When Israel Is Mighty
Maidhc Ó Cathail
The Passionate Attachment
June 18, 2013
In an otherwise excellent recent piece entitled “Implications of Israel’s Fraying Image,” Chas Freeman, like so many other respected critics of Zionism, attempts to distinguish between the increasingly discredited political ideology underpinning the self-defined Jewish state and the traditional religion of the Jewish people. Asserts Freeman:
Judaism is a religion distinguished by its emphasis on justice and humanity. American Jews, in particular, have a well-deserved reputation as reliable champions of the oppressed, opponents of racial discrimination, and advocates of the rule of law. But far from exhibiting these traditional Jewish values—which are also those of contemporary America—Israel increasingly exemplifies their opposites. Israel is now known around the world for the Kafkaesque tyranny of its checkpoint army in the Occupied Territories, its periodic maiming and slaughter of Lebanese and Gazan civilians, its blatant racial and religious bigotry, the zealotry and scofflaw behavior of its settlers, its theology of ethnic cleansing, and its exclusionary religious dogmatism.
One wonders if astute observers as Freeman genuinely believe these flattering descriptions of the Jewish religion or if they’re merely attempting to shield their political critique of Israeli policy from accusations of anti-Semitism. Rather than engaging in such a futile exercise, however, they would be well-advised to listen to Israeli journalist Yossi Gurvitz, who was raised as an Orthodox Jew and graduated from a religious yeshiva, describe what non-Jews can expect from Judaism “when Israel is mighty.”
Maidhc Ó Cathail is an investigative journalist and Middle East analyst. He is also the creator and editor of The Passionate Attachment blog, which focuses primarily on the U.S.-Israeli relationship. You can follow him on and Twitter @O_Cathail.
Hello. I have just discovered this 12:20-minute video of Yossi Gurvitz thru Information Clearing House (ICH). The information revealed is stunning. Many thanks to Maidhc Ó Cathail for the interview and video.
I’ve made a transcript of the video, because it is evident that everyone should have the information, and be just as stunned as me. If you would like for me to send it along to you, please give me an e-mail address.
Also, it seems that, if possible, the video should be dubbed in English, and presented with both English sub-titles and spoken English dubbing. The voice-over dubbing artist hopefully would be well chosen, in order to convey Yossi’s inflections, and sincerity.
If it should be needed, or possible, I would like very much to work voluntarily on such a dubbing project, tho’ not necessarily as the dubbing artist. I’m in the USA, and there are lots of talented voice-over artists in my area. Please respond, if possible.
Grady Ross Daugherty
June 24, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Can’t help you directly, Grady…but I completely agree that this video is very important and hope you’re able to do just that..
stevieb
September 4, 2013 at 1:56 pm
Stevieb, thanks so much for your comment and encouragement. Since my comment on June 24 of this year, I have not heard from Maidoc O Cathail, or anyone else; and I have let the idea of a well-dubbed version of the video rest. I had hoped that someone might respond in a helpful way, but your response is the only one, thus far, and I still do not have enough collaboration to press things further. If you cannot “help me directly,” then who might?
It seems to me that Israeli Jews, like Yossi Gurvitz, would do well to put forward a “one-state political solution” for the problems of Israelis and Palestinians, alike. Nothing could be more logical and reasonable than a democratic Israel-Palestine, for the long-term interests of all people of the area–as well as the coming generations.
A first step in such a one-state movement might be an art contest for Jewish and Arabic youth, to see who might design an appropriate national banner for such a state. This of course would shake things up on both sides, but also would force the issue into the foreground.
Thanks again for your comments. Cheers.
Grady Ross Daugherty
September 4, 2013 at 11:18 pm