Jewish tradition doesn’t direct Jews to act solely out of a feeling of mercy, but to utilize wisdom in applying mercy appropriately.
ed note–a case study as to why there has been this historical phenomenon described (inaccurately) as ‘anti-Semitism’.
Within the context of this essay, 3,000+ years of history is explained as to why the followers of Torah Judah-ism have elicited the same reaction within every Gentile civilization where they have gone and in which they have dwelled.
In analyzing the arguments put forth by our dangerously deranged rebbe, the conclusion to which the reader will inescapably arrive is that the Jew–meaning the follower of Torah Judah-ism–is a wild, untamable, uncivilized, ammoral predator, who over the millennia has perfected the ‘art’ of cruelty towards Gentiles while at the same time, crafting a ‘moral’ justification for this cruelty.
As the reader will see for him/herself, the rebbe’s position is that the only, repeat–ONLY–rationale for allowing food into Gaza and for punishing those feral, fever-brained Judah-ites who are hijacking these aid trucks is because it makes Israel look bad in the eyes of the larger Gentile world that is paying attention. No compassion for the people starving to death, no compassion for the suffering and agony which they–the children of Israel–have inflicted upon almost 2 million innocent people, and for the simple reason that–just as Torah Judah-ism teaches and has taught for the last 3,000 years–only Judah-ites are human beings, whereas Gentiles are mere animals created to appear as humans in order to better serve the Jews.
As always, please pay close attention to those sections in red.
By Rabbi Uri Pilichoski for Jpost
Over the Independence Day holiday a tweet by journalist Barak Ravid angered Jews all over the world. Ravid posted a video that he described as ‘Israeli right-wing activists blocked aid trucks which were on their way to Gaza today at the Tarqumiya Checkpoint in the West Bank.’
Reactions to the blocking of aid trucks from anti-Zionist activists were obviously fast and furious. Israelis were accused (again) of everything from terrorism to genocide.
The aid trucks should not be stopped, and anyone doing so should be arrested, and if sentenced, should be given whatever the Israeli judicial system normally sentences Israelis who block highways, because the blocking of these aid trucks portrays a disastrously poor image of Israel to our friends, especially in the Senate and House of Representatives. Anyone who has lobbied their member of Congress or senator since the start of the war has heard the following from an elected official, ‘I support Israel’s right to defeat Hamas and do whatever it takes, but Israel needs to improve on the delivery of humanitarian aid.’
Through State Department and media reports, congressional staff and members are hearing that Israel isn’t doing enough to get aid to the Palestinians caught up in the war in Gaza. Images and videos of Jews blocking aid trucks exacerbates the poor reputation Israel has and causes Israel’s supporters to criticize it instead of spending time and resources on helping Israel.
The State of Israel and her people are the moral light onto the nations. Israel’s army is the most moral in the world. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) division regularly releases the numbers of aid trucks it allows through to Gaza everyday as a demonstration of the IDF’s morality.
These images, of aid trucks being hijacked and attacked, contradict that impression and desecrate God’s name by having people think poorly of Jews.
It is due to this, the poor image being reflected of Israel, that should cause all Zionists to object to the protesters who block the trucks bringing aid to Gaza. It is important to highlight that the aid trucks shouldn’t be sent in the first place, and that the frustration of the protesters who object to the trucks passing through Israel to Gaza is completely understandable.
How can Jewish teachings be applied to this?
The Talmud includes a teaching of King David, ‘There are three characteristics that distinguish the Jewish People: they are merciful, bashful, and do many great acts of kindness.’ This lesson is the ideal many Jews have in mind when objecting to the blocking of humanitarian aid. As one foreign government official said to me, ‘How can any Jew think that blocking a truck full of humanitarian aid is consistent with the Jewish value of being merciful and kind?’
Jewish tradition doesn’t direct Jews to act solely out of a feeling of mercy, but to utilize wisdom in applying mercy appropriately. Another well-known teaching of our sages instructs that ‘He who becomes compassionate to the cruel will ultimately become cruel to the compassionate.’ Misplaced mercy tends to backfire and hurt those who most need the help. It is the wise Jew’s responsibility to discern if their mercy is beneficial to world order or if it will cause evil to spread and chaos to ensue.
The protesters need to be arrested and tried for the disturbances they cause, just as all the protesters who blocked highways during judicial reform were arrested and tried for the disturbances they caused. Their actions are giving Israel a black eye in the very hallways where Zionists need to appear pristine to the world.
Therefore, for the benefit of Israel’s image, the humanitarian aid trucks need to be allowed to enter Gaza unhindered and with their supplies intact.