Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Klal Yisroel loves Segulos. We run for this Segulah and that Segulah. Now this Segulah is one that is mentioned in the Torah and it also says that it really works. It is the Mitzvah of Kivud Av vAim honoring ones parents. The Torah itself assures us that one who is careful with it will merit long life.

The Talmud Yerushalmi writes that honoring parents is of the loftiest of Mitzvos. A person is exempt from the observance of other Mitzvos when he is busy taking care of his parents. Indeed, the Aruch haShulchan writes (YD 240:36) that the exemption applies even if he is just waiting to perform the Kivud Av VAim. We do not find this in regard to any other Mitzvah!

Categorizing The Mitzvah

The actions, steps and procedures of this fundamental Mitzvah can be categorized into two types those obligatory in nature, and those that are more of a voluntary or elective nature. They can also be categorized further issues of Kavod honor and issues of Moreh, perhaps best translated as dishonoring. Kavod is in the Ten Commandments. Dis-honoring is in Sefer VaYikra in Parshas Kedoshim.

Who and to Whom

Males and females are equally obligated in this Mitzvah. The Gemorah in Krisus (28a) tells us that the obligation extends equally to both the father and mother as well.

Intentions

We are required to perform Mitzvos with the proper intentions. What does this mean? We do it because it is the commandment of the Creator. What if we do it because it is a good, proper, and ethical thing to do? Good question. It depends. If we conceive of Hashem (as we should conceive Him) as the source and essence of all good then the intent is valid and proper. If this is not our conception of Hashem then we have two problems: One we have an incorrect notion of Hashem; and two we didnt properly fulfill the Mitzvah.Nor should we be nice to our parents to get a proper Yerushah inheritance or so that we not be cut off in the will. Both the Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachya specifically warn about these ill intentions. The Malbim even goes a step further. He writes that we should not even fulfill the Mitzvah because of the reward promised in the Torah!

Is the Mitzvah of honoring parents a Mitzvah between man and Hashem or between man and man? The Minchas Chinuch poses this question (Mitzvah #33). The fact that it appears on the right side of the Ten Commandments indicates that it is a Mitzvah between man and Hashem. The Ramban points this out. The Rambam in his commentary to the Mishna (Peah 1:1) indicates that it is between man and man. The Meshech Chochma (beginning of Parshas Kedoshim) writes that it is primarily a Mitzvah between man and man but has elements between man and the Divine in it. Whats the difference? If it is between man and man Yom Kippur doesnt atone for it one must ask forgiveness from ones parents.

For Parents Only

The Shulchan Aruch (YD 240:19) also gives parents guidelines as to their relationship with the children. The Sefer Chassidim states that they shouldnt get their children angry. Nor should they demand things of them that are too difficult. In general, they should forgive them for things that they may have done wrong. Of course, this last paragraph should not be pointed to by children as an attack or critique on their parents heaven forbid.

When Father or Mother Did Nothing

The following paragraph is one of the most challenging to fulfill. There is a sentiment out there that states, My father contributed nothing toward raising me. It was all my mother he never gave her a nickel so I will NOT repeat NOT honor that man. The sentiment is incorrect. The Mesech Chochma (Dvarim 5:16) writes that we honor parents as Hashem has commanded us that even if they abandoned us we must honor them in accordance with the will of Hashem. Thus, a child given up for adoption must still honor his biological parents (See Ksav Sofer Dvarim 5:16).

If the Father is a Rasha

The Shulchan Aruch (YD 240:18) holds that even if the father is a wicked man the Mitzvah of honoring them and refraining from disrespect still exists. Of course one cannot violate a prohibition while doing so. The Ramah, however, dissents from this view and holds that one is only obligated in this if the father has repented. Rav Elyashiv ruled that one should be stringent and follow the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch in cases where the fathers sin was because of Taavah desire. He ruled that the general irreligious parent (or chiloni) is subsumed under this category.After DeathThere is also a Mitzvah to honor ones parents after they have passed away. Rav Elyashiv ruled that in a place where it is a Minhag to name after the grandparents this is a fulfillment of this concept.Within 12 months after a parents passing, it is a Mitzvah to say the words, Hareini kaparas mishkavo (or mishkava) whenever mentioning ones parent. After 12 months we say, zichrono (or zichrona) livracha.The recitation of Kaddish is also a fulfillment of Kivud Av vAim after they have passed away.

Honoring Parents: Thought, Speech and Action

Thought The Chayei Adam (67:3) writes that there is an obligation to view their parents as Gedolim and the most honorable in the land even if they are not viewed as such by others. [See a similar view in Sefer Chassidim #89]. This author once asked Rav Dovid Kviat zatzal how this could be, if it may not be the case. He responded that it, in fact, is the case when we consider the specific personal hurdles and challenges that they overcame. It is the obligation of the child to view his parents achievements in light of the personal hurdles. Thus, for example, a woman who raised her children with Torah values and Mitzvos when facing the daunting assimilation of others that surround her is truly a Gadol and the most honorable in the land. This is just one example there are many.

Love The Zohar (Parshas Ki Saitzay 281) writes that a person is obligated to love his parents more so than his body, soul, spirit, and being. Whatever a person owns should be like nothing when it comes to fulfilling the wishes of his parents. Rashi in Shoftim (6:11) demonstrates that Gideon merited receiving both communication from an angel and leadership solely because he gave of himself to protect his father. Yoseph HaTzaddik merited leadership on account of the perspective that he had when he went to greet his father (Yalkut Shimoni VaYigash 47:157)

Speech Children must speak softly to their parents, in a calm tone, and using the most honorable terminology and modes of address. (See Kiddushin 30a,b). On the other hand, if one speaks abusively to ones parents he or she will earn a place in Gehenam, rachmana litzlan.

Action The Mishna Brurah (301:4) indicates that, if possible, it is a Mitzvah to greet ones parents every day. There are also numerous actions that are obvious that must be done regularly, for example, taking out the garbage for them regularly without being asked; offering them drinks or food; requesting if there is anything they need in terms of shopping, mail, etc.

The author can be reached at [emailprotected]

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The Absolute Best Segulah of Them All - Yeshiva World News

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

We believe that we cannot collaborate with the ADL without betraying our movements, the letter says.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

Over 160 progressive organizations have signed a letter this month calling for a boycott of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Open letter to progressives: The ADL is not an ally has been published on the website DropTheADL.org.

We believe that we cannot collaborate with the ADL without betraying our movements, the letter says.

Among the signatories are Christian Peacemaker Teams, CODEPINK, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Democratic Socialists of America, Dream Defenders, Jewish Voice for Peace, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Mijente, Movement for Black Lives, National Students for Justice in Palestine, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, and The Red Nation.

The letter accuses the ADL of an ongoing pattern of attacking social justice movements led by communities of color, queer people, immigrants, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups.

It also accuses the ADL of aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence.

The website also contains a primer, laying out a long list of complaints against the ADL.

The accusations include smearing critics of colonialism as anti-Semites' and demonstrating support for actual anti-Semites, Donald Trump, and other right-wing, racist influencers.

It calls the ADL, a white-led organization that claims a role as civil rights leader, but shouts down communities of color advocating for their own rights.

The ADL published a response to the letter on August 12.

Recently, a laundry list of tired, false and misleading statements about ADLs history was published by many of the same groups who have been pushing an anti-Israel agenda for years, the ADL said.

ADL supports the Jewish and democratic state of Israel. It also supports a negotiated two-state solution achieving rights and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, said the statement.

This support for Israel does not mean ADL is anti-Palestinian,' they said.

The organization called it outrageous to claim that the ADL hasnt supported other justice movements and marginalized communities.

ADL proudly stands with the Black Lives Matter movement, the statement said.

Contrary to the accusations of the progressive groups, those on the right have criticized the ADL for downplaying Muslim anti-Semitism, being too soft on the anti-Israel rhetoric of Rep. Ilhan Omar, and partnering with famed anti-Semite Al Sharpton.

Jonathan Tobin, editor-in-chief of the Jewish News Syndicate, said that the ADL under the leadership of Jonathan Greenblatt, a former Clinton and Obama administration staffer, has become just one more liberal Jewish group with a partisan agenda.

Anti-Defamation Leagueanti-Israel boycottBlack Lives Matter

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Drop the ADL: Left-wing groups call for boycott of Anti-Defamation League - World Israel News

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

Nazis and white supremacists have been using TikTok to spread hate speech and recruit followers, the Anti-Defamation League said in a report Thursday.

Extremists have used hashtags and captions and in some cases even manipulated video to spread their message, the ADL said. It found dozens of accounts on TikTok that use combinations of white supremacist symbols, terms and slogans as screen names or handles.

While TikTok has been called the last sunny corner of the Internet, the ADLs findings are a reminder that the short-form video app, like its rivals, is also grappling with hateful content. Facebook has been subject to an ongoing advertiser boycott over its handling of hate speech and misinformation, while services like Google-owned YouTube have sometimes struggled to follow through on their commitments.

The report also ramps up the public scrutiny of TikTok, which has come under fire from the Trump administration as a potential national security risk for its ties to China. In its report, the ADL said it had secured a commitment from TikTok to work together to identify and remove white supremacist content.

It is not clear how many TikTok users may have viewed that content; the ADL said its report is not intended as an exhaustive assessment.

TikTok confirmed the ADL partnership on Thursday, and said much of the content flagged by the ADL has already been removed. The company said it has removed hundreds of thousands of videos and more than 1,000 accounts this year for violating its hate speech policies.

For all the progress weve made improving our policies and protections, hate evolves and takes many forms, which is why were grateful to work with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League to combat it, the company said in a statement. We appreciate when content and accounts are brought to our attention so that we can swiftly remove what violates our Community Guidelines and strengthen our safeguards. We welcome expert feedback and guidance as we strive to promote a safe and uplifting experience for our community.

Groups promoting white supremacy on TikTok have sought to appropriate the #blacklivesmatter hashtag, the ADL said. They also have used hashtags including #alllivesmatter and #whitelivesmatter.

White supremacists on the platform also used other methods to obscure their behavior and evade detection, the ADL said, such as by employing coded language or sharing images of books, signs or web URLs for viewers to research on their own.

They have even resorted to deceptively edited videos that misrepresent the words of others, the ADL said. In one case, according to the ADL, a TikTok user added a voiceover to a video from the popular and controversial Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie to make it appear as though he was endorsing the views of Adolf Hitler.

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Even TikTok has a white supremacy problem | Business | phillytrib.com - The Philadelphia Tribune

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) A few weeks ago, during a pro-law enforcement rally at Memorial Park, members of a group called the proud boys were seen. Organizers of the event say they were not invited, and it left many wondering who they are? The Anti-Defamation League says they're a hate group, but they say they're not.

"The membership of the group is sometimes multi-racial and multi-ethnic; they still believe in this sort of supremacy of the western civilization and western culture," said Scott Kurz.

Kurz is with the ADL, which defines the Proud Boys as a hate group.

"They're anti-immigrant, they're anti-muslim, anti-semitic, they have a whole range anti-anything beliefs," said Kurz

Kurz says they're also anti-feminism and revere women as housewives. The ADL website also points out several examples of violence tied to proud boys members, including at rallies.

"They are nationally causing problems and hurting people, and that's something that everyone should take seriously," said Kurz.

The ADL website also says some members support white supremacists and engage with white supremacist groups. To find out more, we emailed the Nebraska chapter of the proud boys, where to become a member, you have to fill out a form, asking about your political beliefs where it also says you cannot be racist or alt-right.

We also asked the Proud Boys their reaction to being labeled as a hate group to which they said "We have members of all races, religions, and sexualities. Those organizations are politically and financially (motivated) to call as many people racist and hateful as possible."

They also included pictures of group members saying, "See the attachments and explain to us what is a definition of a hate group. Seems like that, and similar phrases are being thrown around flippantly."

We filled out that form under a made-up name and got a response back to send a video of us listing our name and saying, "I am a proud western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world."

The group said the members who attended the rally did so in support of police, but Kurz believes it was to take away from the BLM protesters' voices at the event.

"It's not anything for people to be terribly afraid of, but they should be aware, they should be alert, and they should be paying attention to who's around them at all times."

The ADL says the following in Nebraska and Iowa doesn't appear to be significant but that if you attend a rally, you should be aware of the group in case they appear.

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Looking further into the Nebraska Chapter of the "Proud Boys" - KMTV - 3 News Now

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

A selection of extremist and white supremacist user IDs on the Chinese-owned TikTok app. Image: ADL.

The video-sharing app TikTok has become a magnet for extremists who spread antisemitic and racist content to recruit new followers, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) warned in a new report this week.

Despite TikToks efforts to moderate and/or remove extremist content via community guidelines that cover a wide range of problematic content, from hate speech to discussions of self-harm, a cursory review of the platform by ADLs Center on Extremism found that white supremacists and antisemites are using a range of methods on the platform to recruit new adherents and share hateful content, the ADL said.

Employing a wide range of hashtags, adding captions to existing videos and overdubbing material posted by other users are among the techniques utilized, the ADL noted.

Crudely antisemitic messages have been inserted into some of the most popular content on the platform, the report observed.

August 18, 2020 11:06 am

The report noted, One TikToker took a video of Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie and added a voiceover to make him appear to say, Hey guys PewDiePie here. Death to all Jews. I want you to say after me, death to all Jews. And you know, Hitler was right. Ive really opened my eyes to white power and I think its time we did something about it.'

It continued: Another user created a voiceover for a clip from the animated movie The Incredibles, which portrayed Mr. Incredible as a Goyim (a disparaging Yiddish and Hebrew word for non-Jews)and his supervisor as a hateful and manipulative Jew bent on enacting globalist policies. Yet another video creates an antisemitic skit using a video clip from Regular Show, an animated sitcom. In the TikTok skit the character Mitch Muscle Man Sorenstein gives his girlfriend, Starla, a rose. She responds by saying, A Jew would never do this for me. Mitch responds, Actually, Starla I have a confession to make, Im Orthodox. Starla laughs maniacally and says, Youve been kicked out of 109 different countries!'

The ADL also found dozens of TikTok profiles that use combinations of white supremacist symbols, terms and slogans as screen names or handles.

Common white supremacist numeric symbols in use on the platform include 14 to represent a popular white supremacist slogan, 2316 the numeric symbol for white power, 88 to represent Heil Hitler and 13/52 which is shorthand reference to a racist claim about Black Americans, the report pointed out.

Even more disturbing than the number of white supremacist profiles on TikTok is the sheer volume of readily accessible white supremacist, antisemitic and otherwise hateful video content, the ADL stated. This includes a range of content disparaging perceived enemies of the white race, such as Jews and non-white minorities, and expressed reverence of white supremacist leaders and killers.

Used by more than 800 million people globally, including over 14 million Americans, TikTok is facing a potential ban in the US on national security grounds.

Owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, Tiktok will no longer be able to conduct transactions in the US after Sept. 20 unless it is purchased by an American company, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

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Antisemitic and Hateful Content Flourishing on TikTok, New ADL Report Warns - Algemeiner

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

The pushback was swift and bilateral.

On Saturday, I credited U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, for tweeting there is no place in Congress for conspiracies like the bizarre QAnon movement that has taken root in various corners of the internet and, unfortunately, among members of his party poised to win elections in November.

The first email came from a reader in Woodstock:

I found your opinion hit piece on QAnon to be quite ironic. I especially thought the part where you emphasized that the FBI considers them a domestic terror threat a bit hypocritical.

Over the past 60-plus days we have seen a real domestic terror organization in action; Black Lives Matter. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not seen your opinion piece on them. Perhaps that is a future piece especially since they recently terrorized the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago.

Just wondering if you have the courage and journalistic curiosity to write about a real terrorist organization.

A reminder that QAnon acolytes, according to the Anti-Defamation League, believe in a global elite of power brokers hell bent on enriching themselves and maintaining their Satanic child-murdering sex cult. Black Lives Matter tenets cover a wide range, depending on who you ask, but not the deep-end lunacy underpinning the QAnon insanity.

Its not inconsistent to say Kinzinger was right to denounce a conspiracy theory without then addressing a completely distinct movement. Why didnt I also take issue with Al-Qaeda sleeper cells? Or the Atomwaffen Division? Animal Liberation Front? Furthermore, few who believe Americans can do more for racial equity support vandalism and looting, but everyone who swears allegiance to Q is supporting the execution of traitors based on a web of lies and misinformation.

The next email, from DeKalb, expressed disappointment because Kinzinger offered a tepid response that didnt directly condemn President Trump or QAnon disciple Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican likely headed to Congress.

It is my fervent wish that Mr. Kinzinger will be going back home to Channahon come Nov. 3, this reader said. I plan to do everything in my power to showcase Mr. Kinzinger's fealty to the morally, ethically and psychologically unfit occupant presently in the White House. You give Mr. Kinzinger way too much credit for his response.It wasn't alarming, it was weak and ineffectual.Which is pretty much par for the course with the congressman.

Tweets rarely paint a complete picture. Kinzinger expounded in a Sunday YouTube post as well as weekend broadcast appearances, offering useful context.

For some, any criticism is too much. For others, little is strong enough. You choose where you stand, but heres my firm ground: QAnon devotion is disturbing and dangerous, full stop.

Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Media Illinois. Follow him on Twitter at @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.

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EYE ON ILLINOIS: Reader feedback on Q piece hits from both sides - Northwest Herald

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

Burgess Owens, the Republican nominee in Utahs 4th Congressional District, praised a North Carolina Republican candidate who has been criticized for what appears to be his support for white nationalism.

On Sunday, Owens retweeted a post from North Carolina Republican Madison Cawthorn calling him A courageous and intelligent Patriot who is running circles around the young man I was at 25. You have a gift.. time to share him!!!... Cant wait to team up with you my friend.

Cawthorn recently won the GOP primary for Mark Meadows seat in Congress, which is open after Meadows became chief of staff for President Donald Trump. Cawthorn triumphed over a Republican candidate backed by President Trump.

If Cawthorn is elected to Congress, he would be one of the youngest House members ever. He recently turned 25 and is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party.

Cawthorn has recently come under scrutiny for his seeming praise of Adolf Hitler and support for white nationalist groups.

Earlier this month, the feminist website Jezebel reported on some social media posts from Cawthorn where he posted pictures on Instagram of a trip to Adolf Hitlers Eagles Nest retreat. He called the trip a bucket list item that he had been looking forward to for years. Cawthorn also referred to Hitler as Fuhrer in the posts. Shortly after the Jezebel report was published, Cawthorn took the pictures down.

Cawthorns post that Owens re-tweeted was a response to news reports who said the now-deleted pictures showed his support for Nazis. Cawthorn is in a wheelchair due to an auto accident.

The pictures in front of Hitlers mountain hideout are not the only troubling intersection with white nationalism.

According to a report from the Charlotte Observer, Cawthorns real estate company, SPQR, is an abbreviation of a Latin phrase from the Roman Republic. SPQR is a symbol often used by white nationalists. For example, SPQR flags were flown by white nationalists at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina.

A photo on Cawthorns website shows him wearing tactical gear emblazoned with a Spartan-style helmet, which is a symbol used by the Oath Keepers group, which is described by the Anti-Defamation League as an anti-government right-wing fringe organization.

The Observer also reports Cawthorn has been photographed with the Bety Ross flag, which has been adopted by some white nationalist groups. Last year Nike decided against releasing a limited-edition sneaker emblazoned with the Betsy Ross flag after complaints that it was a racist symbol. To be fair, if there is a connection between white nationalism and the Betsy Ross flag, experts say it is a loose one at best.

This is not the first time Owens has crossed paths with controversy online. In July Owens congratulated Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert for defeating incumbent Congressman Scott Tipton in her primary election. Boebert has publicly embraced the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.

In May, Owens appeared as a guest on an obscure internet program devoted to the QAnon conspiracy. However, Owens did not discuss QAnon on the show.

A spokesperson for Owens campaign dismissed questions about whether he was aware of Cawthorns possible connections to white nationalism as peddling conspiracy theories and did not comment further.

Polling shows Owens either leading or tied with Democrat Ben McAdams in their 4th Congressional District race. On Friday, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the race from Lean Democrat to Toss Up.

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Burgess Owens praised a Republican candidate linked to white nationalism on Twitter - Utah Policy

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

Pamplin Media Group's Amazing Kids section will be published in the Portland Tribune the week of Aug. 17.

The Class of 2020 will forever be associated with a global pandemic and its disruptive impact on students, particularly high school and college seniors.

So, too, will our 2020 class of Amazing Kids.

The annual project of our parent company, Pamplin Media Group, usually culminates with a celebration at OMSI in May. But that wasn't possible this year with the virus and social distancing. We briefly considered skipping a year, but our employees from sales representatives to beat reporters urged us to go forward. And it's a good thing we did.

For in these days where hope and inspiration seem to be in short supply, we have plenty to share. For instance, the emerging leadership seen in Aslan Newson of Portland, who, at 16, serves on her neighborhood association board, is president of the Wilson High School Black Student Union, and has worked with the Anti-Defamation League to offer anti-bias training to incoming first-year students.

"I do get exhausted and burnt out, but I have the privilege of being able to stand up for my community in ways my ancestors did not," says Aslan, whose mother is Native American and father is African American. "I think about them and what they fought for."

The Amazing Kids section will appear in Pamplin Media Group papers, including the Tribune, the week of Aug. 17.

You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts.Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.

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This year's Amazing Kids honorees truly are amazing - Pamplin Media Group

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

(August 13, 2020 / JNS) On a day when something historic and obviously positive happens, its always instructive to listen to those who arent joining in the cheering. While even many critics of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to applaud the U.S.-sponsored diplomatic deal struck between Israel and the United Arab Emirates for full normalization of relations, there were still some who were decrying it.

Both the Palestinian Authority and their Hamas rivals were united in describing the agreement as a betrayal and a black day in the history of Palestine. They are angry about an Arab state deciding that they will no longer remain hostages to the Palestinians century-old war on Zionism.

Equally upset were some on the Jewish left. Anti-Zionist groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow proclaimed their solidarity with the Palestinian rejectionists. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), a congressional supporter of the anti-Semitic BDS movement, tweeted that it was a sweetheart business deal, and using language that seemed similar to the statement issued by Hamas said it would merely prolong Israeli apartheid and land stealing.

But even those on the left who approve of the UAEs willingness to normalize ties with Israel couldnt do so wholeheartedly. J Street said that while it welcomed Netanyahus decision to suspend plans to extend sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, it was wrong to leave Palestinians on the outside looking in. Elsewhere on the left, the same rhetoric about occupation and apartheid continued, coming, for example, from Obama-administration Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes.

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Israel can clearly afford to wait, however long it takes, for the Palestinians to one day come to their senses.

Despite the furor over the scheme that was wrongly labeled annexationafter all, a nation cant annex land that doesnt legally belong to another country or to which your own people have rights, as is the case with the Jews and the West Bankit wouldnt have changed anything on the ground. And neither will postponing it.

By contrast, having a Gulf state be the first Arab nation other than Egypt and Jordan to formally recognize Israels existence is earth-shaking. While most of the Arab world already has strong under-the-table security and economic ties with Israel, formalizing them is one more crack in the formally solid wall of rejection of the Jewish state in the Islamic world.

For decades, Palestinian Arabs arrogated to themselves the right not merely to refuse any compromise with the Jews; they also demanded and got acquiescence to that stand from the rest of the region and other Muslims. The Khartoum Resolutions following the 1967 Six-Day War (often called the Three Nos conference) solidified the Arab worlds approach, calling for no peace, no recognition and no negotiation with Israel. That made clear that their war could have no end but the destruction of the Jewish state and the expulsion or slaughter of its citizens.

Egypt was the first Arab nation to come to its senses and realize that fighting more wars because the Palestinians refused to accept the verdict of history was a pointless waste of blood and treasure. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made history by flying to Jerusalem in 1977 to make peace with its neighbor.

The Palestinians seemed to have come to the same conclusion when they signed the Oslo Accords in 1993, or so most people thought. But Israelis soon learned that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had no intention of actually making peace. His continued support of terror and refusal to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state, no matter where its borders were drawnsomething that was made clear by the rejection by Arafat and his successor, Mahmoud Abbas, of territorial offers that would have given them an independent stateconvinced most Israelis that peace was not possible in the foreseeable future.

It was then that many in the Arab world began to come to the same conclusion: that Israel was there to stay. More than that, Israels military power was not a threat to them, but it could serve to help deter an increasingly aggressive and hostile Iran. The Gulf states also realized that shunning the most advanced economy in the region was simply foolish.

While the Arab world is still deeply tainted by anti-Semitism, and there may be some countrieslike Saudi Arabia, which holds itself out as the guardian of Islamic holy sitesthat will never openly embrace Israel, most of them have decided that their self-interest must no longer be subordinated to Palestinians delusions about destroying Israel.

This also comes as a deep shock to Jewish leftists, who have been preaching that Israel can never know prosperity, security and peace until it receives permission from the Palestinians to go on existing. The anomalous situation in the West Bank, in which the Palestinians have autonomy over most of the land, but not sovereignty or security control, isnt satisfactory to anyone. Israels opponents, as well as some who claim to be its friends, have been predicting since 1967 that Israel is doomed to isolation and destruction unless it gets the Palestinians to accept a two-state solution.

This comes as a deep shock to Jewish leftists.

But those predictions have been proven wrong. Despite the lack of peace with the Palestinians, Israel has only gone from strength to strength.

It is a regional military superpower and has grown into a First World economyaccomplishments that would have been considered fantasies back in 1967. With the Arab world now refusing to go along with more Palestinian rejectionism, American policies intended to pressure Israel to make suicidal concessions for their own goodto save Israel from itself, as President Barack Obama believedare equally bankrupt.

Israel can now clearly afford to wait, however long it takes, for the Palestinians to one day come to their senses and declare peace.

Will the Palestinians learn thatcontrary to their long-held belief that the Jewish state will eventually be erased from the maptime is not on their side? Unfortunately, the Palestinian sense of national identity is inextricably tied to the war on Zionism. They cannot end the conflict because the entire conception of Palestinian nationhood makes no sense if it means living in peace alongside a Jewish state.

And will left-wing Jews come to understand that the reality of the conflict has disproved their critique? Sadly, they, too, are so invested in their myths about two states and their misjudgment about the Palestinians wanting peace that they will cling to their beliefs even as the few Israelis who share their views have been politically marginalized.

Nor is it likely that they will give the Trump administration the credit it deserves for promoting a vision of the region that emphasized good relations between Israel and the Arab world, which led to this agreement. It can only be hoped that if the Democrats defeat him in November that they will not seek to sabotage this opening by returning to Obamas dead-end pressure policy that only encouraged Palestinian rejectionism and the appeasement of Iran.

That Palestinians, as well as their foreign cheerleaders and enablers, are too besotted with the ideologies and misperceptions that have fueled the conflict for the last century is a tragedy. It is to be hoped that eventually they will kick their addiction to the war on Zionism. But whether or not they do, or when exactly that might happen, the fact that more people in the Middle East understand that peace with Israel is good for everyone in the region is something to be celebrated.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNSJewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter: @jonathans_tobin.

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A wake-up call for those addicted to the war on Zionism - JNS.org

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Posted By admin on August 18, 2020

The forces of darkness in the Middle East are panicking. One of the most powerful Arab countries in the world has made peace with the dreaded Zionist enemy.

For these forces of darkness, anything that challenges the demonization of the Jewish state is a disaster. In order for these regimes to survive, Israel must remain the irredeemable sinner, the evil oppressor of Palestinians, the Jewish invader who took over holy Muslim land.

This dark view of Israel has long been the mothers milk sustaining the dictators of the region, keeping attention away from their own corruption, incompetence and oppression of their people.

The problem is that in the long run, any model based on lies and manufactured hatred is not sustainable. At some point, people wake up. People have to eat and make a living. People have to envision a better future.

This opens them up to other truths.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), in making a historic deal with Israel, woke up. In fact, they woke up a while ago.The difference is that now, theyre coming out. Theyre not hiding it. Theyre telling the world and the people of the region: Israel is not our enemy. Israel doesnt want to invade us. Israel has a lot to offer.

This is an earthquake, a call to Israels Arab neighbors to look to the future rather than the past. Emotions that dwell on the past, such as resentment and humiliation, are paralyzing. Emotions that look forward, such as hope and optimism, are liberating.

But lets not celebrate too soon. The past will not go down without a fight. Evil dictators of the region have one key interestto stay in power. To do that they must keep alive the traditional view of Israel as the great sinner rather than the emerging one of a great partner.

Its no surprise, then, that leaders of Iran, Turkey, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are freaking out over this latest deal. You can see them desperately clinging to their old model, accusing the UAE of betraying the Palestinian cause and aiming to isolate them while warning others not to follow suit.

These forces are panicking because the UAE has shattered the model of the Palestinian conflict as the key to progress in the Middle East. If anything, the conflict has been the biggestobstacle to progress, the ideal excuse for nations to stay stuck in the past.

Cunning Palestinian leaders have always understood the power they were given by other dictators. As long as they remained the poor victims and Israelis the evil oppressors, their power was secured. It was a regional con game, and most of the world was in on it, intentionally or not.

Many Jews were in on it, too. Their genuine and heartfelt critiques of Israeli policies vis--vis the Palestinians were not received that way by Israels cynical enemies. Instead, they were seen as Jewish reinforcement for the Israel-bashing narrative that kept leaders on their thrones.

Even now, despite a historic agreement that gives new hope to the people of the region, you can see liberal Zionist groups contorting themselves to keep the old model alive: Yeah, this new deal is nice, theyre saying, but Israel must stop oppressing the Palestinians.

Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, of course, would be incredible. But relentlessly pressuring Israel while ignoring the lies, cynicism and Jew-hatred on the other side hasnt worked. It has only fed the power games of corrupt leaders and failed both the Palestinian cause and the cause of peace.

Relentlessly pressuring Israel while ignoring the lies, cynicism and Jew-hatred on the other side hasnt worked.

Have you ever wondered why decade after decade, as Palestinian leaders have flown around the globe in private jets complaining about Israel, the plight of their people has only gotten worse? They want you, theyneedyou, to believe its all Israels fault.

Now, that worldview has been shaken. The UAEs courageous move to put the interests of its nation ahead of the interests of dishonest Palestinian leaders has opened a new door for real progress.

New truths and hard questions may be dawning in the Arab world, such as: Have Palestinian leaders failed their own people? Have Arabs been lied to all these years about Israel? Is it true that Jews have a deep and biblical connection to the land and to Jerusalem? Can Arab nations indeed partner with Israel for a better future?

This new moment is a big test for American Jewry. If liberal Zionists allow their opposition to President Donald Trump to limit their support for a new direction that can transform the Middle East, they will fail both the Zionist and the Arab cause.

But if they tell Palestinian leaders they no longer have veto power over progress in the region and its time for them to negotiate in good faith; and if they encourage other Arab states to follow the UAE lead and make a seminal peace with Israel, well, they would endorse a major accomplishment of the Trump administration right before an election.

Like I said, quite a test.

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After UAE Deal, Will Liberal Zionists Stand on the Right Side of History? - Jewish Journal

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