Tag Archives: Jews

March 22, 2015

Open Letter to My Fellow Jew

By davidgroen1

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Dear Friends,

I write this letter out of concern for our well-being.  There is a great division growing within our people. We have always been somewhat at odds with each other when it comes to religious observance, something that is still an issue, but of greater significance today is the schism in political viewpoints and the general direction in which our people will not only move forward, but survive.

I call myself a citizen of the world.  I see all people as being equal.  That being said, I have a tremendous pride and love for what I am and where I come from.  I love the Jewish people with all my heart and soul and want to see us thrive in a safe and prosperous world.  This feeling, one shared by so many others, is what drives my political viewpoints.  I am quite certain that there are countless more of my fellow Jews whose love of their people also drive their political opinion, be it identical or very different from mine.

I am very passionate about my views.  I believe, as I am sure so many of you do as well, that there is a tremendous amount at stake at this moment in time.  And like so many of you, I believe my views are the correct ones.  If I did not, I would not hold them.  If I did not, I would not passionately speak them. To me, as I am sure it is to many of you, this is not about me being heard or having intellectual discourse.  To me this is about survival.

We do not have to agree with the method, but we must always remember to agree with the goal.  We must make a concerted effort not to fight among ourselves because as we know all to well, there are plenty of people out there who are more than happy to fight us, hurt us, and kill us.

We must not fall victim to the devious methods and strategies of our enemies.  We must support the one Jewish government in the world and show respect for it leaders whether they hold the views we do or not.  No matter how much one might feel a strategy of an Israeli leader is counterproductive, it is far more counterproductive to work against him.  Please remember one extremely important fact.  Our enemies have always worked against Israel’s leaders, be they left-wing or right-wing, and to believe that has suddenly changed is a potentially devastating and incorrect assumption.    I am not asking all of you to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu or even like him, but as long as he is the Prime Minister of Israel, I pray that you will support and respect him.

I end with one last message.  Next time you have reason to be angry at one of your fellow Jews over a difference of opinion, take a step back and realize that with our unity we get strong and with our division we get weak.  If you are angry and wish to fight, fight those who wish to truly harm you. Debate your fellow Jew but do so with respect and kindness.  Investigate and identify who your enemies are, and when you do you may come to the conclusion that your enemy is not your fellow Jew who disagrees with you.  I for one certainly hope that you do come to that conclusion.

I wish you all well.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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March 18, 2015

How Bibi represents Millions of Jews with a New Mentality

By davidgroen1

bibi

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not a hero.  Nor am I a military man.  I am however the son of Holocaust survivors.  I am not merely comfortable, I am compelled to stand up in front of people and say that the Jewish people will no longer be pushed around and expected to capitulate to the demands of those with no regard for our safety and well-being.  I know that many Jews of today feel as I do.  We may or may not be great fighters, but in a larger number than maybe any time in our history we are, as a group, prepared to stand up and declare that the days of Jews being victims are over.  As we do so today we do so with a leader who represents that attitude, not just for the people of Israel, but for Jews worldwide.  That leader is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I am very aware of the fact that not everyone feels that “Bibi”, the nickname Netanyahu is often referred to, represents them, but to millions of Jews worldwide he represents us in a way I have not seen in my lifetime.  Jews tend to be divided.  It must be in our DNA. However, for as long as I can remember the division has been based more on religious observance than on political viewpoints.  What Bibi does is transcend that divide by often making it about neither one of those factors.

In being what is clearly a proud Jew, evident by being someone who goes to the Western Wall to pray after an election victory, Bibi makes us feel that who he is and where he comes from is as important to him as it is to so many of us.  When speaking about the security and safety of the Jewish people he does so in a way we know that the majority of Israelis would agree with.  Politically many might not agree with his methods, and many don’t even like him personally, but I have no doubt that most if not all want Israel to be safe and secure.

What Bibi does when he speaks is give the Jewish people a sense of unity and I dare say even nationalism.  I know some of the strongest haters of the Jewish people and Israel see our nationalism as the problem and even racist in nature, but they conveniently forget that it works in conjunction with an Israeli government with many Arab citizens being represented politically in a free and democratic society.  Are there any Arab nations that can say the same?  Today, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, more and more people are willing to stand up and say, Israel is our country, but even more significantly stand up and say, we as Jews will no longer be doormats.

I know there are many of us who might not put up a significant fight on a personal level, but with the power of the numbers behind us we have the courage to stand up as one.  The importance of leadership in making people feel this way is more that significant, it’s critical.  I know I am not alone when I say Bibi empowers me to feel that way as a Jew.

I go back again to the conversation I once had with my mother who is 93 and a Holocaust survivor from Holland who once told me that today reminds her of 1938.  I challenged her on that statement saying that today is different because we have the State of Israel.  I would add that today is also different because of one other reason. We have Benjamin Netanyahu.

I commend the people of Israel for making the right choice, and hope to see Bibi lead all the people of Israel to a safer and more secure future.

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January 13, 2015

A Shining Light for us all

By davidgroen1

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This past Sunday afternoon I was looking forward to watching the football game between Dallas and Green Bay when I decided to take a quick look at the major cable news channels’ coverage of the Paris terror attacks.  One hour later I was still watching CNN.  Part of the reason was the fact that I was somewhat moved by the significant coverage given to the murder of 4 Jewish people, something we as Jews are not accustomed to nowadays.  The main reason however was the courageous and eloquent representation of the plight of French Jews as put forth by Simone Rodan-Benzaquen.

Simone is the Director of the AJC, “American Jewish Committee”, and a long-time resident of Paris.  Her representation as a Jewish citizen of France  was what is known in Jewish teachings as a “Kiddush Hashem”.   Literally translated as a “Sanctification of God”, a Kiddush Hashem speaks to when a Jew’s behavior represents the people in a positive light, particularly to fellow Jews.  In the case of Simone, her representation was a Kiddush Hashem to the entire world.

Her accounting of the anti-Semitism that the Jews of France have been dealing with for many years was important for everyone to hear.  Thanks to people like Simone, we no longer live in a world where Jews remain silent when attacked, and no longer do they quietly hope it just goes away.  In fact, the most inspiring words she spoke were the words that spoke of French Jews not fleeing the country, but rather staying, fighting, and remaining in the country they have called home for quite some time.  She spoke positively of those who choose to go to Israel for ideological and positive reasons, but strongly encouraged no one to leave out of fear.  As someone who is staying and fighting, she has every right to make this bold and courageous statement.

I want to thank Simone Rodan-Benzaquen for her permission to write this piece, but most of all for standing up for all of us in defense of good over evil.  She is a shining light in this very dark world and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for what she has done, and continues to do for all of us.  France may be in the forefront today, but we are all in this together.

 

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December 4, 2014

Maybe they should Hate us

By davidgroen1

antiseFrom the age of 15 to 18  I lived in London in the house of a Rabbi and his family.  He and his wife were wonderful and genuinely religious people who always looked for the good in people. Whenever you would declare a hatred for another person, the Rabbi’s wife would always respond by saying how one should never hate people. Setting aside her words of compassion and decency, one can make an argument that sometimes hatred is not only reasonable but justified. Ironically over the past few days I came to the conclusion that the hatred felt towards Israel and the Jewish people may not actually be reasonable or justified, but it may not be too difficult to understand.  This is not because the people who hate us are good people, or that there is anything ethical about their hatred, this is merely because with what they are looking to accomplish and the message they are trying to get out there, the Jewish people may indeed pose a problem and a threat.

So to which group of people am I referring to?  The short answer is anyone who believes their religion needs to achieve world domination at all costs.  I could mince words and be politically correct, but since I believe in writing with integrity and honesty I will just state the reality.  Most of these people are Muslims.  Sure there are people of other faiths who hate the Jewish people as well, and I recognize that not all Muslims hate Jews, but to deny that most of the hatred is coming from those of the Muslim faith would be incorrect and irresponsible.

This whole discussion creates an interesting, and to be quite frank, a rather bizarre dynamic.  There are countless Muslims who are outspoken about their hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people. There are thousands upon thousands of people who have expressed that hatred in one form or another.  Anyone who is Jewish, especially someone who is a Zionist, finds themselves in a no-win situation.  You are expected to be quiet and just accept that hatred, for if you actually identify it, you are identified as the racist.  It’s not only bizarre, it is also a sad statement on what the world has become.

Depending on who you consider a Jew, there are anywhere between 13 to 19 million Jews on the planet.  By some estimations there are 1.6 billion Muslims.  Yet somehow the Jews are the threat.  Why is this?  Personally, this question has risen to the top of the list of the most important questions in today’s world.  Since I believe unequivocally that there is a God, and I believe the pursuit of the meaning of life is actually a fun venture, no other question has become more important to me than the question, “why do they hate us?”

I’ve come up with numerous answers and would not be surprised if I come up with more as time goes on.  The number one answer I always fall back on is that despite all efforts, us Jews just won’t go away. It sounds simplistic but as I sat in synagogue this past Saturday I was struck by the deeper meaning of it all.  The portion read from the Torah this past week spoke of how Jacob, the Biblical Patriarch whose name would later be changed to Israel, had a dream of a ladder ascending to heaven from earth.  He had this dream in what would be known as Beit El.  Beit El which is in what we know as the West Bank and is right in the heart of the conflict the world hears so much about.  The Children of Israel, who we now refer to as the Jewish people, run a government that controls this land.  Still to this day, thousands of years after the story of Jacob, aka Israel, had the dream at Beit El, this same location is now a thriving town populated by Jewish people and part of the modern nation of Israel. After all the persecution, the pogroms, the gas chambers and the suicide bombers, the Jews are still living right there in this location designated by God as special to the Children of Israel.  We may be small in number, but when you consider that it all started with a relationship with God, if your life is based around the belief that only your religion is right, of course we’re a threat.

Then of course there is the scapegoating concept.  Jews have always been a good target.  The character flaw that leads one to believe that everything wrong in the world is someone else’s fault, also exists on an organizational or national level.  Case in point, the people of Gaza live in poverty and it is all Israel’s fault.  Of course it has nothing to do with the misappropriation of funds and corruption that has a small minority living a billionaire’s life or the building of terror tunnels.  It has nothing to do with self-serving politicians rallying their people to hate Israel and the Jewish people.  It’s someone else’s fault, and the best and easiest people to blame always seem to be the Jews.

And last but definitely not least, it is plain old ignorance.  Are the Jewish people perfect?  Definitely not.  There are some high-profile Jews that have committed acts that no normal decent person would condone.  Israel as a nation makes mistakes and most likely has politicians that will manipulate the situation to benefit their personal career even if it hurts others in the process. That being said, that makes the Jews no different from any other people on the planet, and to somehow move us to the top of the list of evildoers is based on an ignorant perception caused by the choice to believe misrepresentations, or even worse being a victim of an education against the Jewish people.  The misrepresentation of facts to adults and the education of young children in many parts of the Muslim world is creating millions of people who almost have no choice other than to hate Jews. This reality is frightening, sad, and for lack of a better word disgusting.  But it certainly explains a lot.

The hatred is unreasonable, despicable, unjustified and bizarre, but if you look at what is driving those who hate us, it makes an awful lot of sense.

 

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November 17, 2014

My Plea for Unity

By davidgroen1

Jewish-unityWhen I got into this activism mode a few months back, I did so to fight the enemies of the Jewish people. As I feel more and more like the debate is turning into Jew against Jew it becomes increasingly exhausting for me.  I am by no means afraid to confront ANYONE, but I reserve the right to show more tolerance for Jews than I do for others sharing opinions I feel incorrect or even damaging to the Jewish people. We speak of 6 million dying at the hands of the Nazis. What would happen if we found out that 1.5 millions were so liberal and overly tolerant that they wanted to try to negotiate with Hitler. We know they’re wrong, but do we alter our discussion? Do we only truly mourn 4.5 million slaughtered Jews once we know this? As I love to do I quote these wonderful words by my father Rabbi Nardus Groen of Blessed Memory:

“We may in the course of it meet people who, for whatever it’s worth, may be portrayed as heroes, while others are cowards, pacifists, or activists.They are all the products of mankind. For them, there will always be a place under the sun (with the exception of the traitor). But being as we are a homogenous society, no one can ever be left out. And as it is by the very
inclination of the human race, the dark shadow of the wicked will play an overpowering role in leaving behind the marks in the way of scars brought upon them by society.

If the worst could ever be turned into good, the only lesson to be learned of that is, never ever forget. For in the past lay the present, and in the present the future. Without that, we will be repeating our mistakes and shortcomings, and as a result the world will not be the place it was created to be.

In order to live, you still have to be able to somehow believe in the goodness of mankind.”

 

Whenever we pray to God for forgiveness we hope our worst actions will be understood as being a result of weakness or stupidity.  We turn to God and hope he will accept the failings that coincide with our humanity.  I am not saying we tolerate someone who puts us in clear and present danger, I am merely saying we allow the same courtesy to decent albeit misguided or weak people that we ourselves beg from God.

And as my father, a man who lived a good life till the age of 87, a man who worked against the Nazis in the Dutch resistance, saved the lives of innocent people, fought in the Dutch Marines and then served the Jewish community as a Rabbi for decades and was anything but naive once said, “In order to live, you still have to be able to somehow believe in the goodness of mankind.”

I’m all for standing up for one’s principles, but my first priority is to fight against those that want to do harm to the innocent and harm my people.  I am not here to fight Jews.  There are enough people who want to do that.  I refuse to be one of them.

 

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November 14, 2014

Open Letter to my fellow Jews

By davidgroen1

me2Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What’s this I am hearing? Many of you support a deal Iran? A large percentage of you like Obama better than Netanyahu? This whole line of thinking creates all kinds of issues.  Not just regarding those of you who do think this way, but regarding the way other Jews address you.  It’s really quite complicated and to be very honest, more than a little disturbing.

For the record, I am absolutely opposed to any type of agreement with Iran.  Their open desire to murder Jews is the most open one from a country of any significance since Nazi Germany came into power in 1933.  I am also someone who prefers Netanyahu to Obama.  I believe Netanyahu cares about the well-being of Israel and the Jewish people while unfortunately I am far from certain Obama has anything close to the same concerns.  I’ll elaborate more on this later on in the letter, but first I want to address what I consider to be an even greater concern of mine.

The second Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was mainly destroyed because of one thing.  Sinat Chinam, which means baseless hatred, referred to the hatred of Jew towards one another. I fear that we as Jews are dangerously close to reaching that same level today.  Caught in the ongoing schism between Conservatives and Liberals in American politics, Jews find themselves at odds against each other in some very important issues. Issues that impact our very survival.

I personally feel very strongly that these statistics I am reading about reflect a misguided and dangerous shift in Jewish public opinion, but I also feel that it is just as dangerous to attack every Jew who feels differently than I do as being a self-hating Jew or traitor.  There are certain people with influence and a following who have anti-Israel sentiment, some of which openly feel a disconnect to the Judaism they were born into who may be considered borderline if not complete traitors, but to put this title on all who hold contrary views is unfair and dangerous.

Let me reiterate.  I believe any compromise, recognition, or negotiation with the Islamic Republic of Iran is dangerous, naive and ultimately suicidal.  I’ll shout at the top of my voice to anyone who will listen to get them to see how misguided it is to consider it a viable option to deal with this dishonest government of murderers and liars that want to destroy the State of Israel and ultimately rid the planet of Jews, before and or while they attempt to destroy the United States of America.  Simply put, Iran is evil and there is no negotiating with evil.  I  will also reiterate that I believe in Benjamin Netanyahu and feel his priority is to protect Jews in Israel and around the globe.  I believe Jews in the diaspora must support the Israeli government.  I believe the Obama administration’s policies and rhetoric is increasingly antagonistic and damaging to Israel and subsequently can’t relate to the thought process that causes one of my fellow Jews to prefer Obama over Netanyahu.  But just as I believe comparing Obama to Hitler is irresponsible and harmful, so too I believe calling someone a self-hating Jew or traitor because of these opinions is damaging and divisive.  I don’t think my fellow Jews who feel this way are bad, I just think they drank the Kool-Aid, and I take it upon myself as being one of I hope many people who will help them to see the truth.

To those reading this who feel anger and even hatred towards their fellow Jew for what I know to be misguided viewpoints, I ask the following question.  Are they really the enemy?  I think not.  I propose that you see them as brothers and sisters as I did when I addressed this letter.  Protect them, don’t exile them.

To those of you I am calling the misguided I will not apologize for what you may see as an arrogance in my approach.  I believe you are supporting causes and ideas that would lead to your death as well as mine.   However, I also don’t believe that is your intention.  I believe you want what I want, a safe and happy future for the Jewish people and all the good people of the world.  I just believe you are wrong and that I would be just as wrong if I didn’t let you know how I feel.   However, I also feel I would be equally wrong to hate you for it, when what the Jewish people need now more than ever is love and unity.

I wish all of you all the best.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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October 13, 2014

Open Letter to Ben Affleck

By davidgroen1

Affleck 1209Dear Ben,

I originally had no intention of writing you this letter, but after a friend asked me to do so, I thought about it long and hard, listened to your exchange with Bill Maher and Sam Harris numerous times, and reconsidered my decision.  When I confirmed with this friend that she did indeed want me to write this letter, she responded by saying, “yes please, he is a moron”. To be very fair, I think what ultimately motivated me to write to you is that I actually believe you are the furthest thing from a moron. I do however believe there may be a reality you either are unable to see or unwilling to see, and what appears to be your passionate denial of this reality is something many people, including myself find to be very troubling.

I want to start by saying that I think your heart is actually in the right place.  As opposed to those out there who express opinions that are harmful if followed by everyone, if everyone felt as you do we would all be just fine.  After all, what’s so bad about someone defending innocent Muslims, right?  Your thought process is a normal one.  You think making indicting comments about an entire group of people is an ugly thing to do.  You believe it to be so wrong you get angry at anything that resembles this sort of stereotyping, seeing it as irrational and callous bigotry.  Obviously anyone who sees a problem with you or anyone else thinking that way has a serious problem and has an abnormal thought process.  Not so fast.  We are are not living in normal times.

Ben, despite the impression one may have of me by the time they finish this letter, my nature is to actually love all people.  It’s that very love for people that makes me agree with Sam Harris, not you.  You vehemently insist that most Muslims do not want what the Islamic extremists want.  You compared the generalizations to calling Jews shifty.  I appreciate that your point is that both are wrong, but the criticisms that both Sam Harris and Bill Maher are giving of Muslim behavior are sanctioned by numerous Muslim clerics worldwide, while no Rabbis sanction that Jews should act shifty.  Muslim leaders are sanctioning murder, rape, beheading and crucifixion in the name of their religion.  Many do not sanction it but remain silent as it happens.  As far as the general population is concerned, tens to hundreds of thousands of Muslims worldwide protested Israel’s operation in Gaza.  While Israel conducted its operation in the name of self-defense, ISIS makes no secret of its desire to conquer lands.  Why is it that as ISIS terrorizes the populations of Iraq and Syria there are no mass protests from the Muslim world?  Even you who defends the Muslim world with the passion that you do must ask this question.  Would you be willing to admit that even if they don’t actively support it, their opposition to it isn’t strong enough for them to take a stand against it. Meanwhile you feel the need to defend this same population that says nothing.

By no means am I even implying that all Muslims are terrorists and should be treated as such.  What I am saying is that the problem within the Muslim world is prominent enough that if Muslims don’t rise up against the evil in their midst they are at best not concerned enough about the consequences, and at worst they are complicit, be it knowingly or not.

I urge you to recognize this very harsh reality.  Even if the majority of Muslims are not dangerous, there is a significant element within the Muslim world that is very dangerous, increasingly more powerful, and growing by number.  This element wants to destroy everything you believe in.  Freedom, religious tolerance and personal choices would all be things of the past if they were to conquer the world as they wish to.  I’m not asking you to stop fighting for tolerance, just to recognize who the real enemies of tolerance truly are.  They are not Sam Harris and Bill Maher.

I hope you wake up to these realities before it is too late.

Sincerely,
David Groen

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September 21, 2014

Open Letter to UNWRA Executive Director Abby Smardon

By davidgroen1

Palestine board 1 (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Ms. Smardon,

Thanks to information forwarded to me by a friend who recently attended a Confab at the United Nations on Global Anti-Semitism, I was able to once again see the disproportionate and biased focus the United Nations puts on the Palestinian people at the expense of the State of Israel. While attending this Confab my friend took notice of the UNWRA message boards displayed on the tour provided. These boards lead to me ask some very direct questions to the powers that be.  Let it be noted that when I use the word “you” in asking these questions I am referring to the organization of which you are Executive Director.

First question is, do you work directly for the Palestinians?

Second question, and certainly connected to the first one, is why in all your mentions of the wars Israel has had to fight do you subtly leave out the threats Israel was facing, particularly in being attacked almost immediately following the declaration of an independent state in 1948.

I ask these question as direct reaction to the information posted on these boards.  I will address them as they appeared.

In 1948, as a result of the war between Israel and neighbouring Arab states.

Let me make this clear since the United Nations/Palestinian propaganda machine refuses to do so, that entire sentence is an attempt at misdirection regarding what took place after Israel became an independent country.  “As a result of the war between Israel and neighbouring Arab states”, if written by an honest and objective party, would have read, “After Israel was attacked by neighbouring Arab states.”  This subtle way of diverting the attention from what started this war allows the UN to blame Israel for the fact that…

almost 750,000 Palestinians were uprooted, dispossessed and became refugees.

In reality, had the neighbouring Arab states allowed Israel to begin building its country in peace, this “question” as the United Nations likes to call it, would never have been asked.

The plight of Palestine refugees remains unresolved to the present day.

Another clever UN/Palestinian media subtlety, maybe lost on some but not on me.  There was no such thing as “Palestine” in 1948 or before 1948, so the term Palestine refugees is in itself a falsehood.  You even, most likely unwillingly, show that in the next statement.

An Arab State-Palestine-did not come into being.

The boards go on to mention the 6 Day War, and subsequently what took place by indicating how when the war was over, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Sinai and the Golan.  As a result of this “occupation”, the boards read as follows:

At least 500,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes; about half of them for a second time since 1948.

Misleading, since most of them left on their own and were invited back in by the Israeli government about a month after the war.  And as long as language such as  “half of them for a second time since 1948″ is being used, an unbiased and balanced introduction to that statement would have been,  “After Israel was drawn into conflict for the second time  since establishing its independence”.  That’s assuming we don’t address the events surrounding the 1956 conflict and time leading up to it.  But that would not go along with the pro-Palestinian theme your organization consistently perpetuates.

And then the boards say:

Since 1967, successive Israeli governments have established settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

I believe the capital O is also no coincidence, rather another clever method of branding.  It represents the official name your organization has chosen to give the West Bank and Gaza despite Israel not occupying Gaza and successive Israeli governments showing a willingness towards a 2 State Solution consistently sabotaged by Palestinian leadership.

The posters go on to state:

An estimated 1.26 million Palestinians, about 30% of the population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, are food-insecure

I think it is more likely that comes from the monies provided being misappropriated than mistreatment by the “occupying force.”

Now that I know that the UNWRA was established to provide emergency relief to Palestinians, I can’t help but wonder if that means allowing missile launchers to be stashed away in schools in Gaza.  You might want to look into that, if of course it’s considered important enough. I am confident if Israel was accused of doing that an investigation would be swiftly forthcoming.

I also highly suggest you retrain your tour guides, as the one present on the day of my friend’s visit made a point, after he mentioned what a wonderful organization UNWRA is and how much it does for Palestinians, of muttering under his breath something along the lines of, unfortunately they are under attack now.  He might as well have said, those damn Jews and Zionists. They’re just never happy are they?

We Jews will no longer be silenced when we witness such blatant prejudice against our people and the State of Israel.  I am sure that some reading this will accuse me of calling everything anti-Semitic, or even worse, saying my criticism of the boards indicates lack of compassion for the innocent people who are suffering.  However, I am fully aware that those arguments are just 2 more forms of intimidation being used against Jews and Zionists to allow organizations such as yours to take liberties and openly display bias against Israel.  It is so openly cynical that it makes me wonder if it is not about improper monitoring of funds but corruption on a most grand and cynical scale.  It’s very disturbing and most ironically does more to harm the Palestinians than to help them, since its focus is more on vilifying Israel than on impacting positively to the needs of the Palestinian people.

It’s not that a few message boards and an unprofessional and biased tour guide are the worst things in this world, but in this particular case they represent something that is quite heinous and damaging to truth, justice and the betterment of all mankind.

I do not expect a response since the United Nations does not generally show that kind of respect to Jews and Zionists, but that doesn’t mean there is not a growing number of people disgusted by this continuing pattern.  Maybe for once some modicum of respect will be displayed to us and your organization will respond.  Then again, I suspect the response would be far from satisfactory even if we did get one.

Sincerely,

David Groen

Global Coalition for Israel

 

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September 21, 2014

Is it Racist to Attack Islam?

By davidgroen1

Islamic-Architecture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s an important and relevant question.  I could start by saying Islam is a religion and ideology rather than a race, but in discussing this point that’s merely semantics.  To properly discuss this issue its critical to start from an honest premise, which means asking the right question.  In this case the question to ask may not be whether or not attacking Islam is racist as much as whether or not attacking it is actually justified?

Let’s begin by looking at the definition of racism. racism: the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.  This already presents a question.  In a situation where you identify a problem that is prevalent within a group of people, are you saying that all members of that race possess those characteristics or abilities specific to that race.  Comments like Jews are good with money or blacks are better athletes, may not be  bigoted, but in the way they specifically claim these qualities exist in these groups, they might be construed as racist.  This in itself could be a long discussion and quite frankly is mostly irrelevant in this discussion, because the attacks on Islam of which I am referring to are highly indicting and provocative, even if they may be true.

Personally, I find any unwarranted attack on one group of people to be offensive. We’ve all heard these stereotypical attacks. Jews are cheap, Mexicans are lazy, Irish are drunks, and so on and so on.  They’re ridiculous comments.  They speak of negative qualities that exist in all groups and aren’t dominant in any one particular group.  They are comments designed to insult people and be nothing more than statements of bigotry.  They’re offensive and disgraceful and I have always distanced myself not only from these types of comments but from those who make them.  That being said, no matter how liberal people want to be, it’s important that everyone realizes that attacking Islam is a very different story.

Attacks on Islam are not based on unwarranted personal bias.  The 9/11 attacks were committed by Muslims.  The Boston Marathon Bombings were committed by Muslims.  Israel has been getting attacked by Muslim terrorists on a regular basis since the 70’s.  We’ve just watched 3 people get beheaded by Muslims.  Boko Haram is a Muslims terrorist group killing Christians in Nigeria, and the entire western world is on edge because of the threat of attack by ISIS.  For those who wanted to believe the president when he said otherwise, let me be clear.  The first IS in ISIS stands for Islam.  Members of ISIS were just arrested in Australia for a plan to abduct random people and behead them.  They have sent messages online trying to recruit what they call “lone wolves” to set off explosions in Times Square.  Iran, that’s the Islamic Republic of Iran,  is pursuing a nuclear program and wants to destroy the State of Israel.  I can go on and on.  And that’s really the point isn’t it?

It’s not that every Muslim is a threat.  It’s that most of the worst threats today are coming from Muslims.  Should we like them for this?  Should we be tolerant?  I will not discriminate against someone because they are Muslim.  I am capable of making Muslim friends.  But I will want to know that they are not aligned with the ideology prevalent in their religion if I am to have a healthy relationship with them.  That is not racist.  That is prudent.

Do I blame people for lashing out at Islam?  Not I don’t.  I am far more offended by one of my fellow Jews defending Muslims with more vigor than they defend Israel.  There are very large numbers of Muslims who hate me without even knowing me because I am Jewish.  Many of them want me and all my fellows Jews dead. Does that mean they all do? Of course not.  But is identifying this as a real problem make me racist?  Absolutely not.  It makes me realistic.  Most of the people who show hatred for Islam are not unlike me in their basic desire, people who just wants to live in peace and see their people and country be allowed to live in peace. The fact that they hate the people who are not allowing them to do so does not make them racist.  It makes them human.  Something this enemy is not.

I get it. We want to be good people.  We don’t want to hate others.  I respect that, but it’s not that simple.  When I was 19 years old I had a few sessions with a psychologist.  I didn’t particularly like him and didn’t feel he did much to help me back then, but he did teach me one thing I never forgot.  If you think you are a good person but in the process you are not being good to yourself, you’re not a good person.  The same concept applies here.  If in the name of being good to others you are putting yourself in danger, you’re not a good person.  It’s a harsh reality, I know.  But if we ignore it the reality will become a lot harsher.

 

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September 19, 2014

Open Letter to Henk Zanoli: the Dutchman who returned his Holocaust medal

By davidgroen1

henk.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Zanoli,

Maybe it’s the fact that I am the son of Dutch Jews who survived the Holocaust and that I have an inherent faith in the people of Holland, but when I first heard this story I knew something had to be wrong.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  I know the Dutch are from perfect and that with the ultra liberal influence in the country it is certainly possible that someone could come to a misguided conclusion as to what is a human rights issue and what is not a human rights issue.  I also know there is a growing and increasingly powerful Muslim population in Holland which could very well lead to someone getting misinformation when it comes to events regarding Israel and Gaza.  I took all of this into account and subsequently remained silent when I heard of how you returned your Holocaust medal because you felt you could no longer hold the honor due to the death of 6 of your relatives from an Israeli bombing in Gaza.  After all, who am I to criticize a man of your courage and decency?

Mr. Zanoli, your actions speak for themselves.  You saved a Jewish child from the Nazis putting yourself in grave danger. That in itself should tell everyone that your intentions are good.  My concern here is not with your intentions but with the intentions of those close to you.

Sir, my mother is 92 years old and I often believe sharper than many people half her age, so unlike many others I do not have some preconceived notion that your age impacted your decision.  The only impact I believe your age has is in on your value system.  By that I mean that you have an old-fashioned and decent value system.   All this leads me to believe that in giving back your medal you did so because you felt the deaths of your family members in Gaza was an act by the Israeli government in direct contradiction with those values. What I am not sure of however, is whether or not you know the whole story.

I am truly sorry for the deaths of any and all innocent civilians, particularly the members of your family that were killed in the aforementioned bombing.  I truly am.  I am also saddened by any grief this may have caused you.  That said I am concerned as to whether or not you are aware of the unfortunate connection certain members of this family have to Hamas, an organization with ideologies similar to those of the Nazis.  Although the BBC made every effort to avoid telling this part of the story, your great-niece, the woman who married into this Palestinian family, has a brother-in-law who is a member of Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades.  This is a terrorist organization committed to the death of Jews to the same extent that the Nazis were when you behaved in the courageous and righteous fashion that you did so many years ago.  My understanding is that her brother-in-law was in the house at the time of the bombing.  It has also been reported that visiting the home on the day of the bombing was Mohammed Maqadmeh, also a member of Al Qassam. To put it in a different perspective, Al Qassam is to Hamas what the SS was to the Nazis. Brutal murderers with almost no conscience.  Again let me say that you have my most sincere condolences for your loss, but I believe the presence of 2 terrorists on the premises at the time of the bombing is an important factor that can not be ignored.

Putting this in perspective, the allies killed at least 25,000 Germans in the bombing of Dresden.  Many were civilians who had nothing to do with the war. However, the enemy they were fighting was evil, and despite the close connection they may have to you, this part of your family consisted of, or interacted with people who were just as evil.  I am not saying the family deserved to die.  I would never say that.  But just like there were innocent people that died in Dresden to help preserve our freedom then, unfortunately there are innocent people that will die to preserve our freedom now.  It is just  an additional tragedy that they were related to you.

Mr. Zanoli,  there is no question that the innocent women and children that were killed this past summer in Gaza are tragic victims of a most unfortunate situation. However, with these new details coming to light they sadly may have been victims of the cynical actions of the members of Hamas who consistently used their citizens as human shields.  I am hopeful that you understand that these are people who would not hesitate to do this to your family regardless of how close they may seem to you and despite the decency you’ve exhibited in your life.

Once again, it is my respect for you and human life that makes me feel sadness for your loss.  I just hope the picture is entirely clear to you.  You at the very least deserve that much from people who may claim to care about you.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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