Category Archives: Jewish History

Denial: Update !

Posted on March 22, 2010 | 2 comments

Prime Minister Netanyahu today offered President Obama a direct and unequivocal reply to the demand that Israel cease building Jewish homes in Yerushalayim: no. “We will build in Jerusalem as we build in Tel Aviv.”

So far, the sky has not fallen. If Netanyahu retains this dignity and self-respect, he will compare favorably with Menachem Begin, who, as reported by Moshe Zak in the Jerusalem Post (March 13, 1992), knew how to deal with American presidents’ interference with Israel’s right to develop its own land: “As for settlements, too, over which the Administration rebuked Begin during all of his visits to Washington in the following six years, Begin knew how to respond with unconventional replies. “Why is it permitted for a Jew to settle and live in Bethel or Shiloh in the US, towns named after places in Judea and Samaria, but forbidden to build his home in the original Shilo or Beth El?” he asked Carter, and added: “I shall not lend my hand to discrimination against Jews in the Land of Israel.”

And not only with Carter, but at all his meetings with heads of state and government, Begin customarily replied with direct, frank words against anything he perceived as harming Israel’s interests or honor.

It is hard not to long for those days, and painful to ponder that it has been more than 30 years since Israeli prime ministers spoke like that. Here is another example, drawn from the same article, about a confrontation between Begin and that self-described “great Zionist,” Joe Biden, when the latter was a blowhard Senator, from 1982:

“In a conversation with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, after a sharp
confrontation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the subject of the settlements, Begin defined himself as “a proud Jew who does not tremble with fear” when speaking with foreign statesmen.

During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen. John Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel.

When the senator raised his voice and banged twice on the table with his fist, Begin commented to him: “This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats. Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”

After the meeting, Sen. Moynihan approached Begin and praised him for his cutting reply. To which Begin answered with thanks, defining his stand against threats.”

We say to PM Netanyahu: stand strong, and be strong, and the strength of an eternal people will carry you aloft.

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Posted in Contemporary Life, Current Events, Israel, Jewish History

Denial

Posted on March 18, 2010 | 1 comment

A new book called “Denial: Why Business Leaders Fail to Look Facts in the Face – and What to Do About It” (by Richard Tedlow, a Harvard Business School professor) tells the fascinating tale of the decline of the Ford Motor company in the 1920’s and 1930’s, and in particular the debacle of the Model-T. How did that best-selling vehicle suddenly lose its popularity and send Ford into a tailspin ? Tedlow explains that Henry Ford (also a famous Jew-hater) refused to offer any variety of color to the consumer, saying: “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, as long as it is black.” Instead, the customer went elsewhere. Ford was so convinced he knew best that he ignored explicit and obvious warning signs of impending doom, and the Model-T became a symbol of corporate mismanagement and Ford edged toward bankruptcy.

Fast forward ninety years to the continued, stubborn mismanagement of Israel’s diplomatic affairs due to the persistent refusal of its leaders to assert a claim to the land of Israel based on divine right and historic justice. The latest travesty involves the contrived imbroglio over new “settlements in East Jerusalem,” not only a canard but reflective of Western intellectual laziness of the highest order. The apartments soon to be constructed in Ramat Shlomo, a Haredi neighborhood located in northern Jerusalem. It is bizarre how Ramat Shlomo [north], Gilo [south] and Maaleh Zeitim [east] are all construed to be in “East Jerusalem.” That is because “East Jerusalem” is shorthand for Arab and not Jewish. But even that is intellectually lazy: Ramat Shlomo was not occupied by Jordan before 1967 but was located in no-man’s land. But now that there is a man there, and the man is a Jew, the world is abuzz.

Place much of the blame for this at the feet of Israel’s leaders. The announcement during Biden’s visit was foolish, but not for the standard reasons. Rather, since there are no – and can be no – serious negotiations in Israel’s best interests but rather each side jockeys for position in an inane PR contest, the announcement provided a useful pretext to Israel’s enemies – American and elsewhere – to criticize it for “obstructing peace.” That Israel breached no agreement in this announcement, tacit or otherwise, nor even in building in this part of its capital (which it had explicitly said it would continue to do), does not matter at all in the game as it is played today. Israel imprudently agreed to freeze construction in Judea and Samaria for “ten” months (sure) while retaining the right to build in Jerusalem. So why the uproar ?

Because every concession Israel makes is simply pocketed and then ignored, leading to this week’s newspaper reports that – after Oslo, and Oslo II, and withdrawals from Sinai, Lebanon, Gaza, parts of the Golan, and much of Judea and Samaria – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is demanding that Israel prove its “commitment to peace” by new concessions. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZprVPKi-W6s&annotation_id=annotation_252323&feature=iv, for another perspective, even if I find the glorification of our victimhood in this video distasteful.) This followed by a few days her telephone tongue-lashing of Israel’s prime minister, who listened to the 45 minute diatribe and said little, taking it like a … well, not like a man, or a proud leader of an eternal nation. He should have cut her off, and said he had another call. (In any event, protocol should have dictated that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman take the call from the Secretary of State, not the Prime Minister; likely, Lieberman would not have been as phlegmatic.) Instead, Netanyahu sighed and apologized, defusing a momentary diplomatic crisis to be sure but planting the seeds for the next one. Weakness breeds weakness.

Remember Jewish strength and pride ? In December 1981, the Knesset passed the Golan Heights bill, effectively annexing that northern territory. When the American government announced that it was suspending its newly-signed memorandum of understanding with Israel, Menachem Begin called in US Ambassador Sam Lewis, and gave him a tongue-lashing: “A week ago, at the instance of the Government, the Knesset passed on all three readings by an overwhelming majority of two-thirds, the “Golan Heights Law.” Now you once again declare that you are punishing Israel. What kind of expression is this – “punishing Israel”? Are we a vassal state of yours? Are we a banana republic? Are we youths of fourteen who, if they don’t behave properly, are slapped across the fingers?… The people of Israel has lived 3,700 years without a memorandum of understanding with America – and it will continue to live for another 3,700.” And then Begin asked Lewis to leave his office, without allowing him to respond. Strength breeds strength, and President Reagan – who, like most real leaders – respected strength and leaders who act in their national interests – soon resumed his customary support for Israel.

Like Henry Ford (and other corporate failures), Israel’s leaders continue to pursue negotiations that will never lead to peace but can only weaken Israel both internally and externally. Netanyahu must realize on some level that the US administration is interested in his political demise, and Israel’s political decline, and its policies reflect that. The Americans have embarked on a naïve diplomatic course that distances its friends and cozies up to its enemies, with the obvious result that America’s position in the world will deteriorate during the Obama years – as America’s enemies are America’s enemies because of their national interests and aspirations and will remain so despite Obama smooth smile and glib words, even as America’s friends and allies will lie low and wait out this cosmopolitan. But Israel’s leaders stubbornly continue to engage in policies that run counter to its long term interests.

American Jews are equally obstinate – and thoughtless – in their slavish obsequiousness to the Democratic Party. There are host of domestic reasons why the Democrat agenda is hostile to Jews and traditional values, and several related to foreign policy. Here’s one, Jews: Gallup reported a few months ago that 85% of Republicans pronounce themselves supporters of Israel, but only 48% (!) of Democrats so describe themselves. The Democrats are the home base of the far-left for whom Israel is anathema, and to which Jews are blinded. How blinded ? Jews, overwhelming Obama supporters, completely ignored Obama’s membership in a church whose preacher is a rabid Jew hater – twenty years of sermons about Israel, racism, the devil and other such sublime thoughts. Could it be there is a link between Obama’s current policies and his spiritual background ? Gee, who would’ve thought that ? No one could see that train wreck coming. Sure. Odd, indeed, how a Republican hostile to Israel (think Pat Buchanan) is tarred and feathered, while Jews routinely whitewash Democrats who are hostile to Israel. And that 48% of Democrats supportive of Israel is likely to diminish, not increase.

It is fascinating still that the Torah provided us with all the lines, arguments and policy positions needed to sustain Jewish possession of the land of Israel. That we refrain from articulating them is counter-productive and self-defeating, and undermines that very objective. We are there for reasons that transcend Obama, the European Union, the UN and any other unsympathetic entity – and for Jews not to make the claim is a sorry indication that that same claim does not yet resonate in Jewish life. We cannot assert a divine mission and mandate if too many of us do not believe it.

There are pseudo-intellectuals, journalists and diplomats, who constantly declare that “everyone knows what the solution is,” and it is just a question of will and time. They assume a Palestinian state alongside Israel, living in peace and harmony and prosperity. And the evidence for that rosy scenario ? Non-existent. The evidence that Obama will actively engage Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions ? Non-existent. Rather, they (and we) would do well to heed Tedlow’s definition of denial: “the unwillingness to see or admit a truth that ought to be apparent and is in fact apparent to many others.” For Netanyahu (and Olmert, Livni, Sharon, Barak, Peres, Netantyahu (!), Rabin, etc.) not to recognize this and base their policies accordingly is a dramatic failure of leadership. Eventually life in denial crashes into reality, as Henry Ford learned. So when will we learn ?

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Posted in Contemporary Life, Current Events, Israel, Jewish History, Machshava/Jewish Thought

Fighting in the Dark

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 2 comments

The miracle of Chanuka was astonishing for a number of reasons, but especially because “the few vanquished the many.” The Maccabim prevailed against overwhelming odds. Yehuda’s forces never numbered more than a few thousand, and in the climactic battle he mustered 10,000 soldiers against 60,000 Syrians – and still defeated the enemy.

The Maccabim were greatly outnumbered, even though they operated in their home territory (where usually the insurgents have a numerical advantage) because they were a minority force even among Jews. It wasn’t just a case of the Hellenist Jews predominating, although that was also true. It was also because most Jews adopted a wait-and-see attitude, in large part because this was the first time the Jews fought while not under the protective guidance of a prophet, and Chanuka is the only festival that post-dates the Bible. In every other war – the prophets led the way: Moshe, Yehoshua, most of the Judges, David, etc. Even when the Jews were not victorious – usually because they disobeyed the prophet or due to other sins – he was at least in the background and a useful resource.

But now, Jews were in the dark, literally. Faced with the occupation of our land by the world power, who knew what to do and which paradigm to follow? How could they decide, and what guarantee did they have that the decision was correct ? These questions plagued the Jews of that era, as indeed they trouble us today. To fight, to compromise, to surrender ? To look for allies, or to fight alone ? To seek the support of the majority who may not be imbued with a national or Torah spirit, or to go it alone – a few radicals leading a bunch of sluggards ? How do we decide ? How did they decide ? In Rav Shlomo Aviner’s phrase, what is the proper balance between faith and realism ?

That question really frames the issue, and in a sense, defines the challenge of Chanuka. Realism dictated that the Maccabim could not defeat the mighty Syrian empire, that the few could not defeat the many – that all the advantages lay with the conqueror, the most powerful empire in the world. But realism would also dictate that the Jews would never leave Egypt, and never conquer the land of Israel, that David could not slay Goliath (it was possible, but the smart money was still on Goliath), never return to the land of Israel, and not be able to retain it today with the international community allied against Jewish nationalism.

Often, a non-Jew gives us a clearer insight than we could derive ourselves. The famous Italian philosopher, Giambattista Vico, wrote the first philosophy of history in the early 1700’s, called the “New Science about the Common Nature of Nations.” His theory was that nations are like individuals – nations go through infancy, youth, mature, grow old, decay and disappear. All nations suffer this fate, and it is easier to track the ebb and flow of nations than of individuals, whose choices can take them out of the realm of the predictable. But Vico acknowledged, in 1725, that one nation does not fit the pattern – the Jews. The Jews, he wrote, were an “exceptional people,” who are the beneficiaries of “extraordinary help from the true G-d.” Jewish history is moved by holy forces, not simply political ones.

And that is the lesson of Chanuka and the motivation of the majestic men of Modiin. It is the idea, post-Biblical times, on which we thrive or stumble. It is easy to have faith when everything is spelled out in the Torah, and the word of G-d reaches us through his prophets – and we know clearly why we win when we win, and why we lose when we lose. That faith is a theoretical one. Yehuda knew what we needed was practical faith, taking that notion out of the books on the shelves of the Bet Midrash – out of the realm of the theoretical and implementing it in our world view, our conduct – as individuals and as a nation. Our realism includes faith; that is to say, it must include awareness of our exceptionalism. We may ignore that too frequently, but we ignore it at our peril.

This was the miracle of Chanuka, and the eternal lesson of Chanuka in every generation – that we never despair, that even at the darkest moments the miracle of light is near, and we look for the mysterious cruse of oil that suddenly materializes, and heralds the immanence of G-d.

As a military victory, the triumph of Chanuka was short-lived. But as a clarion call to faith, to the hand of G-d that is as real to us as anything material, to be active in defense of Torah and the land of Israel – then the wars of the Chashmonaim inspire us until today – in their dedication, in their tenacity, in their faith, and in the miracles they experienced, in those days in this season.