How can they possibly write “this report, if approved, will place .. the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.” Upholding the rule of law is what democracy is all about. Why do they not rejoice, as we on the right do, over this significant boost to Israel’s rights. Instead they want to suppress our rights. Ted Belman
More than 40 prominent American Jewish leaders and philanthropists sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Sunday in which they implored him not to approve the judicial report that says Jews may settle freely in Judea and Samaria.
“As strong advocates for Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish and democratic state, we are deeply concerned about the recent findings of government commission led by Supreme Court Justice (Ret.) Edmond Levy,” the letter said.
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“We fear that this report, if approved, will place the two-state solution, and the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.”
The letter’s signatories letter include philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Lester Crown; Marvin Lender, Former National Chairman of UJA; Rabbi Daniel Gordis, President of the Shalem Center; Deborah Lipstadt, an expert on Holocaust studies at Emory University; Bernard Nussbaum, former White House Counsel; Thomas Dine, a former executive director of AIPAC; E. Robert Goodkind, a former president of the American Jewish Committee; Richard Pearlstone, former chairman of the Jewish Agency; and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
The Levy Committee’s report determines that Israel cannot be characterized as “an occupier” of Judea and Samaria because the territory never legally belonged to Jordan before Israel regained it in 1967.
The letter was initiated by the Israel Policy Forum (IPF), which was attacked in 2007 by veteran Jewish leader and columnist Isi Liebler as a group that “delegitimizes” Israeli policies.
IPF president Seymour Reich and chairman Marvin Lender replied to Liebler’s accusations by writing: “If we were ‘Jews against Zion’ (Leibler’s repugnant description), would Rabin, Sharon, Peres, Netanyahu, Barak, Olmert, Livni, Ramon (to name just a few Israeli leaders, current and past) speak at IPF events or meet with IPF leaders? We think not.”
These U.S.Jewish Leaders are the same as the Rabbi Stephen Wise Jewish leaders during the Holocaust years in America who opposed Peter Bergson (Tzvi Hillel Kook, Israel’s first Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook’s nephew) and Ben Hecht’s efforts to pressure FDR to act to save Europe’s Jews, because they claimed they would increase antiSemitism in America. What good did that do them?!!
As a note of irony, some have given IPF president Seymour Reich the moniker Seymour Third Reich!!
@ Laura:
Our views coincide to a great extent as I also see the said Jews more like unJews than part of the “minian”. That is limited to them only, not the whole of Jewish community.
More than 40 prominent American Jewish leaders and philanthropists write:
What it should read is More than 40 prominent American Jewish clown leaders
What’s with this two-state solution?
Listen if you are Jewish, you stand for One State solution.
Israel is a sovereign Jewish Nation (the Holy Land) with it’s capital, Jerusalem an undivided city.
It’s bad enough to have the world anti-Semites and the UN against you, you don’t expect American Jews to join their ranks.
What we should expect is solidarity throughout the Jewish community.
Stanley is an infiltrator.
I agree. I have had it with self-appointed Jewicidal “leaders” pretending to represent the American Jewish community, let alone Israelis. These arrogant SOB’s think they are better suited to know what’s good for Israel than Israelis do. Actually this is being too generous because it isn’t Israel they are concerned about, but rather their own standing within progressive circles. This is why I prefer an alliance with Evangelical Christians. And this should be the case with the Israelis who should shun these left-wing millionaire and billionaire Jews, and forge a strong relationship with Evangelicals.
It pains me to have to bring up the following to these honorable US Jewish leaders and intellects, but it seems they need to hear it. So here goes:
Dear US Jewish leaders,
Hope you are well and not in need of any psychological, religious or medical assistance! But what you do seem to be in need of is a little education on the History of the Jewish people and their eternal connection with the Land promised them by God 4000 years ago.
How is it that Jews in a country where THEY themselves are actually ‘illegal settlers’, where native tribes were massacred until almost extinction (and the rest pushed into ghettos called ‘reservations’ where most rot to this very day) and had their lands stolen from them without compensation, have abolutely no knowledge of the original bounderies of the Israel-Judea state promised to Abraham as he entered the Promised Land. If you are interested in learning about that and have a Tanach at home, please open it and read the following – Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:18-21, Genesis 17:8, Exodus 23:31; Ezekiel 47:13-23, etc. And let us not forget that when Jerusalem was the Jewish people’s cultural and spiritual capital, Washington was an SSS, i.e. a steamy, smelly swamp, until thousands of years later!
Can you find any such promises in the Tanach for your ‘right’ to America or for any other land other than Israel-Judea?
I suggest before you start pontificating to Israelis and their leaders, you take a good look at yourselves. I can tell you what, if you are honest, you will find. Although you have done very, very well in the wonderful land of America, you are actually still little more than ‘court’ or ‘ghetto’ Jews, those Jews who became utterly debased during their 2000 years of miserable servility in the Galut. You have proven that time and time again, and not only in connection with Israeli matters, but also how you’ve behaved towards the unjust, anti-semitic sentence pronounced upon Jonathan Pollard. As far as I know, not a single US Jewish leader has ever visited Pollard and certainly not made any attempt to request clemency for him. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.
P.S. Are any of the US Jewish organiztions going to invite Mitt Romney to speak to them, as they have done to Obama and all Democrat presidential candidates before him. If so, I hope they will be more polite towards him than the 98% pro-Democrat NAACP audience was to him a few days ago!
@ James B – Montreal:
Thanks James B.
@ Vinnie:
Wait for the text punch line at the very end
@ yamit82:
You’re a vodka drinker? One of my favorite hobbies, sampling vodka. Tried many from all over the world.
OK. Which ones rate among the best per your experience?
@ Laura:
I would add that these signatories DO NOT represent all or even most American Jews, at least those who are paying attention (now, that’s another can of worms…).
These 40 esteemed ladies and gentlement just woke up and discovered that Israel is not groveling any more. And that is most disconcerting.
This is quite a paradigm shift for them.
@ Ted Belman:
Blasphemous! 🙂
BlandOatmeal Said:
Where’s your Christian charity? After 2000 years of Christian antisemitism and slaughter of Jews, are we not entitled to be angry. After Christians grafted their movement onto ours, distorted our scriptures and even promulgated the idea that their was a new covenant with Christians that replaced the covenant with the Jewish people, and high-jacked our concept of messiah, replacing it with a totally alien concept, are we not entitled to be angry. When Christians ignore all this and come into our homes whether in Israel or Israpundit and presume to teach us the “truth” are we not entitled to be offended and to stop them. Christians believe they are superior to Jews and that their way is the right way and ours obviously is not. Everytime they “spread the word” among us they are insulting us and offending us.
When Christians stop promoting Christianity and simply support us as Americans or even as Christians, there will be no displays of “anti-Christian intolerance”. The moment you try to push your religion on us, do not be surprised with the reaction. Believe me, it is fully justified.
The “true nature of Jews” is that they are content within themselves and have no interest in pushing their religion on others. Is it the true nature of Christians that they can’t keep to their own religion, that they must forever be complelled to prove themselves and their religion, that they can’t leave others alone, which would be a sign of respect. Muslims also don’t leave us alone, or you also, and attempt to convert us under the sword, as you did once. How can you complain about them when you are guilty of the same thing to one degree or another.
The answer my friend is to stop preaching the gospels.
@ rongrand:
The so called “American Jews” are as Yamit mentions, a lost cause on their own planning.
They abandoned Israel and true Judaism to a cheque book, “reformed Zionism”, and seeing Israel succeed while they opted to link themselves to a sinking future, would like us to go down as well.
Good riddance to the unJews and that is that.
LT COL HOWARD Said:
I agree. Even though they support a view we reject or are headed for assimilation, I still wouldn’t write them off.
C.R. Said:
This is way over the top. I don’t for a second think of them as “evil” nor should you.
@ LT COL HOWARD:
Goggle Blandoatmeal Jews Israpundit: Mr Bland has expressed himself over the years quite explicitly as to what he thinks about Jews and Judaism and his falsch Pique at comments directed against some Christians and Christianity in general is a classic case of the Pot calling the Kettle Black. Some know how to dish it out but not how to take it in return.
PS Bland is one of the main American Bashers commenting on this site.
I have been called many things but can’t remember being called a Liar and an Idiot.
You are entitled to your opinion and I won’t return the compliment 🙂
@ BlandOatmeal:
“Author: BlandOatmeal
Comment:
Ted, I see that Israpundit has become a cesspool of anti-Christian intolerance. If this is what you want, so be it. It’s really opening my eyes about the true nature of Jews.”
1. I believe that Ted does an outstanding job of selecting articles.
2. Many of the comments are productive. Others are inflammatory. Super religious- “god will protect us– so we don’t need you” are the kind of self-centered blindness caused many European Jews to ignore the warning signs and remain divided when united action might have helped keep many more alive.
3. The attacks on Christians and on the United States are stupid and untrue—-. I agree with you that they pollute this dialogue.
I URGE THAT YOU STICK AROUND AND CONTINUE TO POST. TO NOT ALLOW THE IDIOTS TO DRIVE YOU AWAY.
@ BlandOatmeal:
Iranian pastor sentenced to death. That’s halacha, baby.
Jesus demanded observance of the Jewish law. “Until heaven and earth end, not a single stroke or dot from the letter will pass away. If you want to be good, observe the commandments. Do as they [the Pharisees] tell you, but not as they do”. 😉
Yamit to those 40 ‘Jewish Leaders’ (sic,)
@ Shy Guy:
Christians Flood Knesset with ‘New Judaism’
Knesset Members are furious after finding in their mail boxes what many called missionary propaganda promoting the New Testament.
Israeli Post Office Insists Missionary Material Mailed
The Israeli Post Office is insisting that postal workers in the city of Ramat Gan deliver the mail regardless of its content. Postal workers in the city refused to deliver copies of the New Testament and other Christian missionary material. Mail carriers argued that under certain proselytizing laws, they are not required to act as missionaries for the organization that sent the material. However the Post Office has announced that their jobs require them to deliver all mail. For a full article on the initial refusal by postal workers,
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153452#.UAUqT5G2CDE
Ted, I see that Israpundit has become a cesspool of anti-Christian intolerance. If this is what you want, so be it. It’s really opening my eyes about the true nature of Jews.
@ LT COL HOWARD:
Israels leaders can be used as Poster Children for explaining the “PETER PRINCIPLE”!
Golda Meir, fearful of the American reaction and procrastinating in the face of a Jewish holiday, did not preempt in 1973 when the Egyptian military buildup was unmistakable, though she might have deluded herself about its purpose.
Compounding a grave error with a grave crime, Golda sent Jewish reservists to the slaughter, which resulted in 10,000 casualties—instead of employing nuclear weapons.
Golda’s fear of world opinion greatly exceeded her concern with Jewish lives.
That ugly character famously announced that she could forgive the Arabs for killing Jews, but not for making the Jews to kill Arabs. Likewise, her accomplice Moshe Dayan remarked during the early stages of the Yom Kippur war, “We’re witnessing the Third Temple’s destruction,” and reportedly was on the way to offer capitulation instead of nuking the Arabs.
American Leaders are no better, any random mobster would make a better US president than American Presidents since Truman.
@ yamit82:
Roach infestation
@ Shy Guy:
Shocking ‘Land of Israel’ Exam Shows Christian Crosses
High school “Land of Israel” exam features Christian crosses. Is the Education Ministry trying to undermine students with Christianity?
High school students last week were shocked by a matriculation exam in “Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology” that showed Christian crosses and referred to a place where “our father was crucified.”
A large part of the exam dwelled on details of churches and Christianity, with a wide display of Christian crosses, which are forbidden by Jewish law to be looked at because they are considered to represent a form of idol worship.
The matriculation exam included pictures and sketches, and one showed the Holy Sepulcher with questions asking the students to explain different parts of the tomb.
The exam included a quote from a Christian pilgrim who visited Jerusalem and wrote in a dairy about “the little hill of Golgotha ??where our father was crucified.”
The exam was full of Christianity and a real disgrace,” one teacher told Arutz Sheva. Some students did not want to answer the questions on Christianity but had no choice in order pass the test. There were so many questions on Christianity that failing to answer the questions would result in automatic failure.
Another teacher told Arutz Sheva that she thinks there are people in the Education Ministry who are trying to undermine students and introduce Christianity.
DAVIDA ROSENBERG Said:
Please, you jesus freak, swallow your own fairy tale’s words: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
@ Andrew. I read the same articles. Concerning, being a net energy exporter— is a comforting thought— but the extensive infrastructure required must be safeguarded. This is Iran’s current vulnerability.
The IDF attitude was quite deeper than 1973 and/or Moshe Dyan. Israel overestimated their ability to prevent Egyptian mechanized forces from crossing the Suez Canal. They believed that the sand anti-tank berms were impenetrable. A young lieutenant or captain in the Egyptian engineering corps determined this could be accomplished by means of hydraulic erosion ( water Cannon ). Also, the pipelines that would carry inflammable fluid and make the Suez canal a moat of flaming oil did not work when the Israeli emplacements ( under-manned) were attacked. Much of Israel’s tactical unpreparedness was due to US and international pressure. This is a lesson that Israel should learn-never again.
C.R. Said:
Israel and the American Jewish community are in deep trouble.
“They sure are–I’ve known it for years!”
What have you known for years. Care to illuminate me? Btw, why do you always post in bold?
LT COL HOWARD Said:
That was 1973. A few years ago now. From what I understand of the Yom Kippur war, it was Dayan’s fault that he didn’t accept intelligence coming in of an imminent attack, that caused the debacle of the first week of that war.
Things now are slightly different. The arab world are currently like the midionites. They are too busy running around killing each other to wage another war on Israel. If Israel ever becomes an energy exporter, then it is game, set and match.
The more I let all this sink in, the more I see history repeating itself as it typically does. It boils down to this. There are sheeps. There are goats. There is wheat. There are tares. and not all who say they are Israel, are Israel. So, let us watch and see every man identify himself as one with the true Israel, or one with the
world. Many are in the valley of decision. Unfaithful Jews are the ones in the dangerous position. Judgement will call their heart to give an account of why they
fear man rather than fear, honor, esteem The God upon Whose land they surrender what is not theirs to surrender.
They have turned away and turned against God and The Camp.
@ stewart p:
You get around.
Yamit
Their Jewicide is self-inflicted.
Those 40 American Jewish “leaders” are pusillanimous, obsequious, subservient weasels – I am being kind here.
These 40 ‘leaders’ reflect the ‘Galut’ mentality – as did Rabbi Stephen Wise during WW2.
These 40 ‘leaders’ are to be condemned for what they are: Apparachiks of the Obama/Democratic machine. They are Kapos – or Kapo facsimiles.
These buffoons need to read the Balfour Declaration, The San Remo Proclamation and, perhaps Howard Grief’s treatise.
These 40 ‘leaders’ are to be opposed, condemned and exposed for the vermin that they are.
@ Laura:
Laura- You were one of the very few that pointed out that some 50,000 innocent Jews died in the recent rocket attacks on Sderot by the genocidal Hamas forces. Shame on all of you who have ignored this FACT. Laura keep hammering home that fact.
@ rongrand:
You are Right, Right ,Right. if you read the novel 1984 by George Orwell, you may note a famous slogan– WAR IS PEACE. Yes you are correct. Israel can only be saved if it wages war- and then it may get peace.
@ Andrew “Sorry, Disagree. Israel has never been more potent and safer than they are now. All their enemies are imploding. Complete victory is within reach.”
I have concern ,since top IDF command pooh-poohed all concerns about Arab capabilities after the 1967 war and dismissed our alerts with “we know the Arabs… We live here… You don’t”
@Yamit82 “American Jews are a lost cause and hardly worthy of any effort to save them.”
You tend to dismiss too easily the Israeli need for the US. While Israel should be unyielding in determining Israel’s security needs… There is no gain in your constantly poking a finger in the eyes of American Jews.
@ LT COL HOWARD:
They sure are–I’ve known it for years!
These are evil Jews–it is Jews like these who are an obstacle to peace–it is Jews like these who have the blood of innocent Jews on their hands!
@ yamit82:
Yamit you know how I feel about liberal American Jews.
Again today on Fox News I witness a number of Jewish democratic strategist supporting and arguing on behalf of Obama and I say to my self “If they would muster all this support and stand up for Israel” it could make a difference.
I mentioned in the other post my nephews comments (20 year retired Army officer) supporting Israel as our only true friend and trusted ally in the ME.
I told him the Arabs hate us and Israel.
He said don’t feel bad, they hate each other.
It’s sad to think American Jews are not proud of the accomplishments of Israel and her people.
They may want to deny it, but whether they like it or not they are connected to Israel by Heritage, Faith and by G-d.
@ Meryl:
1- They seem to be in the majority.
2- Who will do the rounding up?
3- Once rounded up what would you do with/to them?
4-While some may be Commies, I doubt that you can paint most of them with that epitaph: Like the Bronfman’s who make a decent Vodka but certainly nowhere near the best.
@ LT COL HOWARD:
I think you re overly impressed by academic credentials?
If any of the signatories and their Co-supporters at this time believe what they do, it is not because they are all ignorant of the facts or history. If it is ignorance, it is willful ignorance and sending any special emissary to convince them otherwise is a waste of time.
They should be put on notice that they are being shunned by Israel Officialdom and pro Israel American supporters. Sure it will advance their academic careers but who cares.
I say ignore them.
American Jews are a lost cause and hardly worthy of any effort to save them.
Their Jewicide is self-inflicted.
Can anyone supply us with the signatories email addresses so we can swamp them enough mail to make them change their minds. If enough of us do it maybe public pressure will get them to retract.
I mean serious argument here not hate mail.
I have never enjoyed anything so fascinating as to read all the forum comments both here and on all news items. It is similar to watching how a man will vote inside the voting booth with a closed curtain. We can see their vote and hear their thoughts. These people who have sided with Korach’s Rebellion by standing against GOD MOSES AND TORAH are as the enemy within. The mandate to inhabit the land is of tantamount importance to the success of our people, the land of Israel, and the Jews in the diaspora. This battle is nothing less than spiritual and wars are fought there first.
What is decided there, becomes reality on the ground.
I would love to know how to cut and paste this comment on your other forum discussing the Levy proposal to affirm Judea and Samaria as belonging to Israel…
Thank you Ted. This Israpundit is going to be more ‘vital’ as time goes by.
I will make a donation to you this week.
Bravo. I wish more Jewish people ( and non Jewish people were like you ). @ Laura:
@ Bill Narvey:
The /Greenfield article has a link for part of it.
“Now the false narrative of settlement and occupation has been challenged by the Levy Report which restates many of the obvious points of law; most significantly that Israel is not an occupying power and did not seize any land from another state. Indeed much of the land that Israel is accused of occupying is actually land that was seized from it by invading Arab armies during its 1948 War of Independence.”
Oh, spare me the phony concern for Israel’s well being. Proud Jews exerting their rights embarrasses them in front of their “progressive” circle of acquaintances.
I’m so sick of liberal yenta diaspora Jews telling Israel what to do. They aren’t the ones who suffer the consequences of the policies they promote. I can’t stand them.
Time for Israel to stand firm against the voices of fear and appeasement. Remember that in the time of Moses we also had these same cowards that counseled against entering the promised land because of fear of man and their disbelief in G-d. In 1948 and in every crisis since then there have always been those who tried to block progress because they lacked faith and vision.
Additional request: Anyone also have a link to the English translation of the actual 89 page Levy report?
LT COL HOWARD Said:
Sorry, Disagree. Israel has never been more potent and safer than they are now. All their enemies are imploding. Complete victory is within reach.
Anyone have a link to the actual letter? I have searched. It is not referenced at the Israel Policy Forum Website. Only Ha’aretz offers it, but only if one subscribes to their paper, which I was not inclined to do.
Why should Israel listen to a bunch of holier than thou Demoncrat Jews who wish to see Israel the size of the Warsaw Ghetto?
Israel is better off without AIPAC. It only embarrasses us. Most likely a bunch of over educated mooches. Best thing is to expose issues to the light of day. It cannot compete with the Saudi Lobby.
Bronfmans have done great things for hospitals but the rest of these mooches, ” experts “, clowns and weasels, Israel does not need.
The letter’s signatories letter include philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Lester Crown; Marvin Lender, Former National Chairman of UJA; Rabbi Daniel Gordis, President of the Shalem Center; Deborah Lipstadt, an expert on Holocaust studies at Emory University; Bernard Nussbaum, former White House Counsel; Thomas Dine, a former executive director of AIPAC; E. Robert Goodkind, a former president of the American Jewish Committee; Richard Pearlstone, former chairman of the Jewish Agency; and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Israel and the American Jewish community are in deep trouble. Perhaps, Daniel Greenfield and others should be dispatched to meet with these people (Very reasonable and very sincere) such as Dan Gordis and Deborah Lipstadt face-to-face and explain to them something I know from being inside the Islamic camp.––They have just put all of Israel-Haifa , Tel Aviv, the rest of Jerusalem, etc. on the bargaining table for eventual destruction.