July 2008

Holla to the mass collective ready to salivate over any new materials and stumbling over words that rhyme. Today’s focus is on a promising upstart in the rap game who’s been in it to win it for some time now. Edan “The Humble Magnificent” has been rocking the stage for a few years and his style sets him far apart from the rest of the throw away Rap music maintream bag of shwag. In an era where the rap game is saturated by pimps wearing huge gold chains (that will no doubt give them neck troubles in their autumn years) gun toting, female degrading trash basket material, Edan has come forth spreading a whiff of fresh air and farts.

What sets him apart is his sheer MCing skills on the mic. He can weave through metaphors and similes like a veteran as well as play all his instruments. He is not only precise like a razor but also humorous, which is what rap music need nowadays, a laugh. His live shows are solo spectaculars with Edan being not only the MC, but DJ, Producer and crowd pleaser to boot. When I saw him live years ago he managed to pull off a rhyme with one hand on the mic while cutting the record with the other. He brought down the house when he pulled off a mystical guitar riff he played while spitting his words like gold.  

I once met him years ago when he played a show at SUNY Purchase, during their Culture Shock fest in 2002. He was odd and at times quiet, yet he gave a sense of the other or a man concentrating on his own mindset. It was also odd because we both sported bald heads, glasses and an Israeli connection. No matter the odd encounter I was sold when he dropped his first single, Sing it S$#tface, and have bought all his records since. He has a wonderful penchant for music, sampling a wide array of old school rap music, fuzzed out funk, 60’s psychodelic rock and much much more. His second LP, Beauty and the Beat, was an ode to the sample, laden with sounds from 1960’s rock, old school rap, the strange and Israeli music, it continues where the Beastie Boy’s Paul’s Boutique left us. If you listen to his last track, Promised Land, you realize he sampled an Arik Einstein like track (even though I am not 100% about the sample). There is so much more to say about this man, but I think it’s easier if you just stop, look and listen to the sounds of the funky drummer.

Visit his website: http://www.humblemagnificent.com/         

Or myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/eeddaann         

This was written by Dan Illouz and originally posted on  http://www.tzipiyah.com

The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie, is breaking records in the box office. The movie is not only action packed but also full of mind troubling philosophical and moral questions. There are loads of specific questions addressed in the movie. In this post, I want to focus on one thread which I think goes throughout the movie and look at it through our very own Jewish eyes. This overarching theme, in this movie but interpreted through the eyes of Jewish thought, will help us better understand some basic principles of Jewish thought as well as guide us through an authentically Jewish interpretation of the most important events of our history.

Batman vs. The Joker: Hope vs. Destruction

The rivalry between the Joker and Batman is much more than the regular rivalry between a hero and a criminal. This is emphasized throughout the movie with Batman constantly trying to understand the reasons for the Joker’s actions and even, at some point, other criminals trying to help the authorities stop the Joker. The Joker is not just a simple criminal. He represents an ideology. While his eccentric behavior makes his ideology seem crazy and irrational, one quickly realizes that his ideology is, at first sight, frighteningly coherent. What is this ideology and how is it to be contrasted with Batman’s?

The Joker is all about chaos. He says it himself on numerous times in the movie. He believes that the only reason people act good is when it is for their own good. Therefore, there is nothing intrinsically good in this world. In such a world, the final destination is always chaos, armageddon or apocalypse. This world is bad.

On the other hand, Batman has hope in this world. He believes this world can be good. He believes that Gotham is constantly, yet slowly, evolving towards a better self. They’re becoming better, they’re becoming good people. A city which was full of criminals a few years ago is now much more quiet. There are even idealists, copycats, who try to be superheros themselves (even though putting themselves in danger is quite idiotic and puts Batman in a horrible position).

Joker believes the world is going towards chaos. Batman believes this world is going towards something extremely positive -there is an order to this world. Joker does not believe there is value in this world. Batman believes this world can and should be fixed.

Joker’s philosophy is echoed in many of the world’s religion. All of those religions which overemphasize the world to come, which see in this world only a host of challenges which are simply dangers towards our entry in the world to come, have a little bit of Joker in them. All of those religions which believe that there is no way for man to get to the World to Come because he is fundamentally bad, and only through the acceptance of a certain principle (such as JC) will he be saved from eternal damnation has a little bit of Joker. Those religions believe that the world is bad and going towards chaos and armageddon, and only some supernatural forces can pluck them out of the chaotic reality of this world and bring them towards a true fullfilment.

Judaism says the complete opposite: “Kol Israel Yesh Lahem Helek LeOlam Haba” - Every Jew has a share in the world to come. Yes, even if you are completely irreligious, you have a share in the world to come. And although the mishna goes on to list exceptions to this rule, the mishna had to start with this basic premise: Everyone will get a share in the world to come. In Judaism, we start with an A, and then, we could possibly loose it. In some other religions, you start with a failing grade, an F, and only through certain actions can you attain the A. This clearly establishes the optimistic nature of Judaism.

In Judaism, the world is not going towards Chaos. The world is slowly slowly, yet constantly, moving towards redemption. This very world will be the source of our redemption, and we are the ones who will bring it. The world is not fundamentally bad, it is fundamentally good, yet it’s potential needs to be brought out. Our world will always move forward towards redemption. Batman seems to be believing in this incredible principle of Judaism!

These ideas came to test in what will probably become a famous scene of this movie: the scene of the two boats. On one boat, you had a bunch of criminals. On the other boat, you had normal civilians. On each boat, there were enough bombs to explode the whole boat, yet, there was a trick. The Joker left a detonator in each boat. Yet, the detonator in each boat was for the bombs in the other boat. The rules of the Joker’s game were simple: If you detonate the bomb of the other boat before the other boat blows you up, you get to live. If not, the other boat will kill you. If no one detonates the bomb, both boats will be blown up by the Joker. The Joker was convinced that one boat would blow the other up. Batman wanted to believe the opposite.

In the end, none of the boats blew the other up. While individually, the passengers of the civilian boats voted to kill the prisoners, no one could make this collective action happen. While some in the prisoner boat wanted to kill the normal civilians, no one actually did it and the detonator was thrown off the boat. Both boats prefered sacrificing their lives than killing others. While the halachic discussion on this specific scene is very difficult (since one boat could maybe be considered rodeph), the message the movie was giving was clear: morality won! The Joker was wrong. People acted fundamentally good without having anything to gain!

According to Jewish Thought, there are two different forces acting in this world. One is called the derech habechiri, the way of choice, which is influenced by the freedom of choice of individuals. If individuals want to do good, they can. If they want to do bad, they can. The other is influenced by the fact that history is always moving forward towards the unification of God’s name - Derech hayichud - the way of the unification. Even when individuals choose to do bad, as a collective, we are always moving towards the revelation of God’s name of this world. This is true of the whole world, but even more true of Klal Israel which is God’s ambassador on this earth. Therefore, our sages taught that Klal Israel had no freedom of choice. Sure, as individuals, we do. However, as a collective, whether we like it or not, we will always be revealing God’s name. We will always be moving forward towards our final redemption. This seems paradoxical and it is why many sages have taught that freedom of choice cannot be truly undersood since the balance between these two forces can only be fully understood by God himself.

This is the message of hope of Judaism. Even if individuals choose bad, the collective will always be moving forward towards God’s unification on this earth, towards the ultimate good. Look at how the world has changed in the past thousands of years! Sure, there are some highs and lows (the Holocaust being the lowest of the lows), but who can deny that civilization today is much more moral than it was in Roman times? Even in the middle ages? Who can deny this constant progress towards a better world? Even more so, look at how God played around with history in order to ensure that the Jewish people would constantly be walking towards their home, the land of Israel, and rebuilding their homeland over there. As a collective, we are constantly going towards the revelation of God’s name in this world, even when individuals choose to do bad.

Rav Kook writes that the redemption from Egypt will forever stay the hope of the entire world. The whole entire world can get hope from the fact that Jewish slaves were saved from persecution in Egypt. This redemption showed the world that injustice does not last in this world. This is a world which grows towards justice. It will ultimately be good.

Judaism sides with Batman. The Joker is a symbol of everything Judaism disagrees with. This world is not fundamentally bad. It is not being lead towards chaos. We have the power to fix this world and bring it towards redemption, and, every day, we are getting closer to the day of this redemption.

The Wild Card -
One of the other characters in the Dark Knight is Two Face. Two Face was an extremely promising District Attorney fighting for good - a hero. However, after his girlfriend was killed by the Joker, he became completely crazy and started becoming an evil person. He was the symbol of the progress of Gotham and yet he became evil. Sometimes, good people become evil. Sometimes, in our process towards redemption, we have some lows which seem to indicate a step back. How can Judaism grapple with this question? How can we explain the steps back?

In the Yerushalmi, Chazal teaches us that our redemption will come through a slow process. As they were going on a morning hike in the Arbel, watching the beautiful sunrise of Northern Israel, Rabbi Hiyah HaGadol told Rabbi Shimon Ben Halfata:

“כך היא גאולתם של ישראל, בתחילה קמעא קמעא, ככל שהיא
מתקדמת היא מתקדמת מהר יותר”

“This is how the redemption of Israel will be: First, it
will come Kima Kima (slowly, slowly) and then, things will go quicker and
quicker”

Two Face reminds us of the importance of our individual choice. We are all two faced with good and evil within us. If we choose good, we can do amazing things and ensure our process to gueoula will be as smooth as possible. If we choose bad, it can make things much more difficult not just for us, but for Klal Israel. In the end, however, no individual can stop the process of the unification of God’s name in this world, of our redemption, from moving forward. It is constantly happening, slowly slowly.

Conclusion:

Our world is not fundamentally bad. Our world is one which holds some individuals which want bad, yet, everything in this world can be fixed. Our world is one which is constantly moving towards the unification of God’s name in this world. Our world is one in which the ultimate goal is always coming closer and closer, our redemption is constantly unfolding.Less than 200 years ago, Klal Israel’s exile seemed to have become perpetual. There was no end in sight. Some people stopped believing it would end. Yet, through God’s ultimate wisdom, a movement for our return to our land emerged out of the most unpredictable places. Shortly after, through even less predictable means, the State of Israel was established. After 2000 years of exile, the begining of our redemption has started. If one looks at the history of those 2000 years, we can quickly see that every event lead us to where we are today. We can’t always understand why God chose certain paths, but we know that he constantly lead us towards our redemption. As we move forward from the start of our redemption towards our complete redemption, we must try and choose the right individual path so that, unlike Two Face, we can help Klal Israel go towards an easier path towards the ultimate redemption. However, we also need to put our faith in God, that even during the hardest of hardships, he is still leading us towards the greatest of times. We don’t always understand why through these means or how it is done, but we know that he is constantly transforming our Atchlata Digueoula (Start of the Redemption) into a Gueoula Shelema (Complete Redemption) - may it come speedily. The message of Judaism is one of hope and optimism.

So, it is hot and humid outside and all us working class adults are traipsing all over New York City, sweat perfusing from every pore. These are the days where rest and relaxation are preferable in the shade or air conditioned in doors with a cool beverage. So what can be accomplished in the dead heat of the summer? Peace between Israel and the Heshimite Kingdom of Jordan.

Peace in the Middle East, its nature and true value as well, is hard to come by for Israel as the odd man out. Egypt was the first Arab nation to sign a peace deal begining in 1978. On this very day, July 25th, 14 years ago Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan ending its state of armistice held since 1948. Jordan hasa peculiar history as well as inception.

The Heshimite kingdom of Jordan was established in 1923 headed by a monarchy. The origins of the monarchy were from the region of the Hejaz or region where Mecca and Medina are located. Unlike Egypt, Jordan has been rather reluctant to battle the Jews of the old Yishuv, being prodded in by their neighbors especially Egypt. Jordan was also tapped rather early by Israel with feelers for peace or at least a long lasting cease fire. The famous story goes that, just before the start of the Six Day War, Golda Meir and Moshe Kimchi disguised as Arabs ferried into Jordan to speak with King Hussein. Unfortunately for both parties their pleas for inaction fell on deaf ears, causing Jordan to invade and Israel to respond. 

Due to the results of the first  Gulf War, Israel and Jordan linked to find common ground after vanquishing a common foe. The meetings in Madrid led to the peace established between the two nations. Some critics call it a “cold” peace, however it is a peace agreement, and only the second of its kind. Although it only happened 14 years ago it opened doors for both Israel and the Arab world. Sooner or later diplomacy must be established in order to not only keep the region stable and clear of bloody wars but also economic cohesion and cooperation. I know the outlook at the moment is not blue but gray with a lot of black and white all over. However, I am optomistic that brothers gonna work it out.       

Shabbat Shalom                                                    

This past Sunday, Jews around the world observed the fast day of the 17th of Tammuz. Many terrible events and horrible turmoil plagued the Jewish people on this day leading to the mother of all let downs, Tisha B’Av. So why do we fast on the 17th of Tammuz?

Reaching far back to Biblical times, Moshe descended Mount Sinai on this day, upon seeing the Golden Calf broke the first set of tablets carrying the Ten Commandments. The priests, during the first Temple period, stopped offering the daily sacrifice on this day due to a shortage of sheep. Also, on this day the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians.

During the Middle Ages the Jews were not safe either because on this day in 1391, more than 4,000 Jews were killed in Toledo and Jean, Spain and in 1559 the Jewish Quarter of Prague was burned and looted. Moving forward we come to the “civilized” modern age and the terrible events plaguing the Jews still abound spanning the globe. On this day in 1970 Libya ordered the confiscation of Jewish property, leading to the mass expulsion by 1973. In 1944 the Kovno ghetto was liquidated on this solemn day.

As all us ”good” Jews know, excluding the leap year, there are times when the lunar and solar calendars are synchronized. For example, my birthday (which is coming up soon!) is on 19th of Av and/or August 18th. However it can aslo be far apart so with that explanation I will get into the crux of the matter. 

When I went to Yad Vashem a month ago I walked through the dark and narrowing corridor with a feeling of sadness, anger and dispair. There is one section comemorating the Warsaw ghetto, giving you the sense that starvation and disease were the number one killers. This was a squalor with death being the only aroma and beggers roaming the streets amidst the bodies laying motionless on the pavement. We must remember that the Warsaw ghetto was the largest of the nazi established Jewish ghettos. Built in Warsaw, then the former capital of Poland located in the territory of General Government during World War II. Between 1941 and 1943, starvation, disease and deportations to concentration camps and extermination camps dropped the population of the ghetto from an estimated 450,000 to approximately 71,000.

Within a year after the deportation of all the Jews to the Warsaw ghetto the situation was deplorable, bodies were strewn all over the street, people seemed like ghosts of their former selves and then came the turning point. The Nazis decided to present the Jews with a “better” option to be deported to an easier work camp. A large number of Jews chose to go, being rounded up and marched to the outside of the ghetto walls (The exact location of the migration of deportation is being built as a commemoration to those Jews). Begining on Tisha B’Av (Which fell on today’s date, July 23) of 1942, about 254,000 Ghetto residents were sent to Treblinka and murdered there.

Let us remember to never forget because there is an epidemic of historical ignorance, mainly coming from the mouths of Muslim fanatics, and far left leaning liberals. As post modern Zionists we must never forget that Holocaust survivors were and still are the back bone of Eretz Yisrael. Besides spreading the truth and facts through education we must solidify that we should never forget this proliferation of bad days for the Jews. With strength, unity and determination we should all spread the wealth of knowledge. Parallel to the idea of the Birthright Israel trips, EVERY JEW should visit Poland and stand in that spot where 66 years ago the first train embarked on its maiden voyage of death to the Treblinka extermination camp. Zionism should be an integral part of Jewish history and Holocaust study because with out it we are doomed to repeat the bad days all over again.    

Every Monday night I attend a study evening at Aish HaTorah, located in New York City’s Upper West side. The options of learning are vast and I split my time between a class/lecture followed by a one on one session. The first section is a study of the Parsha of the week using a Kabbalistic slant. It is insightful when the Rabbi, Rabbi Marc Jacobs, enlightens us by showing the various dimensions of Kabbalistic beliefs and thought. I have always been infatuated with the fact that the Torah is not merely a 2 dimensional book, but rather a multi-dimensional treatise for every Jew.

After the lecture I move to a large room, which is a makeshift chamber of study. It is filled with fold out tables, strewn with various volumes of the Talmud, Tanach, Gemara, Mishna and the many commentaries. At the tables, pairs are seated facing each other eye to eye or knee deep in the book at hand. Both the men and the women display the passion and fire (no pun intended with the Aish logo) in their eyes in obtaining knowledge, wisdom and understanding. My Chavruta or tutor is a Yeshiva University student who is studying to become a Rabbi. His knowledge is profound indeed, but I also realized that when he didn’t know the exact answer he dug deep and looked for the source. I have a deep respect for him, but more so for this model, which is a Jewish trait and tradition dating back hundreds of years.

This is a paradigm where Jews assemble in a Shul, Beit Tefilah or a friend’s house in order to spiritually stimulate each other. This system has been profoundly successful, due to the high literacy rates among Jews throughout the Middle Ages. This tradition reaches back far, originating in the early the common era, amongst the communities and helped proliferate a wealth of Jewish Knowledge.

Zionism needs to adapt this formula with the same type of approach. We need Zionist Chavurot in order to proliferate the wealth of Zionist history, theories, status and evolution. Do you know that a large percentage of Israeli students in High Schools cannot place the name Theodore Herzl? It also pains me to think about how many American Jews can place the name let alone the beard.

Thankfully groups are getting together to form study groups who study Zionist/Israeli history, culture etc. Also the religious streams, such as Aish, have incorporated Israeli/Zionist componants into their study groups and sponsored trips to Israel. The Zionist movement should not only benefit from the model, but use it as a mainstay to keep the concept thriving. The continuity of the Aish group relies on a strong, and very inclusionary, community of people. These Zionist Chavrutas should be designed in the same fashion, that will not only be a start but also a new model built on top of old Jewish wisdom.      

P.S. In Hebrew the word Chaveroot literally has three definitions: friendship, membership and comradeship. In my personal experience out of one individual I formed a friendship. The friendship opened new avenues such as a pseudo membership into the Aish, and my tutor’s, community. Out of the initial bonds I will proceed to the next level, which is a strong bond or comradeship that will keep flourishing. And like a cycle I will initiate the next person into a Chaveroot and continue in their process as the tutor. The Zionist/Israeli componant should adapt this model in order to build these bonds for our future to be educated in our heritage, culture and religion. Knowledge is power and the vast majority of us need to know, so what are we gonna do about it? 

There have been many roadblocks to peace in the Middle East and the saying goes, you can never enter dialogue in the Middle East without taking history into account. History can give a sense of pride, but it can also be a weight to burden, reminiscent of the depiction of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. So when negotiations are developing, history can be the stalwart for progress. 

Ameinu is an organization which in their own words “is a national, multi-generational community of progressive Zionists that recognizes the unbreakable bond between the Jewish people and Israel. Realizing that a secure peace between Israel and its neighbors is essential to the survival of a democratic Jewish state, we build support within the American Jewish community for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Ameinu’s latest effort of accomplishing this goal is a compilation of movie trailors depicting the roadblocks to peace. The trailors will cover an array of underlying issues, overt ideological beliefs and much more visually. Ameinu provided me with a sneak peek at the first trailor, which I bestow on to you all, our faithful readers. ”The trailer[s are] part of a multi-faceted information campaign to bring to light some of the roadblocks to the ongoing peace process.” Ameinu is providing us with a report of the divisions that might hamper the progress(?) made, most recently at the November 2007 Annapolis peace conference. ”This first of four searing video trailers is about Jewish settlers, Israeli soldiers and Palestinians struggling over the holy city of Hebron. This clip is taken from Land of Settlers, the acclaimed documentary developed by Chaim Yavin, Israel’s premier news anchor.”  

To view the trailor visit: http://www.ameinu.net/news/videosarticles.php?videoid=15 

And for the Ameinu explanation visit: http://www.ameinu.net/video-landing.php

Whether you agree with Ameinu and the trailors or not, we all must avow that these depictions are part of the reality in Israel in the West Bank. Also, Ameinu is considered a Zionist organization so in 2008 we must take heed to the fact that the definition of “Zionism” is constantly broadening in the Zionist world. Instead of forming and defining differences we must all avow that we are Zionists, or pro-Israel for those who are squeamish when using the term.

There is a lot of sadness and mourning in Israel today for the two young soldiers that have been returned to their families in coffins. To add insult to injury Hizballah hosted a welcome home party for the terrorists we handed over to them in the trade. One of these terrorists is not a man, but some sort of beast with no sense of basic human morality. This man is up there with Hitler and his SS as far as inhumanity and ability to inflict the kind of violence on other people that we like to think most of the world has moved on from. However, the most frustrating aspect of this entire debacle is the fact that Israel and pro Israel groups are the only ones trying to remind everyone that a true savage is once again on the loose. Interviewees in the streets of Beirut talking to BBC correspondents were talking about the pride they have and how they look up to this man, no social commentary was made on that point by the BBC, though they seem to do so all the time when talking about the suffering of Palestinians. Where is world condemnation of Hizballah? Why has the U.N. slacked on its responsibilities and allowed Hizballah to re-arm? I am afraid that world opinion towards Israel is so poor overall, that we cannot expect equal treatment or even the sympathy of the world public. It goes back to a movie I saw recently called Black Book in which a young Jewish woman is hiding from Nazis in Holland, living in the attic of a farm house with a nice family. The father forces her to learn christian prayers and at one point says that the Jews brought it on themselves. It’s the same old story, Israel is a victim of its own actions…  

That is why Israel must continue to be vigilent about security issues, in spite of the fact that much of its youth are not interested, but would rather live and have fun. To bad Israel isn’t located south of Miami Beach.

But I digress, to me this day is about sympathy for those who have to reshape their lives to work without someone dear to them, and to show respect to regular guys who got caught up in a propaganda war. Zichronam Livracha.

Today the bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were delivered across the sandy border of Lebanon via Hizballah. From all of us who saw the photos of the sobbing soldiers, weeping fathers and to all of Israel we send our everlasting support.

It is hard to describe the melancholy felt viewing the jet black coffins containing their bodies, being brought by the terrorists in exchange for an unremorseful terrorist, who I don’t feel like mentioning by name. For a short film about him visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6NyrexKlk. 

As an Israeli I feel for these fallen soldiers and the lump in my throat chokes me while thinking about the two soldier’s families. As an American I can feel the pain yet I think it might seem displaced, yet we are all one nation. No matter the location of residence we all as a Jewish people mourn these sons who took a wrong turn during a routine patrol. Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will be laid to rest tomorrow, 17 July 2008, in Israeli military cemeteries.

No matter the outcome of the peace process we can forgive but never forget…..RIP our fine warriors, without you our might would not have been in its full fruition.

                             Eldad Regev                                    Ehud Goldwasser 

Thomas Edison was a world renowned inventor but the historian Alan Axelrod recently pointed out, in his book Profiles in Folly: History’s Worst Decisions and Why They Went Wrong, that Edison’s inventions were highly thought out alterations of past inventions. To create or to pursue an idea no matter how outlandish it sounds is a daring case. In the modern age that is more so the case, especially for American Post-College students who enter the workforce in debt. Nowadays innovative inventions and endeavors can be risky ventures, so we need a resolute personality and faithful to their ideals. 

Enter the PresenTense group and the Institute in Jerusalem. The institute is a creation that was nurtured and brought to fruition by two men who embody the qualities listed above. Ariel Beery and Aharon Horwitz have worked tirelessly on new methods of incorporating the unaffiliated Israelis and American Jews into new Zionism. One method was to form the PresenTense Institute in order to help promote new Zionist ideas and achieving tangible results. The institute runs an annual program, which entices Jews from across the ideological spectrum, that fosters their ideas into reality. The ideas range from Jewish to Israeli to pure Zionist idology, incorporating technology and innovation with items like Judaica. Also they have both created other venues of innovation such as compiling the PresenTense Magazine and creating this very blog site. They have also been working with the AZM who have helped with some of the funding.

These two men have an indefatigable zeal for Zionism and passion to incorporate Jews all over the world. They want them to embrace Zionism in new terms, their terms, helped by new technologies. The program is currently in session and will come to its close at the end of July. I challenge all of you to check out the institute, but also to think about new methods and resources we could use in keeping the Zionist dream alive and well.

In their words “If you do it, it is no dream” so get up off the couch and keep it moving.

The website to the PresenTense Institute is: http://www.presentense.org/institute

And here are two recent articles about the programs: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=999918&contrassID=2&subContrassID=6&sbSubContrassID=11 (Ha’aretz in Hebrew)

And: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330965857&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull (the Jerusalem Post in english)

                                                                           ENJOY!!!

Israelis and Jews in America seem to be having a hard time trusting the Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama. The few Israelis I have heard opinions from just don’t know much about this senator from Illinois and therefore can’t figure him out.  Would he be a friend to Isreal and whether he would be tough enough in situations dealing with countries like Iran.

American Jews have a different perspective on this situation, since we have heard a lot about him, and unless you live under a rock it’s kind of hard to miss the fact that his name leaves the lips of reporters every single day at some capacity. However, I am beginning to think that the Republican campaign of fear might have worked very well with the Jewish communities in this country. Constant attempts are made to link Barack Obama with exteremist Islamist groups, portraying him as a candidate that would not be a friend to Israel. I myself have recieved emails containing pictures of Obama from different periods in his life that are aimed at making the implication that he has ties to Muslim exteremists. And, earlier today there was some to do about the cover of the New Yorker magazine, which depicted Obama in Muslim garb, fist bumping with his wife, who is dressed in army cloths and has an assult rifle strapped around her back. The magazine was trying to satirize the image Republicans are trying to stick to Obama, but the satire backfired because the effect was that anyone looking at the cover of the magazine would assume that is the way they intended to portray him. His campaign was quick to denounce the magazine for what they saw as a vicious smear on Obama’s image. I think the main problem with this misunderstanding is that even here in New York there’s a hint that this false propaganda prop used against Obama is in fact working.

As Jews we should know a propaganda campaign when we see one. Obama is an American who loves this country and has worked to improve lives of people in this country for quite some time. Anyone who believes that there is some chance that he will try and bring this country down from the inside once he is president, needs to consider getting some professional help. The supposed ties he has to Islam are fictional, and even if they were not fictional, would this mean that Obama is going to bring the President of Iran into the white house to trash it? OR will he contact Osama Bin Laden and ask him to be our ally? The level of paranoia among the group of people that are afraid to vote for him for any of the reasons listed above is critical. We must remember that we are talking about a moderate Democrat from Illinois, not Saddam’s would be successor.

Don’t get me wrong, I know he is not perfect and he is in politics, which means some pandering in necessary, but I think it is important to keep those faults in perspective. We cannot allow another election to be won with the use of a smoke screen that scares everyone into voting for the “right party”, baring in mind that this very thing just happened in Zimbabwe.

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