One suggests, even if implicitly, that nothing ever changes. Sinijlawi claims that change is possible. Disoriented by this past year and unsure of what awaits them, what should Israelis think?
With all the humility I can muster, I confess I don’t know if this latest proposal is a good idea or not. What I do know is that this sentence is what drives me crazy about this newsletter: “Netanyahu may very soon have to choose between a cease-fire and a relationship with the Americans, or his government.” Maybe he’s choosing between a cease-fire and a relationship with the Americans, and what’s best for the future of Israel. At a book signing I once asked Yossi Klein Halevi if Islam needed a reformation. He thought for a long while and then said, “They need a new narrative, and there’s enough material in Islam for that.” It seems as if the UAE has chosen a new narrative. The Palestinian Arabs have not. Currently, they’re Amalek. If my child were being held captive, I would give the whole world to get him or her back. I’d even forfeit my life in the World to Come. But ending the war without total defeat of Hamas will certainly mean many more deaths in the future. Maybe the decent thing to do would be to give Netanyahu the benefit of the doubt on this.
It's difficult to know if Samer Sinijlawi is willfully blind or simply naïve. He completely ignores that something like 70% of Palestinians in the West Bank would choose Hamas today if it were an option. There have been so many opportunities for the Palestinians to build something positive and they have chosen death, destruction and victimhood. He's correct that there has been a huge failure in leadership, but there really are not any viable candidates. And while he brought up Sadat, he neglected to mention that he was assassinated because of the position he took and that the Egyptian street is anti-Zionist. Siniljlawi also was wrong that Israeli leaders don't publicly feel sorrow for the innocent deaths in Gaza. With possible exceptions of Ben G'vir and Smotrich, they all say this. But, they also say, rightfully IMHO, that it is ultimately Hamas that is responsible for these tragedies.
The most consistent message I heard in the interview, and also what I believe about the Haredim in regards to military service is "Ein Brerah"--no choice. As difficult and imaginary as it is, there is no choice but to choose a path to peace--this is a refreshing positive voice There is no choice but for the Haredim to serve. Their blood is no more precious.
Just to clarify why the Haredim were pro Judicial overhaul. Any planned solution to the Haredi draft issue likely would not have withstood judicial scrutiny as it would once again maintain the unequal system struck down in 1998, 2012, and 2017. The override clause proposed as part of the judicial overhaul would have solved this problem by allowing the Knesset to overrule the court with a simple majority. Once that element of the judicial overhaul was paused, the government then planned to pass Basic Law: Torah Study, which would enshrine Torah study as a core value of the state and supersede the court’s argument that the exemption is unequal. I'm not agreeing. Just explaining that its consequence would be more money for yeshivas but it was not the only reason for doing so.
I am trying so hard to listen to many different opinions on the ceasefire proposal. I have been so hopeful since Biden’s speech without listening carefully to each point. Now I listen to Caroline Glick’s interpretation and I have doubts. I wish Rabbi Gordis would respond to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjy0hiiigrg
With all the humility I can muster, I confess I don’t know if this latest proposal is a good idea or not. What I do know is that this sentence is what drives me crazy about this newsletter: “Netanyahu may very soon have to choose between a cease-fire and a relationship with the Americans, or his government.” Maybe he’s choosing between a cease-fire and a relationship with the Americans, and what’s best for the future of Israel. At a book signing I once asked Yossi Klein Halevi if Islam needed a reformation. He thought for a long while and then said, “They need a new narrative, and there’s enough material in Islam for that.” It seems as if the UAE has chosen a new narrative. The Palestinian Arabs have not. Currently, they’re Amalek. If my child were being held captive, I would give the whole world to get him or her back. I’d even forfeit my life in the World to Come. But ending the war without total defeat of Hamas will certainly mean many more deaths in the future. Maybe the decent thing to do would be to give Netanyahu the benefit of the doubt on this.
It's difficult to know if Samer Sinijlawi is willfully blind or simply naïve. He completely ignores that something like 70% of Palestinians in the West Bank would choose Hamas today if it were an option. There have been so many opportunities for the Palestinians to build something positive and they have chosen death, destruction and victimhood. He's correct that there has been a huge failure in leadership, but there really are not any viable candidates. And while he brought up Sadat, he neglected to mention that he was assassinated because of the position he took and that the Egyptian street is anti-Zionist. Siniljlawi also was wrong that Israeli leaders don't publicly feel sorrow for the innocent deaths in Gaza. With possible exceptions of Ben G'vir and Smotrich, they all say this. But, they also say, rightfully IMHO, that it is ultimately Hamas that is responsible for these tragedies.
So the hareidim are pulling the pikuach nefesh card (what chutzpah!). It's as I've thought -- they're a bunch of selfish, parasitic cowards.
The most consistent message I heard in the interview, and also what I believe about the Haredim in regards to military service is "Ein Brerah"--no choice. As difficult and imaginary as it is, there is no choice but to choose a path to peace--this is a refreshing positive voice There is no choice but for the Haredim to serve. Their blood is no more precious.
Just to clarify why the Haredim were pro Judicial overhaul. Any planned solution to the Haredi draft issue likely would not have withstood judicial scrutiny as it would once again maintain the unequal system struck down in 1998, 2012, and 2017. The override clause proposed as part of the judicial overhaul would have solved this problem by allowing the Knesset to overrule the court with a simple majority. Once that element of the judicial overhaul was paused, the government then planned to pass Basic Law: Torah Study, which would enshrine Torah study as a core value of the state and supersede the court’s argument that the exemption is unequal. I'm not agreeing. Just explaining that its consequence would be more money for yeshivas but it was not the only reason for doing so.
I am trying so hard to listen to many different opinions on the ceasefire proposal. I have been so hopeful since Biden’s speech without listening carefully to each point. Now I listen to Caroline Glick’s interpretation and I have doubts. I wish Rabbi Gordis would respond to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjy0hiiigrg
Let's just say that Ms. Glick is not a moderate voice.