This will be a short post in order to make one crucial point. See this Palestinian boy. Hamas killed him too. I am sure there will be a spin by those who hate Israel and the Jewish people to say otherwise, but this is the face of the latest victim of Hamas. Make no mistake. He may be Palestinian, but regardless of the circumstances surrounding his death, Hamas killed him too. If you read this and don’t understand why, it is simply because you do not wish to understand why. Israel wants peace. Hamas and their allies do not.
Tag Archives: Jewish
Another Victim of Hamas
A Liberal with Zero Tolerance
I am a self-proclaimed Liberal. I believe in being tolerant. However, like everything else in life, tolerance has a breaking point as well. Today mine was broken. With the murder of Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frenkel, 16, I no longer believe a peaceful solution is possible with our Palestinian enemies. Yes, I said enemies. I did not say partners, I did not say neighbors, I did not say counterparts. Just as the Germany that existed between 1933 and 1945 were enemies of not only the Jewish people but the entire civilized world, so too the Arabs in and around Israel have developed into the same opponents of decency not seen since Nazi Germany.
I am by nature, a pacifist. I am no “tough guy”, nor do I ever proclaim to be. However, tolerance and liberalism needs to be saved for human beings who you have differences with, not with animals set on the destruction of anything decent. With that said I wholeheartedly support the harshest of actions. I also will no longer, and urge every human being who believes in what is right to do the same, support any government’s policies that stand in the way of Israel doing what needs to be done.
And now I will make a statement totally removing myself from my Liberal positions. All of you out there, be you anti-Semites who like seeing Jews suffer, residents of civilized nations who thinks it is only the problem of Israel and the Jewish people, or Liberal Americans, Jew and non-Jew alike, listen very carefully. They’re coming for you as well. Like the Nazi sympathizers who thought they were exempt, anyone who supports this cause or does not fight against it will only be useful for as long as they are needed to push their agenda. Once they do, if they can reach you, me, all of us, they will kill us as well.
To President Obama I say this. At best you are exhibiting a similarity to Neville Chamberlain, at worst you’ve picked the wrong side. Either way you’ve got it wrong. You want a legacy Mr. President? Try using your powers as leader of the Free World to keep it free. If nothing else please stay out of Israel’s way.
Sadly I now feel that the slogan “Bring back out Boys” needs to be changed to “Avenge our Boys”.
A Kidnapper only a Mother could love
The old saying, “it’s a world gone mad” has taken on a new meaning. We now live in a world where mothers can be proud of their sons for kidnapping without the world showing outrage. Let’s look at this objectively. If an Israeli missile kills civilians being used as a human shield by terrorists, the world now calls it genocide. But when 3 young students, yes students, not soldiers, not terrorists, not “freedom fighters”, students, get abducted for merely being Jewish, the mother of one of the suspects can speak of her son glowingly for his crime. When asked about her sons suspected involvement in the kidnapping, the mother of Amer Abu Aysha said that “if her son did take part in the kidnapping, she was proud of him and hoped he would continue to evade capture, both by Israeli and Palestinian Authority security forces.”
Read more: Israel names suspects in kidnapping of three teens | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-names-suspects-in-kidnapping-of-three-teens/#ixzz35mHZ1BIU
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Are people so scared that they dare not speak, or has the world plummeted that far into a moral abyss? Once again I ask the hypocritical anti-Semites masquerading as human rights activists, where is your loud voice now? Or will this be one more example of how you only care about the lives you give value to? Jewish lives are clearly not included.
Bring Back our Boys!
Yes indeed…We’re everywhere
After looking up various sources it appears the U.S.A. National Soccer team playing in the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brasil does indeed have a Jewish player on their team. Whether or not it is both parents, just his mother (which would satisfy all Jews requirements) or just his father (something that would not satisfy the most traditional within the religion’s ranks) I do not know. But I do know he is referred to as Jewish. Good enough for me.
For the record, even if we didn’t have one I’d still be cheering for them to beat Germany today. Just a little tidbit I know a bunch of you out there will appreciate. Maybe he makes it into Adam Sandler’s next Hanukkah song. That might depend on whether or not he helps us win. Go U.S.A! (unless you play The Netherlands).
Why this Picture is Right
Of the over 17,500 hits I received from posting this picture, together with the article titled “A Beautiful Irony”, I have also received approximately 10 comments stating that this picture is indeed a fake one, with some claiming Lionel Messi is not pro-Israel or pro-Jewish at all. Let me address that. It is very clear to anyone who understands the timeline of the kidnappings and the current soccer schedule of Lionel Messi that this picture is a result of photo-shop. But the statements made in my article are accurate. Lionel Messi has indeed exhibited a pro-Israel and pro-Jewish sentiment and I will use his stance on the politics of the issue to make an important point. Not all people who show sympathy towards the Palestinians are anti-Israel. In fact, to show support for the development of the residents of the West Bank and Gaza while showing solidarity towards Israel makes the statement that the disadvantages that these people have are not the result of a mistreatment from the Israeli people and their government. If anything it makes the statement that it is not Israel’s fault at all, rather the result of corrupt leaders, terrorist regimes, and lack of concern and even worse, manipulation by their fellow Arabs in the region.
Most importantly, as a result of that last post, more people have seen the picture showing the 3 kidnapped Yeshiva students, with the slogan that we must make everyone hear or see till they are freed, “Bring Back Our Boys”. Not that I can speak for him, but from what I can tell, Lionel Messi has never shown anything other than behavior that would indicate that he would want the same. One of the reasons I loved seeing him score 2 more goals today against Nigeria.
From De Niro to Iranian Soccer Fans: Support for Israel Does Exist
Supporter of the Jewish people and Israel are like the salesperson who produces. If you don’t recognize the achievement it might not happen as often. Thank you Robert De Niro and to this random bunch of Iranian soccer fans at FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brasil. What’s your favorite pro-Israel and or pro-Jewish display?
Let’s hope these guys don’t get hurt for being decent human beings.
Does the World Cup Unite us?
Quick answer; it could. If only the politicians and power mongers would let it. In a world filled with violence and hatred, I am one of those who truly believes that the majority of the people watching care more about their country scoring a goal than any territorial conflict or prejudice against people. Despite my belief that FIFA may very well be corrupt, a belief somewhat influenced by The Netherlands’ inability to break through and win it all, I truly believe this tournament, FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brasil, can do a lot more good than harm. In fact, I don’t even think it is close. I am not naive. As a Jew and as an American, I know there are people who hate us. But wouldn’t it be great if all the battles and anger could be left on a soccer pitch? I know my prejudices towards countries like Holland, America and England are based on personal experiences that make me root in favor of their success, just as my prejudices against Iran, Algeria and France are also based on my experiences or perceptions. However, wouldn’t it be great if it stopped there for everyone. I wouldn’t gloat over the death of Iranians, but I certainly gloated over their defeat in a World Cup match. When I say I hate Cristiano Ronaldo and I hate Portugal, it is because he strikes me as arrogant and I see Portugal as a villain in international soccer tournaments, not because I hate the country or people. On the contrary, I have Portuguese blood. My mother’s maiden name is Rodrigues-Lopes, a Portuguese name. And my hatred for Ronaldo wants me to see him fail in football, excuse me, soccer, not fail in life. And yes, as a Jewish man and Zionist I would much prefer Palestinians dancing in the streets because Israel didn’t qualify or because the U.S. got eliminated, not because of a successful terrorist attack that killed Jews.
The good news, I believe the majority of the planet would agree with this sentiment. They just need to fight to create governments that feel the same way. It may be a pipe dream, but to quote my favorite line from the movie Flashdance, “when you lose your dreams, you die.”
Attention World: Jewish Life has Value
Let me start by saying that I believe in the value of all human life. I do not sit down with the intent of portraying Jewish life as being more valuable than other life, rather to defame those who do not, never have nor ever will see Jewish life as being equal in value.
I am blessed to have visiting in my home the daughter and son-in-law of Bertus and Geeske te-Kiefte, the couple that saved my mother’s life in Holland during Nazi occupation. During the time we have spent together we have had conversations revealing our similarity in values and our respect for all that is decent and good in the world. We recognize the value of all human life and speak with tremendous honor and respect for those who put their lives in danger to protect others. We share a common value for human life. As a Jew in today’s world it has become strikingly apparent that many people out there do not share the same value for Jewish life and even more worrisome is that it has become clear to me how the world allowed the Nazis to do what they did to the Jewish people. It just didn’t care. Or even worse, it approved.
I do not have a persecution complex by any means. In fact I make the argument that there is no reason to go after those who do things that appear to be anti-Semitic if they make claim to not be anti-Semitic. First case in point is Macklemore, who dressed up in a costume during one of his performances that was seen as being a stereotypical caricature of a Jewish man with a big nose. Whether that was his intent or not, his strong claim that he did not mean it to be a portrayal of someone Jewish and that he was not at all anti-Semitic is enough for me to not see him as the problem. Second case in point is the Nike commercial with evil clones taking over international soccer with images on their uniform that could be construed as Stars of David. Nike issued a statement that the image was not intended to resemble a Star of David at all and that they were not trying to draw any connection to Israel or the Jewish people. The Nike statement was also enough for me to not see them as the problem.
Is it possible that in both situations we are being lied to and that these are two instances where high-profile celebrities or corporations are subtly trying to demonize Israel and the Jewish people? Sure. But sadly in a world where there are so many blatant, callous, disgraceful and violent attacks on Jews, the subtle attacks are not our problem. The rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, most notably in France, is our problem. The BDS movement’s attempt to cripple the Israeli economy by spewing lies about Israel’s human rights record is our problem. And the kidnapping of three young boys just because they are Jewish and living in Israel is our problem.
The kidnappings are telling in so many ways. First of all it identifies the insincerity of the pigs committing the act. They are not freedom fighters battling for the well-being of their people who are attacking enemy combatants. They are cowards filled with hate and evil-looking to harm any Jewish person they come in contact with. The second telling fact is how once again this exposes the fraud that is the United Nations. When a statement comes from the UN stating that it has no evidence that these boys were kidnapped, they sound no different from the standard anti-Semite denying the Holocaust ever happened. And the third and possibly the most telling fact, is the media campaign throughout the Arab world glorifying the kidnapping. The three finger salute gaining traction and popularity, even being performed by Palestinian children, incidentally children looking happy not persecuted, might as well be accompanied by a resounding Heil Hitler, because it shows as little respect for Jewish life as the Nazis did when they terrorized Europe.
I am very careful and reluctant to compare anything to Nazi Germany, but when Jewish life is turned into something of no value, the comparison is dangerously justified. For me to have this forum, a forum established to promote a book telling the story of my parents, survivors of that horror of the Nazis, and to not speak up and speak my mind at this scary time in Jewish history would make me remiss in my responsibility as a Jew and a human being.
Never Again means Never Again will we remain silent when we see anyone in the world act as though Jewish blood is cheap. Too many people suffered and died in the past and we can’t allow the same to happen in the future. This is no longer the time to be silent. This is the time to raise our voices and proclaim to the world in the name of all that is decent, Never Again!
A Genuine Man of Decency
Hey Roger Waters, you no good piece of hypocritical garbage, where’s your voice of humanity now? By showing the world that only people who aren’t Jewish matter, you reveal your true intentions. This is what a genuine humanitarian does. Growing up I never thought I’d like Tony Orlando and Dawn more than Pink Floyd, but that is where I am at now. Thank you Tony Orlando for making a stand that shows those who will listen that Jewish life matters too.
When A Decision Shows Greatness
It was in the late 1970’s when we were living in the city of Arnhem, capital of the Dutch province of Gelderland, that my father was thrust into a situation no one would ever envy. As the Rabbi of Gelderland and 5 other provinces, his duties included visiting and counseling the sick, visiting Jewish inmates in prison, and probably the most common occurrence, the performance of funeral services. One day he received an urgent call saying that a well-known member of the community had taken a gun to his head and had killed himself. The man, someone we all knew well, was a good man, but a mentally tortured man. Whatever suffering he had endured at the hands of his Nazis was unknown to me, but we all knew that whether it was the suffering caused by the murder of his family or personal torture, this man was a victim of the Holocaust and sadly suffered mentally in a way the majority of people, myself included, could never understand. Under strict Jewish law, someone who commits suicide is not entitled to a proper Jewish burial and is not supposed to be mourned as others would be. My father, someone who had experienced the Nazi-occupation of Holland first hand, and a man of compassion and wisdom, would have no part of this. Understanding that this man was not a weak man taking the cowardly way out, but rather a victim of the horrors, my father ruled his death as a death by illness, regardless of whether or not the final action was self-inflicted or not. By my father making this decree, the man was able to receive the proper burial he deserved, and was mourned and remembered in the days, weeks and months that followed.
I was no older than 17 when this happened. It would be something I would never forget because this action was a testament to what was great about my father, Rabbi Nardus Groen who passed away 7 years ago today on June 13, 2007. As a son I always loved him. As a young man, this decision by my father made me admire him, and stayed we me my entire life.
Holland's Heroes 