How nice. Apparently, army ceremonies in Israel “have become Jewish mirror vision of Hezbollah events.”
Thank you, Dror Ze’evi, for writing this piece.
… what bothered me the most was the blatant religious content. During the brief ceremony, no fewer than three religious figures took the stages, all of them IDF rabbis if I’m not mistaken. They read prayers and biblical verses and spoke about the land being promised to Jewish people.
… The message conveyed in the ceremony, both openly and between the lines, is that the military is an arm of the settlement enterprise. The rabbis, the prayers, the songs, and the texts were almost entirely religious, and we can assume that the ceremony served as a brief reflection of the atmosphere that prevails later on during the service; an atmosphere that the parents don’t see.
… The defense minister and top defense officials must embark on an in-depth examination of the slow process whereby the army’s character is changing. They need to reexamine the way religious figures are integrated in the establishment in general, and in swear-in ceremonies in particular. They should also create a binding text for pledge-of-allegiance ceremonies that would allow for, if we insist, a mention of God, yet avoid altogether blatant religious content.
What really stood for me in the article are these two parts: “the military is an arm of the settlement enterprise” and “spoke about the land being promised to Jewish people.“
Pretty disturbing I must say.
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Drima, a few points:
Dror Ze’evi was primarily concerned about the fact that there were religious military officials, representatives of the IDF Rabbinical Corps that is there to provide for all the religious concerns of soldiers (non-Jewish included), whose role has always been to provide motivation and strengthen fighting spirit, to educate on Jewish values, to assist religious Jewish soldiers with Halachic rulings on matters pertaining to their service, handling the fallen, including identification and military burial services, providing Kashrut certification and supervision to military kitchens (so that, well, religious soldiers can actually eat in them), as well as handling divorce and marriage of soldiers should they desire to do so with a military Rabbi.
Now, here’s the thing - Israel is primarily a country of Jews, built by Jews, populated by Jews, and it’s meant to be the national home of… well… Jews. Pretending that Jews don’t have a national religion, a rich historic heritage which covers both our national and religious past (which were largely one and the same), and so on… that’s a bit silly. So Dror Ze’evi comment regarding military Rabbis taking the stage (three people out of what, over 20? I’ve been to such ceremonies, Drima - the number of people who take to the stage is staggering) to also talk about the religious Jewish aspect of Israel and military service angers me quite a bit.
What angers me further is that he takes two or three speakers at a huge ceremony and turns that into a reference to “Hezbollah ceremonies” and “settler enterprise” - neither are relevant. The former is a generalization of the following kind - “if one mentions religion, and the other mentions religion, then both are fanatical indoctrination ceremonies meant to erase any free choice or free will the soldiers have and reduce them to automatons in the service of a Divine that clears them of all guilt.” Hezbollah ceremonies are a mix of religious indoctrination and political personality cult activity set around the current leadership - this is the same as letting a few religious officials take the stage and talk about matters more closer to the heart of religious Jews in the crowd? Really, now?
And what did it have to do with settlers? Yes, the Jewish faith clearly outlines that the Almighty gave the land of Israel to the Jews, and that this is where we should live - that’s one of the basic reasons we’re here in the first place now! If we didn’t hold a connection to this land, be it national or religious (and frankly, there’s little difference between the two for Jews), why would we be here? There’s a clear difference between “this is where we should be” and “go and take all of old Israel by force” - that line was not crossed from what Ze’evi relates, so he’s contradicting himself quite badly.
His preference appears to be to make it as secular as possible. So what do we do, make the religious Jewish soldiers feel like they’re a secondary concern, and that the Jewish heritage connected to their beliefs isn’t really of import? We’re not a secular, multi-religious and multi-cultural country, Drima. We’re primarily a Jewish one. I’ve yet to meet a Druze, Circassian, Christian, or Muslim (yes, they do exist) soldier in the IDF who was concerned by the fact that the IDF primarily focuses on Jewish concerns - their religious holidays are strictly kept, and Jewish soldiers sometimes get booklets or emails to teach them about the major holidays their non-Jewish comrades are observing. And no one ever forces a non-Jewish soldier to celebrate Jewish holidays or to attend events celebrating them.
Were I a Jew in a country that had a predominant majority of another religion or culture, I would expect it to be noticeable in the military as well. I’d be the minority, and while I’d ask for the local military to allow me to observe my holidays, I would not ask them to remove *their* content to make *me* supposedly feel more comfortable. The army is only meant to serve as a “neutral” and “religion free” in a country that is centered around its multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-religious society.
And to me, it seems that Dr. Ze’evi has a very different Israel in mind.
This is just political correctness in its extreme form. Although I’d prefer to see no religious service connected with the army whatsoever, the secular I am, but it would be silly to deprive way more than 80% of the soldiers a nice religious service. That the other way less than 20% of the people haven’t got their service is sad but not something to nag about. Perhaps a seperate service would be nice for them.
And honestly, I doubt they bother. If the Dutch army is going to celebrate christmas, because the majority is christian, you do not hear the others starting to nag, do you?
(the 80% vs 20% is an exaggerated distinction. There are more Jews in the Israeli army than just 80% as for many non-Jews the army is not compulsory)
“Yes, the Jewish faith clearly outlines that the Almighty gave the land of Israel to the Jews, and that this is where we should live - that’s one of the basic reasons we’re here in the first place now!”
Islam also teaches that Allah gave the land of Israel to the Jews and I wonder if the IDF wouldn’t have Druze or Muslim clerics who might bring that up occasionally?
Good grief, how do so many Zionist trolls wind up here? Roman, thank you for the recitation of the Zionist (NOT Jewish) narrative of what you think Palestine is. The reality of course is that Palestine has *always* from ancient times to the present been a multicultural melting pot. It is those who have attempted to impose ethnic homogeneity on the place that have always fail, and the Zionists will simply be the next in line.
To Drima’s point, I basically agree, but on the other hand, come on, this is what the Zionist enterprise has always been about. Zionism has always been a bizarre mix of violent European colonial nationalism and religious extremism. Now, it is worsening now as the Zionist state’s internal contradictions are growing more extreme just as French Algeria’s contradictions and Apartheid South Africa’s contradictions did in the years preceding their collapses. I suppose the lesson to be learned here is that things will get better and a multicultural democratic state to reflect the realities on the ground is coming, but it’s going to get ugly (darkest before the dawn) before it does. The increasingly publicly extreme nature of Zionist religious fanaticism should be expected to continue. And as that public fanaticism grows, the external pressure to accept equal rights for all regardless of ethnicity or religion will grow as well (witness the growing strength of the BDS movement, right of return activism, etc.)
“Zionism has always been a bizarre mix of violent European colonial nationalism and religious extremism.”
I don’t see how people can be colonial in their own homeland. The Jews are not Europeans - that is why they have always been persecuted there, like the Gypsies.
And the original plan of the Zionists was to buy land in Israel, not to invade by force. There was never any violent event like William the Conquerer landing in England.
“Roman, thank you for the recitation of the Zionist (NOT Jewish) narrative of what you think Palestine is.”
What is Palestine?
I remember the Romans called Israel “Palestine” to insult the Jews. And even today anti-Semites call it “Palestine”.
When will this European thing go away?
“I don’t see how people can be colonial in their own homeland.”
It’s weird yes. And I don’t see how the Arab invaders became the natives.
But it happend all over the Arab empire. Remember Tamazgha? It’s the native Imazighen name for what the Arabs call the “Arab Maghreb”, the Arab West.
I think it’s time for the Arab empire to be dismantled.
Arab:
“The reality of course is that Palestine has *always* from ancient times to the present been a multicultural melting pot. ”
Well…does that not apply for just about every place on earth except for a few isolated islands or something?
So EVERY significant country in the world has had various “invaders” and population shifts and Israel, I am sure, is one of the leaders in that category. You think the Palestinians are some “pure breed” and not a mix of Greeks, Europeans, Arabs, Cypriots, Turks and every other group that conquered and raped their way across that little dot.
I am not a super religious guy…but yup…I do believe God promised Israel to the Jews…so call me Zionist…I will try to get over it.
Thing is…Israel does not have to be the mess it is…and the IDF does not have to be what it is…but there is another group that just keeps trying to kill us instead of coming up what some kind of agreement about sharing…
I have no problem with a religious element in these ceremonies, and aside from incitement…folks can do what they want. I have never heard a Hizbollah or Hamas rah rah session…but I bet you they tend to be a WHOLE lot more poisonous that what any of the rabbis had to say.
Half my family is made up of people currently in or are former IDF members and scores of friends. Their “brainwashing” has resulted in every single political opinion on the spectrum including my wife who used to march for Peace Now but was “Intifada” into a Sharon and Natanyahu supporter…as I have been myself.
And a troll apparently is somebody who does not agree with Mr. non-Arab or does not hate Israel…interesting.
Hating Israel is SUCH a reflexive reaction in the funny mix of the Western Ultra Left and the Muslim Ultra right…it just amazes me because they, otherwise…has a POLAR OPPOSITE value system…
You know…I spent the week with very good Iranian Shia friend. We talk about his stuff…I asked him…
“Dude…since the revolution…Iran is basically an Israel hater. I said dude…how many Iranians have been killed by Israeli’s?”
His answer “none”
How many by Arabs?
His answer “over history up to the war with Saddam…millions and millions”
But to many or most…ISRAEL is the evil one…like the Palestinians give a rat’s fucking ass about Iranians? Hell…they supported Saddam.
But I digress…
Israel is a democracy…a Jewish state which has a population that is about 25% non-Jewish and add another 30% or more that don’t give a shit about Judaism…that many views should be presented in a public setting like an IDF ceremony…I am all for it.
Dudes…
I mean…is there really any REMOTE comparison?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256799051562&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
From the article:
“Muhammad’s army will be back to wipe off the Hebrew state.”
I think it would be a blast if Muhammed’s army really did come back. All those fake Muslims like Hamas would be very very surprised I am sure.
Good grief, how do so many Zionist trolls wind up here?
A troll is someone who deliberately posts in forums, blogs, or article comment sections in an attempt to start a conflict and thus prevent any constructive debate therein.
So far, you are the one who has done this, not me.
Roman, thank you for the recitation of the Zionist (NOT Jewish) narrative of what you think Palestine is.
Even the most fanatical member of Neturei Karta, the one who sincerely believes that he is the only true Jew on the planet and all other Jews are apostates that he must fight against, even if it means colluding with people who clearly and openly wish harm to other Jews… even this Jew has the same Torah, the same books and scrolls of the Tanakh, and the same Talmudic writings as I do.
And guess what? They say that the Almighty promised the land to the Jews, and that Jews should be in this land and that there are religious duties and obligations that may only be fulfilled here, and nowhere else. The difference is, he (the NK fanatic) believes that any Jew who so much as considers cooperating with Evil Secular Rebels Against the Divine (TM) is a traitor to Judaism, and that we should all keep our heads down until the Messiah arrives.
The reality of course is that Palestine has *always* from ancient times to the present been a multicultural melting pot.
Palestine did not exist in ancient times. In ancient times, it was Judea and Israel. Before that, it was Cana’an. And Edom . And a bit of it was Egypt. And so on. It has also been conquered by numerous ancient empires, and a few recent ones. To me it seems you have a problem not so much with the most recent conquest by the British, and the subsequent rise of Israel and what could have been (if not for Arab nationalist belligerence) the rise of the state of Palestine at its side, but with a twisted perception of Zionism that is based almost entirely on the dehumanization of the “enemy”, thus making it easier for you to keep him as said enemy.
It is those who have attempted to impose ethnic homogeneity on the place that have always fail, and the Zionists will simply be the next in line.
Funny you should say that… the last people who attempted to impose actual homogeneity here were Muslim rulers of the Ottoman Empire, toward the end. Jewish immigration into the land was under strict limits, and Jewish prayer rights in Jerusalem were being limited.
“Funny you should say that…”
I wonder if the anti-Zionists even know what “ethnic homogeneity” means. It seems to me that there is a certain conflict with supporting the “Palestinian cause” (”throw the Jews into the sea”) and pretending that one is against ethnic homogeneity.
“It is those who have attempted to impose ethnic homogeneity on the place that have always fail, and the Zionists will simply be the next in line.”
Please explain.
Are you saying that the Zionist movement, which settles “Palestine” with Jews from all sorts of different countries, including Europeans and Ethiopians, is all about “ethnic homogeneity”, while the “Palestinian cause” with its demand for a Jew-free “Palestine” and an Arab-only country is about heterogeneity?
Whats a non-Arab Arab anyway?
The land of Canaan was promised to Ibrahim son Ishaq(Issac) only if He and his descendent remained in obedieance to the Laws of Alh, The Canaanites were idol worshippers and Caanan was a secular society, based on man made laws.
Thus, Ishaq descendents were exiled from the land of Caanan, because they also became idol worshippers and in deuteronomy it states that curses would follow a disobedient descendents of Ishaq. The land of Isreal is faced with many problems, first it is a secular country, not based on the laws of alh, there is secular law, according to the Torah secularism is a sin. Secondly, there are groups of people living in the state of Isreal that are not descendents of Ishaq, one of them is the ashekanazi tribe, if you go to the Torah or old testament in the bible in Genesis Ashekenazi is a descent of Noah son Japhith. Ibrahim and his son Ishaq are descendents of Noah’s other son Shem(Sem). Ashekanazi”s are converts but not of Ibrahims Bloodline from his son Ishaq(Isaac).
Thus, the land of Isreal and the Land of Palestine are in disobediance, for the law states, thou shall not Kill, this is one of the commandments, nobody care, because none of them are descendents of Ibrahim. for the most part the descendents of Ishma’el and Ishaq are sitting back watching a bunch of fake descendents of Ishmael and Israel feud over a little piece of land that donot not belong to either group. The real descendents Of Ishmael and Isreal are quiet, they are having family reunions with one another, and their in prayer you see their cousins and their to dark to be called by the west or called by the fake arabs , the descendents of abraham. When the Messiah returns the true descendents of Ibrahim will be with him and the obediant converts., you see they are not participating in this worlds madness, they are at peace and in prayer.
“The land of Canaan was promised to Ibrahim son Ishaq(Issac) only if He and his descendent remained in obedieance to the Laws of Alh, The Canaanites were idol worshippers and Caanan was a secular society, based on man made laws.”
Canaan was not a secular society. They very much based their laws on the religion associated with their city gods.
As for Israel’s obedience to G-d’s will, that is for G-d to decide, not you or the Arabs.
“Secondly, there are groups of people living in the state of Isreal that are not descendents of Ishaq, one of them is the ashekanazi tribe, if you go to the Torah or old testament in the bible in Genesis Ashekenazi is a descent of Noah son Japhith.”
I wouldn’t worry about that. Ashkenazim were named after the place they lived at, not after their ancestor. If their name is a problem for you, just name them after the ancestor instead and the “Ashkenaz” element will be gone.
“for the law states, thou shall not Kill, this is one of the commandments”
The law does not say “not kill”, it says “not murder”.
A non Arab Arab? No wonder this NAA is so incoherent.
And by the way - Jewish IS Zionist, unless you’re a moron. The religion and the land is inextricably linked.
Equating the religious element in the IDF with Hezbollah is a cheap and poisonous equation. Hezbollah is a self-declared Islamic movement which, along with all the other Islamic movements want to eliminate every Jew in the world and take over Israel and the world via jihad.
Jews just want to live in their land - Israel. All these Arab invaders - who think that their pedophilic Prophet Muhammed authorised their godly mission to dominate the world with Islam - are violent cowards who want Jews and Christians either dead or dominated.
Amazing that so many Arabs can’t let go of this tiny land and concentrate on developing their own vast countries instead. Not like there isn’t enough room!
Firstly, In the Torah, in Devrim(Deuteronomy) chapter 6 verse four it states that : Hear O Isreal: Yuhuwa Alh is One. “Canaan based their laws on the religion associated with their city Gods.” as was stated in a blog above. Secularism is based on laws instituted by men. Isrea’el existence is based on laws instituted by AlH. In Iberu(Hebrew) the name for the almighty is ALHM, ALH, AL, his description is Yahuwa meaning He is. The name of the letters in the word ALHM is Aleph, Lamed, Hei, Mem; in hebrew. Take the first letter from each, example : Aleph first letter is A, Lamed first letter is L, Hei first letter is H, Mem first letter is M. It spells ALHM, these are the letters for the almighty in the Torah, in other places in the Torah the MEM(M), the letter M is dropped, which leaves us with ALEPH, LAMED, Hei, which spells ALH when you take the first letter from the name of each letter, for Aleph, Lamed, HEI, MEM is the name of the letter. Hashem, Adoni, are substitutes for the name ALHM, ALH, AL, because the jews say that ALHM, ALH, AL and Yahuwa are sacred names so they won’t say the name, so they substitute the name with Hashem and Adoni. ALHM in transliteration is ALLAHUM, ALH is ALLAH and AL IS AL. Thus, the Torah and The Quran were both commanded to worship Allah if you read Hebrew you will be able to see the spelling. This pieace of land was given to Isrea’el by Allah, so that Isra’el the son of Ibrahim and his descendents would be able to live there in peace to worship Allah, and obey his commandments, as oppose to other tribes who like the canaan worhipped other dieties and man made laws. Worshipping other dieties beside Allah and man made laws is secular. Thus in the Torah in chapter Devarim(Deuteronomy) in chapter 28, Yahuwa Allah said that He will put a curse on any person in the tribe of Israel that disobeys His commandments. This do not apply to the christians because they believe that jesus is ALH which is fallacy according to the tribes of Isra’el and tribes of Ishma’el descendents of Ibrahim.
When the tribes of Israel was disobediant Yahuwa ALLAH dispersed them by removing them from the land when they worshipped other dieties beside ALLAH and followed man made commandments. Thus, the tribes of Israel are supposed to worship Allah and follow the commandment of Allah. Thus, according to YAHUwa Allah Israel cannot be a secular state, Because Israel’s contract with Allah is to believe That YUHUWA ALLAH IS ONE and keep his commandments. Thus, an Israeli should be able to go to a mosque(masjid) an worship ALLAH and a Muslim should be able to go to a Irsraeli temple(synagogue) to worship Allah, since they are worshipping the same ALLAH, for Ibrahim had two sons(Ishaq and Ishma’el) that was raised by the same father who was Ibrahim, Ibrahim taught his two sons about AllAH. The ones that are fighting are converts, The palestinians are converts, and most of the people livng in Israe’el are converts,(and very few are desendents of Ibrahim) The tribes of Israe’el and Ishma’el descendents are cousins, their tribes have the names of Israel descendents, and Ishma’el tribes have the names of Ishmael’s descendents, some have been mixed by invading tribes, but they are not fighting each other they are living in peace and tranquility. The tribes of Israel are not the enemy of his cousin tribe of Ishmael,Tribes of Ishma’el are not the enemy of Israel. The enemy is the Devil and those who follow the Devil.
Those who want to follow the peaceful way of life must follow the peaceful way of Yahuwa ALLAH. YAHuwa ALLAH said: Thou Shall not KIll(murder). So Stay Home and live in peace.
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