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| Sephardi Chief Rabbi, David Yosef (VIN) |
This has happened many times to the president. I am not
going to bother repeating the ‘evidence’ brought to try and substantiate that
view of him. Needless to say, for anyone with an objective eye, no one has been more
supportive of both Israel and an opponent of antisemitism than he has been.
The latest conservative victim of an accusation like that is the late Charlie Kirk. A quick Google search provided me with a list of such accusations, which basically amounted to criticisms I have made myself about the liberal nature of the majority of Jews in this country. Most of whom are either secular or heterodox. Whose knowledge of their own religion is about the same as my knowledge of quantum mechanics. Kirk’s point was generally that the majority of American Jews are their own worst enemies by providing huge financial support to institutions whose values have become inimical to Jewish survival. Even as they incorrectly believe the opposite to be true.
A clear example of such a Jew is Sally Kornbluth, president
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Asked by conservative Republican
representative, Elise Stefanik at a congressional hearing whether ‘calling for the genocide of Jews’ would
violate her school’s code of conduct, Kornbluth responded by saying it would
depend on the context. And yet schools like MIT receive a great deal of funding
from Jews like Kornbluth, who applaud her tolerance of speech calling for death
to Jews as a matter of free speech!
(Interestingly Stefanik herself has been accused of antisemitism - but was honored by Yeshiva University for her staunch opposition to it.)
Kirk was right about Jews being their own worst enemies. That
hardly made him an antisemite. Because if it does, I guess that makes me one
too, since I’ve said the same thing. I’ve even gone further and said that the
worst antisemites in the world are the Jewish ones. Because they are used by real antisemites as evidence that their virulent hatred of Zionist Israel is not antisemitic
since so many Jews are now anti Zionist as well.
If Kirk was truly an antisemite, I doubt Israel’s prime
minister would have said about Kirk the following:
A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” the Israeli prime minister wrote on X. “I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.”
In that vein, VIN reports the following:
The Rishon Le’Zion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef, sent a letter of condolence on Monday to the family of Charlie Kirk…
In his letter, the Chief Rabbi emphasized that Kirk always stood on the side of truth, justice, and the People of Israel, and even described him as an extraordinary figure whose modest yet firm approach influenced many.
Rabbi Yosef noted Kirk’s significant contribution to strengthening support for the State of Israel and combating antisemitism around the world, stating that the entire Jewish people share in the pain over the loss of such an important figure.
Is it possible that someone that DOES know a thing or two
about Judaism, the Chief Rabbi of Israel just publicly praised an antisemite? I
doubt it.
But that will not stop liberals around the world from trying
to paint him that way. Just as they have with other conservative supporters of
Israel and the Jewish people. Because to a liberal, it is impossible for a
social conservative not to be a closet antisemite. Especially if they are
religious Christians like Kirk.
Just go to Chapgbt and ask for anti-Semitic statements by Charlie Kirk. Certainly, at least dog whistles to anti-Semites and make your own determination.
ReplyDeleteIssue is why is it that RW leaning politically Jews can't accept the possibility that someone can be both anti Muslim and anti-Semitic. Certainly, a natural belief for some believing Christians against those who reject fundamental beliefs that they have. Thus, can be pro-Israel believing a necessary step to Armageddon. I am not taking a position one way or the other-but certainly over the top nonsense peddled by R Mentz on FNC referring to Kirk as Avraham Avinu is over the top.His death one way or the other belongs in US political blogs not a week before Yomim Noraim in a Jewish blog.God can judge him, we have no reason to anymore one way or the other.
Kirk was not 'dog whistling'. That would mean that he is secretly an antisemite, And I just don't think he was. What I WILL say is that antisemites might think he is by his making statements like that. I think it was a mistake to say those things even if they are true. For precisely that reason.
DeleteDog whistling to anti-Semites is done all the time by opportunists who are not anti-Semites. Sen Cruz did that in 2016 in Iowa primary referring to New York values.
DeleteThe accusation of 'Dog Whistle' is a way to malign a person not through any direct statements, but a perceived inference. These accusations may be valid such attacks on Israel masking underlying anti-semitism, but may simply be nonsense.
DeleteI have seen obvious 'Dog Whistles' ignored and others that are made up.
He accused Jews accelerating the decline of moral values in America by imposing their liberal ideologies through their control of Wall Street, Hollywood, and colleges.
ReplyDeleteBut it’s hard to figure out who or what is antisemitic these days. A liberal who genuinely loves Israel but condemns its Gaza war policy is considered by some to be antisemite.
… But a MAGA commentator who supports Netanyahu but accuses liberal Jews of undermining American moral values is not antisemitic
DeleteYou are not an antisemite. But some who condemn Israel’s Gaza war policy are. And supporting Netanyahu certainly doesn’t make someone an antisemite. And sorry to say that people who support the LGBTQ agenda that classifies gay sex to be just as moral as heterosexual sex DOES undermine traditional American values. And most heterodox and secular Jews support the LGBTQ agenda.
DeleteOpposing the LGBTQ agenda is not just a politically conservative view. It is the view of those of us that believe in the sexual mores of the Bible.
A substantial part of the LGBTQ agenda is to force normalizing and acceptance of their behavior on the population as a whole. And on those they perceive as opposed to them (meaning religions.)
DeleteThat was me.
DeleteProblem is that this commenting what does not require identifying oneself, defaulting to anonymous.
By the way, I'm not one of the other anonymouses.
no doubt to those of limited intelligence and/or discernment, a characteristic of a number of commenters on this blog, Kirk was a anti-Semite.
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/itamarbengvir/status/1965896327167955394/photo/1
ReplyDeleteAlso, the shabbat observance video from UK university
That was me.
DeleteThank you 'no_name' for clarifyng. I assume that you just forgot to fill in your name.
DeleteOnce again - posting as 'anonymous' is against the commenting rules here. It is and confusing. If you want to remain anonymous, please choose a pseudonym and stick with it. This way commenters will know who they are responding to - and who is responding to them. If more than one person uses the name 'anonymous' It will be impossible to do that. So I ask once again, those posting as 'anonymous' to please stop doing so in the future
I’m no longer anonymous.
DeleteI'm not sure how to avoid commenting as anonymous It seems to ask for an URL as well as a name. But maybe this will work.
DeleteFor Kirk, יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ,.
ReplyDeleteYemach Shemo? Why?
DeleteHe said slavery wasn’t such a bad thing for Blacks. He said that it was a mistake for Congress to give Blacks, other minorities, and women the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (An example of his views on Blacks: “[P]rowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people" in urban America.”) He said the separation of church and state is a “fabrication.” He said that the U.S. must be governed by Christians, by which he meant white Christians. He favored re-criminalizing LGBTQ sex.
DeleteHe said abortion is worse than the Holocaust (one of many comments disparaging Jews and specific Jewish concerns); he wanted to ban abortion even in cases of child rape. And he believed in the great replacement conspiracy, in which, in his words, “is a strategy to replace white rural America with something different.” Different from white.
For many years, repeated this stuff carnival-barker style from coast-to-coast, on the Internet, colleges campuses, and in writing. He was quite influential.
He successfully peddled race hatred and intolerance.
So, DSF, you must think that Tyler Robinson performed a public service murder. And that should be followed by erasing Kirk's evil name from existence to boot.
DeleteI have not heard anyone - even on the left - call Kirk a racist. Most commentators even in the MSM referred to him simply as a conservative. Some calling him a far right conservative. But not one person called him a racist.
I obviously disagree with the sentiments you say he expressed. But I have to believe they were taken out of context. Else there would have been a lot more discussion about his peddling racist views. Especially in the MSM.
I
No. I think a Robinson performed a heinous act when he murdered Kirk, for which he should be given the maximum punishment allowed by law. Murder of a prominent political activist can only undermine free debate and weaken the democratic process.
DeleteFor many years, liberals, and other common-sense observers had repeatedly called out Kirk for his open racism and white nationalist sympathies. Just Google “Kirk racism” and behold the many Internet and printed reports and commentaries on this aspect of Kirk’s ideology, including those issued by mainstream sources.
Kirk’s racism was blunt and unambiguous. You can’t bury the plain meaning of his ideas on this subject by suggesting they were misunderstood, subtle, subject to interpretation, or taken out of context.
Given that you routinely call liberals self-hating Jews, would it surprise you to learn that liberals might view you in a similar light?
ReplyDeleteI don’t hate ANY Jews. Myself included. I’m not sure if I ever used that term about other Jews. But if I did, it was obviously meant to imply that there are Jews that hate the very idea of being identified as a Jew.
Delete(I'm still Isaac)
DeleteThanks, that's exactly what I meant. Others view you through the same lens, but from the other end of the telescope.
You can still use the name Isaac. In fact I prefer people use their real names - same as i do. But I do not require it. The only name I don't like is 'anonymous;
DeleteNo, his point was NOT that liberal/secular Jews (the vast majority of Jews in the US) are their own worst enemies. His point was that they’re America’s worst enemies.
ReplyDeleteBut Bibi liked him, so I guess he gets a free pass in your view.
P.s. Bibi didn’t like him, and he was starting to turn on Israel in his last few months. Does that angle the equation?
Really? How do you explain the Chief Rabbi’s beautiful eulogy then?
ReplyDeleteThe eulogy wasn’t beautiful. Netanyahu’s eulogy was disgraceful.
DeleteYou can cherry-pick some of the things he said and claim they are consistent with Jewish biblical principles or right-wing Jewish sentiments about the moral decline of America. Much of the rest of his thinking was hardcore MAGA. And much of it encouraged his followers to embrace his belief in the replacement-theory conspiracy, under which liberals are supposedly trying to replace poor and working-class whites with dark-skinned immigrants from South and Central America, Africa, and Asia, thereby creating a non-white voting majority to destroy the white Christian roots of American society, government, and law.
POLITICS. Trump treats Kirk as a saint-must lick his boots now-see Cabinet meetings puts praise of NK leader to shame. Over the top conservative FNC Lubavitch Rabbi stated Kirk was Avraham Avinu-believe anything in politics.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile - in the most disgusting public statement yet, Smotrich tells us that Gaza is a “real estate bonanza…waiting to be carved up”. My blood runs cold. Is that what our soldiers are getting killed for? Reaction from Bibi - nothing.
ReplyDeleteSmotrich essentially gave voice to Trump’s dreams of turning coastal Gaza into a series of glitzy high-end resorts, hotels, shopping plazas, golf courses, and casinos. Trump wants this display of wealth to be owned or operated by Trump International, or, if it’s the best he can get, owned by a syndicate of Gulf kingdoms and principalities and a few other investors, including Trump International and sovereign wealth funds of the sort he’s now trying to establish in the U.S.
Deleteשתי גדות לירדן: זו שלנו, זו גם כן
MK Smotrich is just looking to assure Western support for controlling Gaza.
DeleteBTW, Trump international is just a licensing company. Besides the Trump DC (which he hasn't owned for years), he doesn't own or operate much in terms of hospitality industry.
DeleteDon't know who is telling the truth but Megyn Kelly maintains quoting Owens that Kirk had problems with Israel too. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/K6oPOvpQz0k
ReplyDelete>> A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” the Israeli prime minister wrote on X. “I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.”
ReplyDeleteHe adopted the reasoning of some people who argue no cell phones are a very beneficial part of Shabbos (although this is very recent) and was asking a Rabbi to give him arguments to use in defending Israel
Right now about half the questions he was getting were about Israel and Gaza.`
The Jewish Press published an article this week on pages 11 and 15 about Kirk and Israel.
https://israel365news.com/412302/charlie-kirks-murder-leaves-a-void-and-a-new-model-for-defending-israel
By the way some foreign agents (or anti-Semites, but more likely the former) have come up with a strange theory blaming Israel for his assassination.
. You would think you might think some people would have wanted to eliminate a pro-Israel voice on the right, but no these people found a twisted way to suspect Jews supporting Israel or Israel itself.
From the Bulwark:
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/charlie-kirk-conspiracy-theories-roil-maga-media-groyper
InfoWars host Harrison Smith gained a lot of attention this weekend for “reporting” that Kirk, a longtime supporter of Israel, supposedly feared for his life after making a few comments critical of Israel. The implication being that the Israeli government was somehow involved in the shooting.
The idea that Israel or Jews were behind Kirk’s death got a big boost on Monday, when right-wing pundit—and Kirk friend—Candace Owens alleged on her show that Kirk had been threatened by wealthy donors over criticism of Israel, and that billionaire Bill Ackman specifically confronted him about it. Ackman denied arguing with Kirk, according to Owens, who is currently embroiled in a defamation suit involving the president of France and his wife, whom she has baselessly alleged is transgendered.
Is any Christian by definition anti-semitic if they believe that Christianity replaced Judaism?
ReplyDeleteIs any Muslim both anti-Semitic and anti-Christian because in the case of Judaism, they too believe they replaced Jews and in the case of Christianity, they believe their trinitarian belief system violates God's commandments?
Are atheists anti-semitic because they believe our faith in God is primitive superstition?
The problem we have is at what point do these difference cross into what we should consider anti-semitism. It gets onto the notion of 'dog whistle' which hold so much indirection as to create issues of interpreting comments. These terms malign people's character and before we throw stone, we need to have source material as to why we judge anyone negatively.
Can Christian polemic against Judaism be considered anti-semitic? I saw a video of one minister doing so, but in his polemic, he defined the Jewish perspective as most Jews would define it. The difficulty we have today is that disagreements are not necessarily hate. We have to use our common sense to figure it out. Simple minds tend to view things in a binary way.
Delete