Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Elder of Ziyon
“We know no spectacle so ridiculous
as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality,” famously
observed the nineteenth-century British historian and politician Lord
Macaulay. These days, there is surely no spectacle more ridiculous than swarms
of hard-core leftists across the Western world declaring their revulsion at
“Islamophobia” and branding as “Fascists” or "Nazis" those worried
about the spread of – er – Islamofascism. We’ve seen plenty of the latter
type of ridiculosity here in Australia over recent days, in the wake of the
latest jihadist atrocity to take place in this land.
Runners-up in the Aussie “ridiculous
spectacle” stakes this week are the representatives of eleven leftist Jewish
organisations: Aleph
Melbourne; Ameinu Australia; Australian Reform Zionist Association; Habonim
Dror Australia; Hashomer Hatzair Australia; Hineni Australia; Keshet Australia;
Netzer Australia; New Israel Fund
Australia; Progressive Judaism Victoria; and Melbourne’s Shira Hadasha
Synagogue.
These have taken it upon themselves to
fulminate about the forthcoming visit to Australia of the controversial Israeli
political figure Moshe Feiglin, scion of a family well-known in the annals of
Australian Jewry. He has been invited to
address the Melbourne-based Beis Chabad Ohel Deborah. But
instead of expressing their misgivings privately, much less waiting to learn
precisely what Feiglin has to say before rushing to judgment, these eleven
organisations have taken it upon themselves to stir the pot and court maximum
publicity for themselves (and the Israel-demonising cause) by co-issuing a
press release condemning the decision to invite him.
“Moshe
Feiglin’s views on women, homosexuality and Palestinian citizens of Israel are
inconsistent with Jewish values,” these eleven organisations thunder. “They have no place in a modern democracy
such as Israel that was established on the principle of respecting the human
rights of all its minorities.”
(Observes a
prominent rabbi: “Let him speak in Australia and the
community can respond. Australia is a
robust democracy, it can handle diversity.
I am sure Feiglin will not be as controversial as some groups hope.”)
Getting
their fifteen minutes of fame via the self-indulgent press release are
office-bearers of the organisations concerned, a mix of men and women.
People such
as the president of New Israel Fund Australia: “The views of many people in the
Australian Jewish community do not line up with Moshe Feiglin’s which is why it
is important to point out when such anti-democratic values are being promoted.
NIF is working hard in Israel to bring different sectors together, promote
shared society and coexistence, and uphold the values of the Declaration of
Independence.”
People such
as the president of Keshet Australia: “The board of Keshet Australia, wishes to
express our concern regarding the proposed visit by Mr Feiglin to Australia.
Keshet aspires to encourage and teach inclusivity. Mr Feiglin’s philosophy is
diametrically opposed to our core values. Mr Feiglin has expressed views which
seek to oppose the inclusivity and rights of GLBT Jews. Keshet Australia
believes his views are damaging and hurtful to people here and in Israel. We
feel it is incumbent on us to highlight to the greater community that such
views are not held or supported by most Jewish people in Australia or
elsewhere.”
People such
as the president of Progressive Judaism Victoria: “We are concerned about Mr
Feiglin’s visit to Melbourne. He is a disruptive person in the Jewish world and
shares few values with the Jewish community.”
People such
as the acting president of the Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA):
“ARZA Australia supports discussion about sensitive issues in Israel, including
the treatment of minorities, the status of women and the issues of pluralism
and sexual orientation. However, such discussions should be respectful and
focussed on constructive dialogue. It is highly questionable if the views and
presentation of Moshe Feiglin meet these basic criteria.”
(Indeed, the
bloke who runs Aleph has fulminated additionally against the Jewish community’s
representative bodies: “Any Holocaust denier or anti-Semite would be hounded
out of town by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Anti-Defamation
Commission, yet despite these organisations calling for respect for LGBTIQ
people, they have remained silent on this visit from a person who does not
respect LGBTIQ people. That is
unacceptable. This man represents
intolerance and intolerance is unacceptable to a cohesive and safe community.”
[http://aleph.org.au/2015/10/09/mr-aleph-melbourne-expresses-alarm-at-melbourne-visit-by-moshe-feiglin]
I’m tempted to say, as would the late British
film director Michael Winner in his catch-phrase: “Calm down, dear”. Anyway, according to this report http://www.smh.com.au/national/chabad-hosts-rightwing-israeli-extremist-moshe-feiglin-20151009-gk57pb.html the chairman of the ADL – a
gung-ho supporter of Israel, so fear not, ladies and gentlemen – has expressed disapproval of Feiglin’s
“misguided and divisive comments”.)
I hold no
brief for Feiglin. But where were these
concerned leftists and representatives of Progressive/Reform Judaism last year
when, tossing female and LGBT equality aside, Australia’s largest Jewish
congregation, Temple Beth Israel, hosted two representatives of the Islamic
Research Education Academy (IREA), which is actively and centrally dedicated to
da’wah – the proselytising of non-Muslims – to participate in a concert in the
Temple last year? Where was their
concern for “Jewish values” then?
As the Islamist
pair’s subsequent remarks on social media showed, those two (whose views on
women’s role and status and on gays would probably make Feiglin’s look like
those of a Sensitive New Age Guy) could scarcely believe their luck in being
given the opportunity to address a huge crowd of Jews, and their brothers in
the IREA were suitably impressed.
An excoriating
analysis of the Temple event appeared on the Jews Down Under site [http://jewsdownunder.com/2014/06/21/melbourne-jewish-temples-interfaith-deception/]. Written by Pam Hopf, it pointed out, inter
alia, that a Temple description of the event went as follows: '[T]he second
half of the concert took on a different dimension, bringing “something new to
TBI’s sanctuary, the Muslim call to prayer, and a chanting of the 55th Surah of
the Koran. With this recitation Abdul Aziz al Mathkour and Brother Waseem Razvi
… revealed many points of commonality between Judaism and Islam in its
languages and texts.”
As Ms Hopf
observed: “Excuse my cynicism, but what
points of commonality can possibly exist when Surah 55 describes how Muslim men
will enjoy deflowering virgins in paradise, whilst the unbeliever will suffer
the torments of hell. For a community
that prides itself on being progressive, particularly with regard to gender
issues, it’s hard to see how they can condone this Surah, especially as there
is no promise that women can equally enjoy endless sex. The progressives
constantly berate orthodox Jewry for separating men and women during prayer,
yet apparently have no problem endorsing men using women for sex, which smacks
of hypocrisy. Moreover, if they truly believe in interfaith tolerance, they
should surely object to the fate that awaits non-Muslims....”
Regrettably,
nobody from the Temple or from the Progressive/Reform organisations was man –
or should I say woman? – enough to respond Ms Hopf’s reasonable and reasoned
article (I know it was read), or to admit publicly that in its affront to
feminine sensibilities the Temple had made an egregious mistake in inviting the
two Islamists to participate. Yet
imagine the furore that would erupt if a male Jew (Mr Feiglin perhaps?)
wandered into the Temple and recited this traditional Orthodox morning
recitation: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who
hast not made me a woman".
Incidentally,
the IREA hit the headlines only last week, when the press – in IREA’s eyes unjustifiably dubbing it an
“extremist” organisation – reported that it’s been on a da’wah mission at
Deakin University’s Melbourne campus.
That fact has not been lost on Paul Winter of Sydney, a Holocaust
survivor and frequent contributor to the letters column of the Australian Jewish News. In deploring the press release put out
against Feiglin by the eleven leftist organisations, Mr Winter comments on the
antipodean new service J-Wire’s site [http://www.jwire.com.au/rlrvrn-organisations-object-to-feiglin-views/]: “Feiglin is indeed on
the far right. So what? He is as entitled to his views as those on the far
left… The signatories to the statement are beyond belief! We have Jews
murdered in Israel, a junior jihadi murders a man in Sydney, the Islamic
Research and Educational Academy holds a session in Deakin Uni and they say
nothing … The statement is a sad reflection of a nasty social trend where the
politically correct want to shout down anyone who does not toe their line.
Feiglin is not coming to talk to Progressive Jews, but to Chabad. Don’t like
him? Don’t go to his talk. And if
the NIF is opposed to Feiglin, I’m for him. I believe Israel is living up to
the promise of its Declaration of Indep[end]ence. I’ve read the document and I
deplore NIF’s distorted interpretation of it.”
Observes another commenter: “I didn’t see a list of Jewish organisations
issue statements and objections when [the NIF’s] Naomi Chazan was brought by
organisations who support her views. Yet there are many organisations that
would consider her views extremist, divisive, destructive, not in line with
Jewish values, not constructive, not in sync with the majority of Australian
Jews etc etc. These organisations [the eleven]
cannot have it both ways. Free speech is OK until such time as the views of
that free speech don’t sit comfortably with their ideals and therefore need to
be shut down…”
And another: “The difference between Israeli society and
Israel’s Arab neighbours is that Israel ostracized Moshe Feiglin, but if he
held his views in Arab society he’d be called a moderate. SMH [Sydney
Morning Herald, part of the Israel-bashing Fairfax newspaper empire] staff
must be [overjoyed] at the opportunity to deride Feiglin. If only the SMH wrote
about the contrast between Israel and her Arab neighbours with respect to the
fact that Israel functions as an egalitarian society – women, LGBTs and all
ethnicities are equally protected by law. Arabs have held high office. Jews who don’t ignore molehills such as Feiglin’s
visit and contribute to the media’s anti-Israel opportunity should hang their
idiotic heads in shame.”
Among the
commenters on J-Wire are Michael Burd and Alan Freedman, who intend to
interview Feiglin on their show on radio J-Air.
Mindful of the damage the eleven have done in providing food – or should
that be acting as fools? – for the eager consumption of the Fairfax press [http://www.smh.com.au/national/extremist-rightwing-israeli-politician-to-visit-synagogues-20151009-gk57pb.html] Burd writes: “You have to scratch your head whilst Israel is being vilified day
and night in the media particularly by the Fairfax media these left wing loony
Jews provide Fairfax’s SMH a free
kick to publish more anti- Israel material … You have to ask do we
really need Jews acting as Palestinian Useful Idiots. How does it help Israel’s
cause particularly when one of the Looney groups NIF is one of the most controversial
Jewish based anti-Zionist extremist organisation in [t]he world?”
Quite so, Mr Burd. Quite so.
