I read the Ask Rabbi Rami section in my Spirituality and Health mag (now Unity) first. His answers are thought provoking, tension creating and consistently true. He confronts readers’ complicitness in othering, doing on to others we would not want done to us (golden rule) and complacency in our unconscious daily lives. I am both afraid of and love Rabbi Rami’s thought process. Fearless and direct, he is a shining light in the chaos engulfing us.
Dear Rabbi Rami. You are a recognized spokesperson in the Jewish community and therefore what you say affects us all--not just you. Therefore remarks such as "Israel is an apartheid state" is damaging, because it overlooks a long history with just one biased remark. The comparison with South Africa during apartheid is not valid. While the white minority in Africa oppressed and disabled the blacks to vote, this is not true for Israel. The non-Jewish citizens of Israel can vote. The territories under Israel control were obtained as a result of an attack by its neighboring Arab states. A political solution was offered repeatedly and dismissed repeatedly. The so-called Palestinians only intent to resolve the matter of administering the territories is to eliminate Israel and then have a totally Arab Islamic state in the region instead. If you don't believe this, see what happed when Israel withdrew from Gaza to see if they could govern themselves. They made it into a fortification intended to attack and destroy the Jewish State. That's not surmisal. They've repeatedly said so. Open your eyes publicly to antisemitism. That's where our attention should lie. We have the Jewish state because it's one place on earth where we as Jews have the means to defend us agains those people and nations who blindly hate us for no reasonable reason. Treasure Israel. It's our only hope. Stop slinging slogans without going the story behind your concerns. Amichai
I read the Ask Rabbi Rami section in my Spirituality and Health mag (now Unity) first. His answers are thought provoking, tension creating and consistently true. He confronts readers’ complicitness in othering, doing on to others we would not want done to us (golden rule) and complacency in our unconscious daily lives. I am both afraid of and love Rabbi Rami’s thought process. Fearless and direct, he is a shining light in the chaos engulfing us.
Dear Rabbi Rami. You are a recognized spokesperson in the Jewish community and therefore what you say affects us all--not just you. Therefore remarks such as "Israel is an apartheid state" is damaging, because it overlooks a long history with just one biased remark. The comparison with South Africa during apartheid is not valid. While the white minority in Africa oppressed and disabled the blacks to vote, this is not true for Israel. The non-Jewish citizens of Israel can vote. The territories under Israel control were obtained as a result of an attack by its neighboring Arab states. A political solution was offered repeatedly and dismissed repeatedly. The so-called Palestinians only intent to resolve the matter of administering the territories is to eliminate Israel and then have a totally Arab Islamic state in the region instead. If you don't believe this, see what happed when Israel withdrew from Gaza to see if they could govern themselves. They made it into a fortification intended to attack and destroy the Jewish State. That's not surmisal. They've repeatedly said so. Open your eyes publicly to antisemitism. That's where our attention should lie. We have the Jewish state because it's one place on earth where we as Jews have the means to defend us agains those people and nations who blindly hate us for no reasonable reason. Treasure Israel. It's our only hope. Stop slinging slogans without going the story behind your concerns. Amichai
My short-form response to "Is Israel an apartheid state?" is something like:
. . . Inside the Green Line, it's not apartheid;
. . . Outside the Green Line, in Gaza and the West Bank, it has a lot of characteristics
. . . of apartheid states.
As examples of "outside the Green Line" apartheid:
. . . Jews and Palestinians operate under different legal systems -- Israeli civil law for Jews,
. . . . . Israeli martial law for Palestinians.
. . . Jews and Palestinians have different road systems;
. . . Jews and Palestinians have different educational systems;
. . . Jews and Palestinians have _very_ different housing options, and land rights.
. . . Jews get approval for new housing from the Jewish authorities, Palestinians do not.
. . . . . (This is a problem inside the Green Line, as well.)
. . . A Palestinian, outside the Green Line, has _no path to Israeli citizenship_.
Look at the big picture, not only the situation of Palestinians who are lucky enough to have Israeli citizenship.
Thank you for this. The last section, in particular, is priceless -- it shows how far the reality of Israel has diverged from the dream of Israel.
I agree with every syllable you wrote and am grateful for the honest clarity. Will bring it to my study group
“God is reality, not a realtor.” Priceless!
Amen!