This was written in response to a posting that I read concerning this past weekend's march of about 6,000 skinheads in Dresden on the anniversary of the bombing coupled with recent discussions of Holocaust denial and minimization related to the rehabilitation of Bishop Williamson and other members of the Society of St. Pius X.
Shalom All,
Please note that inflation of the death totals of the fire-bombing of Dresden is a major part of Holocaust denial and minimization. Had I not heard Dr. Deborah Lipstadt speak and mention that specifically, I would not have known. David Irving's work The Destruction of Dresden had become THE historical account of the event.
Deborah Lipstadt's famous trial in which she proved David Irving wrong included a discussion of the fire-bombing of Dresden specifically and Irving's attempts, as a "historian" of World War II, to argue that some 135,000, 250,000, or even "hundreds of thousands" died, rather than the 25,000 noted in some articles or the 35,000 cited by the German Police at the time and quoted in Deborah Lipstat's blog
http://lipstadt.blogspot.com/2007/04/kurt-vonnegut-and-david-irving-in.html .
Irving wanted to argue that allied actions were as bad as those of the Nazis in relation to the Jews or worse. When you combine inflated Dresden death totals with minimized Holocaust totals you get a comparison of 250,000 or more dead in one attack at Dresden compared with 300,000 Jews dead (if we use Williamson as an example) in the camps during the entire war. This comparison further minimizes the Holocaust and does so to the point that the Germans become more the victims of genocide than the Jews were.
Remember that deniers believe that the Jews simply relocated to Israel and that relatively few died.
Let's take a look at what one Holocaust minimizer, Kevin Alfred Strom, wrote in his article http://www.library.flawlesslogic.com/dresden.htm .
Strom wrote:
Despite the fact that they could clearly see that the marked target area contained hospitals and sports stadia and residential areas of center city Dresden, the bombers nevertheless obeyed orders and rained down a fiery death upon the unlucky inhabitants of that city on a scale which had never before been seen on planet Earth. Hundreds of thousands of innocents were literally consumed by fire, an actual holocaust by the true definition of the word: complete consumption by fire.
Rabbi Kaufman continues:
Look at that last sentence! "Hundreds of thousands of innocents," "an ACTUAL holocaust by the TRUE DEFINITION of the word." The reason that Dresden is a haven for Neo-Nazi groups is that it has been created as the anti-Jewish holocaust, a demonstration that, in essence, the Germans got it worse that the Jews ever did.The repeated use of the term "holocaust" by Strom in his article is precisely to argue that this, DRESDEN, was a holocaust and NOT what the Jews PRETEND to have been one. Guess who was Strom's source? He tells us only a couple of paragraphs later, "I urge every one of you to read The Destruction of Dresden by David Irving. I assure you, after reading Irving's book, you will never take seriously the Establishment's version of what happened in that war again."
What is frightening about the gathering of thousands at Dresden is that the gathering was about the lie, not the truth. If truth can have no purchase in the modern world and liars and deniers be given equal say to historians, we are all in for a frightening future.
-D
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Israeli Elections - The Day After
Shalom All,
It looks as though with all of the votes counted except the IDF vote, the right wing bloc including Israel Beiteinu and SHAS has 65 seats in the Knesset vs. the left wing bloc led by Kadima with only 55 including 11 Arab party seats and 13 from Labor. Now Ehud Barak of Labor has stated that his party will stay out of any coalition and the two Arab parties that were voted out of the elections before the Supreme Court reversed the decision have stated that they will not serve with those who voted them out. If these two are true, the only way that Kadima can form a coalition would be with both Israel Beiteinu and Likud coming from the right wing bloc. Meanwhile Likud can form a coalition without Kadima as long as Israel Beiteinu and SHAS stay put.
Does Israel Beiteinu at least want to pretend to negotiate with Kadima? Of course, the less Bibi Netanyahu can take them for granted, the more they will be able to get from him in concessions. It is certainly true that Kadima will up the ante, but I have difficulty seeing Avigdor Lieberman sitting in on cabinet discussions about forming a Palestinian state in the West Bank.
Let's look at this from a perspective of political positioning. If you set aside the Arab parties for the moment, the Jewish voters in Israel are now tilted 65 vs. 44 to the RIGHT. The Secular LEFT is in shambles. Labor and Meretz were crushed in this election. Kadima itself has party members that tend toward the right and the party may well split if left out of the coalition. Several leading Kadima members are former members of Likud. That also means that the right-left split of the Jewish vote is actually worse than the numbers above would indicate. Some of the Kadima vote is actually center-right.
It seems to me that it would be politically expedient for any right leaning party to stay right and for any left leaning party to move to the right or to stand in stark opposition rather than to participate, hoping that opposition will help bring strength. The latter is the path already chosen by Ehud Barak for the Labor Party.
An alternative to the straight right wing coalition would be for a coalition of the "Nationalist Right" along with Kadima: This would be Likud, Israel Beiteinu, National Union, Jewish Home and Kadima, leaving out the Ultra-Orthodox parties, SHAS and Torah Judaism. This coalition would have 77 seats in the Knesset, an overwhelming majority, but basically, just as a right wing coalition would, it would have a mandate to abandon the peace process as it stands. The advantages of this coalition would be that the religious parties would have less influence and this coalition could have Livni as the Foreign Minister dealing with the United States, which in its own elections shifted significantly to the political left.
It is possible that there could be some sort of shared PM spot shifting between Livni and Netanyahu in this coalition, but the nature of the coalition would prohibit Livni from continuing the path established by Kadima to this point. Just subtract Kadima, which would leave the government with 49 seats, and add the religious parties' 16 seats to the coalition and you have a right wing bloc coalition. Netanyahu could expand the coalition out to 93 seats by adding SHAS and Torah Judaism, something that would prevent any party from collapsing the coalition by withdrawal, including Kadima. That does not give Kadima much strength.
If Ehud Barak is true to his word and Labor stays out, even if the Arab parties joined a coalition, Kadima would need both Israel Beiteinu and SHAS to form a coalition without the Likud. I have grave difficulty seeing Israel Beiteinu being willing to serve with the Arab parties or the reverse. There are also significant issues between Israel Beiteinu and SHAS, after all Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said of voters who cast their ballots for Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party which opposes the influence of religious parties on secular Israelis, "Whoever votes for Lieberman gives strength to Satan." I do not think that such a coalition is feasible.
Kadimah realistically needs both Israel Beiteinu and Likud in order to form a coalition. Ultimately, the next government of Israel will lean much further to the right on foreign policy issues regardless of which parties the coalition contains.
Right now, it seems that the real debate is over three choices: having a RIGHT leaning coalition led by Likud and Israel Beiteinu that includes Kadima, one that includes the religious parties and not Kadima, or one that includes both Kadima and the religious parties.
Looking at that, if I had to say who won the election, it would be Likud and Israel Beiteinu.
-David
It looks as though with all of the votes counted except the IDF vote, the right wing bloc including Israel Beiteinu and SHAS has 65 seats in the Knesset vs. the left wing bloc led by Kadima with only 55 including 11 Arab party seats and 13 from Labor. Now Ehud Barak of Labor has stated that his party will stay out of any coalition and the two Arab parties that were voted out of the elections before the Supreme Court reversed the decision have stated that they will not serve with those who voted them out. If these two are true, the only way that Kadima can form a coalition would be with both Israel Beiteinu and Likud coming from the right wing bloc. Meanwhile Likud can form a coalition without Kadima as long as Israel Beiteinu and SHAS stay put.
Does Israel Beiteinu at least want to pretend to negotiate with Kadima? Of course, the less Bibi Netanyahu can take them for granted, the more they will be able to get from him in concessions. It is certainly true that Kadima will up the ante, but I have difficulty seeing Avigdor Lieberman sitting in on cabinet discussions about forming a Palestinian state in the West Bank.
Let's look at this from a perspective of political positioning. If you set aside the Arab parties for the moment, the Jewish voters in Israel are now tilted 65 vs. 44 to the RIGHT. The Secular LEFT is in shambles. Labor and Meretz were crushed in this election. Kadima itself has party members that tend toward the right and the party may well split if left out of the coalition. Several leading Kadima members are former members of Likud. That also means that the right-left split of the Jewish vote is actually worse than the numbers above would indicate. Some of the Kadima vote is actually center-right.
It seems to me that it would be politically expedient for any right leaning party to stay right and for any left leaning party to move to the right or to stand in stark opposition rather than to participate, hoping that opposition will help bring strength. The latter is the path already chosen by Ehud Barak for the Labor Party.
An alternative to the straight right wing coalition would be for a coalition of the "Nationalist Right" along with Kadima: This would be Likud, Israel Beiteinu, National Union, Jewish Home and Kadima, leaving out the Ultra-Orthodox parties, SHAS and Torah Judaism. This coalition would have 77 seats in the Knesset, an overwhelming majority, but basically, just as a right wing coalition would, it would have a mandate to abandon the peace process as it stands. The advantages of this coalition would be that the religious parties would have less influence and this coalition could have Livni as the Foreign Minister dealing with the United States, which in its own elections shifted significantly to the political left.
It is possible that there could be some sort of shared PM spot shifting between Livni and Netanyahu in this coalition, but the nature of the coalition would prohibit Livni from continuing the path established by Kadima to this point. Just subtract Kadima, which would leave the government with 49 seats, and add the religious parties' 16 seats to the coalition and you have a right wing bloc coalition. Netanyahu could expand the coalition out to 93 seats by adding SHAS and Torah Judaism, something that would prevent any party from collapsing the coalition by withdrawal, including Kadima. That does not give Kadima much strength.
If Ehud Barak is true to his word and Labor stays out, even if the Arab parties joined a coalition, Kadima would need both Israel Beiteinu and SHAS to form a coalition without the Likud. I have grave difficulty seeing Israel Beiteinu being willing to serve with the Arab parties or the reverse. There are also significant issues between Israel Beiteinu and SHAS, after all Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said of voters who cast their ballots for Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party which opposes the influence of religious parties on secular Israelis, "Whoever votes for Lieberman gives strength to Satan." I do not think that such a coalition is feasible.
Kadimah realistically needs both Israel Beiteinu and Likud in order to form a coalition. Ultimately, the next government of Israel will lean much further to the right on foreign policy issues regardless of which parties the coalition contains.
Right now, it seems that the real debate is over three choices: having a RIGHT leaning coalition led by Likud and Israel Beiteinu that includes Kadima, one that includes the religious parties and not Kadima, or one that includes both Kadima and the religious parties.
Looking at that, if I had to say who won the election, it would be Likud and Israel Beiteinu.
-David
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sermon on King and Obama for Va’era - Bo
Shalom All,
It is somewhat amazing just how appropriate the Torah portion of the week can be to the events in our lives. As we marked Martin Luther King’s birthday on Monday and celebrated the inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th President, could there be any words more meaningful that those found in the Torah portions Va’era and Bo.
In Va’era we find, “I am Adonai, I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage.” And later on, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Adonai, “Let my people go that they may worship me.” Then on into Parashat Bo, where Pharaoh’s heart is hardened once again and he refused to consent until the terrible tenth plague. Finally Pharaoh let go, our people found freedom. But even thereafter, they were pursued by those, including Pharaoh, who would rather have continued to deny their freedom than to accept it. We as a people, facing our own persecutors, our own enslavers, and those who would enslave others and degrade others, have constantly chanted “Let my people go.”
How appropriate to be reading these Torah portions at a time when our nation marked the 80th birthday of a man who was killed after freedom was granted by those who would have denied it to him. And how fitting to read them, after the inauguration of a man who whose ascent to the Presidency was like the entry into the Promised Land for a long persecuted people!
At an event marking Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, I spoke about the many ties that bind the American Jewish community and the African American community and I noted what Congressman John Lewis, a good friend of Dr. King, said of Dr. King's understanding of the relationship between African Americans and Jews:
· He knew that both peoples were uprooted involuntarily from their homelands.· He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery.
· He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation.
· He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black.
· He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history.
I also quoted Dr. King’s statement about Israel made at a gathering of Conservative Rabbis held in honor of the 60th birthday of a friend of Dr. King’s, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. That night, March 25, 1968, only ten days before his death, he said, speaking of peace in the Middle East:
I think it is necessary to say that what is basic and what is needed in the Middle East is peace. Peace for Israel is one thing. Peace for the Arab side of that world is another thing. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.
Dr. Martin Luther King was a good friend of the Jewish people around the world and the Jewish community honors that memory highly. Joining my many friends at the NAACP event, co-sponsored by the Black Ministerial Alliance, this year, the excitement was overwhelming. There was a feeling of almost ecstasy for many of the people in attendance as they sang songs of praise to God.
The event was as much a service as a celebration and it began with the singing of the Black National Anthem with a unified community choir of about sixty voices standing before portraits of two men, Dr. Martin Luth King and President Barack Obama. It was a powerful moment.
The first verse of that song is:
Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
How could we not but feel a sense of hope, of dreams realized, the week that we celebrated what would have been the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? How could we not have watched the events on the Capitol Steps and the crowds gathered on the Mall in Washington D.C. without remembering his words uttered on that day in 1963. Speaking of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Dr King said:
One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
How different Inauguration Day was? A day of joy.
Or what of these words, uttered by Dr. King that day in 1963:
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
Or these:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!
It sent shivers down my spine just to witness the events on Tuesday as these words came to mind.
On that very day, America overcame race as a limiting factor to the Presidency. The leader of the Free World is now a man who would not have been free even to vote in many states, much less to become elected, only decades ago. While Barack Obama's ancestors were not themselves American slaves, he represents those whose ancestors were and for them, there could be no happier moment.
The words were said over and over again at the service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, “In MY lifetime.” “In MY lifetime.”
When I go to Washington D.C. on various trips, I always come across tourist items that say, “Future President.” I can only imagine the thought process of a member of a minority race looking at such items in the past. Thinking of their children might they have said, “Do I dare let them dream? Is it a false hope?” Today people of all races can look their children in the eyes and truly believe it when they say, "You can even be President some day." That should bring a tear of pride and joy to every eye.
On Inauguration Day, Republican, Independent, or Democrat, it matters not what political party to which you ascribe your support, America stood proud as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. That feeling was tangible. The joy was tangible. America stood proud, not because of the specific man elected and sworn in, but because of the barriers broken and the fact that we as a people, if only for one moment--in one way, lived up to the highest ideals of our nation, liberty and justice for all.
In the days ahead, we will realize that battles have been won, but the war rages on. Prejudice and discrimination are still there. Justice is hardly a universal truth. Hope does not negate reality. With tears of happiness perhaps in our eyes, or perhaps fear and trepidation of an uncertain future, we will turn again as a nation to the difficulties ahead.
Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. No longer is it merely our hope that a man whose face did not look like those of other Presidents be given the chance. Our hope must now be that this man will help us to overcome the challenges that face our nation and our world.Yes, hope, hope and faith a lot of hard work through difficult times ahead.Speaking of having faith in achieving his dream, Dr. King said that day in 1963:
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
There is much work to do my friends. We as a nation have taken a great leap forward, but could easily slip and we need to go much further. While on Inauguration Day freedom may have been ringing out for many who had never heard its peal before, there are still many whom it has not reached. There is still racial bias, discrimination based on sexual preference, and religious prejudice and hatred. We are still living in an ethnocentric nation. Many are still, to use Dr. King’s words, living in “poverty amid plenty.” There is still war. There is much work yet to do.
May we never forget that the man who stood before our nation on the Mall in 1963 was a mere 35 years old on that day and had accomplished so much already.
Though like Moses we may feel inept to meet the tasks before us, May we be strong enough to face them.
In the words of President Obama, “Yes, we can.”
We must try.
-D
It is somewhat amazing just how appropriate the Torah portion of the week can be to the events in our lives. As we marked Martin Luther King’s birthday on Monday and celebrated the inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th President, could there be any words more meaningful that those found in the Torah portions Va’era and Bo.
In Va’era we find, “I am Adonai, I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage.” And later on, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Adonai, “Let my people go that they may worship me.” Then on into Parashat Bo, where Pharaoh’s heart is hardened once again and he refused to consent until the terrible tenth plague. Finally Pharaoh let go, our people found freedom. But even thereafter, they were pursued by those, including Pharaoh, who would rather have continued to deny their freedom than to accept it. We as a people, facing our own persecutors, our own enslavers, and those who would enslave others and degrade others, have constantly chanted “Let my people go.”
How appropriate to be reading these Torah portions at a time when our nation marked the 80th birthday of a man who was killed after freedom was granted by those who would have denied it to him. And how fitting to read them, after the inauguration of a man who whose ascent to the Presidency was like the entry into the Promised Land for a long persecuted people!
At an event marking Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, I spoke about the many ties that bind the American Jewish community and the African American community and I noted what Congressman John Lewis, a good friend of Dr. King, said of Dr. King's understanding of the relationship between African Americans and Jews:
· He knew that both peoples were uprooted involuntarily from their homelands.· He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery.
· He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation.
· He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black.
· He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history.
I also quoted Dr. King’s statement about Israel made at a gathering of Conservative Rabbis held in honor of the 60th birthday of a friend of Dr. King’s, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. That night, March 25, 1968, only ten days before his death, he said, speaking of peace in the Middle East:
I think it is necessary to say that what is basic and what is needed in the Middle East is peace. Peace for Israel is one thing. Peace for the Arab side of that world is another thing. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.
Dr. Martin Luther King was a good friend of the Jewish people around the world and the Jewish community honors that memory highly. Joining my many friends at the NAACP event, co-sponsored by the Black Ministerial Alliance, this year, the excitement was overwhelming. There was a feeling of almost ecstasy for many of the people in attendance as they sang songs of praise to God.
The event was as much a service as a celebration and it began with the singing of the Black National Anthem with a unified community choir of about sixty voices standing before portraits of two men, Dr. Martin Luth King and President Barack Obama. It was a powerful moment.
The first verse of that song is:
Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
How could we not but feel a sense of hope, of dreams realized, the week that we celebrated what would have been the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? How could we not have watched the events on the Capitol Steps and the crowds gathered on the Mall in Washington D.C. without remembering his words uttered on that day in 1963. Speaking of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Dr King said:
One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
How different Inauguration Day was? A day of joy.
Or what of these words, uttered by Dr. King that day in 1963:
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
Or these:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!
It sent shivers down my spine just to witness the events on Tuesday as these words came to mind.
On that very day, America overcame race as a limiting factor to the Presidency. The leader of the Free World is now a man who would not have been free even to vote in many states, much less to become elected, only decades ago. While Barack Obama's ancestors were not themselves American slaves, he represents those whose ancestors were and for them, there could be no happier moment.
The words were said over and over again at the service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, “In MY lifetime.” “In MY lifetime.”
When I go to Washington D.C. on various trips, I always come across tourist items that say, “Future President.” I can only imagine the thought process of a member of a minority race looking at such items in the past. Thinking of their children might they have said, “Do I dare let them dream? Is it a false hope?” Today people of all races can look their children in the eyes and truly believe it when they say, "You can even be President some day." That should bring a tear of pride and joy to every eye.
On Inauguration Day, Republican, Independent, or Democrat, it matters not what political party to which you ascribe your support, America stood proud as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. That feeling was tangible. The joy was tangible. America stood proud, not because of the specific man elected and sworn in, but because of the barriers broken and the fact that we as a people, if only for one moment--in one way, lived up to the highest ideals of our nation, liberty and justice for all.
In the days ahead, we will realize that battles have been won, but the war rages on. Prejudice and discrimination are still there. Justice is hardly a universal truth. Hope does not negate reality. With tears of happiness perhaps in our eyes, or perhaps fear and trepidation of an uncertain future, we will turn again as a nation to the difficulties ahead.
Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. No longer is it merely our hope that a man whose face did not look like those of other Presidents be given the chance. Our hope must now be that this man will help us to overcome the challenges that face our nation and our world.Yes, hope, hope and faith a lot of hard work through difficult times ahead.Speaking of having faith in achieving his dream, Dr. King said that day in 1963:
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
There is much work to do my friends. We as a nation have taken a great leap forward, but could easily slip and we need to go much further. While on Inauguration Day freedom may have been ringing out for many who had never heard its peal before, there are still many whom it has not reached. There is still racial bias, discrimination based on sexual preference, and religious prejudice and hatred. We are still living in an ethnocentric nation. Many are still, to use Dr. King’s words, living in “poverty amid plenty.” There is still war. There is much work yet to do.
May we never forget that the man who stood before our nation on the Mall in 1963 was a mere 35 years old on that day and had accomplished so much already.
Though like Moses we may feel inept to meet the tasks before us, May we be strong enough to face them.
In the words of President Obama, “Yes, we can.”
We must try.
-D
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Today and Tomorrow - Hopes and Challenges
Shalom All,
It is a tired mantra these days, "Hope. Hope. Hope." The economy is terrible. Hope. People are losing their jobs and their homes. Hope. The world is full of war and strife. Hope. In the Jewish world, we have had scandal after scandal and Israel has just fought a highly unpopular war that brought protests to our doorsteps. Hope. Jew hatred is on the rise. Hope.
Hope? Yes, hope.
Today, in America a man has been sworn in as President who will have to face those difficulties, those challenges. This day, those problems may be set aside in celebration, but tomorrow...tomorrow they will remain before us. Today is a day that should bring multitudes together. We do not all agree about the politics for certain. Our solutions to those daunting problems are not the same as those of others. Yet, how can one not but feel a sense of hope, of dreams realized today, one day after celebrating what would have been the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, America has overcome race as a limiting factor to the Presidency. The leader of the Free World is a man who would not have been free even to vote in many states, much less to become elected, only decades ago. While Barack Obama's ancestors were not American slaves, he represents those whose ancestors were and for them, today there can be no happier moment. Today people of all races can look their children in the eyes and truly believe it when they say, "You can even be President some day."
Today, Republican, Independent, or Democrat, it matters not what political party to which you ascribe your support, this day America stands proud as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. That feeling is tangible. The joy is tangible. This day, America stands proud, not because of the man elected and sworn in, but because of the barriers broken and the fact that we as a people have lived up to the highest ideals of our nation, liberty and justice for all.
Tomorrow, we will realize that battles have been won, but the war rages on. Prejudice and discrimination are still there. Justice is hardly a universal truth. Hope does not negate reality. With tears of happiness perhaps in our eyes, or perhaps fear and trepidation, we will turn again as a nation to the difficulties ahead. Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. No longer is our hope that a man whose face does not look like those of other Presidents be given the chance. Today and tomorrow, our hope must be that this man will help us to overcome the challenges that face us.
Yes, hope, hope and a lot of hard work through difficult times ahead.
May his pledge come to fruition, "Yes we can," for us and for the generations ahead. We cannot afford to fail.
-David
It is a tired mantra these days, "Hope. Hope. Hope." The economy is terrible. Hope. People are losing their jobs and their homes. Hope. The world is full of war and strife. Hope. In the Jewish world, we have had scandal after scandal and Israel has just fought a highly unpopular war that brought protests to our doorsteps. Hope. Jew hatred is on the rise. Hope.
Hope? Yes, hope.
Today, in America a man has been sworn in as President who will have to face those difficulties, those challenges. This day, those problems may be set aside in celebration, but tomorrow...tomorrow they will remain before us. Today is a day that should bring multitudes together. We do not all agree about the politics for certain. Our solutions to those daunting problems are not the same as those of others. Yet, how can one not but feel a sense of hope, of dreams realized today, one day after celebrating what would have been the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, America has overcome race as a limiting factor to the Presidency. The leader of the Free World is a man who would not have been free even to vote in many states, much less to become elected, only decades ago. While Barack Obama's ancestors were not American slaves, he represents those whose ancestors were and for them, today there can be no happier moment. Today people of all races can look their children in the eyes and truly believe it when they say, "You can even be President some day."
Today, Republican, Independent, or Democrat, it matters not what political party to which you ascribe your support, this day America stands proud as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. That feeling is tangible. The joy is tangible. This day, America stands proud, not because of the man elected and sworn in, but because of the barriers broken and the fact that we as a people have lived up to the highest ideals of our nation, liberty and justice for all.
Tomorrow, we will realize that battles have been won, but the war rages on. Prejudice and discrimination are still there. Justice is hardly a universal truth. Hope does not negate reality. With tears of happiness perhaps in our eyes, or perhaps fear and trepidation, we will turn again as a nation to the difficulties ahead. Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. No longer is our hope that a man whose face does not look like those of other Presidents be given the chance. Today and tomorrow, our hope must be that this man will help us to overcome the challenges that face us.
Yes, hope, hope and a lot of hard work through difficult times ahead.
May his pledge come to fruition, "Yes we can," for us and for the generations ahead. We cannot afford to fail.
-David
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Speech for NAACP MLK Celebration 2009
Speech for NAACP MLK Celebration 2009
January 15, 2009
Rabbi David Jay Kaufman
On March 25, 1968, ten days before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke at a national convention held by Conservative Jewish rabbis in order to celebrate the 60th birthday of his good friend, the theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a pillar of social action and non-violence, who had joined him in his civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery and been a strong supporter of Dr. King's efforts.
Dr. King spoke that night of many things, including the state of the economy. He also spoke of his views of the relationship between African Americans and American Jews and specifically about peace in the Middle East which was on the minds of all of those assembled. Dr. King said:
I think it is necessary to say that what is basic and what is needed in the Middle East is peace. Peace for Israel is one thing. Peace for the Arab side of that world is another thing. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy."
To hear that from Dr. King was a great assurance of support at a time when many Jewish leaders felt all too alone.
Congressman John Lewis said of Dr. King's understanding of the relationship between African Americans and Jews:
· He knew that both peoples were uprooted involuntarily from their homelands.
· He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery.
· He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation.
· He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black.
· He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history.
Dr. Martin Luther King was a good friend of the Jewish people around the world and the Jewish community honors that memory. It is an honor to be with you here tonight in celebration of it and only a few days before President-Elect Obama, another friend of the Jewish people, becomes the President. Yes, it is indeed an honor to be with you here tonight.
Peace, my friends is not with us yet.
Peace doesn't just come. We have to make it come.
Righteousness does not just overcome evil, if we leave evil alone.
We have to help righteousness overcome evil.
Peace may seem to be a long way away, but we can march together to get there.
Prosperity may be somewhere beyond the frigid cold outside, but we will get there.
An end to discrimination and prejudice may be outside our grasp right now, but our nation is taking more than a few steps forward next week.
Our hands are Gods hands. We will keep reaching.
Our tired and weary feet are God's tired and weary feet.
And we will keep marching.
Working together, my friends, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's memory and committed to his dreams, "We shall overcome."
Thank you.
January 15, 2009
Rabbi David Jay Kaufman
On March 25, 1968, ten days before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke at a national convention held by Conservative Jewish rabbis in order to celebrate the 60th birthday of his good friend, the theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a pillar of social action and non-violence, who had joined him in his civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery and been a strong supporter of Dr. King's efforts.
Dr. King spoke that night of many things, including the state of the economy. He also spoke of his views of the relationship between African Americans and American Jews and specifically about peace in the Middle East which was on the minds of all of those assembled. Dr. King said:
I think it is necessary to say that what is basic and what is needed in the Middle East is peace. Peace for Israel is one thing. Peace for the Arab side of that world is another thing. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy."
To hear that from Dr. King was a great assurance of support at a time when many Jewish leaders felt all too alone.
Congressman John Lewis said of Dr. King's understanding of the relationship between African Americans and Jews:
· He knew that both peoples were uprooted involuntarily from their homelands.
· He knew that both peoples were shaped by the tragic experience of slavery.
· He knew that both peoples were forced to live in ghettoes, victims of segregation.
· He knew that both peoples were subject to laws passed with the particular intent of oppressing them simply because they were Jewish or black.
· He knew that both peoples have been subjected to oppression and genocide on a level unprecedented in history.
Dr. Martin Luther King was a good friend of the Jewish people around the world and the Jewish community honors that memory. It is an honor to be with you here tonight in celebration of it and only a few days before President-Elect Obama, another friend of the Jewish people, becomes the President. Yes, it is indeed an honor to be with you here tonight.
Peace, my friends is not with us yet.
Peace doesn't just come. We have to make it come.
Righteousness does not just overcome evil, if we leave evil alone.
We have to help righteousness overcome evil.
Peace may seem to be a long way away, but we can march together to get there.
Prosperity may be somewhere beyond the frigid cold outside, but we will get there.
An end to discrimination and prejudice may be outside our grasp right now, but our nation is taking more than a few steps forward next week.
Our hands are Gods hands. We will keep reaching.
Our tired and weary feet are God's tired and weary feet.
And we will keep marching.
Working together, my friends, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's memory and committed to his dreams, "We shall overcome."
Thank you.
Friday, January 16, 2009
End Game in Gaza
Shalom All,
Let's talk about the end game in Gaza. I have since this operation began said that Israel's goal cannot be the cessation of rocket fire from Gaza. The very moment that the last Israeli soldier who entered during this conflict leaves Gaza, rockets will be launched into Israel. It is like children fighting about who will have the last word. Hamas will have the last word, or Islamic Jihad, or frankly, some unknown guy who happens to have been a part of a rocket squad and knows where to find or how to make a rocket.
Israel's goal cannot possibly be to leave Hamas in power with any long term ability to increase that power and I would argue strongly that it cannot leave it in power with any long term ability to maintain power at all. Further, IF Israel gets to a point wherein it finds itself needing to withdraw, I see no reason whatsoever that it should not change the rules on the ground in Gaza first.
Why is Israel not bringing Fatah back into Gaza? Why not say, "We will not negotiate with Hamas at all? We will only negotiate with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority?" Why not empower the PA? Only negotiate with the PA? If there is a true civil war in Gaza, why not help the side you prefer? I would suggest that Israel demand that the PA reoccupy Gaza before it withdraws a single soldier. Why not have an entire force of Fatah allied troops enter Gaza under Israeli cover into the areas under Israeli control now? Why not demand as Egypt did that the PA take control over all of the border crossings? Let Fatah battle Hamas. If the answer is that the PA can't or won't, SAY THAT publicly. Better yet, hold a press conference with Abbas and demand that he say it publicly. There is no reason for Israel to protect an entirely failed governmental system from scrutiny.
If the PA is not willing to reenter Gaza, the first result would then be the nullification of all previous agreements. Furthermore, the result would be either a far stronger Hamas, not worried about being removed from power, or a power vacuum that could well be filled by another of Israel's enemies. The end game cannot simply be Israeli withdrawal. It must be stability in Gaza or at least instability with the hope of attaining stability.
Leaving Gaza without removing Hamas or at least weakening Hamas so much that it cannot hold power for long would be catastrophic both the hopes for peace and for the Palestinian people who will have no hope of improvement in their lives. Will Israel be MORE inclined to relax border control after the event if Hamas stays in power? Hardly. Life would be terrible and Hamas needs it that way in order to maintain control. Things will get worse, not better, for the average Palestinian. Now what is required to weaken Hamas so much that it cannot hold power?
That is relatively easy to answer. Israel has already accomplished some of it. First, removal of Hamas' ability to control the Egyptian border and to smuggle. It is not weaponry that keeps Hamas in power, but its ability to smuggle in other things and to functionally prop up the economy through clandestine efforts that bring it income while at the same time destroying the hope of others to acquire prosperity by means outside of Hamas' control. If the borders were truly open and goods could truly flow, Hamas would be far weaker. It is therefore in Hamas' interest to threaten Israel's security to the point that it must shut its borders. By removing Hamas' supply lines, you eliminate the financial and political gain obtained by forcing Israel to shut the borders.
Second, in order to weaken Hamas, you need to empower an alternative. Right now, I know of only one, the PA. The PA must be brought back into Gaza and given enough support not only to defend itself but to further weaken Hamas. The PA also must be empowered with funds and goods so that it can undermine Hamas' control of the economy.
The real question is not "Is there a desire to create a lasting peace?" but instead "Is there a will to make it happen?" The answer to the first question is "Yes." I'm not sure what the answer to the second question is.
-David
Let's talk about the end game in Gaza. I have since this operation began said that Israel's goal cannot be the cessation of rocket fire from Gaza. The very moment that the last Israeli soldier who entered during this conflict leaves Gaza, rockets will be launched into Israel. It is like children fighting about who will have the last word. Hamas will have the last word, or Islamic Jihad, or frankly, some unknown guy who happens to have been a part of a rocket squad and knows where to find or how to make a rocket.
Israel's goal cannot possibly be to leave Hamas in power with any long term ability to increase that power and I would argue strongly that it cannot leave it in power with any long term ability to maintain power at all. Further, IF Israel gets to a point wherein it finds itself needing to withdraw, I see no reason whatsoever that it should not change the rules on the ground in Gaza first.
Why is Israel not bringing Fatah back into Gaza? Why not say, "We will not negotiate with Hamas at all? We will only negotiate with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority?" Why not empower the PA? Only negotiate with the PA? If there is a true civil war in Gaza, why not help the side you prefer? I would suggest that Israel demand that the PA reoccupy Gaza before it withdraws a single soldier. Why not have an entire force of Fatah allied troops enter Gaza under Israeli cover into the areas under Israeli control now? Why not demand as Egypt did that the PA take control over all of the border crossings? Let Fatah battle Hamas. If the answer is that the PA can't or won't, SAY THAT publicly. Better yet, hold a press conference with Abbas and demand that he say it publicly. There is no reason for Israel to protect an entirely failed governmental system from scrutiny.
If the PA is not willing to reenter Gaza, the first result would then be the nullification of all previous agreements. Furthermore, the result would be either a far stronger Hamas, not worried about being removed from power, or a power vacuum that could well be filled by another of Israel's enemies. The end game cannot simply be Israeli withdrawal. It must be stability in Gaza or at least instability with the hope of attaining stability.
Leaving Gaza without removing Hamas or at least weakening Hamas so much that it cannot hold power for long would be catastrophic both the hopes for peace and for the Palestinian people who will have no hope of improvement in their lives. Will Israel be MORE inclined to relax border control after the event if Hamas stays in power? Hardly. Life would be terrible and Hamas needs it that way in order to maintain control. Things will get worse, not better, for the average Palestinian. Now what is required to weaken Hamas so much that it cannot hold power?
That is relatively easy to answer. Israel has already accomplished some of it. First, removal of Hamas' ability to control the Egyptian border and to smuggle. It is not weaponry that keeps Hamas in power, but its ability to smuggle in other things and to functionally prop up the economy through clandestine efforts that bring it income while at the same time destroying the hope of others to acquire prosperity by means outside of Hamas' control. If the borders were truly open and goods could truly flow, Hamas would be far weaker. It is therefore in Hamas' interest to threaten Israel's security to the point that it must shut its borders. By removing Hamas' supply lines, you eliminate the financial and political gain obtained by forcing Israel to shut the borders.
Second, in order to weaken Hamas, you need to empower an alternative. Right now, I know of only one, the PA. The PA must be brought back into Gaza and given enough support not only to defend itself but to further weaken Hamas. The PA also must be empowered with funds and goods so that it can undermine Hamas' control of the economy.
The real question is not "Is there a desire to create a lasting peace?" but instead "Is there a will to make it happen?" The answer to the first question is "Yes." I'm not sure what the answer to the second question is.
-David
Saturday, January 3, 2009
War and Peace
Shalom All,
I believe that it is time to change our terms. What is and has been going on between the Israelis and Palestinians is not yet a PEACE process. It remains a WAR in progress with a few temporary halts and some changes in its day to day functioning. Fundamentally, it is a WAR process. What is the difference? Why call it that?
Well, in a war, you both wish to harm your enemy and engage in actions that attempt to accomplish that wish. Negotiations are equally a part of war as they are a part of peace, so the presence of negotiations, including various kinds of temporary cease fires, agreed upon humanitarian aid convoys, and even the withdrawal of troops to agreed upon boundaries does not render what is war, somehow peace.
Right now, even during "Peace" negotiations, the Palestinian Authority demands concessions that further its WAR aims and harm its enemy Israel, such as demanding the Right of Return to Israel of people hostile to its very existence and willing to fight to eradicate it. That is not a peaceful demand. The PA is also at war with Hamas, both negotiating things that harm Hamas and actively engaging in violence against Hamas. Hamas meanwhile is actively engaged in WAR against Israel on every front including the diplomatic one. Israel is at war with Hamas, but attempting PEACE with the rest of the Palestinian people.
Peace requires one step that the Palestinians have yet to take. It requires that the government defend its FORMER enemy even to the point of using lethal force against its own to do so. Neither Hamas nor the PA have made any attempts to prevent their own from attacking Israel using lethal force. Israel has done so toward the PA on at least one very prominent occasion, namely the case of Baruch Goldstein who was killed by Israeli troops while killing Palestinians. That is the extreme of what PEACE requires, namely the killing of your own who attempt to violate the peace of your former enemy. It certainly also requires the constant disarming of those among your own who would use violence against your former enemy in an attempt to violate peace between you and them. Israel arrests and disarms those among its population who do so. Neither the PA, much less Hamas, have attempted to do so among their populations, which is a clear indication that they are not yet engaged in a "peace" process.
Don't get me wrong. I do not believe that the PA necessarily has the strength to engage in one. They face a civil war, even in the West Bank, if they try. But that is exactly what PEACE will require that they do.
Instead, what we have is a War Process that the world looks upon hoping to see positive signs. It pretends that tactical cease fires are signs that peace is prevailing, that lulls in fighting are not there solely to establish stronger fighting the next time those lulls are broken. The world pretends to see doves being lobbed over the border that offer kisses upon landing. It dreams that underneath the Egypt-Gaza border teddy bears are being smuggling into Gaza by clowns who need to entertain the children, rather than missiles carried by terrorists who wish to blow up Israeli children.
Peace is not a state of preparing for intensified war. That is war. Peace is fighting one's own to prevent war and so far only Israel has even attempted it.
-D
I believe that it is time to change our terms. What is and has been going on between the Israelis and Palestinians is not yet a PEACE process. It remains a WAR in progress with a few temporary halts and some changes in its day to day functioning. Fundamentally, it is a WAR process. What is the difference? Why call it that?
Well, in a war, you both wish to harm your enemy and engage in actions that attempt to accomplish that wish. Negotiations are equally a part of war as they are a part of peace, so the presence of negotiations, including various kinds of temporary cease fires, agreed upon humanitarian aid convoys, and even the withdrawal of troops to agreed upon boundaries does not render what is war, somehow peace.
Right now, even during "Peace" negotiations, the Palestinian Authority demands concessions that further its WAR aims and harm its enemy Israel, such as demanding the Right of Return to Israel of people hostile to its very existence and willing to fight to eradicate it. That is not a peaceful demand. The PA is also at war with Hamas, both negotiating things that harm Hamas and actively engaging in violence against Hamas. Hamas meanwhile is actively engaged in WAR against Israel on every front including the diplomatic one. Israel is at war with Hamas, but attempting PEACE with the rest of the Palestinian people.
Peace requires one step that the Palestinians have yet to take. It requires that the government defend its FORMER enemy even to the point of using lethal force against its own to do so. Neither Hamas nor the PA have made any attempts to prevent their own from attacking Israel using lethal force. Israel has done so toward the PA on at least one very prominent occasion, namely the case of Baruch Goldstein who was killed by Israeli troops while killing Palestinians. That is the extreme of what PEACE requires, namely the killing of your own who attempt to violate the peace of your former enemy. It certainly also requires the constant disarming of those among your own who would use violence against your former enemy in an attempt to violate peace between you and them. Israel arrests and disarms those among its population who do so. Neither the PA, much less Hamas, have attempted to do so among their populations, which is a clear indication that they are not yet engaged in a "peace" process.
Don't get me wrong. I do not believe that the PA necessarily has the strength to engage in one. They face a civil war, even in the West Bank, if they try. But that is exactly what PEACE will require that they do.
Instead, what we have is a War Process that the world looks upon hoping to see positive signs. It pretends that tactical cease fires are signs that peace is prevailing, that lulls in fighting are not there solely to establish stronger fighting the next time those lulls are broken. The world pretends to see doves being lobbed over the border that offer kisses upon landing. It dreams that underneath the Egypt-Gaza border teddy bears are being smuggling into Gaza by clowns who need to entertain the children, rather than missiles carried by terrorists who wish to blow up Israeli children.
Peace is not a state of preparing for intensified war. That is war. Peace is fighting one's own to prevent war and so far only Israel has even attempted it.
-D
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