When Lies of Omission Are Reported as Truth

Mourners at the funeral of a family killed by Hamas (Aljazeera)

Once again, the brilliant Jonathan Rosenblum has hit a home run. I rarely see anyone articulate the reality of Israel, her enemies, the attitudes of the world toward us, and our ancestral homeland… and why those attitudes prevail in our world today, better than Jonathan. In his latest column, he begins with the following observation about two of the most intelligent, knowledgeable, and articulate voices on that subject: Haviv Rettig Gur and Michael Oren.

They have indicated frustration with the very same thing that frustrates me. Here is how Jonathan put it:

“Needless to say, a lot of us have had it. I single out Haviv Rettig Gur, perhaps the most articulate voice in English explaining Israel to a Western audience, and Michael Oren, historian and former ambassador to the United States, precisely because they are normally so unflappable.”

The frustration is the consequence of what Jonathan calls “non-stop press and TV reports focusing on the suffering of the 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon forced to flee their homes…”

Watching news reports about this from the mainstream media, one would think that Israel simply decided one fine day to bomb Lebanon without provocation. The misery of those displaced Lebanese citizens who lived on the border with Israel is portrayed as though they had done nothing wrong and are suffering only because of Israel’s alleged desire to create a “Greater Israel” by taking over Lebanese land.

Indeed, PBS regularly features a foreign correspondent by the name of Simona Foltyn, who characterizes Israel as a genocidal country that could not care less about human life in its drive to take land away from its Arab neighbors. She recently interviewed displaced Lebanese civilians suffering in desperation because of the loss of homes they had lived in for decades, or even longer - because of Israeli bombs.

Not a word is said about why Israel felt it had no choice but to act, despite the numerous clear explanations of its existential need to do so. Rarely is Hezbollah mentioned other than as a ‘militant’ group fighting the mighty army of an oppressor nation.

Not a word about the fact that until October 7, 2023, Israel never in its entire existence - had any intention whatsoever of disrupting their lives. But when Hezbollah started firing over 200 rockets daily and indiscriminately across the border at Israeli civilians, forcing over 200,000 Israelis to flee their homes lest they fall victim to one of Hezbollah’s barrages, the media barely noticed.

Apparently, it does not matter when Jews are displaced. But when Israel decides to create a buffer zone so that Hezbollah’s stockpile of over 200,000 rockets can no longer reach Israel’s northern border, suddenly moral outrage erupts over displaced Lebanese civilians.

Also omitted is Israel’s concern for human life as it proceeded to create that “buffer zone.” Israel gave ample warning and ample time for Lebanese civilians living in that area to evacuate. Which most of them did. Israel’s targets were not Lebanese civilians, but Hezbollah terrorists, who actually could not care less about human life - even their own. The idea of sacrificing loved ones, even collectively, is an integral part of their theology...

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Antisemitism with Plausible Deniability

Bris Milah - Image for illustration purposes only (The Torah)

In yet another manifestation of institutional antisemitism — long a hallmark of Europe’s treatment of its Jewish citizens, the Mitzvah of bris milah (ritual circumcision) has come under attack. The way it is being attacked, however, is suffused with plausible deniability, since technically they are not attacking circumcision itself, only the Mohel – the observant Jew trained to perform it according to Jewish law.

Their argument sounds almost altruistic, claiming that any surgical procedure should be performed only by a licensed medical professional. In the case of a baby, that usually means a pediatrician. They consider the mohel to be a danger to the child, since most mohalim (plural of Mohel) are not trained in medical schools and therefore are not licensed to perform surgery.

To the layman, this might sound reasonable. In fact, if I had no knowledge of Jewish law and the practice performed on all male children established since the days of our patriarch Abraham, I too might opt for a trained physician rather than some rabbi with a scalpel. Who had not undergone the rigorous training doctors endure in order to graduate medical school and obtain a license..

One may then ask, how then could a newly passed law in Belgium be considered antisemitic in any way? On the contrary, anyone caught performing a circumcision without the requisite medical training and government licensing could be viewed as endangering the child upon whom the procedure is being performed. In that spirit, the following was reported in the Times of Israel:

“The Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office has proceeded to press criminal charges against three Jewish mohels for performing circumcisions... The claim is that circumcisions can be performed by physicians rather than certified mohels, on the grounds that the latter lack surgical training.”

If there were any merit to the claim that a circumcision performed by a certified mohel endangers a child more than one done by a trained medical professional, there would surely be some historical record of the many deaths resulting from a practice maintained for centuries

But there is no such record because the vast majority of circumcisions performed by certified Mohalim are highly successful and completed without incident. Rarely are there any complications, and in those rare circumstances where there might be, they can often be attributed to outside factors.

A Mohel is not just some random person with a scalpel…

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Rabbi Avi Berman and Christians

Yeshiva University president - Rabbi Dr, Ari Berman (Jerusalem Post)

I’m delighted to see a major rabbinic leader on the same page as I am with respect to interacting with Christian ministers. Rabbi Ari Berman has broken ranks with other Modern Orthodox rabbinic leaders who are suspicious of their motives - a suspicion that has often extended to other religious Christians who are not members of the clergy but nevertheless have huge followings, such as the late Charlie Kirk.

When Kirk was assassinated, many of us were saddened that the Christian voice of such a huge and vocal supporter of Israel was silenced. But far too many of us were suspicious of his motives, just as they were suspicious of the motives of evangelical preachers.

Whether they believed there was a hidden agenda of converting Jews or of pursuing Christian Nationalism, the feeling was to stay away from these people at best - if not outright disparage them as having nefarious ulterior motives.

I never saw evangelicals that way. Having done a deep dive into their rhetoric (by virtue of listening to hours of televangelists preaching to their thousands of followers on TV about Israel and the Jewish people) I never saw any motive expressed other than a sincere desire to receive the biblical blessings promised by God in the Bible: that they would be blessed if they blessed us. I never saw any ulterior motive for their support of Israel other than the biblical one in which God promised our forefathers this land as an eternal possession. Never a word about replacement theology

That said, I never lost sight of the fact that their eschatological visions was different from ours…

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Trump and the American Jewish Community

President addressing the Knesset upon the hostage release - illustrative (C-SPAN)

There’s a lot of hate out there right now for the president. Surely there are many things that make that hate very understandable - if not at all appropriate. I have not been reticent to criticize his many failings in the past. Many times. But I do not hate him. Far from it.

From the very beginning of his announcement as a candidate for the presidency, I thought there were few people less qualified for the job than Donald J. Trump. Which is why I held my nose and voted for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, the first time in 2016. As much as I didn’t like her policies, I nevertheless saw her as the lesser of two evils.

With respect to Israel, she would have continued the policies of her predecessor, Barack Obama, who - although seriously mistaken in his approach and attitude toward the Jewish state - believed he was helping rather than harming it. Clinton would’ve maintained that policy. Which would likely have gone nowhere in any case, since Israel would never have agreed to it. Even then, before October 7^th. I thought that Trump would be a major disaster in just about every area: completely inexperienced and incompetent to be the commander in chief of the United States and the leader of the free world.

As we all know, he won the election then and surprised me by doing something for Israel that no other president had ever done. Even after they had all campaigned on promises to do so. The president moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and has stood steadfast with Israel ever since, even though at times he has offered some pretty harsh criticism of its prime minister.

In other areas, the reviews have been mixed. I am totally displeased with some of his economic policies (i.e., tariffs) and am outraged by his pardon of the January 6th rioters. On the other hand, some of his domestic policies have been very positive for observant Jews who derive their values from the Bible. One of these was ensuring that retiring or deceased liberal Supreme Court justices - who favored humanistic values over biblical ones - were replaced by conservative justices for whom the reverse was true.

This, of course, did not please heterodox and secular Jews, who consider progressive values - such as those associated with LGBTQ advocacy - superior to the religious values. Those Jews were among the harshest critics of the president over the course of his first term and into the second, up to this point.

The president, who does not hide his feelings, strongly condemned these progressive Jews for not voting for him. Which they took as antisemitic attacks. Just as they did many other remarks about events and people that could easily be read that way.

The president is not only NOT an antisemite; he is, in fact, a philosemite...

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Joining the IDF - a Sin Too Great to Bear

Charedim at the draft office - illustrative (Arutz Sheva)

The stories of military fatigue among IDF citizen soldiers brought about by the intensity over the high risk of injury or death, and long tours of duty are, by now, the stuff of legend. Even for those who have not been seriously injured, or injured at all. Not to mention the toll this has taken on the mental state of far too many soldiers. Especially those suffering from PTSD, from which, in some cases, there has not been a full recovery. Which has even led to suicide in some instances.

The toll on family life and parnassa is incalculable. Many soldiers have lost their jobs or businesses, which could not be sustained without them during the long periods of IDF service required due to a lack of manpower.

As time passes and things do not return to the pre-war situation of relative normalcy, it will only get worse if there is no relief in sight.

The most obvious pool of available citizen soldiers that could significantly lighten the load for the rest of the country—the Charedim—are not yet sufficiently involved to make a dent in this desperate situation. Tours of duty have not been reduced, as the IDF stands ready to resume its attack on Iran at a moment’s notice, while at the same time confronting Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy “banging on Israel’s northern door.”

There has been a real effort by the IDF to attract Charedim of their own free will. Some have signed on. But as indicated - not nearly enough to make a meaningful difference. The IDF continues trying to find ways to entice them by offering to meet their religious needs. The need is so great that the idea of any ulterior motive—to undermine Charedi religious observance - is far from their intent, if it ever truly was.

I do not believe there is a single person with an ounce of fairness who cares about the welfare of the Jewish state and the Jewish people who doesn’t understand this need. Even Charedim in the deeper recesses of their mind. And yet those who so stridently refuse to join seem to blind themselves to this reality and insist that joining the IDF is tantamount to selling one’s soul to the devil.

They must realize that people are dying so that they can live. Yet they do not seem to see the injustice of their own exemption. They view it as an inviolable religious right. That they get to live while others may die appears beside the point. That the rest of Israeli society resents them for this approach and continues to suffer the consequences of war while Charedim go about their daily lives as though nothing is happening - either does not occur to them, or they simply do not care about Chilonim (secular Jews), since they are not Bnei Torah anyway.

I cannot begin to express how much it pains me to make these observations, since I otherwise greatly respect the sacrifices they make for the sake of learning Torah l’shma. And yet…

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Hatred of the Jewish People

In yet another disgusting incident in Jerusalem, a supposedly religious Jew was recorded pushing a defenseless French nun to the ground and moments later kicking her several times. The Israeli government reacted quickly and arrested him.

This is not the first time that religious Jews have attacked non-Jewish religious sites, clergy, or symbols. Whether physically, verbally, or symbolically. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last.

This is not OK.

The damage this kind of behavior does to the Jewish people is incalculable. And yet that does not seem to faze the perpetrators. They actually believe they are performing a fundamental mitzvah in opposition to idolatry, its symbols, and those who serve it.

Sadly, I have heard this kind of teaching before. More than once, and in more than one venue.

A few years ago, a local Chasidic rebbe in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn distributed recordings of a speech he made about the ‘proper’ attitude Jews should have toward goyim (non-Jews) . He began by saying that we must treat them civilly in our interactions and in public statements. But, he added, that internally as a matter of Hashkafa, we must hate them!

In another instance, I came across a Hashkafa shiur given by a high school rebbe to a group of impressionable students conveying identical sentiments. With even greater emphasis.

There are several ‘explanations’ for the phenomenon of instilling ‘hatred of the Goyim’ into our youth, An attitude reinforced well into adulthood.

One of them is based on a comment by the preeminent Torah commentator, Rashi, regarding Yaakov’s encounter with his ‘evil twin’, Esav: “Halacha hi, Esav sonei l’Yaakov” - it is a law that Esav hates Yaakov. Later Torah commentators have interpreted ‘Esav’ in this comment as a euphemism for all Goyim hating all Jews - throughout eternity. Sadly, Rashi’s observation has proven to be true in every generations since we became a people at Sinai.

But what that comment does not say is that we must hate them. While such hatred is an understandable emotional response to our history of being oppressed it is not a mandate. Nor is it true that every non-Jew hates us.

With respect to Christianity…

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It's Noty Bibi's Fault

Graham Platner

There is a narrative among liberal Jews that places nearly all the blame for the rise in anti-Israel sentiment in on Israel’s prime minister - a premise I completely reject.

I won’t go into detail about why I reject it, other than to say that those blaming the prime minister for increased anti-Israel sentiment might just as well blame his political rivals, who are all eager to see him leave. The very things related to the war in Gaza and now in Lebanon - that have angered so many Democrats - even (and perhaps especially) Jewish Democrats - are the same things Netanyahu’s opponents would likely have done. And are fully aligned with. Yet those same actions are cited as proof that Netanyahu is almost solely responsible for Israel’s negative image.

The most prominent of these accusations is the claim of genocide by the IDF. That is the central component of the criticism. Blaming that alleged ‘genocide’ on the conduct of the war under Netanyahu’s leadership. But as I have noted many times - his political opponents are unified in supporting the conduct of the war and uniformly reject the claim that there was any genocide by the IDF. The high Palestinian casualty count in Gaza was not due to Israeli intent. Israel took extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties during its military campaign against Hamas.

The casualty figures cited by Gaza officials—and repeated by the UN and the mainstream media - fail to distinguish between Hamas terrorists who were targeted and civilians caught in the crossfire. Nor do they account for the fact that Hamas embedded itself within densely populated civilian areas, including hospitals, precisely to exploit the negative publicity Israel would face from high civilian casualties.

Another frequent criticism of Netanyahu is his decision to form a governing coalition that included a right-wing extremist like Itamar Ben-Gvir. That concern may have some merit. But...

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Does Feminism Serve God?

3 woman taking the rabbinate exams after a four hour delay (Jerusalem Post)

I am once again forced to confront the tension between my advocacy for the equality of women in society and some of the contradictions that such advocacy can entail with my religious beliefs. This tension usually arises in areas where equality in certain roles intersects with halacha or long-held tradition. Such as the rabbinate.

I have always reconciled these competing values by placing ‘God’ before ‘man’. Meaning, my sense of equality is ultimately trumped by the will of God as expressed in the Torah. Whether explicitly stated or implied, and as it has been understood and practiced for centuries.

I am therefore opposed to the idea of a woman serving as a traditional rabbi, regardless of how well educated she may be in matters pertaining to that role. (The reasons for this long-held tradition are beyond the scope of this post.)

Although I supported the feminist movement in its earlier incarnations—when women were denied equal pay for equal work or were treated condescendingly by their male professional peers - that has long since ceased to be its primary purpose. Today, the goal often appears to be full equity in all areas, religious or otherwise. Unfortunately, this mindset has gained traction among not a few women in Orthodoxy.

This has resulted in a variety of positive developments, along with some negative ones. Some of which are direct byproducts of those positive changes. Women’s Torah education, for example, has advanced exponentially since the Beis Yaakov movement began - in the early 20^th century.

While there is no issue with women studying Torah at the highest levels they desiref, there have been unintended consequences. One of these is the demand by some women to be ordained as rabbis—a boundary that tradition has never permitted to be crossed. Yet there are some far-left Modern Orthodox rabbis who see no inherent problem with this, despite near-universal opposition from mainstream rabbinic authorities across the spectrum of Orthodoxy.

I have no problem with women studying Torah or being tested on their knowledge. But I do wonder why ordination is so important to some. My sense is that it is as much about breaking a ‘glass ceiling’ as it is about recognition of achievement. I say this because discussions by Orthodox feminists on these topics almost always include language reflecting that goal.

But breaking a glass ceiling is not what Judaism is about...

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Meanwhile, in Britain…

Guest submission by Paul Shaviv

4 Hatzalah ambulances were torched last March in London

The last few weeks – let alone months – have been traumatic for the British Jewish community (approximately 245,000, or less – at most 0.5% of the population).

Last Yom Kippur, a UK citizen of Syrian extraction drove a car into worshippers outside a Manchester shul. Two worshippers were killed, and several injured. In the last few weeks, three Jewish buildings have been attacked by arsonists; four Hatzala ambulances were destroyed by arson; numerous instances of Jews being harassed or attacked have been reported. A BBC documentary screened a week or so ago recorded Jews afraid to wear kippot or Magen David necklaces in public, or to be overheard speaking Ivrit. The leader of the rapidly rising Green party in the UK – think Mamdani – has used his Jewish status to proclaim his anti-Israel/anti-Zionist beliefs. A national newspaper has reported that ads for accommodation to let are beginning to specify ‘Zionists not welcome’.

All of this is the tip of the iceberg. Jewish-owned stores, and other businesses with Israeli connections (real or imagined) are being daubed or sprayed with red paint. Talk shows on radio are inundated with antisemitic and anti-Israel callers. For months, threatening pro-Palestinian demonstrations have paraded weekly through central London and other cities, sometimes in front of synagogues. And so on, and so on.

This has profoundly shaken Britain’s Jews, who long regarded themselves as well-integrated Brits, living in a tolerant and generally hospitable society. They no longer do.

What caused this turnaround? A combination of factors...

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Challenges to Morality by LGBTQ Advocacy

A few years ago, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg gave a talk about transgenderism in the Jewish community. In it, he described a devoutly religious, middle-aged male member of his shul who approached him and said he had struggled with this issue his entire life. He believed he was a woman despite being born in a man’s body and felt he could no longer continue living as a man. He asked a shaila (a halachic question) about whether he could change his sex.

Needless to say, rabbis do not often receive a shaila like this—or so I thought. I was surprised to hear Rabbi Goldberg say that when he brought the question to a recognized, world-class posek, he was told that he receives this shaila several times a week.

Rabbi Goldberg then went on to discuss sources suggesting that transgenderism is not a new phenomenon, beginning with the creation of Adam, who was initially created both male and female in one body.

His point was that we should approach this issue with sympathy. People who struggle with it should not be ridiculed or ostracized. They should be treated with the same loving-kindness we extend to anyone facing challenges beyond their control. This, he emphasized, is the Torah’s way.

This has always been my view. But it is decidedly not the view of general culture. Many have concluded that the only humane way to treat transgender people is to regard their identities as entirely normal and to celebrate their choices. Choices they are - in a free society - entitled to make.

That is not, of course, the Torah’s perspective. What Rabbi Goldberg did not say is that it is permitted for a person to change his or her sex. According to Jewish law, it is forbidden. It is also forbidden for a person to live as a member of the opposite sex even without surgery. Cross-dressing is explicitly prohibited by the Torah.

Whether an exception could be made for someone who might be suicidal if unable to transition is a question I do not believe has yet been fully addressed by qualified poskim. It is also unclear whether threats of suicide - or the high rates of suicide among transgender individuals - would qualify as pikuach nefesh. A life and death issue which can override Torah prohibitions.

This approach differs significantly from the current progressive societal view, which does not take biblical values into account and often discards them as inhumane. Advocacy groups such as LGBTQ organizations argue that people should be free to live as they wish: “Who are they hurting? Let people be who they want to be.”

Religious people see it differently. It is one thing to empathize with human suffering; it is another to celebrate behavior long considered outside the norm as fully normative.

In a First Things article, Carl R. Trueman, professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College, discusses both the positive changes and the ongoing challenges facing those who continue to value morality as defined by the Bible. A framework that guided society for thousands of years until things began to change in the mid 20th century... 

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