I did not find this article to be extraordinary in that it simply re-states what has been said repeatedly over many years.
I am curious though, weren't we, the Chosen Nation of Hashem, commanded to follow all of the 613 utterances after we entered Eretz Israel - The Promised Land?
So why aren't the Utterances being followed by all Jews on The Holy Soil and by Jews throughout the World?
Doesn't the Blessing come to Our People through adherence to the Utterances?
Isn't it promised to Us that we will receive the Blessing and all we need to do is To Listen? and to Obey?
Why are pigs raised on Kibbutz in Israel? And then served to not only the non-jews but also to the Jews?
Why isn't Shabbat honored in Israel?
Why isn't Israel a Kosher country?
Could it be that Jews and Israel are receiving the Curse because we are not following the Utterances as a Holy Nation?
Could it be that so much more is made worldwide in the media and elsewhere about what Jews DO and who Jews ARE because The World looks to US to be the Outstanding Example - the living proof that by following the Utterances we are Blessed?
Perhaps the world is critical of US because we are not being the Righteous Example of A Holy Nation.
Instead we are being just like everybody else....disregarding The Promise and losing the Blessing. -0/8-/2001
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I agree with your article. Now it is time to wake up and do what we are suppose to. Love each other. Do not agree with each other because we have freedom of choice, however, love each other and understand that we will not all see things the same way. That does not make it or us wrong. If we respect each other knowing that we are different and see things in a different light than we can cause the changes to happen in the world. We have the power. If we use positive energy than we will bring the positive energy into the world and it will affect everyone and everything. G-d gave us the blessing and the curse. What we see happening in the world is from the curse. Let us love each other so that we may see the things that G-d will give us from the blessings - S. W. -0/8-/2001
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I find this article deeply disturbing. The importance of maintaining balance in relationships with both God and those around us - Family, Friends, Neighbours - seems to me to be so fundamental to Judaism. I look at the current situation in Israel and can only view it as an deeply disturbing and worrying example of what can happen when this balance is allowed to get out of kilter. I am not a Jew and I live in the UK. We have our own tragedy of imbalanced relationships in Northern Ireland. Without trust, without stepping back from 'nations and nationalism' to recognise that we are neighbours there can be no peace and the extremist views of a few will continue to make life a living hell for the majority. -0/8-/2001
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>> "To the Jews as individuals, everything; to the Jews as a nation, nothing," Napoleon said >>
I have seen this citation attributed to Count Stanislaw de Clermont-Tonnerre. I never saw it attributed to Napoleon. I ask the author to substantiate his citation.
Other than that, I find the article to be strong and true. Many nations are unspeakably cruel...but that doesn't stop them from blaming the (moral and sincere, albeit imperfect) Jews. This is a sickness. -0/8-/2001
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We need to see some press stories of common Israeli Jews helping Palestinians. I'm sure this is happening all the time. A few human interest stories about real people doing simple things for one another during impossible times could, if well places in the international press, begin to reverse the damage done by so many rabid overblown reports focused solely on the large scale conflict. Who's out there taking pictures of what women, neighbours and programs are doing for each other reaching across the boundaries. How are we getting out photos, film and stories of Jews helping Palestinians who are sick, wounded, hungry, suffering, children, orphans, elderly, disabled, widows, strangers, homeless, desperate? An investment in telling this story would be a good investment. The world must see the whole picture of daily life and not just the crowds, mobs, bombings and military actions. Let's get out the story of compassionate everyday Jewish life too. -0/8-/2001
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Don't you get the message... "I put before you a blessing and a curse...The blessing for when you listen and keep the commandments of G-d" And the curse... When we rely on our own might, G-d will leave us eventually with only one course, to return to Him and to Pray. Why wait for more pressure?? Outside forces are only a stick in G-d's hand! -0/8-/2001
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Powerful statement and sadly I believe Rosenblum is on track... I believe we sould not put our heads in the sand. We DO need to sit up and take notice. Take notice of media bias; take notice of a UN that denied complicity in the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, then denied there was a videotape, then denied Israel access to the videotape. Something very serious is happening right under our noses... - I. R. -0/8-/2001
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As a Christian, I for one do not hate the Jew. I pray for hate--to die. - D. F. -0/8-/2001
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Dear Mr. Rosenblum,
I think your comments are right on the mark. We as a people have to stop thinking about world opinion and do what is right for our country and people. Only then will we regain any world respect. And if we don't, so what? - a. z. -0/8-/2001
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Very well-supported and well-reasoned, and therefore (one hopes) not easily dismissed. - J. W. -0/8-/2001
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Jonathan Rosenblum is to be commended for writing a great piece. I have watched him for years thru AIPAC, I believe , and now thru Am Echad.
We need good clear articles and very evenly articulate spokespeople on the college campus now to help us show the meaning ofd the existence of israel for us and our history. Some of Yossi Beilin's material is circulating around and it would be great to put him on an American college tour. Iis views would appeal to Christian intellectuals who have become Palestinian sympathizers. - L. B. -0/8-/2001
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Finally!You expose the truth.
The ad nauseum articles about the "arrogant" Jews who must
give back more and more to the Palestinians is insanity.
There will be no Israel~which is their goal.Our infamous CNN fans the flames of world hatred and people believe it!
Israel does not need to be a member of the UN~ nor does the USA, who both are trashed
by that body.I fear more death for Israelis here and in Israel,of course,with CNN
flashing a photo of the suicide bomber as the "victim" of the bombing and the others mentioned as a number only.
Unbelievably I sat in shock as Shimon Peres spoke of concessions.Has the world gone mad? You do not concede to murderers, if Israel is to exist! Enough,already. - P. Z. -0/8-/2001
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Here in the remote reaches of Alaska, we have an active Neo-nazi organization that plasters parks and neighborhoods with "protect the most endangered species, the White Race!"..and goes on with it's echoing of the Hitler lines... - L. A. -0/8-/2001
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I find this article strange. In light that so much is being said of the Americans having a one way love affair with Israel, in light of the Christian
Church correcting their Theology, in light that Jews are free to come and go
to Israel, and American Jews free to go and fight for their land. But how many are realy going and leave this land of
milk and honey to fight for what this article claims to be and belonging to the Jews.? It is so easy to criticize the rest of the world while sitting in the comforts of this land and blaming every non Jew for all the ills that the Jews are experiencing in this land or Israel. I am a non Jew, and as your article states, probably consider myself not an enemy of the Jews, but most likely you will see me as one.
But, with the messure you judge the world, you are also judged. There are basic laws and all creation is goverend by G-ds laws. Jews and non Jews alike. I hope and wish peace to come to Jerusalem and Israel. I can not do much for you, somethings you have to do your
selfs, but I most definitly will be with you in prayer for Jerusalem and Israel as a people and Nation. -0/8-/2001
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I think that there is truth in this article. The only way that we Jews can survive and remain strong as a nation is to be a united people, putting aside our petty differences. Without unity, there is no hope. - D. W. -0/8-/2001
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I can't imagine why people are so surprised at the creation of the world community to the situation in Eretz HaKodesh. These are the very countries who willingly put their Jews on trains to Auschwitz, who refused asylum to thousands when it was clear to anyone what their fate would be (including our own goldene medina, the U.S.), and who kept the remnants of the Jewish community in concentration camps after the war. Did we really forget the lessons of the churban in Europe so quickly?
The world only needs the flimsiest excuse to hate Jews, and in the current conflict, they have their fig leaf.
A Guten Shabbos, A Guten Chodesh, and Kol Tuv -0/8-/2001
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The article certainly describes the situation in an upside down world that we live in. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the people that hate Israel and the Jewish people, may not have the intelligence to understand the truth that is told in such articles as Mr. Rosenblum's. Nor can they fathom the injustice and hypoocracy in the condemnations of Israel touted by even, and undistputably, Israel's best fried, the United States. Can we fight ignorance? Israel is fighting for its physical survival. We have no time right now to fight ignorance as well. Israel has to do whatever it takes to ensure its survival. Let the anti-semites say what they want. Jews have to stand in solidarity with Israel because nobody else cares. - . m. -0/8-/2001
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Excellent article. There is no doubt that our mere existence breeds anti-semitism. This is one fact that will remain forever. If we could only focus our strengths more inwardly to unite Jews and build a stronger Israel. - M. S. -0/8-/2001
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Unfortunately, every time we read an article on the situation in israel, we all get sick at the one-sidedness of the reporting, and we feel helpless, like there is no recourse. The very fact that the world seems to equate self defense to weapon-yielding civillians and suicide bombers who are specifically targeting civillians is obviously too apparent to overlook. Hashem clearly wants that the Umos Haolam view the situation in this biased light in order for the Bnai Yisroel to get their act together, and come together in harmony and daven for the salvation of Eretz Yisroel and Am Yisroel. -0/8-/2001
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