Debate on constitutional reforms in Israel between MK Simcha Rothman and Prof. Yaniv Roznai (video)

The Jewish Journal and the Tikvah Fund presented a video debate yesterday between MK Simcha Rothman, who is spearheading the controversial judicial reform plan in Israel, and constitutional law expert Professor Yaniv Roznai, moderated by journalist Shmuel Rosner.

It is a very good overview of the issues that have been dividing Israeli society. A very worthwhile video to watch.

The Jewish Journal says it will post a transcript for this debate, as of this writing I do not see it.

(h/t Yoel)

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Huge Yiddish cultural mural defaced in LA (updated x2)

This is a 60 foot wide mural in Los Angeles put up in 1998 for the Arbeter Ring/Workmen’s Circle Southern California campus, a secular (and socialist) Jewish organization.

Recently, it was defaced:

From The Jewish Journal:

A mural on the south side of the Arbeter Ring/Workmen’s Circle Southern California campus at 1525 S. Robertson Blvd was defaced with graffiti that reads “Free Palestine!!!!”

It was not immediately clear when the graffiti was spray-painted onto the building, as phones at the center were not answered on Thursday morning, Jan. 6 [sic - should be February], the day the Journal learned about the vandalism.

The wall-sized mural itslef – titled, ”A shenere un besere velt,” according to the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles (a Yiddish phrase meaning, “A more beautiful and better world) – depicts cultural, biblical and historical imagery. The imagery includes a menorah, Israelites wandering in the desert, a young girl waving Israeli and American flags, and more.

Artist Elisio Art Silva completed the mural in 1998, according to the conservancy organization.

Photos obtained by the Journal on Thursday morning by a Pico-Robertson resident who was driving by and spotted the defaced building show the graffiti spaning nearly the entire length of the building, which, according to the conservancy group, measures 60-feet-long and 15-feet-high.

Robert Adler-Peckerar, executive director of the L.A.-based organization Yiddishkayt, which is a frequent collaborator with the national office and local branch of Workmen’s Circle, said the message of the graffiti reflects an ignorance about the mission of the victimized group. He described Workmen's Circle as being historically committed to ideas of “social progress, equality, human rights, civil rights and the general pursuit of human dignity,” which includes promoting a “progressive, peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said.

“I feel like this [the graffiti] indicates something much more about thoughtlessness than about an actual commitment to a free Palestine,” Adler-Peckerar said in an interview. “And a tremendous amount of cultural illiteracy [on the vandal(s)’ part].”

The Arbeter Ring/Workmen's Circle has traditionally been a socialist movement, anti-religious but very committed to Jewish/Yiddish culture and what it calls "social justice." It would not be called a Zionist organization.

In its statement, it said:

“It is ironic that the slogan defaced the mural of an organization whose observance of kol nidre, a major Jewish holiday, includes an Arabic American singer leading the hymn, ‘Peace, Shalom, Salaam,’ and that includes the aspirations of the Palestinian people in our other secular Jewish observances,” the statement continues.

“We invite those responsible for the slogan-painting to meet with us to discuss far more effective ways of encouraging progress toward a lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian states and their peoples,” said Ruth Judkowitz, Chairmentsh (chair person) of SoCal Arbeter Ring/Workmen’s Circle.

This graffiti shows that to many supposedly "pro-Palestinian" activists, their target isn't Israel but Jews. It isn't "thoughtlessness" - it is hate.

It is a shame that an organization that says it pursues justice cannot recognize a hate crime and instead ascribes it to "cultural illiteracy." Even worse is its painful naivete thinking that more cowtowing can remove hate.

(h/t Doris, Bob K.)

UPDATE: New graffiti artists changed "Free" to another four letter word:

The Workmen's Circle response was that "this new defacement proves 'that there are idiots on both sides.'"

I think there are idiots on three sides here.

(h/t Rebbe Yell)

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