Author Archives: First.One.Through

Abortion, “Settlements” and Judeo-Christian Communities of Faith

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There are very few subject matters that excite people to such a degree that they become passionate even when there is no personal stake in the matter. The curious thing about two of them – abortion and the “settlements” – is that the left and right are similarly inconsistent about the rights of the self and those of the impacted.

Abortion

The left-wing considers abortion a personal matter for the mother. They consider the impacted party – the fetus – to have no rights, even up to the point of birth. Their “pro-choice” position argues that if you don’t like abortions, then don’t have one. Each person can decide on their own what works best for their circumstance. Some pro-choice people have even suggested that men should have zero say in the entire abortion discussion.

The right-wing that is “pro-life” doesn’t dismiss that women are a factor in the topic, however, they feel that the fetus also has rights. Some people in this camp feel that abortions are a form of legalized murder of innocent babies. The moves taken by some states like New York which have removed any penalties or restrictions for an abortion up until the moment of birth are viewed as sickening. The idea that men should have no say in laws regarding infanticide are considered outrageous and repugnant.

“Settlements”

The left-wing has tacked to a different course when it comes to Israeli Jews living over the 1949 Armistice Lines between Israel and TransJordan. They feel that the rights of Jews to live in the area commonly called the “West Bank” is wrong as it impacts Palestinian (formerly Jordanian) Arabs who do not want them living there in their call for a Jew-free country. Rather than follow their own advice on abortion – if you don’t like it, don’t do it – they have attempted to stop others (Jews specifically) from living in “settlements.”

The right-wing has similarly taken the inverted path on Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. They stand fully behind the rights of Jews to live where they want, especially in the Jewish holy land. The fact that Palestinian Arabs don’t like it is irrelevant. The impacted party must learn to live with the actions of people who use their agency to control their lives.

Changed Laws

The see-saw between right and left has pulled laws in different directions over the decades.

Abortion was illegal throughout the United States until 1973. The law continues to be challenged by different states which expand upon the rights of women (like New York described above) or for the rights of the unborn, as in Texas and Mississippi.

International law not only allowed but encouraged Jews to live throughout historic Palestine. The 1920 San Remo Agreement and the 1922 Mandate of Palestine not only called for Jews to live everywhere in the land, but specifically prohibited anyone from being banned from living in any part of the land (Article 15) – even in what became TransJordan (Article 25) – because of their religion. The United Nations reversed that in 2016 with the passage of UNSC 2334 which made it illegal for Jews to live over the 1949 Armistice Lines.

Abortion rights advocates demand that abortion rights are human rights and fight the laws viewed as discriminatory and will push for access even if laws are passed which they view as inherently misogynistic. Settlement activists similarly view UNSC 2334 and various calls to ban Jews from living somewhere as deeply anti-Semitic. They are fighting against the laws and attempts to boycott Jews who live in the Israeli territory of Area C.

The Distant Passion

The Deciding Party with Agency

There are nearly 4 billion women on the planet, so it stands to reason that there are many people who feel a vested interest in abortion rights. A woman in Ireland may look at the status of abortion in Texas and know that the decisions there have no immediate direct impact on her. However, she may feel both a connection with the women of Texas, and believe that the trend line in one part of the world may ultimately impact the situation for her thousands of miles away.

So it is with Jewish settlements. While there are a paltry few million Jews, there are hundreds of millions of Christian Zionists and others excited to see the rebirth of the Jewish State and want to ensure its success as they believe it confirms their faith. They stand amazed at the thriving democracy and technology marvel that Jews have built in the middle of the illiberal Middle East and are confident that God is blessing the Jewish people and will also bless those who bless the Jewish people.

The reality is that everyone – not just those with a vested interest – would likely be fine with abortions and settlements if there were no impacted party. The tension exists because there are others in the mix, and that dynamic is what ignites the passions.

Israeli buildings in the Judean Desert in Area C

The Impacted Party

In the abortion debate, many religious people believe that life begins at conception. Even those less religious intuitively understand that there is something unique about a fetus, especially in the third trimester, when an abortion cannot be equated with a woman getting a tattoo or body piercings. The pro-life community believes that the rights of the unborn – at some point during pregnancy – are as great as the rights of the mother.

The right and left do not side with the party with agency or the impacted party but whom they prioritize. The right sides with Jews and the unborn while the left tilts towards women and Arabs.

The split can perhaps be best summarized by the religious Judeo-Christian community versus the secular and Muslim community. The religious Judeo-Christian community generally believes that a fetus is more than a mass of cells and has inherent human dignity. They similarly attempt to live lives infused with the values of the Bible, and believe that the land of Israel is not simply holy land as it is to other faiths, but a uniquely Jewish Promised Land. The secular world believes neither, and wants to keep the beliefs of others out of their lives and politics.

The pro-life and pro-Zionist factions have tremendous overlap, not just in conservative politics but in the religious Judeo-Christian communities. The pro-abortion and pro-Palestinian groups similarly overlap in their anti-Judeo-Christian worldview, which they have attempted to characterize as a “White Patriarchy,” as a method of demonizing those alternative views.

Ongoing debates on abortions, settlements and a variety of issues will feature a slew of creative invectives, but at the core is the battle between the devoutly secular and the Judeo-Christian communities of faith around the world.

Related articles:

Prostitution and the Hijab

The Noose and the Nipple

When Power Talks the Truth

Decrying Anti-Semitism While Blocking Jews

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The State of New York has the most Jews in the United States and the greatest number of anti-Semitic hate crimes.

Beyond the dense Jewish areas of New York City and Westchester County, lie more rural Rockland County and its neighbor to the north, Orange County. Many ultra-Orthodox (Hasidic) Jews live there in towns including Monsey (in Rockland), and Monroe and Kiryas Joel (in Orange).

Unfortunately, many of their neighbors do not like them, and the Jews are facing an increasing amount of anti-Semitic graffiti, attacks and insults.

  • The Republican party in Rockland County posted a video warning of a “takeover” by the Hasidic community in August 2019.
  • A man burst into a rabbi’s home in Monsey and stabbed several people, killing one, in December 2020.
  • A playground at North Garnerville Elementary School was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti in April 2021.
  • A man in Haverstraw said that he would gladly run over Hasidic Jews at a town public meeting in November 2021.

Several of these blatantly anti-Semitic events were condemned by State Senator James Skoufis, which was appreciated by the Jews in his district. However, many of those Jews may not be aware of the anti-Semitic controversies surrounding Skoufis himself.

As detailed in a lawsuit, Wagschal v. Skoufis, the State Senator has been aggressively fighting the Hasidic community’s desire to expand. Skoufis posted on social media in August 2018 that Jews seeking to establish a new hamlet was “nothing but a revenge-fueled attempt to inflict harm on the people of Monroe and Orange County,” and a “complete lack of regard for the broader community” as he promised to “fight every step of the way to stop this disgraceful, offensive proposal.” His post drew many cheers from anti-Semites who posted that the Hasidic community was a “CURSE,” a “cult,” “cancer,” and “bigoted“; with one user writing that new laws “need to be enacted [to] limit how many children [the Hasidim] actually have.”

Wagschal asked Skoufis to repudiate the vile posts on his Facebook page, which Skoufis did not do. Instead, he blocked Wagschal, which, in turn, led Wagschal to sue his State Senator. Skoufis did subsequently allow Wagschal to post on his page again.

Skoufis’s fighting the Hasidic community in his district would continue.

The Town of Chester in Orange County in Skouflis’s 39th district, had approved the development of a 117-acre site for residential development but then thwarted the project when the site was acquired by Jews. New York Attorney General Letitia James fought against the housing discrimination and won her case in June 2021. After the loss, Skoufis said “There is no place for discrimination — regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, or otherwise — in our communities,” yet he would go on to fight Jews elsewhere in his district.

Skoufis sponsored a bill about “community preservation funds for the town of Blooming Grove” which sought to enable a town abutting the Jewish community to develop a conservation fund. New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the bill saying that “there have been well-documented tensions in Orange County between local elected officials and members of the Hasidic community. Similar tensions in the nearby Town of Chester resulted in litigation. It would be inappropriate to sign this legislation at this juncture, while facts are still being gathered about the situation.” Skoufis said the veto was “extremely disappointing” and will bring the bill forward again in 2022.

NY State Senator James Skoufis has been fighting ads that say he both supports and attacks the Orthodox community in his district

The move of blocking Jews is not confined to Skouflis’s district. Just outside of the 39th district is the town of Airmont which has also been accused of discriminating against Hasidic Jews in zoning laws. Over the state border is Mahwah, NJ which gathered over 1,000 signatures in an online petition called “PROTECT THE QUALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IN MAHWAH.” The comments on the petition would have made the infamous Nazi Joseph Geobbels blush.

The outright anti-Semites and blatant anti-Semitic acts are easily decried by public officials. But knowing their constituents’ prejudices, those same elected officials are pushing to change laws to block Jews from moving into neighborhoods. They know that if it can be blessed by such liberal icons as Barack Obama on a national level against the Jews in Jerusalem, it can certainly be accomplished by local politicians in New York.

Related articles:

The Nerve of ‘Judaizing’ Neighborhoods

Time to Define Banning Jews From Living Somewhere as Antisemitic

Westchester County, NY Should Adopt the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism

2021 First One Through Summary

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The year 2021 saw a spike in readership during the May 2021 Gaza War and then a decline to much lower levels. The dynamic of Facebook pulling back on showing articles continues to impact readership with Facebook readership down by 50%.

The most popular articles were:

Overall, there were 158 articles written during the year, averaging about 700 words each.

The top countries reading the articles remained the same as last year: United States, Israel, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa, with South Africa readership declining significantly. The biggest rise in readership came from Ireland, jumping to #7 from 15th place. Other countries with a jump in readership include: Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

The articles are being translated into more languages including German, Dutch and Norwegian. Hopefully more people will translate the pages and repost the articles in the coming year, including into French and Spanish. The only request is to include a link to the original articles.

… and in other blogs

I have now written over 1,000 articles totaling over 860,000 words since May, 2014, without any compensation from advertisements or requests for donations. The only asks are to share the articles with friends and elected officials, and have others subscribe to the blog.

Wishing you a very healthy and peaceful 2022.

“Politics Aside,” It’s All Politics for UNRWA

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UNRWA is a deeply flawed organization that manages to get worse.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East claims that its mission is one of humanitarian work devoid of any politics but that is plainly not so. It proclaims to be independent when it it is clearly not.

From its website:

  • “Independence is understood to mean that “humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented.” In other words, without independence and the autonomy that it affords the Agency, UNRWA would be at risk of being diverted from its humanitarian trajectory and its commitment to the other three Humanitarian Principles of humanity, impartiality, and neutrality.“
  • “It is only by being truly independent that UNRWA can respect the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and therefore only be driven by humanity.“

While UNRWA claims to understand that neutrality, impartiality and independence are critical for its mission, it remains a tool for the roughly 30,000 Palestinian Arabs who work for the agency, the 6.4 million (and growing) people who are registered with the agency, and the global anti-Zionist community which enjoy ripping at the seams of the Jewish State.

In time for the holidays and tax planning, UNRWA continues to ask Americas for money, seemingly unsatisfied with the $7.6 billion that tax payers have given to the Palestinians since 1993, which has yielded no peace. The agency which claims that politics is poison to its mission, led with politics in its 2021 year-end appeal:

UNRWA led with distorted politics in its year-end appeal for donations

UNRWA asked for money for “families in Gaza and Lebanon to secure their basic needs, giving them options and hope. (UNRWA’s emphasis),” ideally with donations of as large as $1,000. The reason that they need this money is declared in the opening lines: “Occupation, repeated military assaults, crippling blockades.” Are these three lines anything but smears and politics? Are they even factually correct? Since when is Lebanon under theses stresses? The Gazans initiate the repeated military assaults and are the cause of the blockade.

Knowing that it led with inflammatory language, the second paragraph backtracks and starts “Politics aside,” Indeed, politics. What else can be expected from an organization run by the largest political machine in the world, which makes it particular inept at carrying out humanitarian missions.

UNRWA is a prison which keeps millions of people tethered to the organization with the threat that if they deregister, they will no longer be classified as refugees and not entitled to millions of dollars from Israel.

It unilaterally extended its mandate beyond the contours of its formation which called for its wards to be either compensated or settled somewhere, with the declaration in April 2020 that it will live on until “a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.” That’s ridiculous. Why would a future-compensated descendant of a refugee living in Lebanon continue to need free housing, healthcare and education from UNRWA while Israelis and Palestinians debate water rights in the Jordan Valley?

Entrance to UNRWA’s Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem portrayed as a keyhole with a key on top, demonstrating that the pathway to ancestors’ homes is via UNRWA.

And it is bad at what it does. It is proportionately staffed by 20 times as many people as the UNHR which cares for actual refugees. Palestinian parents who have a choice, send their children to non-UNRWA schools.

UNRWA is a political tool dressed as a humanitarian organization. It is an embarrassment for the UN, the Palestinians forced to stay tethered to the over-staffed beast, and the well-meaning countries and people who fall for the marketing and advertising blitz with donations of hard-earned monies.

Queen Rania of Jordan – herself a Palestinian Arab – at a United Nations event in September 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of UNRWA

Related articles:

Shut UNRWA in Gaza Immediately

UNRWA Is Not Just Making “Refugees,” It’s Creating Palestinians

UNRWA’s Ongoing War against Israel and Jews

Help Refugees: Shut the UNRWA, Fund the UNHCR

This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 28 (Hikers)

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On December 28, 2007, three frustrated Palestinian Arabs were riding in a jeep when they saw two Israeli men and a woman hiking. Ahikam Amihai (20) and David Rubin (21), both of Kiryat Arba were killed while the woman managed to hide behind a rock in the riverbed and escaped. Of the three Jews, Ahikam was especially known for his “love for hiking in Israel. Ahikam knew every spring, every path. He hiked throughout Israel at every opportunity, walking quickly, glancing for a moment at the map, sleeping and eating in the field. Thousands of photos carefully marked and placed in albums document these hikes.” One of the caves he investigated yielded a discovery of a new life form – something of a hybrid between a scorpion and shrimp.

The Palestinians were obviously upset at seeing the Israeli Jews walking in nature on what they perceived as purely Arab land with “their filthy feet.” The desecration was too much too bear, so they resorted to firing on the hikers with assault rifles.

Hikers at the opening of a cave in Nahal Telem

The three Arabs who killed the two young men acted on their own, even as Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas all claimed responsibility for the attack. Such is the collective frustration of the Palestinian people at seeing Jews taking nature hikes with impunity.

Related articles:

The Palestinians aren’t “Resorting to Violence”; They are Murdering and Waging War

Palestinian Terrorist Groups

This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 27 (Kitchen Staff)

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On December 27, 2002, two very frustrated Palestinian Arabs broke into a yeshiva kitchen on Friday night, as young men prepared Sabbath dinners for over one hundred students. The two Arabs were armed with battle vests, M16 assault rifles and hand grenades as they faced off against boys carrying food to their friends in the town of Otniel. The upset Arabs killed Noam Apter, 23, of Shilo; Yehuda Bamberger, 20, of Karnei Shomron; Gavriel Hoter, 17, of Alonei Habashan; and Zvi Zieman, 18 of Reut.

The Palestinians were clearly worried that these Jews might prepare some offensive food items that would insult Arab heritage. The Jewish Sabbath gefilte fish and chicken soup were not considered native to Arab lands, and served as an insult to the Arab palate.

Yeshiva in Otniel

The two protesting Arabs who killed the four boys were members of Islamic Jihad which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, The United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Israel. Its primary sponsor is the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leader said in 2000 “the Palestinian people must continue the blessed Jihad and standing against the enemies of Islam…The Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah forces must continue the struggle in a united way. Indeed, the only solution is the elimination of the root of this crisis, which is the Zionist regime imposed on the region.“

Iran and Palestinian Arabs angered over the menu choices of Israeli Jews mark this day with celebratory meals.

Related articles:

The Palestinians aren’t “Resorting to Violence”; They are Murdering and Waging War

Palestinian Terrorist Groups

Socialists Employ Arabs’ Four Step Battle Plan

This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 27 (Tourists)

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On December 27, 1985 several very frustrated Palestinians attacked people standing in line at the El Al counters at the airports in Rome, Italy and Vienna, Austria. Seven Arabs used assault rifles and hand grenades against hundreds of people waiting to get on flights to Israel. They killed nineteen people and injured over one hundred.

The Palestinians were worried that these tourists might buy strawberries from the West Bank and generally support the Israeli economy. They anticipated that these pro-Zionists might also one day support blockading the Gaza Strip and erecting a security barrier in the West Bank to stop further acts of resistance.

New York Times headline not describing the terrorists as Palestinian Arabs

The attack was orchestrated by a group commonly known as Abu Nidal, or the Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims. Socialist Muslims today and the Democratic Socialists of America continue to urge people to recognize the humanity of Palestinians and the “struggles of Palestinian workers against the racist, settler-colonialist Zionist project,” and mark the day.

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The Palestinians aren’t “Resorting to Violence”; They are Murdering and Waging War

Palestinian Terrorist Groups

Socialists Employ Arabs’ Four Step Battle Plan

Singing of Joy and Jerusalem on Foreign Land

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Many people are familiar with the Jewish tradition of breaking a glass at the end of a wedding ceremony. It has become the marker for when people go from sitting quietly to screaming “mazel tov!” for the new couple.

The shattering of the glass traditionally is accompanied by a few lines from Psalm 137 (5-6) which are sung in a subdued manner:

אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither;

תִּדְבַּֽק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֢א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃

let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you,
if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour.

One would imagine that keeping “Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour” would imply making such memory very festive at a wedding ceremony. That is when the bride and groom are at their “happiest hour,” and as they burst for joy, they should sing about Jerusalem in that same boisterous spirit, not one of solemnity capped by broken glass.

The entirety of Psalm 137 must be internalized to appreciate how Jews incorporate these few lines of song at a wedding. Here are the opening lines (1-4) which precede the wedding song:

עַ֥ל נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ בָּבֶ֗ל שָׁ֣ם יָ֭שַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִ֑ינוּ בְּ֝זׇכְרֵ֗נוּ אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן׃

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, as we thought of Zion.

עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃

There on the poplars we hung up our lyres,

כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם שְֽׁאֵל֢וּנוּ שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁ֭יר וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ שִׂמְחָ֑ה שִׁ֥ירוּ לָ֝֗נוּ מִשִּׁ֥יר צִיּֽוֹן׃

for our captors asked us there for songs, our tormentors, for amusement said “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהֹוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַדְמַ֥ת נֵכָֽר׃

How can we sing a song of the LORD on alien soil?

The nature of the Psalm is one of sorrow. Tormented in diaspora, the local nations taunted the Jewish people to sing, but the joy of song could not be completed while on foreign soil. The “right hand wither[ing]” and “tongue stuck on my palate” are expressions that no harp can be played nor song uttered about Zion and Jerusalem while stuck far away.

With such orientation, consider the following wedding celebrated during the COVID pandemic:

A young man made aliyah and joined the Israeli army as a lone soldier. He completed his study at a Hesder yeshiva and his army service, and then met a beautiful girl. She had also made aliyah, albeit more recently, as she waited to hear from graduate programs in the U.S. They fell in love and got engaged with plans to marry in Israel together with their new community of friends. Unfortunately, as they spent a semester in the United States to take courses, they got stuck due to COVID restrictions and could not have the wedding in Jerusalem. They hastily made arrangements to get married in the diaspora, despite their best efforts and plans.

With the unexpected backdrop, the bride and groom finally stood beneath the wedding canopy. The chazan – who himself had made aliyah but happened to be in the U.S. for another affair – sang Psalm 137 verses 5 and 6 and then paused, as is the custom in Israel, for the groom to repeat the two sentences.

As the groom recited those words, everyone in attendance was pulled by this couple’s longing to be in Israel, and internalized line 4 from the Psalm which was unsung but deeply felt: How can we sing a song of the LORD on alien soil?

Hopefully this new couple will be blessed to share many happy anniversaries in the land in their hearts, the Jewish holy city of Jerusalem.

Related articles:

Humble Faith

Shtisel, The Poem Without an End, Continues

Spreading “Cheer” of Attacking Israeli Jews

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Palestinian Arabs have a long history of instilling their hatred of Jews and Israelis into their children.

Palestinian Arabs are by far the most anti-Semitic adults, with an astounding 93% – almost every single adult – hating Jews. For years, they have been passing on their hatred by naming schools, public squares and tournaments after terrorists who kill Jews. The textbooks used in classrooms are replete with horrific depictions of Jews and Israelis. The political-terrorist group Hamas which runs the terrorist enclave of Gaza runs summer camps teaching children how to kill Israelis.

The lifeblood of Palestinian Jew-hatred has a companion, and that is the love of killing Jews.

Consider the Christmas cartoon published by a virulently anti-Zionist Socialist extremist site called Mondoweiss. They showed Santa wearing a kaffiyeh, running amidst burning tires and pelting Israeli soldiers with coal.

Mondoweiss cartoon showing Santa Claus attacking Israeli soldier

This is the message of joy for children – violence. Happiness isn’t peaceful coexistence but routing Jews.

Palestinian Arabs have long celebrated the murder of Jews by handing out candies and desserts after terrorists successfully kill Israelis. They have children stand on the street passing out the celebratory treats while the parents and children in Israel mourn for their loved ones.

Israel has tried to get the world to focus on the child abuse of inciting and teaching violence to youngsters, to modest success. Perhaps it was because some governments would like the Palestinians to have an independent state so they delude themselves into believing that Palestinian Arabs “resort” to violence.

But the anti-Zionist movement wants people – including children – to love the violence.

Mondoweiss, whose founders include radical Jewish socialists, is funded by tax-deductible donations. That means that your tax dollars help support the indoctrination of children to love acts of violence. Something to share with your elected officials.

Related articles:

The Veil of Hatred

‘The Maiming of the Jew’

Students for Justice in Palestine’s Dick Pics

Rick Jacobs Seeks Non-Orthodox Prayer Space on The Temple Mount

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A Satire.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, who serves as the President of Reform Judaism, took to the pages of the Jerusalem Post on December 23, 2021 to demand prayer space for non-Orthodox Jews on the Jewish Temple Mount. Long frustrated by the delay in implementing an egalitarian space at the Kotel, the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, Jacobs thought it was time to move on.

“We created a painful but fair compromise that would make the Kotel a place for all Jewish people, from the most liberal to the most orthodox,” but the Israeli government has yet to institute the agreed upon solution, as “Netanyahu capitulated to pressure from the ultra-Orthodox parties” wrote Jacobs. “Making space at the Wall for pluralistic Jewish prayer will proclaim that there is more than one authentic way to live a Jewish life of meaning and purpose,” but alas, Jacobs does not see that happening.

Jacobs noted that the current Israeli government is unlikely to push forward on implementing the compromise solution so he has decided to move on – to the Temple Mount itself.

Jacobs noted that the Orthodox Jews truly revere the Kotel and he is fine letting them have it. He is going up top, with specific rights for non-Orthodox Jews. He added “Orthodox will have sole control over the prayer space that they cherish. For the first time, the non-Orthodox will have a dignified space where we can pray,” on the Al Aqsa Compound. He called this divide a “Solomonic solution, teaching all Jews the power of compromise and unity, and fulfilling Isaiah’s bold prophecy.“

Rick Jacobs (center) at the Kotel Plaza in 2016 advocating for an egalitarian prayer space

When questioned whether he thought the Islamic Waqf would have an issue with non-Orthodox prayer on what Muslims revere as the Al Aqsa Compound, he was nonplussed. “The Waqf doesn’t want ‘settlers’ praying on the Temple Mount but the non-Orthodox worshippers will be tourists from abroad as there are virtually no non-Orthodox Israelis who visit the site.“

When pressed further about the Reform movement’s views on ‘settlements’ including the Old City of Jerusalem, Jacobs said that Reform Judaism “has a long-standing policy of opposition to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank,” and also opposes “eviction/displacement of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, [and] elsewhere in East Jerusalem,” but he doesn’t think there is hypocrisy in advocating for non-Orthodox Jewish prayer on the the Temple Mount.

“Let me be clear, the current Israeli government does not believe in religious freedom and equality for non-Orthodox Jews,” so it’s time to bring our case before the Islamic Waqf. He added that “Judaism and Islam stem from the same foundational idea that we are the Children of Abraham, descendants of our common patriarchs and matriarchs,” and is sure that the Muslims will welcome non-Israeli, non-Orthodox Jewish extremists to pray alongside them on the Al Aqsa Compound.

“Inshallah,” he added. That will really be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all. (Isaiah 56:7)“

Related articles:

The Reform Movement’s Rick Jacobs Has no Understanding of Tolerance

“Protocols of the Elders of Zion – The Musical”

Google to Stop Displaying Pictures of Israeli Flags in East Jerusalem and West Bank

Ben & Jerry’s New Flavor: Milano Zio