A Light Unto The Nations

[ShahdagMountains]

 

[rylah]

RE: A Light Unto The Nations
SUBTOPIC: An Objective View
※→ rylah, et al,

BLUF: This video is worth the time it takes to view.


(COMMENT)

I did not care for his attitude in my first encounter (various writings, articles, and mini-videos) with this Rabbi. But then this view (à la Freidman) is very plain and simple. His views are not intended to be subjective or on the bandwagon (in the current trend). He does not hold his punches. His opinion is not submissive or influenced by the pressures of large and vocal protest marches. His presentation is not intended to increase a consistent following.

He is alone (his mantra) with the 15 million other Jews in Israel.

I do not agree with everything he says but I do believe in his theme.

Most Respectfully,
R

Yes, Rabbi Mannis is very consistent in providing a different angle,
and communicating it in a very down to earth manner,
in the language of the generation so to speak.

There's a reason Rabbi Manis Friemdan,
is the most popular rabbi on Youtube.
Such agency among Jews is almost
of messianic proportions, growing
up next door to the Lubavitche
Rebbe probably rubs off well.

As Rabbi Cherki likes to mention -
one of the greatest things about great people,
is that we can never assume and guess what they could've said.
At least my generation doesn't have to guess anymore, just listen.

 

[ShahdagMountains]

In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jewish people were singularly chosen to enter into a covenant with G-d. This idea has been a central one throughout the history of Jewish thought, is deeply rooted in biblical concepts and has been developed in talmudic, philosophic, mystical and contemporary Judaism.

Most Jews hold that being the "Chosen People" means that they have been placed on earth to fulfill a certain purpose. Traditional proof for Jewish "chosenness" is found in the Torah, the Jewish bible, in the Book ofDeuteronomy (chapter 14) where it says: "For you are a holy people to Hashem your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth." In the Book of Genesis (chapter 17)it also written: "And I [G-d] will establish My covenant between Me and you [the Jewish people] and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you."

This tradition of "chosenness," though, has often provoked antagonism from non-Jews.

The world owes to Israel the idea of the one God of righteousness and holiness. This is how God became known to mankind."

Does Judaism believe that chosenness endows Jews with special rights in the way racist ideologies endow those born into the "right race"? Not at all. The most famous verse in the Bible on the subject of chosenness says the precise opposite: "You alone have I singled out of all the families of the earth. That is why I call you to account for all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2). Chosenness is so unconnected to any notion of race that Jews believe that the Messiah himself will descend from Ruth, a non-Jewish woman who converted to Judaism.

Nonetheless, perhaps out of fear of sounding selfrighteous or provoking antisemitism, Jews rarely speak about chosenness, and Maimonides did not list it as one of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith.

The "Chosen People" idea is so powerful that other religious sects have appropriated it. Both Catholicism and Protestantism believe that God chose the Jews, but that two thousand years ago a new covenant was made with Christianity. During most of Christian history, and even among some adherents to the present day, Christian chosenness meant that only Christians go to heaven while the nonchosen are either placed in limbo or are damned.

Mohammed, likewise, didn't deny Abraham's chosenness. He simply claimed that Abraham was a Muslim, and he traced Islam's descent through the Jewish Patriarch.

The "Chosen People"

Encyclopedia of Jewish and Israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from anti-Semitism to Zionism.

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

 

[rylah]

“This is the Middle East!” Should Israel Be A Democracy​

​

 

[surada]

“This is the Middle East!” Should Israel Be A Democracy​

​

It’s not shocking to see Israeli children celebrate the Gaza genocide

Israel has long been indoctrinating its children to believe Palestinians are less than human.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[surada]

In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jewish people were singularly chosen to enter into a covenant with G-d. This idea has been a central one throughout the history of Jewish thought, is deeply rooted in biblical concepts and has been developed in talmudic, philosophic, mystical and contemporary Judaism.

Most Jews hold that being the "Chosen People" means that they have been placed on earth to fulfill a certain purpose. Traditional proof for Jewish "chosenness" is found in the Torah, the Jewish bible, in the Book ofDeuteronomy (chapter 14) where it says: "For you are a holy people to Hashem your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth." In the Book of Genesis (chapter 17)it also written: "And I [G-d] will establish My covenant between Me and you [the Jewish people] and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you."

This tradition of "chosenness," though, has often provoked antagonism from non-Jews.

The world owes to Israel the idea of the one God of righteousness and holiness. This is how God became known to mankind."

Does Judaism believe that chosenness endows Jews with special rights in the way racist ideologies endow those born into the "right race"? Not at all. The most famous verse in the Bible on the subject of chosenness says the precise opposite: "You alone have I singled out of all the families of the earth. That is why I call you to account for all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2). Chosenness is so unconnected to any notion of race that Jews believe that the Messiah himself will descend from Ruth, a non-Jewish woman who converted to Judaism.

Nonetheless, perhaps out of fear of sounding selfrighteous or provoking antisemitism, Jews rarely speak about chosenness, and Maimonides did not list it as one of the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith.

The "Chosen People" idea is so powerful that other religious sects have appropriated it. Both Catholicism and Protestantism believe that God chose the Jews, but that two thousand years ago a new covenant was made with Christianity. During most of Christian history, and even among some adherents to the present day, Christian chosenness meant that only Christians go to heaven while the nonchosen are either placed in limbo or are damned.

Mohammed, likewise, didn't deny Abraham's chosenness. He simply claimed that Abraham was a Muslim, and he traced Islam's descent through the Jewish Patriarch.

The "Chosen People"

Encyclopedia of Jewish and Israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from anti-Semitism to Zionism.

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

In Islam anyone who submits to the will of God is a Muslim. It's not hard to understand. It's an attitude of inclusiveness.

 

[ShahdagMountains]

In Islam anyone who submits to the will of God is a Muslim. It's not hard to understand. It's an attitude of inclusiveness.

Oh really?

 

[rylah]

Israeli Cultural Revolution - Passion For The Temple | The Imaginative Force | Prophetic Cinema

"Those of vast grasping, their force of imagination is great and very exalted." - Rabbi Kook

​

At least among us Jews, those who have a grasp of knowledge,
are those of great imagination. And then there's great daring,
in their descriptions, their thoughts.

We can see this among the prophets.
We can also see this among Kabbalists.
The terminology is full of imaginative power.

Which causes superficial people to think all these folks are confused and need psychiatric hospitalization. But they don't need any, they are entirely normal people. With that, they have great imaginative power, breaking many borders.




In the scientific field, until Psychoanalysis none of this was known. The Freudian psychoanalysis revealed great depths within the human subconscious, symbolic thinking.
Also later, Jung has many observations of this kind - the collective unconscious...the ocean of souls.

So, "those of vast grasping, their force of imagination is great and very exalted, and it's connected with visions that are more general in reality. And according to their courage,
and purity of their spirit, the imaginative power enacts itself through them. To draw exalted imaginations, that the light of the high truth reveals by them. In such revelations that no logical mind can reach".

What does Rabbi Kook want from us? That we are not to be scared of meeting people
of such imaginative force, that we don't think it's a shortcoming, moreover - it is an advantage.

Possibly Rabbi Kook wants something else, besides not being scared to meet such people, rather Rabbi Kook tells You: "Maybe You, the reader, You are one of these great people,
that You don't get scared seeing You have imaginative power that is great ,
use it for these sacred purposes.".

​

The Universal Mission of Judaism: Bridging Faith and Humanity – Rabbi Oury Cherki (in English)​

A speech delivered by Rabbi Oury Cherki at the founding conference of the "Seventy Nations" organization in collaboration with the "Brit Olam - Noahide World Center" association. The conference took place on September 25, 2019 at the "Gates of Jerusalem" hotel in the holy city of Jerusalem, Israel. We invite you to visit our website: https://noahideworldcenter.org/

​

 

[rylah]

בס"ד
Israel's next 50 years of growth

Bennett: 'Why the next 50 years are going to be remarkable for Israel'

Former PM says Israel's people and youth stepped up on and after October 7, will come out of war with the strength and values to ensure 50 years of prosperity.

www.israelnationalnews.com

 

[rylah]

'You are at this moment putting yourselves on the bad side of humanity'

- Mosheh Feiglin in an interview with the BBC

Mosheh Feiglin addresses the US and Western civilization
​

The current war is a spiritual war between good and evil, between justice and evil.
This is not a personal war against specific leaders of Hamas, but a fight for values
and for our very existence as a Jewish people in our country.

Hamas and the forces hostile to us are not only fighting for Gaza,
but for Jerusalem and the entire Land of Israel.

They oppose the very idea of Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land.
This is a war for our right to be here and spread the message of life and goodness to the world.

We in Israel are actually fighting the war of existence of the monotheist civilization as a whole, against the progressive and Islamist forces united in the desire for destruction.

The return of the Jewish people to their homeland after thousands of years in exile is the fulfillment of a divine promise that appears repeatedly in the Bible.
This is a huge historical process that testifies to the covenant between the people of Israel and their God.

We are facing global forces that are trying to stop this process, and this is the source of the hostility towards us.

I believe that true victory means the complete elimination of our enemies from the region.
We must return to our goal and vocation as a people, and not be satisfied with having a state like all the states.

I call America to return to the values of freedom and faith on which it was founded.
She must support Israel and not stand in the way of a complete victory.

This is the only way for America to save itself from a moral disintegration that will inevitably lead to political and economic disintegration as well.

​

 

[rylah]

בס"ד​

Finding Mashiach - A thrilling search ending in Israel!​

Jewish people have waited for the arrival of the Messiah for thousands of years.
Join Berel Solomon on an action-packed new movie called 'Finding Mashiach'.

Amid the war in Israel and Gaza, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the Presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, global unrest has made the world appear darker than ever.

Some might think we're heading toward Armageddon, rapture, the end of days, apocalypse, the Day of Judgment, or the resurrection of the dead. What is really going on?

​

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, Rabbi Mannis is very consistent in providing a different angle,
and communicating it in a very down to earth manner,
in the language of the generation so to speak.

There's a reason Rabbi Manis Friemdan,
is the most popular rabbi on Youtube.
Such agency among Jews is almost
of messianic proportions, growing
up next door to the Lubavitche
Rebbe probably rubs off well.

As Rabbi Cherki likes to mention -
one of the greatest things about great people,
is that we can never assume and guess what they could've said.
At least my generation doesn't have to guess anymore, just listen.

I listened to the first few minutes, this is pop-psychology. He's starting by framing his entire narrative with the "we're all insecure and need a scapegoat" scaffolding.

He's even dismayed that people will march to show and develop support for victims, he needs a "why" he is puzzled at the idea of compassion.

He says "their own lives which they should be attending to" which pretty much makes it clear the dude is a bigot. It's not for this idiot to dictate what people "should" be attending to.

He's a run of the mill pop psychologist wrapped in a thin veil of respectability by pretending to be a rabbi.

 

[rylah]

I listened to the first few minutes, this is pop-psychology. He's starting by framing his entire narrative with the "we're all insecure and need a scapegoat" scaffolding.

He's even dismayed that people will march to show and develop support for victims, he needs a "why" he is puzzled at the idea of compassion.

He says "their own lives which they should be attending to" which pretty much makes it clear the dude is a bigot. It's not for this idiot to dictate what people "should" be attending to.

He's a run of the mill pop psychologist wrapped in a thin veil of respectability by pretending to be a rabbi.

Interesting that you chose to dismiss Rabbi Friedman's thoughtful analysis so quickly and with such disdain. The few minutes you watched were enough to unsettle you, suggesting that his reasoned arguments might actually resonate with a broader audience, one that includes young people questioning the one-sided narratives they often hear.

Misquoting and creating strawmen—like claiming he said 'we're all insecure and need a scapegoat'—isn't just intellectually dishonest; it's a tactic used when the substance of the discussion is too challenging to confront directly. Why avoid engaging with the content unless it hits a sensitive nerve?

Calling a respected Jewish scholar names like 'idiot' and 'bigot' reflects poorly on your argument and does little to advance the discourse. This isn't just about disagreeing with an opinion; it's about how we model respect and integrity in our discussions. The derogatory language used and the superficial engagement with the material suggest a reluctance to delve into more profound dialogues that might challenge entrenched views.

And let's talk about compassion— what compassion? True compassion isn't about exploiting tragedies as commodity for political points, or the eerily silence of the people who tear posters of children, attack synagogues and random people on the streets, but completely absent this "compassion" when the same people die fighting other wars. Is that for compassion towards anyone involved or for convenient hatred of one side at the expense of the other?

For those genuinely interested in understanding the complexities of this issue, I encourage you to watch Rabbi Friedman’s full presentation. Challenge yourselves to look beyond the echo chambers and confront these critical issues with the seriousness and depth they deserve.

What do you fear of discovering if you listen more and shout less?

​

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Interesting that you chose to dismiss Rabbi Friedman's thoughtful analysis so quickly and with such disdain. The few minutes you watched were enough to unsettle you, suggesting that his reasoned arguments might actually resonate with a broader audience, one that includes young people questioning the one-sided narratives they often hear.

I am intelligent enough to make reasonable judgments without watching every minute and hearing every word. What I heard was sufficient for me to discount the man. I told you he said "their own lives which they should be attending to" about the anti-Zionist protests. How does he known what I should be doing?

Misquoting and creating strawmen—like claiming he said 'we're all insecure and need a scapegoat'—isn't just intellectually dishonest; it's a tactic used when the substance of the discussion is too challenging to confront directly. Why avoid engaging with the content unless it hits a sensitive nerve?

My quotes are accurate.

Calling a respected Jewish scholar names like 'idiot' and 'bigot' reflects poorly on your argument and does little to advance the discourse. This isn't just about disagreeing with an opinion; it's about how we model respect and integrity in our discussions. The derogatory language used and the superficial engagement with the material suggest a reluctance to delve into more profound dialogues that might challenge entrenched views.

He's an idiot because he presumes to know better than I do what I should be doing, that's an idiot right there, a bigot, a Jew supremacist with an entitlement complex,

And let's talk about compassion— what compassion? True compassion isn't about exploiting tragedies as commodity for political points, or the eerily silence of the people who tear posters of children, attack synagogues and random people on the streets, but completely absent this "compassion" when the same people die fighting other wars. Is that for compassion towards anyone involved or for convenient hatred of one side at the expense of the other?

For those genuinely interested in understanding the complexities of this issue, I encourage you to watch Rabbi Friedman’s full presentation. Challenge yourselves to look beyond the echo chambers and confront these critical issues with the seriousness and depth they deserve.

It isn't complex, that's another canard intended to discourage people from learning things for themselves. I'm no stranger to complexity Rylah, I more or less single handedly taught myself the intricacies of general relativity in my late teens, I'm a skilled programming language designer and deal with complicated problem domains routinely so I know when to apply the word.

The Israel/Palestine situation is simple, it is that we are dealing with the consequence of a violent colonization of Arab occupied lands by a foreign, European nationalist movement called "Zionism". The lands were colonized by a Jew supremacist regime, unelected by the people over whom it was imposed.

The colonizers were foreigners, the majority of them were encouraged to migrate into Palestine by the Zionists and the British for years.

The colonial "state" embraced "settlement building" as a core objective, and that necessitates land acquisition and so Arabs were forced off their land and the land handed over to Jews.

This naturally upset the people who'd been made homeless and made into refugees and so they fight back and that's what you want to call "complex".

What do you fear of discovering if you listen more and shout less?

I told you I heard enough to enable me to decide he was an idiot, any person who begins by telling me what I should be doing is not someone I pay much attention to.

 

[rosends]

It isn't complex, that's another canard intended to discourage people from learning things for themselves. I'm no stranger to complexity Rylah, I more or less single handedly taught myself the intricacies of general relativity in my late teens, I'm a skilled programming language designer and deal with complicated problem domains routinely so I know when to apply the word.

The Israel/Palestine situation is simple, it is that we are dealing with the consequence of a violent colonization of Arab occupied lands by a foreign, European nationalist movement called "Zionism". The lands were colonized by a Jew supremacist regime, unelected by the people over whom it was imposed.

The colonizers were foreigners, the majority of them were encouraged to migrate into Palestine by the Zionists and the British for years.

The colonial "state" embraced "settlement building" as a core objective, and that necessitates land acquisition and so Arabs were forced off their land and the land handed over to Jews.

This naturally upset the people who'd been made homeless and made into refugees and so they fight back and that's what you want to call "complex".

you consider it simple because you want and need it to be simple. You cannot grasp complexity so you call things simple to allow yourself the position of having an opinion you think is valid. The situation, however, is very complex. If, however, you want to reduce everything and make it simple how about
This is the consequence of Arab intransigence and supremacist thinking, allowing no other voices in the region. The Arab view that compromise equals failure or weakness and the Arab privilege believing that being infantilized by the west makes them eternal victims who can do no wrong. The Arab warlike behavior which precedes the founding of Israel by a long, long time, and the Arab over-confidence which had leaders tell people to leave because there was a promise of a glorious return. These are the causes of violence that dates back hundreds of years. All Israel wants to do is exist. Simple, you see?

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

you consider it simple because you want and need it to be simple. You cannot grasp complexity so you call things simple to allow yourself the position of having an opinion you think is valid.

It's only the Zionists that argue it is complex, most Palestinians and Arabs know its pretty simple.

The situation, however, is very complex. If, however, you want to reduce everything and make it simple how about
This is the consequence of Arab intransigence and supremacist thinking, allowing no other voices in the region.

Nobody in Palestine asked for a Zionist colonization to be carved out of Arab occupied land, it originated from Europe, it is the product of British and militant Zionism, European Jewish nationalism. Describing the opposition to foreign colonizers as "intransigence" is something only an Israeli could say!

You want it to be "complex" because the honest and simple reality makes Israel illegitimacy crystal clear, once people see it for what it is - a colonization by European Jewish Nationalism, then its obvious who the problem really is.

The Arab view that compromise equals failure or weakness and the Arab privilege believing that being infantilized by the west makes them eternal victims who can do no wrong. The Arab warlike behavior which precedes the founding of Israel by a long, long time, and the Arab over-confidence which had leaders tell people to leave because there was a promise of a glorious return. These are the causes of violence that dates back hundreds of years. All Israel wants to do is exist. Simple, you see?

The Arabs are quite frankly, not answerable to the Zionist colonizers, Israel is frankly not legitimate, it's formation was undemocratic and yet it declares itself a model democracy! I see no reason why Arabs and Palestinians should cooperate in any way with a regime that steals their lands, destroys their homes, imprisons people without charge, denies them freedom of movement and so on.

Nobody compromised with the Third Reich and nobody should compromise with the Zionist Empire either, Israel is wrong, the Zionist regime is wrong, its brutal domination is wrong and its presumed "right" to exist is wrong.

 

[rosends]

It's only the Zionists that argue it is complex, most Palestinians and Arabs know its pretty simple.

Nobody in Palestine asked for a Zionist colonization to be carved out of Arab occupied land, it originated from Europe, it is the product of British and militant Zionism, European Jewish nationalism. Describing the opposition to foreign colonizers as "intransigence" is something only an Israeli could say!

You want it to be "complex" because the honest and simple reality makes Israel illegitimacy crystal clear, once people see it for what it is - a colonization by European Jewish Nationalism, then its obvious who the problem really is.


The Arabs are quite frankly, not answerable to the Zionist colonizers, Israel is frankly not legitimate, it's formation was undemocratic and yet it declares itself a model democracy! I see no reason why Arabs and Palestinians should cooperate in any way with a regime that steals their lands, destroys their homes, imprisons people without charge, denies them freedom of movement and so on.

Nobody compromised with the Third Reich and nobody should compromise with the Zionist Empire either, Israel is wrong, the Zionist regime is wrong, its brutal domination is wrong and its presumed "right" to exist is wrong.

you really do crave simplicity and soundbites. You are ignoring thousands of years of constant Jewish presence, you are conflating existence with ownership and you clearly don't understand what goes into nation making.

I will, though, agree wholeheartedly with your use of the phrase "Arab occupied land."

 

[0311]

Turns out, it is literally true!


1.The instruction manual or Western Civilization is the Bible. And it was used, specifically by America’s Founders, as the basis for our Constitution. Due to the influence of Karl Marx’s religion, you probably didn’t find that fact in government school.

2. The Bible offers the tiny nation of Israel as the model for many of our beliefs, and that is the meaning of the title above.

“Light to the nations (Hebrew: אור לגויים‎, romanized: Or la'Goyim; also "light of the nations", "light of all nations", "light for all nations") is a term originated from the prophet Isaiah which is understood by some to express the universal designation of the Israelites as mentors for spiritual and moral guidance for the entire world.” Wikipedia.




3. It is not just or Western folks. I found the universality represented in this article:

"How the Talmud Became a Best-Seller in South Korea

About an hour’s drive north of Seoul, in the Gwangju Mountains, nearly fifty South Korean children pore over a book. The text is an unlikely choice: the Talmud, the fifteen-hundred-year-old book of Jewish laws. The students are not Jewish, nor are their teachers, and they have no interest in converting. Most have never met a Jew before. But, according to the founder of their school, the students enrolled with the goal of receiving a “Jewish education” in addition to a Korean one.

...their teacher, Park Hyunjun, was explaining that Jews pray wearing two small black boxes, known as tefillin, to help them remember God’s word. He used the Hebrew words shel rosh (“on the head”) and shel yad (“on the arm”) to describe where the boxes are worn. Inside these boxes, he said, was parchment that contained verses from one of the holiest Jewish prayers, the Shema, which Jews recite daily. As the room filled with murmurings of the Shema in Korean, the dean of the school leaned over to me and said that the students recited the prayer daily, too, “with the goal of memorizing it.”
The reverend’s thesis is that the Jews have thrived for so many years because of certain educational and cultural practices, and that such benefits can be unlocked for Christians if those practices are taught to their children.

Outside, over bulgogi, Park Hyunjun laid out the goals behind his curriculum. “I would like to make our students to be people of God and to have charity just like Jewish people,”.....
How the Talmud Became a Best-Seller in South Korea




3. And now, from the South Pacific: “Despite what anti-Zionist ideologues might assume, the Jews of Israel are an inspiration for many Māori
Though I am Māori, I have for many years worked in and around Jewish issues—the memory of the Holocaust, advocacy for Zionism, and fighting antisemitism. But it is only in more recent years that I have become increasingly aware of the parallels that exist between my own claim to indigeneity and that of Jews to the land of Israel.” A Light for the Indigenous Nations


The author cites similarities between his Maori people, and the Jewish people, in claiming indigeneity in each of their lands.

The Maori as a sort of ‘Zionists.’

As long as those nations are WHITE and so-called "CHRISTIAN".

 

[rylah]

I am intelligent enough to make reasonable judgments without watching every minute and hearing every word. What I heard was sufficient for me to discount the man. I told you he said "their own lives which they should be attending to" about the anti-Zionist protests. How does he known what I should be doing?

My quotes are accurate.

He's an idiot because he presumes to know better than I do what I should be doing, that's an idiot right there, a bigot, a Jew supremacist with an entitlement complex,

It isn't complex, that's another canard intended to discourage people from learning things for themselves. I'm no stranger to complexity Rylah, I more or less single handedly taught myself the intricacies of general relativity in my late teens, I'm a skilled programming language designer and deal with complicated problem domains routinely so I know when to apply the word.

The Israel/Palestine situation is simple, it is that we are dealing with the consequence of a violent colonization of Arab occupied lands by a foreign, European nationalist movement called "Zionism". The lands were colonized by a Jew supremacist regime, unelected by the people over whom it was imposed.

The colonizers were foreigners, the majority of them were encouraged to migrate into Palestine by the Zionists and the British for years.

The colonial "state" embraced "settlement building" as a core objective, and that necessitates land acquisition and so Arabs were forced off their land and the land handed over to Jews.

This naturally upset the people who'd been made homeless and made into refugees and so they fight back and that's what you want to call "complex".

I told you I heard enough to enable me to decide he was an idiot, any person who begins by telling me what I should be doing is not someone I pay much attention to.

Your rapid dismissal of Rabbi Friedman’s argument after a mere brush with his discourse strikes me not as a demonstration of intellectual prowess but rather as an intellectual retreat. To decry his perspective as simplistic while boasting of your self-taught understanding of general relativity is, frankly, a paradox that undermines your claim to value complexity.

It's particularly ironic that you, a self-proclaimed master of complexity, would reduce the multifaceted Israel-Palestine conflict to mere 'colonization' and 'supremacy.' This is not just an oversimplification; it's an evasion of the intricate historical, cultural, and geopolitical layers that you of all people should recognize.

Calling Rabbi Friedman a 'bigot' and 'idiot' because he challenges you to consider what you 'should' be doing is an astonishing leap. Since when is prompting introspection a sign of idiocy? One might argue that refusing to consider well-founded viewpoints is a clearer indicator of such.

Moreover, your quickness to equate Zionist aspirations with colonial supremacy while ignoring the historical context of Jewish indigeneity in the region reveals a selective application of historical knowledge. If intellectual honesty is what you champion, let it apply universally, not selectively based on convenience or bias.

Might there be more to learn?

I challenge you to reconsider your approach.
Engage with Rabbi Friedman’s complete arguments.

What makes a self-proclaimed symbol of masculinity so insecure,
and so triggered by the very idea of listening to the old wise Rabbi?

​

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Your rapid dismissal of Rabbi Friedman’s argument after a mere brush with his discourse strikes me not as a demonstration of intellectual prowess but rather as an intellectual retreat. To decry his perspective as simplistic while boasting of your self-taught understanding of general relativity is, frankly, a paradox that undermines your claim to value complexity.

It's particularly ironic that you, a self-proclaimed master of complexity, would reduce the multifaceted Israel-Palestine conflict to mere 'colonization' and 'supremacy.' This is not just an oversimplification; it's an evasion of the intricate historical, cultural, and geopolitical layers that you of all people should recognize.

Calling Rabbi Friedman a 'bigot' and 'idiot' because he challenges you to consider what you 'should' be doing is an astonishing leap. Since when is prompting introspection a sign of idiocy?

Protesters very often protest, take to the streets precisely BECAUSE of introspection, that's the point you and the good Rabbi are missing.

One might argue that refusing to consider well-founded viewpoints is a clearer indicator of such.

Moreover, your quickness to equate Zionist aspirations with colonial supremacy while ignoring the historical context of Jewish indigeneity in the region reveals a selective application of historical knowledge. If intellectual honesty is what you champion, let it apply universally, not selectively based on convenience or bias.

Zionism was highjacked, it mutated and became political and nationalist during the 1920s and 1930s. It bears little resemblance to the aspirations of early Zionists who never envisaged a Jew centric nationalism.

It became increasingly associated with terrorism and even sank so low as to persecute anti-Zionist Jews, so one can only imagine how it was predisposed towards Arabs.

It sought to eventually occupy all of Palestine, just go and look as the speeches of Ben-Gurion and others.

I challenge you to reconsider your approach. Engage with Rabbi Friedman’s complete arguments. What do you fear about an old Rabbi, that makes you so triggered?

Might there be more to learn?

​

He parrots the tired old "human shields" claims about Palestinians, something I investigated in detail over twenty years ago, it is propaganda. Might I learn something from him? well its possible, it's possible I'd learn something from Donald Trump or Adolf Hitler but that doesn't mean I pay much attention to their ramblings.