Religious Corruption in Israel

The deification of many establishment rabbis in high places is frightening. Added to this, are the large sums of money that is involved in this relationship. Recently the Israeli tycoon, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto has been involved in a very big scandal. He is listed as one of Israel`s richest rabbis.  Tycoons have always come to him for blessings and while receiving Pinto’s blessings, large sums of money probably land in his coffers.

The plot thickens and the list of suspects involved in the Pinto Affair gets more and more complicated. The cartel of those involved in misdemeanors or even crimes range from tycoons, businessmen, underworld figures, and some Knesset members, senior police officers involved in uncovering fraud, bribery, and corruption, money laundering and other crimes.

The belief in "Yehudo-Voodoo" among many Israelis is very strong, this is the stuff giving rabbinical charlatans enormous power, and this power creeps, like a cancer, into many business dealings. Bribery, corruption and blackmail are part of their trade. Large sums of money change hands. Some rabbis become very wealthy, and when questions are asked about the source of their wealth the answer inevitably is that "it comes from donations of supporters of these rabbis, who regard them as the ultimate spiritual authority in their lives". This somehow keeps the law enforcement authorities at bay for a while.

However, when rabbis start giving money to the "poor" such as high level police officers, who are responsible for inquiries into bribery and corruption, then it is reasonable to start asking questions as to whether the rabbi's relationship with law enforcement officers is proper.                                                             

At this stage, there is a lot of cloudiness over the whole investigation and much has to unfold. Pinto has tentacles with followers attached even in the U.S. Even an ex-FBI official is involved. This is only the beginning of all kinds of rabbinical monkey business going on, which is also an embarrassment to the Israeli Police. One of its top crime investigation officers is also on suspicion of being caught up in this rabbinical web of iniquity. It seems that the tip of the iceberg of crime in rabbinical circles has been scratched. More red faces under the cloak and dagger of Torah will soon be revealed. It should be of deep concern to law-abiding citizens in Israel, who pay taxes. Much of the money from these taxes go to the running of corrupt institutions responsible for maintaining the chief rabbinate and other yeshivot of dubious repute.

Meanwhile, Major General Menashe Arviv, who commanded Lahav 433, a unit popularly known as the "Israeli FBI," which includes the fraud squad, serious and international crimes unit, and the financial investigations unit, has resigned as the noose round his neck tightens. This does not mean that he will not be brought to trial.  Brig. Gen. Ephraim Bracha – the commander of the national fraud squad – in 2012 was also involved. Pinto is suspected of trying to bribe Bracha in return for information on the investigation being conducted against him. Pinto was also the target of a joint investigation by the authorities in the United States and Israel, into the suspected misuse of funds at Hazon Yeshaya, a nonprofit controlled by the rabbi and his wife.

This rather complicated business does not seem to have an end at this stage. Surprises occur all the time. Apart from suspicions of bribing senior police officers and associating with crime king-pins like Shlomo Domrani, Pinto has an amazing cartel of tycoons and characters.Some of his associates and "friends" have criminal records.One of Pinto's aides in the past, Ben Zion Suky, is connected to porn sales and has a host of legal problems. The impression is that Rabbi Pinto is not such a "tzadik" (saint) as most of his followers believe. Pinto is a shrewd businessman. He is a multimillionaire because "God was good to him as he is a great example of humility and saintliness". I have a feeling of deja vu. There is some similarity here to the reaction of his followers against the investigation of this rabbi and the reaction of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in the bribery and corruption case involving Aryeh Deri of Shas some years ago.Yosef proclaimed Deri's innocence in public.

The latest news is that Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto is suspected of systematically collecting information about senior police officers, demanding that some of them be replaced, threatening an officer, offering bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and intimidating witnesses, according to a document prosecutors sent to Pinto and his wife, Rivka, a few weeks ago.

Prosecutors are now busy turning the 10-page document detailing these suspicions into an indictment, as Pinto waived his right to a hearing. The likely charges will include offering bribes, obstructing an investigation, suborning witnesses, making threats and money laundering. Pinto denies all the allegations.

The saga unfolds and is far from completion as everyday a new twist occurs. There is a dangerous trend in Israel. The Rabbi Pinto Case is an example of what happens when rabbis have tremendous power and influence over the lives of citizens in theocratic Israel. They fill the observant Jewish Israeli mind with religious muck and many of these religious people become dependent on the teachings and purveyors of pseudo-religious superstitions. This involves purchasing religious cameos against "the evil eye" and all kinds of folklore, including other pseudo-religious paraphernalia. There are rabbis with enormous powers in the eyes of the superstitious observant, who are grist to the mill in the talons of these charismatic, rabbinical ignoramuses, many of whom have great influence in high places in the rabbinate. These rabbis feel that they are above the law and have the right to bribe government officials whether they are high ranking officers in the Israeli Police Force or even in the government. They are the "Rasputins of Israel". Some are also faith healers such as the X-ray Rabbi Ifergan, who is wealthy in his own right.

Rabbi Yeshiyahu Pinto

The following is a list of Israel's wealthiest rabbis: 

1. Rabbi Pinchas Abuhatzeira – NIS 1,300,000,000
2. Rabbi David Abuhatzeira – NIS 750,000,000
3. Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter – NIS 350,000,000
4. Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeaḥ – NIS 180,000,000
5. Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi – NIS 100,000,000
6. Rabbi Yaakov Ifargin – NIS 75,000,000
7. Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto – NIS 75,000,000
8. Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira – NIS 50,000,000
9. Rabbi Reuven Elbaz – NIS 40,000,000
10. Rabbi Yoram Abargil – NIS35,000,000

Read more: Meet Israel's richest rabbis | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/forbes-ranks-israels-richest-rabbis/#ixzz2uB4HVW9f .

The corruption in religion occurs because of the monopoly held by establishment orthodox rabbis in Israel. They do not recognize other religious streams in Judaism. A glaring example of Orthodox Judicial hegemony is non-recognition of Conservative, Progressive and Reconstructionist streams in Judaism. These non-Orthodox streams in Judaism cannot perform marriage ceremonies recognized in Israel because they are not recognized by the Orthodox Establishment. The reason is competition and loss in financial profit that goes into the orthodox establishment rabbinical coffers and not so much because of Halacha as they claim. Let us not be naïve.

The doctrinaire and intolerant behavior of the Orthodox Rabbinical Establishment in Israel drives many Jews from the fold including the writer of this article.

The Rabbi Pinto corruption scandal is a symptom of the disease and it is only a matter of time before more corrupt orthodox rabbis are uncovered in their quest to make a quick buck from the religious believers seeking a sop for their problems.

   

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The Chosen People and BDS

Israel - Boycott, divest, sanction (Photo credit: Takver)

John Kerry

These days the peace talks between Israel and Palestine, under the facilitation of John Kerry, are reaching a deadlock. This is to be expected. Netanyahu wishes to preserve his government coalition at all costs. He panders to his extreme right wing flank like a mite burrowing into the pubes, creating a great itch and a hiccup. The emphasis of the Palestinians recognizing Israel as a Jewish State is being blown out of all proportions. Nobody denies that Israel is a state with a Jewish majority and also has a sizeable non-Jewish minority.

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, the indefatigable mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, is showing signs of frustration. Past US mediators in this conflict also started off with great enthusiasm, only to throw in the towel.

New revelations of the "settlement enterprise" in the occupied territories has come to light. The ultra-Orthodox Haredi Parties are out of the coalition, the right wing illegal settler Bayit Hayehudi Party under Naftali Bennet has replaced them. The taxpayer is now footing the bill for the building of illegal settlements for the right wing religious Zionists who are having a field day with a right wing government coalition sympathetic to their cause.

It was reported on Israel Channel 2 Television that there seem to be illegal transfer of funds to the Yesha Council for settlements. It was reported that local councils in the West Bank receive state funds to compensate them for losses incurred because of Israel's freeze on settlement building.

The Finance Minister, Yair Lapid, suspended funding as a result of information that these funds are not being used for their original purpose, such as security and maintenance of kindergartens,  but rather being transferred to the Yesha Council and its bunch of right wing croneys for political purposes. This of course means financing pro-settlement propaganda which means another stab at a two-state solution of this festering conflict. At the moment this issue is being investigated. Naturally the Yesha Council denies any misappropriation of funds and they argue that they have not broken the law. Would they say that they are breaking the law?

With this cloud of corruption hanging over the Yesha Council and the tacit support of extreme right wing members of the coalition, it would be in the best interests of peace if Yesh Atid would resign from the coalition. Bennet and Lapid are not "brothers" anymore as they claimed after both were elected to the Knesset.

It is very difficult to understand what is happening in the peace process. Nothing has changed except the tactics but the accusations and counter accusations go on as if both sides do not wish to see progress towards peace. It is an exercise in squirming and trying to satisfy John Kerry. Each side accuses the other for the failure of the peace negotiations. This has been going on over many years. The players change but the excuses and lack of trust remains the same.

John Kerry, the indefatigable mediator between the Israelis and Palestinians, is showing signs of frustration as his predecessors at the lack of progress. The paranoid Israeli Government accuses him of being anti-Semitic because he made some remarks about failure of progress towards an agreement with the Palestinians would lead to a boycott of trade and business with Israel. He expressed an opinion which is legitimate. The conflict is a festering sore that does not heal. One of the symptoms that prevents healing is the illegal settlement enterprise that seems to expand.

Why is it that when John Kerry says that if the talks fail and he warns Israel about the EU boycott of Israel is he accused of being anti-Israel and even anti-Semitic? The same goes for President Obama as well.  Israel's most reliable and trusted friend in the world is the US. It is in US interests as well as European interests that the occupation is ended. It is in Israel's interest as well though the illegal settler friendly government of Netanyahu fail to realize this.

There is a cancer eating into Israeli society. This cancer is alive and kicking in the extreme right wing flank of the Coalition Government. It turns a blind eye to Price Tag attacks against Christian and Muslim holy places and property. It coddles the kippa, tzizit and peiyot dangling hill-top youth - allies of violence. The cancer is also found in the increase of illegal settlement activity in areas in the Palestinian state-to-be if it will ever occur in the future. The cure to this widespread cancer in Israel is BDS. The inability of the Israeli Police to arrest Price Tag terrorists is an ominous sign of indifference towards terrorism and vandalism. The self-righteous, paranoid rhetoric is coming from the right wing and extreme right-wing, defining antisemitism as criticism of Israel's occupation is very dangerous and is not in Israel's interest. It gives leeway to fascism which is gaining ground.

The Israeli Government attitude towards John Kerry can be summed up in the statement by Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe Ayalon, as very unfortunate. Ayalon apologized for his statement under pressure. Kerry is now persona non grata in the eyes of the right wing because he warned Israel that failure to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians would lead to a boycott of Israel. He never stated that he supported a BDS. The contrary is true. It just illustrates how the Israeli Government is manipulating the people to believe that Kerry is an anti-Semite despite him being a true friend of Israel. In the the eyes of the right and extreme right, the whole world is anti-Semitic and ganging up to boycott Israel in order to destroy the Jewish State.

They sing the same song of the evil going on in Syria which the UN and much of the world are turning a blind eye. True! Much evil is happening in Syria and nothing is done. This is disgusting and abhorrent. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is also abhorrent no less. Israel's justification of colonization of the West Bank on the ground by building settlements turns the two-state solution into a bi-national state solution. There is no other way of looking at it.

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Xenophobes in Israel

It is a very sad, unpleasant fact that we Israelis have forgotten our tragic history. Our ancestors were persecuted in Europe for centuries because they were Jews. The climax of persecution was the Holocaust during the notorious Nazi rule in Germany, when six million Jews were slaughtered for just being Jews. The world did nothing to prevent this "ethnic cleansing" (to use a modern term that has become trendy for the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians) that was not only carried out against Jews but also against other minorities such as Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals and opponents of the Nazi regime in Germany.

Sudanese Demonstrators

Over the weekend of 11th January 2014, the ex-Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon passed away after being unconscious for 8 years. He was buried on 13th January 2014. Everything came to a stop for two days and all the other problems, including those of xenophobia, were shelved for the duration.
Now with all the ceremonials of Sharon's burial over we can return to our routines.

The problems of foreign workers and refugees in Israel remain. There does seem to be a lack of distinction between foreign workers and refugees from the Sudan. What is important to remember is that both groups have much in common concerning the attitude of the Israeli Government towards them. Both groups need work to survive economically.

The reasons for both groups being here are different but the result is the same. Many foreign workers are here because of the "swinging door" policy of the Ministry of the Interior. These workers are no threat to Israeli workers as they do menial labor that Israelis are not prepared to undertake. Jobs like care-giving to the aged, agricultural work, cleaning staff who works under sub contractors and the building trade, are just a few examples of work that is no threat to employment of Israelis.

Refugees are housed in camps in the Negev under shocking conditions and their freedom to find work is undermined.

In many countries, refugees are given the opportunity to become citizens of their adopted countries. Their offspring have the right to education and most become loyal citizens of the countries that have given them shelter.

Foreign workers, and in this category I wish to use the care-giver as an example of a gross injustice by the Israeli Authorities. The arm of the law is the dreaded Migration Police.

Rose Fostanes who came first in the X-Factor TV show in Israel

Care-givers perform a devoted service to the elderly under their care. Their job is being on duty for 24 hours a day and many do not even have free time. Many aged people have Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other chronic diseases. They are dependent on nursing care. Care-givers have a hard time trying to find a replacement in order to have a break from their very exhausting routine. This is essential for their well-being. Working with incontinent aged as well as feeding them also has a heavy price on the care-giver's mental health. This very often results in physical abuse of the aged by the care-giver who is caught in a trap because of the stress under which they work.

These matters are hidden very often from the public. There is exploitation of the care-giver in many cases. Not only do they care for the aged, they cook and clean the house as well which is not part of their contract. The employer breaks the law as care-givers were granted visas for that purpose only but the employer or their guardian uses these people for cleaning and cooking. According to the law they are not allowed to receive pay for extra duties not stipulated in their visas. This creates a situation of abuse of the care-giver for which he/she has no address.

The aged under nursing aide care very often pass away and the care-giver must find a job within a month or they lose their working visa in which case they are considered illegal and are sent to detention centers to await deportation when discovered. The Immigration Police do spot checks of foreign workers at various centers where they are known to congregate. This is a humiliating experience for foreign workers, whose permit has expired. When the victim of a Migration Police round up asks why he/she is being detained, the answer is "We are only carrying out orders!" Is there a feeling of déjà vu in this answer?

The "swinging door policies" are a kick back from the days when Eli Yishai of the xenophobic Shas Party was Minister of the Interior. The policies towards the foreign worker and refugee are based on a xenophobic fear of assimilation which is viewed as a danger to Israel's character as a Jewish state.

The ramifications of this go even further. If there is the demonization of the non-Jewish foreign worker and refugee, it snowballs and the cry of danger to Jewish existence in Israel becomes exaggerated.

Right wing yeshivas know how to exploit this situation and the racist rabbis of these institutions are the chief culprits of creating hatred towards the non-Jew. The brainwashed students, who were educated in these yeshivas under the influence of these rabbinical bigots, create destructive groups such as Price Tag who regularly go on the rampage destroying property of Palestinians, including mosques and churches. The amazing outcome of this is that nobody has been apprehended. Is it possible that vandalism not aimed at synagogues but at churches and mosques, is overlooked?

Another aspect of xenophobia Israel Authority-style is detention without trial. Mandatory laws are enforced creating tremendous difficulties for the foreign worker and refugee. Surely these people should have the right to appeal against deportation orders if these orders are felt to be unjust.

There are care-givers, mostly Filipinos, who have given years of faithful service until their employer passes away. This creates enormous stress to the care-giver who is on the horns of a dilemma - finding a job within a month or face detention and then deportation.

A care-giver, who has a permit only to work as such, cannot work in another position. I think of the Filipino winner, Rose Fostanes, in the recent X-Factor competition on Israel TV Channel 2. She cannot develop her singing career in Israel as she has a permit to work as a care-giver only. She may perform in concerts without pay. She cannot enjoy the fruits of her success in Israel. The reason - xenophobes have crept into the law - making processes with the idea of preventing assimilation that is viewed as a danger to the survival of Judaism in Israel.

Is Israel becoming a racist state? Foreign workers who have lived in Israel for many years and have made a great contribution to alleviating the suffering of our aged deserve to be given the option of becoming Israeli Citizens. This will not be a danger to Jewish survival.  

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Religious Intolerance in Jerusalem

An ultra-Orthodox Jew spitting

A disturbing phenomenon is occurring in Jerusalem, which should ring alarm bells in the minds of all who value democracy and freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion.

An ugly trend is raising its head in Jerusalem - a city holy to the three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The sooner the cancer of intolerance is nipped in the bud the better.

It is become fashionable in Jerusalem amongst various fanatic ultra-Orthodox Jewish sects to spit on priests, monks and nuns of the various Christian denominations, who have been part of Jerusalem's community for centuries. The Christian and Muslim communities have every right to live in Jerusalem no less than the Jewish community.

This awful phenomenon was aired on Israel Arutz 2 Channel this Friday night.(I apologize that it is not in English but the clip will illustrate my point) It left me with a sense of disgust and shame! Apart from that, Price-Tag - a horrible mutant of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Community of fanatics whose origins are in the hills of the Occupied West Bank, many of whom are descendents of religious illegal settler fanatics.

The slogan on the church wall says "Death to Christians" Price Tag

The Israeli Government, which is representative of the fanatic settler movement and its entrails have not come out strongly enough in its condemnation of the hooliganism of Price-Tag and its Allies - the kippa-cladded, long ear-lock (payot), fringed (tzitzit) young hooligans, who carry out this thuggish behaviour against non-Jews in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. They desecrate Christian Holy Sites as well as vandalizing their cemeteries. All this seems to be done with the stamp of kashrut by their fanatic rabbis who teach them "Jewish values". This loutish behavior is nothing more than religious hooliganism of the worst kind. The reason - “we are doing to the goyim (non-Jews) what they have been doing to the Jews!” It is unacceptable and the perpetrators of these loutish deeds must be arrested and held accountable. Unfortunately, these deeds are overlooked by the police who seem to be caught off guard.These deeds are also overlooked by the Orthodox Establishment.

The slogans of hate graffiti on the walls of churches and monasteries, as well as cars is on the increase. Signs of apathy by many Israelis only encourage this cancer to proliferate even further. Why have there been no arrests? This kind of behavior is no less contemptible than the desecration of synagogues and mosques.

Hate of non-Jews is on the rise and, as a secular Israeli Jew, I hang my head in shame! Ultra- Orthodox intolerance for other faiths is not limited to that sect alone. Establishment Orthodoxy is hardly any less to blame. Their hegemony over the Jewish faith is absolute and this plays its part in every day life in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is also no paragon of virtue. It has played its part to estrange many Jews from the fold including Yours Truly. Pluralism in Judaism is condemned by the ruling Orthodox Jewish Establishment. It has its tentacles in all the ruling governments since Israel's establishment. This includes zero tolerance and non-recognition of Reform (Progressive) and Conservative Judaism, which they see as a threat to their system of corruption, bribery and total monopoly on Halacha (Jewish Law). It makes me want to puke, and I am sure there are many Israelis who feel the same way - possibly the impotent silent majority. Non-orthodox Jewish rabbis cannot marry couples, who do not wish to be married by Orthodox Rabbis. The Orthodox Establishment also creates difficulties for Jews and non-Jews to marry. There is no civil marriage in Israel. If there is no civil marriage – only religious marriage then there is no religious freedom. Those Jews, who were converted to Judaism by Reform or Conservative rabbis, are not recognized as Jews by the ruling Orthodox Jewish Establishment and have to marry overseas in a civil marriage ceremony. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely and this is true of the ruling Orthodox Jewish Establishment as embodied by its Chief Rabbinate that has deviated from Jewish values only to be replaced by corruption, bribery and “jobs for pals” in order to increase their power in religious Jewish matters pertaining to marriage, divorce, archaic Sabbath laws and burials where the disgusting practices reach their zenith. It is all money, money and more money as well as stakes that has nothing to do with Judaism.

It is little wonder that groups like Price-Tag ( Tag Machir) and their fanatic, self- righteous allies are on the increase, spitting on Christian members of the clergy, vandalizing non-Jewish property, including cemeteries and getting away with it. If this would occur in Jewish cemeteries and synagogues, the heavy hand of the police would soon be felt.

This hate of the non-Jew is on the rise in Jerusalem. It does not bode well for Israel's already battered world image. Is this freedom of religion when Price-Tag and their illegal settler-oriented supporters are given almost free reign on vandalizing Arab and non-Jewish property with impunity? Are we becoming a nation of self-righteous religious bigots with zero tolerance for those who are different?

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Israel's Democracy is being Compromised

There are signs that Israel's democracy is not as healthy as it seems. The lack of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations is an indication that nothing will be achieved despite the pressure of the US and the EU. On the Israeli side remains a hard-core right-wing illegal settlement group who have more influence on Israeli Government policy than befits their numbers.

The Bayit Hayehudi Party under right winger Naftali Bennet has replaced the ultra-Orthodox religious parties in the coalition. He is a warmonger with right-wing, religious Zionist overtones that is hawkish and against giving up occupied territory for peace. Israel and the Palestinians have much to gain if the peace process moves forward. The EU have pledged a large amount of aid if both parties to the conflict get their act together and move towards peace. At present nothing is being achieved. Israel is not prepared to freeze illegal settlements in the occupied territories which is one of the conditions for making progress. Why? Netanyahu is afraid to upset the vitriolic settler apple-cart as his Likud Party moves more from right to extreme right.

This is illustrated in a number of ways. The illegal settlers, who are a vociferous minority, have more influence on government policy than they deserve. They have never had it so good since Netanyahu's coalition has great sympathy for them. They get taxpayer's money allotted to the illegal settlement enterprise at the expense of other projects that are more urgent. Housing in the territories are cheaper beyond the green-line, while within the green-line, young couples are unable to get inexpensive housing. The settler movement is having their hey-day under the present government.

Who are the illegal settlers? Most of them are religious, right-wing Zionists, who claim that their right to "Judea and Samaria" is not debatable. "Judea and Samaria" is their name for the occupied West Bank and this adds to its legitimacy for settlement in their eyes. The Tanach is their eternal contract or claim to these lands.

Those, who disagree and do not accept their claims, are considered self-hating Jews or even anti-Semites. They are ostracized by an ever increasing religious, extremist right-wing Orthodox Jewish population. These people relish their sanctimoniousness as they tolerate close to zero opposition. It is obvious that this vociferous group of religious fanatics and their offspring - the violent Hilltop Youth and Price Tag have been nurtured by previous right wing Government Coalitions. The vandalism that these extremist movements have caused against mosques, churches and private property in places like Abu Ghosh have gone unpunished. Nobody has been arrested and now it is business as usual.

Israel is peace posturing, but there is no substance. Israel knows that settlements will not be frozen so that a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian will just not occur. The minority settler movements are laying the grounds for further violence against the Palestinians as well as enhancing Israel's poor image as an occupier even further. By their actions, they are also eroding Israel's democracy turning it into an exclusive democracy for Jewish citizens only. We may not have reached that stage yet, but we are are going down that road at a more rapid pace than meets the eye.

The second part of this article, while not connected with the first part, also illustrates some evidence of Israel's democratic erosion. I have a gut feeling that many readers will be asking "What is the writer doing in Israel? Why does he not pack up and leave?". My answer is simple. If I did not care and become indifferent to what is happening in Israel this means that I would not be true to myself. Our Jewish history should make us more sensitive to the suffering of others as our people had been refugees from the Nazi Holocaust and we despised the countries who were insensitive to the plight of Jews who sought refuge. There were countries that forbade Jews from seeking a new home there.

As a Jew, we must never forget our historical suffering. If we do forget and treat refugees and call them "infiltrators", which has negative connotations, we lose our humanity. Is this the reason why I should leave Israel because I disagree with the way it treats foreign workers as well as refugees? Perhaps this is what the right-wing Zionists want. They want more homogenuous thinking when it comes to the stranger who is viewed as a danger to Israel's Jewish identity ( quote the Biblical passage we were strangers in a strange land). The reason why I remain is because I care for Israel. I do not care for those who have lost their Jewish soul and have become racists and intolerant to those who are different. If this is the new Israel that is obssesive about Judaism and its preservation by having stringent laws enforced by the Migration Police then we have lost our soul.

We should welcome the stranger in our midst even if he does not belong to the "Chosen People" Israel is NOT like other countries and the Jewish experience over generations should allow more sensitivity towards the stranger irrespective of race, color or creed.

In a previous article, I wrote about the problems of caregivers, who care for our aged with devotion. If a caregiver falls pregnant she has to make a choice either to remain a caregiver in which case her baby is deported to the country of origin of the mother and cannot be with its mother, or the mother and child are both deported. Is this the mercy shown to the stranger according to Shas Party Jewish morality and mercy.

Democracy is alive and kicking for Jews, but less so for non-Jews. Eventually democracy for all Israel's citizens will be compromised for all Israel's citizens whether they are Jews or not.

We witnessed the treatment of African refugees - those who fled their countries of origin where their lives are endangered and are incarcerated in deportation camps awaiting their deportation to a certain death in the Sudan.

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The Deal is Done

English: Ruhollah Khomeini فارسی: امام خمینی (احتمالاً هنگام معرفی دولت موقت) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As was written in a previous post the P5 +1 signed an agreement with Iran. Many of us have no problems with that. Just before the deal was signed, Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, went into a tirade against Israel. His choice of language left us all in no doubt about his hate for Israel and his desire to see Israel "the Zionist Entity" wiped off the face of the earth. The agreement signed did not stipulate any constraint about threatening neighbor states with annihilation.

If we examine the agreement, we notice that it is concerned with the nuclear disarmament of Iran. It has nothing to do with Israel. If we look at it from a broader perspective, we see that the agreement has advantages for Israel and the surrounding Arab States. This does not mean that Iran can be trusted and that we should be aware of possible clandestine activity in Iran's nuclear programme. Iran must be closely monitored.

Netanyahu must cease his ranting and raving and concentrate on curbing his good life at the expense of tax-payers as well as freezing settlements.His constant attacking the P5+1 is not constructive.The deal is done and crying over spilt milk is never a solution. A solution is to adopt a different strategy of where to go from there. Netanyahu is unable to do that. He is an expert at digressing from essential matters that are important. There is nothing more important to Israel than freezing settlement activity and preventing the breakdown of peace negotiations between Israel and their Palestinian counterparts. Netanyahu is marking time with his constant harping on the nuclear disarmament agreement between Iran and the P5+1.

Nelson Mandela in his final years

Israel's only true friend is the US. The US is looking after Israel's interests and has always been at Israel's side in times of crisis. What is Bibi Netanyahu trying to achieve? The US  agreement with Iran needs time to assess. It is in Israel' s interests to be low key and get on with a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. Netanyahu must cease pandering to the whims of the vitriolic settlers and their right wing extremist allies in the government. A serious effort must be made on all sides to find a solution. Beating about the bush is no solution nor is Bibi-style Iranphobia.

Netanyahu has also played his part in allowing the Iran deal to become a hot potato. He is doing this by trying to distract the West from the urgency of solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. In the long run this tactic will boomerang on Israel. At present there are many doubts of the viability of the two state solution. The peace talks must be intensified and the hope of an agreement must be realized.

Meanwhile, during Netanyahu's anti-Iranian posturings, Nelson Mandela, South Africa's greatest statesman and humanitarian, passed away, leaving a terrible void not only in South Africa but in the world. Many world leaders attended the funeral ceremony in Johannesburg, but Israel was conspicuous by its absence. A very low level Israeli delegation was sent to represent Israel.The reason was political and not the expense as the Netanyahu Government claimed.

Israel's low level representation was its loss and not its gain. Is it because those leaders present at the funeral are persona non grata in Netanyahu and his coalition partner's eyes? This could very well be the reason. Netanyahu could not afford to be seen with Iran's leaders, Palestinian leaders and a host of others who considered hostile. Even Israel's relationship with South Africa is problematic. This sleight by Netanyahu is his weakness and not his strength. He could have used this opportunity to improve relationships with South Africa and other states to Israel's advantage. Unfortunately another opportunity was missed because of narrow right wing coalition interests.

We ought to hang our heads in shame at the antics of the right wing Netanyahu Coalition. They bring no honor to Israel internationally. Does Israel forget that it is a member of the World Community? Are we withdrawing into ourselves, shedding tears over our self-righteousness, claiming that the world hates us?

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