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Heaven On Earth
Selichot for the As-a-Jew Progressive
Steven Plaut has put out a (perhaps too-) long list of selichot for the “Oslo Left.”
I had prepared a meditation for progressive, as-a-Jews, who feel compelled to flagellate Israel’s breast in front of the world:
- How often have I accepted uncritically a lethal narrative aimed at my own people, just in order to “look good,” to “save face” with my friends, who expect me to rise above being a tribal, Israel-firster.
- How often have I admitted to crimes on behalf of my people without checking to see if they were accurate?
- How often have I failed to speak out against the depravity of the Palestinian leadership, out of fear of being called a racist and an Islamophobe?
- How often have I allowed people who wish to destroy my people to use me to Jew-wash their genocidal hatreds.
- How often have I been tempted to become haughty and hate my people in my heart, and feed the flames of hatred against them, because their behavior shames me in front of my honor group, the “Hamoulah of the global Left”?
- How often have I, like Hannah Arendt, spent far more energy empathizing and even sympathizing with the sworn enemies of my people than with my people.
Suggestions for further ones – I’m sure there are many – are welcome.
How often have I tried to present myself as an authority on International Law when I was really had no expertise or understanding?
Hello Dr Landes.
I am not Jewish (Greek and atheist actually, and very-very pro-Israel) but i have felt the sort of emotions that you describe when I was studying in England. I was so struck by how backwards my own culture (Greek culture) was, compared to the English one (and I do not need to mention a lot, a mere comparison of how the two cultures view the acceptability of physical violence when one’s “honor” has been insulted should lead us to a safe conclusion), that I ended up criticizing with the harshest possible terms my compatriots.
For me, it was the fact of being small in size that (thank God) didn’t allow me to be successfully entrenched to the vulgarity of Greek culture – try protecting your “honor” when you weigh 55 kgrs and when, on top of that, you are not that aggressive to begin with. For Judith Butler I will venture that it must have been her lesbian sexual orientation, which must have earned her dirty (or, maybe, pitiful) looks, that led her to hate her own people, a reaction so typical (and, to my mind, so well justified) of homosexuals – if this sociological observation is true, then any society which does not grant full rights to homosexuals is not merely immoral, it’s suicidal).
But hating my people has not led me to the extremes that Judith Butler has been led to. I mean, I still view Greek culture as uncivilized, but I still recognize that the culture of Greece’s archenemy, namely Turkish culture, is even more uncivilized. Why on earth can’t Judith Butler see the Arab enemies of Israel (Hamas and Hizbollah come readily to mind) for the savages they are?
I guess Judith hates more than I do.
How many times have I used against Israel the term “apartheid”, which, apart from hiding the truth concerning the Israeli Arabs’ rights, creates delegitimizing associations with the former racist regime of South Africa?
Ok, I wrote the above for the pun of it, I don’t know any specific Jews that use the term, not because I do not encounter the term in the media, but because I don’t know if the occasional (and always smug) accuser is Jewish.
I will also offer an addendum to the sixth meditation:
How often have I, like Hannah Arendt, spent far more energy empathizing and even sympathizing with the sworn enemies of my people than with my people…, without caring that I’m hooking up with people whose abysmal aggression has turned them into the moral equivalent of the material that the (ante Herculem) Augean Stables were full of? (no reference to horses here, Arabic or otherwise).
How often have I, as an American Progressive Jew intent on lovingly showing Israel the tough love she deserves, attempted to convince Israel’s foolish leaders, and America’s wise ones, that I know better than Israel’s democratically-elected leaders what they must do to preserve Israel’s identity as a Jewish democracy.
How often have I, as an American Progressive Jew, just assumed that my smooth and cunning prose and superficial intellect will persuade all who read my one-sided, self-righteous condemnations of Israel that I really do know better than Israel’s leaders what is in the best interests of the Israeli citizens who elected them.
How often have I, as an American Progressive Jew, balked at acknowledging the naked anti-Semitism of so many whose causes I have decided to champion.
How often have I, as an American Progressive Jew, stretched the meanings of simple, clear words far enough to include their opposites so that I can give a “pro-Israel” message that is anything but.
CHOMSKY GRILLING LINGUICA Famous linguist and anarchist too
New Verse News Israelphobic pious progressive jew
Why do they do it? I think they are trying to make a deal with the enemy. They believe that if the enemies ever come for the Jews again, they will somehow be left alone. They are wrong and they are cowards. The Jew haters will take them first. They do not understand that the Jew hatred is so strong, so pathological that it would not make a difference whether they were court Jews or real Jews; all would be taken.