Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro's view on Zionism

[Evang.Benincasa]

[Amanah]

Thanks for posting this!

[Evang.Benincasa]

[Pressing-On]

The first video reminds me of when the American Jews wouldn't lift a finger to help the suffering Jews overseas during WWII. Hard to take the first video seriously.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

The first video reminds me of when the American Jews wouldn't lift a finger to help the suffering Jews overseas during WWII. Hard to take the first video seriously.

Well, actually he is saying that one, he is an American, two, he is a Jew through his religion. Three, that Benjamin Netanyahu isn't his representative, because he isn't an Israeli. I think taking him seriously is logical, because his arguments are based on the simple logic I just mentioned. My ancestry is Sicilian, I have no attachment to Italy or Sicily. If they were having problems all I can do is pray for them, because honestly that's all I can do as an American. If my government doesn't want to do anything for the plight of the Italians, what can I do? But to say that Paolo Gentiloni speaks for me as an Italian American is ludicris.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Well, actually he is saying that one, he is an American, two, he is a Jew through his religion. Three, that Benjamin Netanyahu isn't his representative, because he isn't an Israeli. I think taking him seriously is logical, because his arguments are based on the simple logic I just mentioned. My ancestry is Sicilian, I have no attachment to Italy or Sicily. If they were having problems all I can do is pray for them, because honestly that's all I can do as an American. If my government doesn't want to do anything for the plight of the Italians, what can I do? But to say that Paolo Gentiloni speaks for me as an Italian American is ludicris.

He is actually saying that as an American Jew, he doesn't care about the Jews in Israel. Seems like Mark Levi had it right saying that the American Jews are sell outs. He must think his hat is cool.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

He is actually saying that as an American Jew, he doesn't care about the Jews in Israel. Seems like Mark Levi had it right saying that the American Jews are sell outs. He must think his hat is cool.

No, he doesn't think his hat is cool, no more than you think wearing a dress is cool. His black hat and beard is part of his religion. Just like your dress and hair.

Anyway, Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro is mainly speaking on his own behalf and his religion. How that Benjamin Netanyahu isn't an emissary for him, or his religion. But Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro isn't the only Jew who feels this way, and it isn't because American Jews hate Israel, or dislike Mark Levi. It is because they don't see Benjamin Netanyahu as their representative. They are Americans, their president is an American, their government is American. If their elected officials wish to support Israel in whatever Israel wants to do so be it, because they voted in those officials. But, Benjamin Netanyahu cannot say that he represents ALL JEWS. That is logically not the truth.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

No, he doesn't think his hat is cool, no more than you think wearing a dress is cool. His black hat and beard is part of his religion. Just like your dress and hair.

Anyway, Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro is mainly speaking on his own behalf and his religion. How that Benjamin Netanyahu isn't an emissary for him, or his religion. But Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro isn't the only Jew who feels this way, and it isn't because American Jews hate Israel, or dislike Mark Levi. It is because they don't see Benjamin Netanyahu as their representative. They are Americans, their president is an American, their government is American. If their elected officials wish to support Israel in whatever Israel wants to do so be it, because they voted in those officials. But, Benjamin Netanyahu cannot say that he represents ALL JEWS. That is logically not the truth.

Most liberal Jews don't care that Israel has had strong Jewish leadership since 1933. Instead of being glad for Israel they have to be the ones causing dissension.

Netanyahu is simply saying that he is prepared to stand up for the rights of Jews anywhere. He doesn't believe he is the leader of Jews all over the world.

No wonder American Jews were so sorry about refusing to come to the aid of the Jewish people during WWII. They get their Yarmulka in a wad over something they take out of context. Why is that? Because they do not care.

And, BTW, there is a lot of anti-Semitism in this country. They might do well to be glad that they have a very prominent voice who can and would be willing to stand for them. They don't have anyone that strong in this country.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Most liberal Jews don't care that Israel has had strong Jewish leadership since 1933. Instead of being glad for Israel they have to be the ones causing dissension.

Netanyahu is simply saying that he is prepared to stand up for the rights of Jews anywhere. He doesn't believe he is the leader of Jews all over the world.

No wonder American Jews were so sorry about refusing to come to the aid of the Jewish people during WWII. They get their Yarmulka in a wad over something they take out of context. Why is that? Because they do not care.

And, BTW, there is a lot of anti-Semitism in this country. They might do well to be glad that they have a very prominent voice who can and would be willing to stand for them. They don't have anyone that strong in this country.

You know I wonder if you even watched the video now. Because he said nothing about not caring about people. His main point was the differences between Judaism and political Zionism. Which logically are totally two different things. Another thing, he spoke about his loyalty to this country. One thing you have to remember, if someone was Japanese during WWII and Hirohito said that all Japanese were loyal to him in all countries where they lived, they would have problems. Same with Germany, and if Hitler told the American people that all Germans were to be loyal to him and that he was their emissary. While Netanyahu didn't claim all Jews were loyal to him, he did say that he was their emissary. Unless you don't know what the word emissary means, it means diplomatic representative. Benjamin Netanyahu isn't any American, Russian, Polish, African, Slovakian, Italian, or Greek Jew's diplomatic representative. But, what rights is any foreign leader going to stand for an citizen in another country? If you followed the video you would of found out that Abe Foxman even disapproved of Benjamin Netanyahu's speech. Did you happen to catch where the Rabbi mentioned if the prime minister of Bulgaria was to say that he was to speak on the behalf of all the Jews everywhere? It would be considered preposterous. Anti-Semitism? Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't have to worry about Antisemitism, in the U.S. or in Wakanda. Want to know why? Because he can't do a thing about it. Only the voted in officials of those countries can do anything to stop it. Period. That's all that the Rabbi was trying to relay. That being a Jew is based on religion, not on your politics, or a country.

[Amanah]

The presence of Anti-Semitism on college campuses was vehemently debated at a congressional hearing last week to examine the viability of the proposed “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act” – conceived to formally identify the language used in such an act, and to aid in the investigating of alleged civil rights violations.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) acknowledged “widespread bipartisan condemnation of anti-Semitism,” but expressed that the way in which it “changes over time and presents itself in different forms over time would counsel against codifying any particular definition of anti-Semitism.” Such talk from the powerful congressman indicates the bill – unanimously passed by the Senate but yet to receive a vote in the House – faces a rough road to enactment, and rightfully so.

Speaking at Goodlatte’s behest, professor Barry Trachtenberg, Director of Jewish Studies at Wake Forest University, said it was “a factual distortion to characterize campuses in the United States as hotbeds of new anti-Semitism,” and that “creating a ‘special status’ for speech concerning Jews and Israel would only reaffirm otherwise anti-Semitic claims that Jews are exceptional and therefore need to have a special category of laws that apply only to them.”

Trachtenberg was joined at “Examining Anti-Semitism on College Campuses” by experts like Anti Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt; Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; and Pamela Nadell, the president of the Association for Jewish Studies.

True Torah Jews is opposed to the passage of the “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act” because it mistakenly enmeshes and obscures the two separate and distinct concepts of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. Jews adhere to no single nationality, race, or culture. They come in all colors and hues, and hail from every place on earth. What they do share is a common religion. And, while the Zionists want to change that, TTJ wishes to disassociate from the anti-Semitic characterization of Jews as a separate national entity. We believe rhetoric on Israel should never be deemed ‘pro or anti Jewish’ as we have absolutely no connection to the State of Israel.

It is crucial to note that Jews are patriotic American citizens who practice the religion of Judaism, and that there are, generally, two types of people who conflate Judaism with Zionism: Zionists who try to legitimize Zionism, or anti-Semites who try delegitimizing Judaism.

“Zionism and Zionistic activities not only depress Judaism by putting nationality first and religion second, but they injure Judaism by combining religion and nationality,” wrote Anglo-Jewish British leader Claude Montefiore.

Alexander Hamilton, vice president of the Anglo Jewish Society, concurred: “Emancipated Jews in this country regard themselves primarily as a religious community…They hold Judaism to be a religious system, with which their political status has no concern, and they maintain that, as citizens of the countries in which they live, they are fully and sincerely identified with the national spirit and interests of those countries. It follows that the establishment of a Jewish nationality in Palestine, founded on this theory of Jewish homelessness, must have the effect throughout the world of stamping the Jews as strangers in their native lands.”

Chairman Goodlatte has the right idea in not even allowing the debate to reach a vote on the House floor. Such thickly proscribed legislation is likely to engender more prejudice than it erases.


http://www.truetorahjews.org/