I've recently experienced some pushback for my views on Israel -- not the substance of my views, so much as my eagerness to write about the country at all, as it experiences its political upheaval.
The pushback comes in two forms. There are the antisemites who tell me that if I care so much about Israel, I should register as a foreign agent, and maybe even be investigated by the FBI.
Then there are Jews in Israel who tell me I have no business commenting on Israeli affairs because I did not serve in the Israeli army and I do not pay taxes there and I have the luxury of living here.
To the first group, I would simply say this: I love America, and I believe that many of the best American values draw directly from the Judeo-Christian tradition that contemporary Israel keeps alive.
Moreover, America's founders included people who drew inspiration from Jewish texts and principles. Some even hoped, one day, to see a Jewish state in the Middle East -- a restoration of Israel.
Among these was John Adams, our second president. There were many others. And George Washington himself said specifically that the persecution of Jews was hostile to the idea of America.
One can certainly support Israel and be a loyal and patriotic American citizen. Both countries share the same values and interests. To deny Americans the right to be pro-Israel is to limit our own freedom.
And if you think that America cannot abide a people living within it who have another spiritual homeland, or a different set of religious laws -- well, join a long list of failed haters, dating back to the Bible.
To those on the other side, I would say: I love Israel, and over the past 25 years I have made the case for Israel, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, to boost support for Israel and Israel‘s security.
You may not experience that directly, but it does have an effect. You are correct that it is not really my business what kind of judicial system Israel has, although I am certainly entitled to an opinion.
However, when people in Israel start referring to their government as a dictatorship, that is very serious because much of Israel’s support from the rest of the world depends on it being seen as a democracy.
So it is something I must investigate and decide for myself. With respect, most of the judicial reforms Israel is debating are quite democratic, and less radical than the system we have in the U.S.
Most of our judges are elected directly, and our prosecutors. (This is partly the legacy of reforms by Andrew Jackson, 200 years ago.) Even those judges that are appointed are chosen by elected politicians.
One of Israel's proposed reforms would allow the elected Knesset to choose judges. Unless you think the United States is not a democracy, that reform is entirely compatible with democracy.
Therefore, while even I do not agree with all of the reforms, I feel an obligation to argue against the idea that Israel is a dictatorship, or that Israel is going to become the Jewish version of Iran.
These claims undermine support for Israel in the United States, and therefore, they are dangerous for Israel‘s security, as well as for the safety of Jews outside Israel, even if you do not see that directly.
I also do not want to see the radical tactics of some (not all) of the protesters succeed in Israel, because then Israel will never again be safe, and because those tactics will eventually be used here as well.
I may not have served in the Israeli military, etc., but I believe I have an obligation to state my view. And given that some Israelis appear to agree with me, it might benefit you to hear what I have to say.
This week'd portion begins the book of Numbers. Interestingly, the Hebrew name for the book is "In the Desert," not "Numbers." The portion, which happens to be my bar mitzvah portion, focuses almost as much on the names of the princes of each tribe as the number of soldiers it fielded. It also focuses on the configuration of the tribal camps around the central Tabernacle and the Levites.
So why "Numbers" instead of "Names" or "Places"? The numbers are, to be sure, a unique feature of the opening of this Biblical book -- but they are not the focus of the rest of the narrative. The Hebrew focuses on the place where the events in the book take place, because essentially this is the narrative of the Israelites' wanderings from Egypt to Israel, across 40 years. We move from the giving of the Torah and the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus and Leviticus, to the final valediction of Moses in Deuteronomy -- Bamidbar is the story of wandering that happened in between.
The question of ...
This week's portion begins with the laws of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical year, and the Jubilee year that restores all land to its original (tribal) owners. It also explores laws of property and labor that will apply in the Land of Israel, and the laws of vows and inheritance.
The Israelites are presented -- not for the last time -- with the essential moral choice that they must face, and the rewards for choosing well, along with the consequences for choosing poorly.
We learn that doing good things will earn God's protection from enemies. That does not mean that victims of terror, God forbid, were sinful. But it does mean that we can respond to evil by committing ourselves to a higher path.
This week's portion describes the major sacrifices that are to be offered by the Jewish people, including those that are offered only by the priestly Kohen class, and physical requirements of the people (men) who serve in that role.
Inter alia, there are interesting commandments -- such as an injection to treat animals with respect and care, first, by letting a mother animal nurse her offspring for a week before being offered in any sacrifice; and second, by refraining from slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day.
The commandments regarding animals remind us of the purpose of those regarding human beings: to uphold a divine connection, through ritual.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111878/jewish/Rabbi-Isaac-Luria-The-Ari-Hakodosh.htm