Shekoyach. Yours and your grieving but righteous Palestinian friends' position of mercy is the position of strength here. I'm fed up with the sneering attitude that refusal to pursue revenge is a soft or less meritorious, less JEWISH, way to live. That is the same mentality that looked down on the Jews of Eastern Europe. It's the same mentality that thinks toughness of heart (the uncircumcised heart) is what Ha Shem wants. To them I say, "Read the Torah."
Thank you Peter for these powerful words. Dehumanization corrupts. It will not keep us or anyone safe or free. It will destroy the very Jewish values we center our faith and tradition on. It is a profound betrayal of our history and our future.
Thank you, Peter, for the link to the Palestinian family's GoFundMe page. Please continue to provide links to opportunities to support the Palestinian people. I appreciate it very very much.
Peter - you speak with integrity and very powerfully. So many of us are feeling left without Jewish communities that we can hold up as 'light unto the nations'. Thank you for your clear description of your ideas of a moral community and also for reminding us of the connections to Jewish teachings. It helps me remember that we have crucial moral teachings in our tradition. I think of that every time I see or hear about the thousands of olive trees destroyed by settlers in the W. Bank. Even the trees are not being spared the horror.
While Netanyahu exploits the deaths of the Bibas family, a woman asks him “What did you do to save them”?
In an interview on the ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol BaRama on Sunday , Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vaturi, of the far-right Likud party, called for the killing of all adults in Gaza, stating, “The children and women must be separated, and the adults in Gaza must be eliminated. We are being too considerate.” He also referred to Palestinians as “scoundrels” and “subhumans.”
Vaturi is the same MP who ahead of Israel’s Hague hearing in January 2024, reiterated his call to “burn Gaza.”
After what Israeli Jews have done in Gaza, mainly to innocent people, they can’t afford to call anyone names.
Another person who regularly defends Israel, Melanie Phillips.
Melanie's latest article online, with a version in today's New York Post.
'The death cult of lies'
The Palestine cause has knocked the west off its moral compass altogether.
Melanie writing about the Bibas children, states, "What kind of people would want to murder a baby and a toddler?"
Obviously, Melanie hasn't been following the genocide by Israel in Gaza, or as far as Israel is concerned, she "sees no evil, hears no evil, speaks no evil".
I do agree with Melanie though, about the parading of hostages before their release to the red cross. That isn't helping anyone.
Yeshar Koach. The whataboutism all around is absolutely excruciating. NO captive should emerge from captivity looking cachectic. NO human being should be abducted, abused, or exploited. NO child should die a horrific death.
That being said, while I lit a candle and said words for the Bibas family at a Shabbat dinner at my congregation, it’s still not acceptable to say “and if I stood here and only said the names of Gazan children who have died horrible deaths over the last year, I would be doing nothing but that for two hours”.
But one horror does not, and cannot ever justify the other.
Peter, you write about "the terrible news about the Bibas family there, the terrible way in which they were returned kind of paraded around"
But then you don't explain what *you* thought was "terrible" about the way the Bibas bodies were "kind of paraded around". I'm not saying I disagree with your one-word characterization, just saying that I would have expected some insights into understanding your judgment, which in general is the reason why I subscribe to your newsletter. Then you go into detail about why Muhammad Shehada and Khalil Sayegh objected to the "parade". Valuable to hear their perspectives, but this comes across as "In my view, this parade by Hamas was terrible; now I will let these Palestinians explain to you why it was terrible."
Amazing education on language, intention, translation and humanity’s responsibility regardless of religious affiliation or none in my case. Demonstrations of deep convictions of one’s words and their meanings matter. This is your Life’s purpose now… I’m honored to be your audience … I feel educated and my mind and Being motivated and highly aware. Well done.
Thank you Peter. Your being and your remarks lift my spirit. I'm so glad I found you, and after listening to a few podcasts, i subscribed with a monthly and not nearly enough automatic deduction from my bank. You and your guests speak the important of this long standing
the sorrow of losing friends mixed with the gift of building moral community. thank you for this example of integrity. thanks for the courage, encouragement and invitation to embody integrity in daily life.
Shekoyach. Yours and your grieving but righteous Palestinian friends' position of mercy is the position of strength here. I'm fed up with the sneering attitude that refusal to pursue revenge is a soft or less meritorious, less JEWISH, way to live. That is the same mentality that looked down on the Jews of Eastern Europe. It's the same mentality that thinks toughness of heart (the uncircumcised heart) is what Ha Shem wants. To them I say, "Read the Torah."
So powerful words. A true inspiration in these dark times!
Thank you Peter for these powerful words. Dehumanization corrupts. It will not keep us or anyone safe or free. It will destroy the very Jewish values we center our faith and tradition on. It is a profound betrayal of our history and our future.
Thank you, Peter. The response by the mainstream Jewish community and it's many leaders is disgusting.
Thank you, Peter, for the link to the Palestinian family's GoFundMe page. Please continue to provide links to opportunities to support the Palestinian people. I appreciate it very very much.
Peter - you speak with integrity and very powerfully. So many of us are feeling left without Jewish communities that we can hold up as 'light unto the nations'. Thank you for your clear description of your ideas of a moral community and also for reminding us of the connections to Jewish teachings. It helps me remember that we have crucial moral teachings in our tradition. I think of that every time I see or hear about the thousands of olive trees destroyed by settlers in the W. Bank. Even the trees are not being spared the horror.
While Netanyahu exploits the deaths of the Bibas family, a woman asks him “What did you do to save them”?
In an interview on the ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol BaRama on Sunday , Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vaturi, of the far-right Likud party, called for the killing of all adults in Gaza, stating, “The children and women must be separated, and the adults in Gaza must be eliminated. We are being too considerate.” He also referred to Palestinians as “scoundrels” and “subhumans.”
Vaturi is the same MP who ahead of Israel’s Hague hearing in January 2024, reiterated his call to “burn Gaza.”
After what Israeli Jews have done in Gaza, mainly to innocent people, they can’t afford to call anyone names.
Thanks to Peter for his compassion.
Another person who regularly defends Israel, Melanie Phillips.
Melanie's latest article online, with a version in today's New York Post.
'The death cult of lies'
The Palestine cause has knocked the west off its moral compass altogether.
Melanie writing about the Bibas children, states, "What kind of people would want to murder a baby and a toddler?"
Obviously, Melanie hasn't been following the genocide by Israel in Gaza, or as far as Israel is concerned, she "sees no evil, hears no evil, speaks no evil".
I do agree with Melanie though, about the parading of hostages before their release to the red cross. That isn't helping anyone.
💔❤️🩹🙏🏼
Yeshar Koach. The whataboutism all around is absolutely excruciating. NO captive should emerge from captivity looking cachectic. NO human being should be abducted, abused, or exploited. NO child should die a horrific death.
That being said, while I lit a candle and said words for the Bibas family at a Shabbat dinner at my congregation, it’s still not acceptable to say “and if I stood here and only said the names of Gazan children who have died horrible deaths over the last year, I would be doing nothing but that for two hours”.
But one horror does not, and cannot ever justify the other.
It would take more than two hours.
Peter, you write about "the terrible news about the Bibas family there, the terrible way in which they were returned kind of paraded around"
But then you don't explain what *you* thought was "terrible" about the way the Bibas bodies were "kind of paraded around". I'm not saying I disagree with your one-word characterization, just saying that I would have expected some insights into understanding your judgment, which in general is the reason why I subscribe to your newsletter. Then you go into detail about why Muhammad Shehada and Khalil Sayegh objected to the "parade". Valuable to hear their perspectives, but this comes across as "In my view, this parade by Hamas was terrible; now I will let these Palestinians explain to you why it was terrible."
Amazing education on language, intention, translation and humanity’s responsibility regardless of religious affiliation or none in my case. Demonstrations of deep convictions of one’s words and their meanings matter. This is your Life’s purpose now… I’m honored to be your audience … I feel educated and my mind and Being motivated and highly aware. Well done.
Thank you for this midrash.
Thank you, Peter. What a powerful message!
Thank you. Maimonides should be better known. I learned to appreciate him recently via this talk: https://www.scientists4palestine.org/universalism-vs-orientalism/
Thank you Peter. Your being and your remarks lift my spirit. I'm so glad I found you, and after listening to a few podcasts, i subscribed with a monthly and not nearly enough automatic deduction from my bank. You and your guests speak the important of this long standing
quagmire.
the sorrow of losing friends mixed with the gift of building moral community. thank you for this example of integrity. thanks for the courage, encouragement and invitation to embody integrity in daily life.