Suddenly, a speech by John McCain's brother, Joe, is making the rounds on the internet. I have received it over twenty times in as many hours. And although it's not new (it was given as an address to a synagogue in St. Louis in 2002), both it and the reception it is receiving are quite telling. I hope that you will read it in full and tell me what you think it means.
The talk includes the following lines:
There is a lot of worry popping up in the media just now -- "Can Israel Survive?" Don't worry about it. It relates to something that Palestinians, the Arabs, and perhaps most Americans don't realize -- the Jews are never going quietly again. Never. And if the world doesn't come to understand that, then millions of Arabs are going to die. It's as simple as that....And many will die, mostly their attackers, I believe. If there were a macabre historical betting parlor, my money would be on the Israelis to be standing at the end. As we killed the kamikazes and the Wehrmacht soldaten of World War II, so will the Israelis kill their suicidal attackers, until there are not enough to torment them....The Jews will not go quietly again.
Frankly, I find his appreciation of the centrality of Israel to so many Jews inspiring, his sense of the ferocity with which Israelis would defend their state largely accurate, and his apocalyptic version of the story combined with a somewhat skewed history to support it, quite troubling. To begin with, his use of the term, "the Jews" is a misnomer. There is no such thing as "the Jews", except in the twisted fantasies of anti-Semites who imagine an annual conclave at which we all gather to elect a leader and spread across the world in some mutually agreed upon nefarious fashion.
Secondly, no matter how much McCain's original audience, or any since, appreciates his remarks; the dark apocalypticism in which they are couched is really not so healthy. The doomsday scenario that he predicts, even if accurate, is surely not the basis upon which to support the existence of the State of Israel anymore than a relentless campaign of suicide terror is the basis upon which to support the creation of a Palestinian state.
His claim that "Throughout the history of the world, the most abused, kicked-around race of people have been the Jews", is hardly something of which to be proud, or the consciousness which should produce a commitment to continued Jewish existence. If the only reason we persist in existing is to prove that we can keep on existing, then it's probably time to hang it up. Not to mention that Jews are hardly the only ones who would make this claim. I have heard it from Native American Indians, Koreans, and so many more. And in each case, such survivalist understanding of identity proves bad both for those who subscribe to it and for those around them.
It's bad for those claiming it because they loose touch with any larger purpose to their existence as a community. They end up with no understanding of themselves beyond the winners of some agonizing endurance contest. If that is all that is left of Jewishness - and it is NOT - then I would be the first to encourage us all joining some other club. It's like I told a friend of mine who was obsessed with his children remaining Jewish so that they could vigilantly fight against anti-Semitism.
When I asked him what they should fight for, not against, he really couldn't tell me. So I told him that if he could not answer that question, I had a much better solution to anti-Semitism: mass conversion to anything else. My point was not that it was a good idea, but that an identity worthy of maintaining is worthy because of that which it does both for those who affirm it and for the world in which they live, not simply because one likes having something for which to fight.
So I appreciate Joe McCain's words, but would appreciate them even more if they understood the fierce connection that so many feel to Israel because it is the great opportunity for Jews to take charge of their own destiny, create a good society, to nurture the only true democracy in the Middle East, to serve as a global leader in advancing medical and technological capacity, and so much more.
Israel is far from perfect and will never realize its full potential until it helps all those in the region to find a home of their own. But there is so much that is good, that we should focus on what the world would lose if it lost Israel, not how bloody the fight would be if that possibility ever looms before us.
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
To BH, Brother, I would NEVER in a million years make a competition. I assure you, we BOTH serve the same GOD. I love the Jewish people, they are my Brothers and Sisters even though I may be beat up time after time when I say so. I worship the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Please believe me once again, I would never step on your faith, I was talking to ALL NON Jewish people, let's face it, if your not a Jew, your a Gentile. If I offended you in any way, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for responding to my comment.
Henry Kissinger said "any people that has been persecuted for 4,000 years must be doing something wrong." Many a true word has been said in a joke. Nonetheless I love the Jewish sense of humor.
Obama has been relentless in seducing America's youth, and controlling the media. What's next? ... teaching our children to turn their parents in to the Gestapo? These tactics have been used before ... and, they're right out of the Nazi and Islamic/madrassa play books. Wake up America ... the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
I thought rabbis were supposed to be "wise." What part of graciousness do you NOT understand? You must be a rabbi for the "Synagogue of What's Hapnin' Now" (to rephrase an old Flip Wilson gag).
Here is again a major effort by Rabbis to be involved in politics. This means trying to find fault in Joe McCain and by inference in his brother the presidential candidate but it also tries to monopolize Jews and softly tell them to vote for a radical liberal whoes connection with Muslim radicals is clear. One "rabbi" published in the Israeli YNET that Obama is more "Jewish". Rabbi Levi Brackman
Whose plan is more Jewish, Obama’s or McCain’s?"Jewish religion mandates that rich must share their wealth with those less fortunate than themselves. Democratic candidate's tax plan makes moral, religious and economic sense"
Published: 10.17.08, 14:37 / Israel Jewish Scene. THIS IS UTTER STUPID, bull..., AND DISGRACE TO JEWISH MIND. As the Talmud says: Scholars! be careful in what you say. For me Obama is a pending catastrophy for Jews and Israeli. Obama can promise from today to eternity, but his associations with Wright, Khalidi, Ayeler etc. is overwhelming. You are warned.
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