Amending the Ten Commandments: Thou Shall Not Criticize Israel

The title on Haaretz front-page online few days ago read: "Zionist group bans Goldstone from grandson's bar mitzvah"

Judge Richard Goldstone is a Jewish South African internationally respected jurist who made the grave mistake of accepting to write a report on the crimes committed by Israel and Hamas during the bloody Gaza War over a year ago in which over 1500 Palestinians were killed, more than two thirds of them children and civilians.

The opinion of Goldstone has put blame on both Israel and Hamas for crimes they did. That did not fly well with either group, but Israel has a strong reach and loud mouth, supported by its loud mouth chorus allover the world that pledge loyalty to the clan more than to the truth.

so, naturally he has been vilified ever since his critical report by all pro-Israel groups. The latest and the most nauseating action against him is what triggered this posting.

He has been 'barred' by pro-Israel group from attending his grandson's bar mitzvah, a major religious event for Jewish boys indicating the coming of age. It is a very important event in the life of the boy and his family. Here are some excepts from the Haaretz article:

Judge Richard Goldstone, who authored a damning report accusing Israel of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, has reportedly been banned by pro-Israel activists from attending his grandson's bar mitzvah in his native South Africa.
".... the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) and the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in Sandton reached an agreement with the Goldstone family under which the judge would not be permitted to attend the synagogue service in Johannesburg next month. "
The head of South Africa's Beth Din - or Jewish religious court - told the blog the court had not been officially involved in the matter, but that he supported the move as it spoke to the sentiments of many in the community .
... Kurstag said he believed Goldstone had done "a tremendous disservice not only to Israel but to the Jewish world. His name is used by hostile elements in the world against Israel and this can increase anti-Semitic waves."

One would imagine that someone with the title of "Head of Jewish Court" would act more like a judge with some commitment to truth and honesty, and not as a head of a self-centered and bigotted clan. But obviously that is too much to expect from him.

The behavior of that group, and many pro-Israel groups demonstrated intense ethnocentric fervor that in many case cannot be distinguished from racism. Why do I say that? Because a basic element of racism is a sense of uniqueness that entitles you and your group to be judged differently compared to other groups. You feel automatically that you deserve benefits, protection and special privileges just because you belong to the 'special group'.
Frequently what accompanies that sense of you being special is the sense that the others are out to get you just because you are special.

As a result, wrongdoings you or your group may be accused of should not even be mentioned by your own group members or others, because either:

1. You simply do not commit any wrongdoings. The others are only picking on you because you are special, hence the charge of anti-Semitism against non-Jews who are critical of Israel.
2. Wrongdoings you are charged with may be true, but you did it only because the others - with their 'hatred for you and your clan' - forced you to do it.
(Remember Golda Meir saying: I hate Arabs because they make us kill their kids”).
3. And even if your clan committed wrongdoings, and even if you could not find a way to use ‘the others made me do it’ argument, no one should talk about your wrongdoings, especially your own people, because it only re-enforces for the others that you and your clan make mistakes. That may open the door to holding you accountable - something you will not accept because you are special.

The label ‘Self-hating Jew’ that Judge Goldstone received before has, for long time been the standard charge against righteous Jews who dare to speak the truth about Israel (for example, Richard Silverstein, Normal Finkelstein, Anna Baltzer, and many others - see their website link below). Even Obama’s aids, Rehm Emmanuel and David Axelrod, received that honor for apparently taking their loyalty to the USA seriously and for advising the president in a way that did not seem whole-heartedly pro occupation, pro illegal settlements and pro Arab land grab.

The so-called head of Jewish Court, Kurstag, went on to say what I think his most sick and nauseating statement:

"I understand that he [Goldstone] is a judge, but he should have had the sense to understand that whatever he said wouldn't be good and he should have just recused himself. "

If the head of a Jewish ‘court' thinks like that, you can only imagine what kind of bigoted clan he is part of.

What is worse is that by the standard that the Jewish Court head prefers, Jews everywhere should recuse themselves before making decisions that may not be in Israel favor, even if they think it is the honest and right decision to make.

If one applies that standard to our government in the US , and considering how many Jews are in our congress, cabinet, military, National Security Council, White House high position, wouldn't that tantamount accepting that Jews will always have doubtful loyalty to their homelands, with Israel receiving their primary - if not the only - loyalty they have?

Would not that be called flagrant antisemitism? Only, in this case, it has the seal of approval of a head of a Jewish Court.

Khaled

Links:
'Paranoid' Netanyahu Calls Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel 'Self-hating Jews'- Hiffington Post
Report: Zionist group bans Goldstone from grandson's bar mitzvah - Haaretz - Israel News

Web sites of Righteous Jews that regularly receive the honor of being labeled self-hating Jews for being honest:
Tikun Olam (Richard silverstein)
Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Anna in the Middle East (Anna Baltzer)
Jews Against the Occupation
Norman G. Finkelstein