A Jewish Pogrom II

Part one is here.
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The central tenet of Judaism is Tikkun Olam - תיקון עולם : It literally means "world repair."

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Just as nihilists have given Islam a black eye, the Settlers and their politicians, funded by evangelicals, are giving Israel, Zionism and Judaism a black eye.

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Courts have ruled certain neighborhoods in Jerusalem are Jewish only, and Arabs have been evicted from homes, so a Jewish family can live there. Evangelicals are cheering them on, both physically and financially. Why would evangelicals support a policy that would exclude them too? Simply, for two reasons: all of biblical Israel has to be populated by Jews, so their lord returns. Then, the Jews will perish and Christians, the rightful heirs, will live there forever. The second reason is practical. Christians want developments here in the States to be exclusively Christian, and they feel if it is established in Israel, it can happen in the States.

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Which brings me to the latest: olive groves owned by Arabs have been destroyed again. The Washington Post, and the New York Times are reporting on the destruction. "...a few dozen trees had been chopped down, their branches hacked by vandals. In other groves belonging to this Palestinian village, there were scores of dead trees that had apparently been poisoned, with holes drilled in their trunks." As I wrote before, evangelicals egg on settlers, in the hope of sparking Armageddon. One of the worst is John Hagee, who is a closet anti-Semite.

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This is not Judaism, and this is not Zionism. Because of what was done to us, does not give us license to do it in turn to others. Israel was founded by eastern European socialists, and the foundation of Israel are the kibbutzim.

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Zionism is not a belief that Jewish people are superior to others, nor is it a belief that Arabs should be driven from Israel. It is not a belief that Israel should be exclusively populated by Jews. It does not mean non-Jews should not be welcomed in Israel.

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Zionism, which was proposed by Theodore Herzl, is simply the belief that the only solution to constant persecution is a Jewish refuge, a Jewish homeland. Most people do not know that Joseph Stalin was sympathetic to Zionism, and offered a part of the Soviet Union as the world Jewish homeland and refuge. Fun fact: Stalin helped birth Israel. Truman was the first head of state to recognize Israel; Stalin was the second.

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The latest in wrecking Ben Gurion's vision, is the loyalty oath. The majority of Israelis are secular, and the founders believed in a secular state. As the US has shown, what works best is separation of church and state, both for national character and economics.

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Judaism does not have to be guarded and protected. Despite the past, we are still here. By being a beacon of dignity, we will thrive and be here in the future.