Drawing the line
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January 30, 2013
Last week, The Sunday Times of London ran an obscene anti-Israel cartoon by Gerald Scarfe, a well-known caricaturist. It depicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu constructing a wall out of the bodies of Palestinians, and sealing the bricks with their blood. The cartoon conjured up a host of anti-Semitic images, especially the vicious Blood Libel. Times publisher Rupert Murdoch was quick to offer a “major apology” for the “grotesque, offensive cartoon.”
Although the apology was welcome, the fact of the cartoon suggested the ways Israel remains singled out for criticism in the West, with commentary that goes well beyond politics and policy to condemn the legitimacy of Israel and the humanity of the Jewish people.
Countering such tendencies can be hard, but this Sunday’s Step Up for Israel Advocacy Summit in Whippany aims to give participants the tools they need. Experts from Jewish communal groups will share tips and techniques for effective outreach to the media, church leaders, and other organizations, as well as provide essential background on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Organizers of the summit — including the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and the NJ American Jewish Committee — are encouraging people of all backgrounds to learn what it takes to deter attacks on Israel’s legitimacy and help craft effective responses.
The CRC represents a community that seeks peace through a negotiated solution that ensures justice and security for all sides. But justice and security will remain elusive so long as influential leaders, opinion-makers, and media demonize Israel. So come to the summit. Add your name to action alerts and petitions. And push back against those who seek to weaken Israel through misinformation, false accusations, and centuries-old intolerance.
For more information, see related article.
Comments
rosenberg
February 05, 2013
I AM CALLING FOR A NATIONAL BOYCOTT BY JEWS OF ANY INTERFAITH HOLOCAUST PROGRAM WHERE HATIKAVAH IS INTENTIONALLY EXLUDED DUE TO MUSLIM PRESSURE OR CLERGY WHO SUPPORT THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE. PLEASE GET THE WORD OUT. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG
. I have bowed out of the local interfaith Holocaust service, because it was a custom to include Hatikvah at the end, but now some Christian groups object as they support the Palestinians and the Muslim Imams would either sit or leave during the Hatikvah. Perhaps interfaith Holocaust programs no longer make sense, at least to me. I do not need the stress of seeing disrespect being afforded to Israel and nor do I wish to compromise by leaving Hatikvah out. This is a personal choice and I DO NOT ADVOCATE ANYONE NOT PARTICIPATING IN ANY INTERFAITH HOLOCAUST SERVICE. I INTRODUCED INTERFAITH HOLOCAUST SERVICES IN 1974 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IF NOT THE FIRST TO DO SO. This was a difficult decision for me based on personal principle. The interfaith Holocaust memorials started as well intentioned way for the Jewish people and other groups to pause and reflect on man’s capacity to perpetuate unbelievable cruelty against his fellow and to commiserate as a group and oHolocaust survivors and athers, with the Jews and hopefully prevent this nightmare from reoccurring. Over the years it was understandably modified to include other victims of genocidal mass killings, though these mass killings were not really analogous, as the Nazis were obsessed at not just killing Jews as a competing group, but Hitler desired to eliminate our creed and it’s pervasive influence on humanity, particularly Christian doxy. As a result of Muslim participation and twisted liberalism, this is morphing into a twisted canard where Israel is being blamed for perpetuating ethnic killings against the Palestinians as the Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis. One can understand the Islamo-Nazis belief system with a quote from the Talmud. We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG, CHILD OF refugee born in a D.P. camp.