Neturei Karta not the only Jews in US mounting a ‘keep away from-Israel’ campaign
Yishai Fleisher, YNET
On a beautiful Sunday morning in May, I was driving south on the West Side Highway in New York City, heading towards the Israel Day Parade. As my car made its way along the mighty Hudson River, I marveled on how awesome this city is. I saw myriads of joggers, happy barbecues taking place on well-tended Riverside park lawns, and of course, the imposing, surreal, gigantic skyscrapers that adorn this world-capital metropolis.
I travel often to New York to promote a stronger connection between North American Jews and Israel, and to encourage aliyah, and every time I go I am struck by the thought: How is the aliyah idea going to compete? This place just has too much of a magnetic pull and Jews have everything here – financial success, the best of world culture, freedom to worship, and all in relative safety, in the shadow of this great city.
While I was pondering this, I saw an airplane flying low over the Hudson River, at first thinking it was a WWII relic. But then I realized it was one of those propeller planes that tow a sign for people to read at the beach. I could make out the first letter was a “J” and so I guessed it was Christian advertising promoting Jesus. “New York is still a non-Jewish town, and Jews will never feel fully comfortable here” I thought. But as the plane got closer, the sign said something else, something very Jewishy indeed.
It read: “Judaism rejects Zionism and the State of Israel – NK, USA.”
Yup, Neturei Karta rented a plane and flew an anti-Zionist sign from the Rockaways all the way up past Manhattan – all in an effort to push back against the Israel Day Parade. Now I felt totally dejected, because I realized how doubly hard it will be to detach Jews from New York. Not only is the city tantalizing, but there is a conscious effort being made to disconnect Jews from Israel.
You may argue that Neturei Karta is an extremist group and is unrepresentative of American Jewry, and that is true. But they are not the only ones mounting a distance-yourself-from-Israel campaign. On both ends of the Jewish political spectrum there are movements which seek to disengage Jews from Israel.
For some in the Progressive movement it has been in vogue to see Israel as immoral, repressive, racist, as an apartheid state, and even equivalent to the Nazi regime. In a recent article featured on Tikkun Magazine’s website, reprinted from Haaretz, the writer asserts:
“The practice of denying the Palestinians their basic civil rights in the occupied territories under the army’s colonial regime – exemplified by the scandalous policy of administrative detentions and the disappearing of people in Israeli prisons for years because of their opposition to repression and humiliation – is frighteningly similar to the persecution practiced by the dark regimes of the 20th century against their opponents.”
More alive than ever before
These Progressives may believe they are helping Israel through their criticism, but the real effect is that Jews who come in contact with them are distanced from Israel. Israel is decidedly not their country because it does not meet their progressive Jewish moral standards, or in other words: Their Judaism rejects Zionism. “Forget it man, Israel is a mess,” says the liberal-minded Jewish student on campus.
The ultra-Orthodox haredim may come from the polar opposite world view, but they too have a Jewish moral reason to get some distance from Israel: Israel is not religious enough, not Torah enough. According to this doctrine Israel was built as a secular state by those antagonistic to Judaism and today is still run by those antagonistic to Judaism. The coercive secularism of Zionism is at the root of the real Israel, and the advent of Yair Lapid only proves that nothing has changed.
Hamodia, the self-described, “Daily Newspaper of Torah Jewry,” had this as the opening line of a recent article: “Secular politicians in Israel — not all of them, but those who are leading the campaign for an ‘equal sharing of the defense burden’ — want to deal the haredim a crushing defeat.”
How ironic. Both of these Jewish groups could see Israel in a totally different light if they only chose to.
For example, when it comes to Tikkun Olam (a liberal Jewish value), the Jewish state, while far from perfect, is the only country in the region which practices tolerance, educates, gives upward-mobility to minorities, dispenses health care and creates jobs for thousands of non-Jews daily. Opportunities to make a difference in terms of social justice and poverty alleviation are numerous in Israel and always in need of participants. One can even help shape public policy, if you are so inclined. Engaging in building the Jewish state fits perfectly with the Tikkun Olam outlook that is a core focus of Progressive Jewish circles. But this engaged attitude towards the building of a Jewish state, which seems to fit perfectly with the Tikkun Olam outlook, is rarely heard in these circles.
For the haredim worldwide, the big issue is the IDF draft. And yes, in this political climate more Ultra-Orthodox students will end up going to the army or national service. But other than the contentious army issue, haredi Torah Judaism in Israel is thriving – not receding as some haredi newspapers would have us believe. Has anyone seen the haredi neighborhoods and cities like Jerusalem or Bnei Brak or Beit Shemesh or Beitar lately? Building and flourishing! Today, Israel is the center of Torah scholarship, and countless yeshivot support the constant study of our ancient texts.
While it is a fact that if you want to be a highly-observant Jew, Israel is the place to do it – that is rarely heard in American haredi circles. Recently, I bumped into my grade school teacher who now works for a haredi institution in New York. She said that the first question that they asked her was: “Are you a Zionist?” When she replied in the affirmative they told her it was fine, as long as she kept silent about it.
In my travels I have seen this phenomenon metastasizing in parts of the American haredi society: Taking down the Israeli flag in synagogues, speaking derogatorily about the State of Israel as being anti-Torah, and of course, not recognizing Israel’s Independence Day or Yom Yerushalayim, nor attending the Israel Day Parade. Anything that smacks of Zionism or associated with the state is pas nisht or trief. And of course, this attitude negatively impacts on aliyah, and therefore it is not only the State of Israel which suffers, but the land of Israel which will continue to be bereft of her children.
Why is this happening? Could it be that the leadership of certain parts of Jewish society (be they self-defined as haredi or Progressive) are trying to subdue a positive perspective on Israel in order to consolidate their power and keep their community from flying the coop? I’m not sure, but it is clear that the ideological extremes in the American Jewish community both seem to be in agreement that Israel is antithetical to their values.
So there I am heading down the West Side Highway thinking about all this: The magnetism of New York which seems to want to embrace Jews forever, the Neturei Karta flying a banner that Judaism rejects Zionism, the Progressive Jewish disappointment with Israel, and the haredi public assessment that the State of Israel is anti-Torah. So now I am left wondering: Who is left to attend the Israel Day Parade?
To my surprise, however, I saw myriads of brightly clad youth marching with strong Israel pride and a burning love of Jerusalem. I saw an innumerable mass of empowered Jews lining 5th Avenue, religious and non-religious together, loudly cheering every float that came by. I saw the half-million strong Jewish New York coming out and showing their love for our homeland. And I took that energy one step further, signing up people for a free drawing to win two free tickets to Israel with the caveat that participants will get information about aliyah. And the Jews gobbled it up.
In the streets of New York I saw that Judaism resoundingly embraces, and in no way rejects Israel and the movement to return to Israel, that is, Zionism.
To be sure, many diseased thoughts try to enter the collective conscious of our people and we will have to work hard to root them out. But thank God, there is a natural resistance to the illness; some unseen mechanism, like a gyroscope, that gets us right back up. This is why, in the end, no NY magnetism, no anti-Israel rejectionist-theories, no New York Times cynicism, and no jihadist fear mongering, will subvert the truth, which is that we, as a nation, are heading towards Jerusalem and we are living in the amazing times of the ingathering of the exiles and the building of the Jewish state. Despite many efforts to the contrary, the nation of Israel, at its core, is alive and well. In fact, with the rebirth of Israel, we are more alive than ever before.
yamit82 Said:
Once again you don’t speak Southern,[ little o’,] does not mean old and ederly, it is a tearm of endearment!!!!!!!!!!!
Shy Guy Sai.
Whatever you do, just don’t let Yamit take you for sun and fun at the lake.
Not this girl!!!!!!!CHICO!!!!!!!!!!
@ yamit82:
Please no dead crow on your head.
yamit82 Said:
Any body of ANY WORTH around these parts drive a white[refexs the sub] Escalade or a huge RV.with a glass shower and fancy cook stove.
@ yamit82:
C.E” zealot – a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans – not good Yamit. I take exception to persecuting Jews. Persecution – the killing and or torture of an innocent person. One of the probs when dealing with war is persecuting the innocent.
@ yamit82:
Don’t expect many Jews to follow your theory…..not in this day and age. Many of us have moved on…..Thank G-d we have!!
@ Shy Guy:
😛
honeybee Said:
I’ll rent whatever you like. I aim to please. I will be “Tonto”
honeybee Said:
Whatever you do, just don’t let Yamit take you for sun and fun at the lake.
yamit82 Said:
Frankly speaking
yamit82 Said:
Thank goodness I like grumpy!!!!!!!!!!!! Like chili in mashed potatos. Never had a taste for bland. I am now being ordered up stairs, I have run myself to ground lately giving CB the oppertunity to become “Mi Comendante” without opposition.
honeybee Said:
I only admit to the grumpy part.
dove Said:
Of course I’m a Zealot.
From on line dictionary.
“an immoderate, fanatical, or extremely zealous adherent to a cause, esp a religious one”
“(Historical Terms) any of the members of an extreme Jewish sect or political party that resisted all aspects of Roman rule in Palestine in the 1st century C.E” zealot – a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans
1) Because you sound like a zealot
2) I (like many other Jews) do not live in America – as in the United States of America. As I have said before – you put 12 Jews in a room and there will be 13 different opinions. (A little inside joke of ours) With you, there is not much flexibility. Remember that Hashem is mysterious – Our ways are not Hashems ways – we do not have it all figured out. Just because you were able to make it back to The Promised Land does not mean that those of us who have not are somehow being traitors – or perhaps our work is not yet complete where we live. There are a lot of personal issues involved and you have no right insinuating that those of us who live in the diaspora are not in tune to OUR homeland. Enough said. We know it`s just a matter of time and Hashem is going to have no choice but to show up – it has happened before, it will happen again. I know you are concerned that the `soul of Israel`is not complete until we all make it home. There is the geographical Israel – and there is those of us who do have Israeli hearts and minds. We do make a difference. I am not a theologian and prefer not to back up with Scripture the way you do – as it`s a lot of research to look it up. I have the Torah etched on my soul – that is good enough. We are all temples. Until the Jews starting getting answers from Hashem – there will be a lot of complacency. The ball really is in Hashems court. @ yamit82: Sorry, I boldly don`t know yet how to use the bold properly here….lol
yamit82 Said:
OMG Shy Guy, we’ve been dist!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It all that butterilk pie!!!!!!!!!
Yamit,dear heart, are you turning into a grumpy o’Jewish guy.
@ honeybee:
@ Shy Guy:
Paper Is Not Dead
yamit82 Said:
What do you drive,Sugar Pie. We can go Moab and Zion and be gentiles.
http://youtu.be/NVphs8eP6c4
honeybee Said:
Maybe in Nov or Dec.?
yamit82 Said:
Road trip!!!!!!!!!!!!! Darlin
dove Said:
How’s that?
You are right there must be some (4-5) Jews hiding out in Wyoming and Utah that might be exceptions. What do you expect me to do poll every Jew in America in order to find some exceptions or anomalies?
Believe it or not NOT ALL JEWS LIVE IN NEW YORK. Here in the out back of Great American West, we are very proud Jews.
That’s not counting LAS ANGELES.
Actually Israel is not a mess, its economy is thriving while the west is truly in a mess.
Yamit, your theology sounds a lot like the Founder of Christianity – Paul – yuk!! You have a tendancy of painting everyone with the same brush.
NormanF Said:
Because Israel embodies those truths about themselves they prefer not to see nor face.
We no longer need in a material way the Jewish diaspora and that’s all they ever brought to the table. Diaspora Jews were comfortable in the role of rich patron, now that that status does not exist they are floundering like fish out of water while they are disintegrating as a cohesive and identifiable Jewish community. The Jewish slide into the abyss is historically unprecedented in it’s rapidity. IMO they have past any point of self correction.
European Jewry Rejected Israel and were eliminated. Most Jews in Arab countries ditto and the rest for the most part were forced to leave their diaspora countries and homes.
The Moshiach King Koresh Cyrus) gave permission and even material assistance to the Captive Jews of Babylon to return home but only 42-43,0000 returned and that was only some 70 years after the exile. Today there are no Jews in Babylon (Iraq) and if you want to view any historical artifacts from that time go to Ace hardware buy a shovel and a plane ticket to Iraq and start digging. The Jews of Spain and Germany thought likewise that they had found a new promised Land again G-d laughed at those foolish Jews.
Diaspora Jews religiously observant and non observant have embraced wholeheartedly the ecumenical worship of the Golden Calf of our times: The Golden Exile.
“And they scorned the desirable land.” (Psalms 106)
“Can one look at a state that rises miraculously after two millennia and watch an ingathering of exiles from a hundred lands and not see in this the beginning of the great vision and redemption? Regardless of the sins and abominations in the land?”
“As I live, saith the L-rd, G-d, surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I be king over you. And I will bring you out from the peoples… with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm and fury poured out.” (Ezekiel 20)
He who understands…understands.
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”(Kohelet..Eccles.)
Shy Guy Said:
When in Rome….?
Why are Jews embarrassed at Israel? The Arabs are not the real problem. Today, the only real danger to the Jewish people comes from the Jews themselves.
Wrong! “Tikun Olam” (“mending the world”) is Torah terminology, stolen by liberal Jews and used in so many wrong and distorted ways. You will find it mentioned at the end of the Aleinu prayer (“Le’tahkein Olam B’Malchut Shadai” – “to mend the world through the reign of The Almighty”), said at least 3 times a day, at the conclusion of each of the 3 daily prayer services.
Why is Fleisher, a Torah observant Jew, surrendering our terminology to those who abuse it?