midst, the murder of innocent Arabs never was and never will be part of our national program. It does not appear in our textbooks, We do not preach it in our synagogues, we do not name streets or stadiums after our 'terrorists' and there is no Jewish mother praying for the death of her son in order to reward him with the services of heavenly virgins. Not only do our people not joyfully celebrate the ugly acts of our miscreants, there is overwhelming national and individual condemnation of their behavior. 

Another distortion in the editorial is the identification of the masked attacker of Rabbi Arik Ascherman as a "knife wielding settler," when it is still unknown who the attacker was. It would be equally unjustified to distort the presence Rabbi Ascherman at the scene for the purpose of aiding Arabs in their attacks against Jewish farmers.

The most disgraceful and unforgivable portion of the editorial, however, is that which contains completely unsubstantiated accusations against the national government, settlers, and the IDF: 

"This is shamefully obvious in the official response to the persecution of Palestinian farmers by settlers, who deny them access to their to their farmland under the watchful eyes of nonintervening IDF troops."

These distortions serve to add fuel to the unconstrained hatred that surrounds our beleaguered state.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

OVERSIGHT: New Jerusalem Post column by Zev Chamudot!

If you love the awesome opinion pieces you get here on obZEVation, then don't miss Zev Chamudot's first full article for the Jerusalem Post as part of a new column called 

Oversight

Click below to read the full article!

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A telling resemblance

Sir, - It is admittedly possible that the uncanny resemblance of Bernard Madoff, as he appears in a picture on page 21 of Sunday's issue of the Jerusalem Post, to George Washington as found on the American dollar bill, might be attributed to pure happenstance. 

Or perhaps it is possible that, in some mystical manner, a portentous message is being conveyed to us about the continuous weakening of, and loss of confidence in, the American currency. 

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user c_ambler]

J.Post July 6: Reader's Response to "The Sinister Side of Palestinian 'Heritage'"

The following letter written by Sydney L. Kasten was published today in the Jerusalem Post:

Sir, – Reader Zev Chamudot’s letter “Insidious villainy” (July 1) and its mention of the security barrier that “just happens to be routed” through the Palestinian village of Battir, forces me to respond.

Click here to read the rest.

Who's right? Tell us what YOU think.

[Image credit: Justin McIntosh]

J.Post January 27 REPRINT: The True Religious Jews of Beit Shemesh

Editor's Note: The following letter was published to the blog on October 25th. You can see the original here. Due to recent devlopments -- and after some serious lobbying by the author -- the editors of the Jerusalem Post finally understood the timeless relevance and everlasting meaning of the letter and decided to print it with regards to an article written precisely one month after the letter in question had already reacted.

Sir, – With regard to “Supreme Court hears arguments over fate of Beit Shemesh election” (January 24), my son and his family are residents of the area designated Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef.

He and his wife are religious Zionists and totally observant.

They made the conscious, deliberate decision to raise their family in a pluralistic religious community comprising haredim, religious Zionists and secular Jews in the hope and intent of building a healthy and vibrant Israeli society wherein the various components might learn to appreciate and respect the other and thus strengthen the ties that bind us all. Sadly, 14 years later there is almost no one left of the secular segment, mainly due to the fact that the haredi world does not share their view and in no way encourages the tolerance necessary toward its realization.

The usually meticulous standards of haredi religious observance seem to totally disappear when engaged in a bitterly contested mayoralty election, when ethics, morality, civility, truth and honorable behavior can be easily exchanged for deception, lies, name-calling and totally irreligious behavior, even when facing the ubiquitous portrait of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Is not the portrait of this Torah giant being debased when it is exploited for partisan political purposes? The incumbent mayor had signs stating that “true religious Jews vote Abutbul.” Who are they? Do they dress in black garb and get arrested for the use of fraudulent identity cards in order to elect a “religious” candidate? Or is it my son, a practicing attorney and graduate of a hesder yeshiva who, while strict in his religious observance, continues to volunteer in the IDF reserves even though long-finished with his obligations as a reservist, and strives in all his endeavors to bring honor to God’s name?

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petah Tikva

[Image credit: Wikimedia user DustinRoyer]

Below is the email correspondence between Zev Chamudot and the editor of the Jerusalem Post that took place a month ago.  

From: ChamudotZH

To: Jerusalem Post Letters

Sent: Friday, 27 December, 2013 09:06

Sir, In view of the recent court decision concerning the need to conduct new elections in Bet Shemesh, I feel that the letter that I sent to the Jerusalem Post on 29 October is even more appropriate now!

Zev Chamudot

From: letters@jpost.com

To: ChamudotZH

Sent: Saturday, 28 December, 2013 18:29

It is! Unfortunately, you appeared on the 26th, and I am doing my best to stick to a policy of waiting at least 21 days between letters, and, where possible, 28. Please keep this in mind when writing. I have to admit that it breaks my heart (I mean this seriously) when I have to pass on one of your letters. Shavua tov.

Lawrence Rifkin

Senior Editor

Letters Editor

The Jerusalem Post

From: ChamudotZH

To: Jerusalem Post Letters

Sent: Saturday, 28 December, 2013

Shalom Lawrence,

Thank you for your very warm and thoughtful response, it is very much appreciated! Frankly however, I would forgive you if you did break your rule as I think the message is both timely and important. I also however, want  to repeat my earlier expression of appreciation for your considerate response.

Thank you,

Zev Chamudot

From: letters@jpost.com

To: ChamudotZH

Sent: Saturday, 28 December, 2013 21:34

I'm sure you'd forgive me. Other letter writers would be less forthcoming.

Lawrence Rifkin

Senior Editor

Letters Editor

The Jerusalem Post

Barak's Bogus Bibi-Bashing

Sir, - It is becoming increasingly difficult and somewhat embarrassing to absorb the unmitigated hatred for Prime Minister Netanyahu that one finds in the lines and between the lines in the articles by Jeff Barak. His extreme animus causes him to be guilty of the very thing that he accuses Netanyahu of doing concerning Yuval Diskin, namely, "Going for the man , not the ball."

In Barak's hostile dissent with the way Netanyahu is negotiating with the PA he nowhere attempts to try to understand the Why's of Bibi's concerns but rather chooses to ignore the issues and attack him ad hominem when he places Netanyahu's peace efforts in the same light as the "household expenses he charges to the taxpayer: exaggerated and out of touch with the real world."

Barak is seemingly so impressed with the yichus of Budgi Herzog that he is willing to invest his populist and naive statements with Sinaitic authority. Is Barak really convinced by Herzog's imperious pronouncement that "Today is not Munich 1938"? Does Barak really not see that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat to the State of Israel and a dire threat to the whole Western world?      

We must stop constantly talking in cliches and understand that today weapons of mass destruction can literally enable the wiping of Israel off the map, as Iran has so often declared to be their intention, with no one other than Netanyahu raising a voice in objection.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user Abode of Chaos]

Immaculate Misconception

Shalom Nechama, - Out of respect for the Jerusalem Post's enormous Catholic readership and for the sake of accuracy, permit me to correct a gross error that Metro shares with many others.

Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the Catholic church and refers to the birth of Mary who was born without Original Sin. Not to be confused with the virginity of Mary or the virgin birth of Jesus.

In good faith,

Zev Chamudot

Petach Tikvah

James Adler vs. Martin Sherman: The Difference Between Light and Darkness

Sir, - In the Talmud, the Rabbis explain the necessity of having the Havdallah prayer placed in the midst of the fourth blessing in the Amidah portion of the evening service that marks the end of the Sabbath. It is the fourth blessing in which we express our gratitude to the Almighty for granting us intelligence and knowledge, and it is precisely those gifts that enable us to distinguish between the holy and the profane, light and darkness, Israel and the nations, the seventh day and the six days of labor.

James Adler asks why the Jerusalem Post continues to print the articles of Martin Sherman whom he labels an extremist. Adler himself, however, has displayed a remarkable, Pavlovian persistence in blaming Israel for all the ills of the Middle East. There has never been any indication that he possesses the ability to distinguish between light and darkness, truth and fiction, or reality and propaganda when writing about the Arab-Israel conflict. There has never been any evidence of his equanimity being at all upset by terrorist atrocities, hundreds of rockets falling on Israel's civilian population, vicious anti-Israel messages of hate emerging from PA schools and mosques, massacres of innocents in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon, and turmoil in the whole region. One honestly wonders why his thoughtless letters get published in the Jerusalem Post.

Adler apparently cannot tell the difference between the support and justification of terrorism provided by Larry Derfner and the noncoercive, economically incentivized emigration proposed by Martin Sherman. The former supports death, while the latter attempts to find non-violent solutions to deal with the realities of the issues. His articles are analytical , deeply insightful, and well-argued, while the letters of James Adler are completely inane and offensive.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Alexander Smolianitski]

Honoring Jimmy Carter: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Sir, - Letter writer Naftali Bertram does a genuine disservice to those who are concerned with Israel's well being and security. He does so in a letter to the Jerusalem Post wherein he sows the seeds of moral confusion by justifying the award to Jimmy Carter for conflict resolution by students of the Cardozo Law School of Yeshiva University. Bertram correctly cites Carter's achievement in helping to engineer the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in the late 1970's, but rather blithely dismisses Carter's subsequent record of gross antisemitism and his insistent malicious slander of Israel as being in the forefront of practitioners of apartheid in the world.

The dilemma concerning the value of citing a positive achievement of a person who is a moral degenerate is not new. Most decent people are willing to see the achievement as secondary if it means dignifying the persons moral dissonance. The state of Israel is often confronted with the problem of playing Wagner, whose musical genius is undeniable but when weighed against the competing undeniable fact that he was one of Hitler's main ideologues, the decision to forego the music rather than dignify the ideology is unquestionably correct. Would it make any moral sense to praise Hitler for the fact that he got German trains to run on time, or for his oratorical skills, when we are confronted by his unprecedented bestiality and mania that brought death to millions?

Jimmy Carter is received today in the world's capitols, where he unhesitatingly preaches his hate-filled, anti-Israel apartheid gospel and whose doctrine is the most quoted by the proponents of divestment. He travels the world generating enormous malice to Israel and further exposes Israel to those who threaten her security. Does Jimmy Carter really deserve an award?

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

No Ambiguity: Hebron Teen Killed for "Real" Gun

Sir, I was deeply disturbed by the headline of your front-page report describing the tragic events leading to the death of the Hebron teen. The wording of the headline I found to be terribly misleading and open to all sorts of grossly malicious misunderstandings of the factual reality.

Your headline, "Hebron teen pulls toy gun, killed by Border policewoman," can too easily be understood to mean that the boy was knowingly and deliberately killed because he pulled a toy gun. The events leading up to this unfortunate death, as described within the report, tell us a completely different story, and because of their importance deserved a more unambiguous headline.

A more appropriate headline could have stated: "Suspicious behavior, and the aiming of a gun at the head of border policeman, results in the shooting of Hebron teen. Later investigation discovers that gun was a metallic and realistic looking toy."

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Kanaka Menehune]



The author asked the editor of the Jerusalem Post that this letter be published. Below is the response he received. 

From: letters@jpost.com
To: ChamudotZH
Sent: Thursday, 13 December, 2012 11:33

Apparently you have never worked as a headline writer for a (space-constrained) newspaper! I consider your letters to be among the finest I receive. Please keep writing, but be aware that I strive to space letter writers timewise (preferably no more than once every three weeks).

Shabbat shalom,
Larry

Lawrence Rifkin
Senior Editor
Letters Editor
The Jerusalem Post

Front Page: Biased Report of High Court Case

Sir, - Yonah Jeremy Bob certainly has the right to express his opinions, even though they may be highly prejudicial. He however has absolutely no right to impose his biases on the front page of the newspaper which should and must be reserved for accurate and honest reporting.

In the article "9 High Court justices hear historic discrimination case" Bob insists on introducing editorially charged words and comments which should rightfully find their place in either opinion columns or letters to the editor, and not under the guise of news reporting. He writes, "The panel was skeptical of the charges, with at least four of the nine justices, including Supreme Court President Asher D. Grunis battering the petitioners." In the continuation of the article Bob again reverts to his biased opinionating when stating that "most of the hearing consisted of Grunis, Supreme Court Deputy President Elyakim Rubinstein, and justices Hanan Melcer and Neal Hendel battering the petitioners."

Does it not seem rather strange that Bob describes how "only Justice Salem Joubran appeared to openly side with the petitioners"?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Vital Mourning: Tisha Be'av's True Meaning

Sir, - While your editorial titled "Tisha Be'av's meaning" seemingly was an attempt to deal with the important and legitimate issue of injecting the traditional day of fast and mourning with greater contemporary relevance, it contains unfortunately, a number of rather serious misperceptions that deserve to be addressed.

In flippantly describing the Temple only as a "holy slaughterhouse", you fail to understand its major unifying role as the national and spiritual focus of the Jewish people. The festivals of Pesach, Succot, and Shevuot attracted myriads of Pilgrims from both within Israel and the Diaspora. If one considers the present day fact, that tens of thousands from all over the Jewish world are drawn to the festival "Birkat Kohanim" that takes place at the Kotel, a small inkling of appreciation can be set aside for the Temple in all its glory.

                       

Should the fact that the fast was postponed by a day because of Shabbat diminish its significance in any way, or perhaps as you suggest even being called off? Should the same measures be taken for Yom Hazikaron or Yom Haatzmaut when they are pushed off because of calendar considerations? 

If one attended a synagogue and participated in the atmosphere of mourning and in the recital of the 'Kinot' on the fast day it would become quite clear that Tisha Be'av relates not only to the destruction of the physical Temple but to all the calamities and massacres that befell the Jewish people throughout their history beginning with the Babylonians, Romans, Crusades and the Holocaust.

It is vital to understand that only by keeping these memories alive could a dispersed and shattered people be able to come from the four corners of the earth and revive an ancient language and an ancient homeland.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Video credit: The Temple Institute]

J.Post July 13: Ehud Olmert Acquitted? Not So Fast.

Sir, – The glee exhibited by supporters of Ehud Olmert (“Olmert acquitted of central corruption charges in two cases,” July 11) may soon be proven to be misplaced. This is in view of the fact that the former prime minister still faces the possibility of a sentence that says his conduct constituted moral turpitude, plus the additional and very formidable charge of bribery in connection with the Holyland complex.

[There are, however, several other disturbing points concerning the recent verdict. Firstly, there is the very surprising statements in The Jerusalem Post in describing its reaction to its being "inundated by angry emails" when Olmert was chosen to be the keynote speaker at its New York conference in April. The angry letters made eminent sense, when considering that Olmert faced five very serious charges of corrupting almost every public office that he held. The charges of accepting large sums without disclosure was not denied by the judges, but were dismissed on the basis that criminal intent was not proven.

Far more perplexing is the very clear implication, by the author of the Post's article, that there was an insidious plot hatched against Olmert, because he "came very close to reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians during his premiership." This is an evil and malicious statement that should not have been printed. One may be permitted to ask its author, Was the Jerusalem Post in on some plot to grant Olmert dignity and credibility because of political considerations, despite the serious charges that he faced? Did the Post have some 'inside information' that Olmert would not be convicted?]

The saddest part, however, is the assessment by many politicos and media personalities that Olmert’s conviction on breach of public trust is merely a technicality or unpleasant.

It would appear that we have some way to go before we can be described as a “light unto the nations.”

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Bad Choice: Ehud Olmert at J.Post Conference

Sir, - Several subscribers to The Jerusalem Post have shared with me their sense of shock and outrage upon learning that Ehud Olmert will be the keynote speaker at The Jerusalem Post New York Conference.

This inappropriate choice does violence to our moral compass and seems to defy all logic.Are we to conclude that some backroom nefarious deal is being hatched to avoid his conviction?

A man who stands accused of tainting with corruption every public office he has held, dare not be chosen to represent a serious newspaper and certainly not the citizens of Israel. Doing so denigrates Israel's entire judicial system that has after lengthy and thorough investigations, issued indictments against Olmert for a number of serious criminal offenses.

His peace proposals would reduce Israel to indefensible borders. His program for the division of Jerusalem, and the forced uprooting of 300,000 law-abiding Israelis presently living in Judea and Samaria would cause religious, social, and economic problems whose consequences cannot be foreseen.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Responding to James Adler's Response to Me

Sir, - I heartily commend The Jerusalem Post for both good judgment as well as courage for printing my letter to the editor on Nov. 18th. The letter, however, that the gent from Cambridge wrote – berating me and the Post – on Nov. 21, I found to be totally disingenuous.

Does the writer believe that the security laws demanding authorized permits for entrance into Israeli territory are merely whimsical?

My letter cogently pointed out the very clear and present danger from terrorist activities that Israel faces. These comprise several cases of buses being blown up that caused mass casualties. The list includes restaurants, wedding halls, Passover Seders, and attacks on any public areas where indiscriminate killing can take place.

Our condemner mentions "our side" and pleads for understanding of the "other side". I also described the "other side's" continuing support and encouragement of terrorists by the PA. This now includes an attempt at unity with terrorist Gaza.

I conclude by stating that there is no "other side" when dealing with a terrorist Culture of Death.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user uckhet]