Yer tellin' one'a my FAVE-o-RITE tales that secretly makes me grin ear-ta-ear.... but yer leavin' out the BEST part! Al Capone wuz glad ta help his jooish pals--after all, they were in "da bizness" (bootleggin') 2gether BUT Lansky said NO. This is a jewish battle...I wanna take care of it myself (he thanked Capone mightily BUT indeed used only his jewish thugs--lol!--ta knock out Nazis). From all I'm recallin' (it's been awhile...) Lansky himself rolled up his sleeves... In the end they KO'd the bulk've them Nazis. Today, nobuddy gotz the cahuna's of Perlman. It's not that judges today are all on the up 'n up--SO many judges doin' doity deeds but NOT fer a cause. In the case of two wrongs (breakin' the lawr or breakin' up Nazis...) arguably two wrongs DID make a right ;-)
Your overestimating the role of organized Jewish groups and Jewish socio-political networks in the current global program. And while it the global *may* have been beneficial for a majority of Jews for a while, its always been very, very bad for most all humans for the four of five decades its been running, and its now bad for most Jews as well. The very groups who allude to with fondness, if they and those they are in alliance with succeed, will harm most all Jews, possibly severely.
"Despite their eventual defeat, the Jewish resistance inflicted massive casualties on Rome, leading Emperor Hadrian to take extreme measures, including renaming Judea to “Syria Palaestina” in an attempt to erase Jewish identity from the land. But Rome fell, and the Jewish People endured; today 'Syria Palaestina”'is the State of Israel, and rightfully so."
Syria Palaestina included the heart of the Jewish people's historical ancestral territory —d Judea, from which. they derive their name, Jews. Also part of this territory is Samaria and Gaza.
Antisemitism is an emotion, not a logical argument based on reason and facts. It can only be neutralized through a well organized campaign that employs the enemy's own tactics against it.
That history and Customary International Law (Uti possidetis juris) plus the UN's own founding charter recognizes Israel as the rightful and legal homeland territory of the Jews matters little when prejudice, bias, bigotry is the order of the day.
"Throughout the Middle Ages, Jewish communities faced persecution across Europe, often forced to defend themselves against pogroms and crusaders. In the 20th century, Jewish partisans in Nazi-occupied Europe — many of them armed with little more than homemade weapons — fought back against the Wehrmacht, organizing daring raids, sabotaging supply lines, and saving countless Jewish lives. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 remains one of the most heroic acts of resistance in modern history, proving yet again that Jews do not go down without a fight."
That explains why Jews snuck out of ghettoes to attack their neighbours, kill innocent babies, rape women, and seize civilians to shield their ugly deeds, like they did more recently in Poland and all the other countries the Germans liberated. Typically, when they perpetrated attacks on the Wehrmacht and SS soldiers protecting them for their own good, the ingrates became terrorists and attacked them mercilessly.
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.” ~ MLK
Those fisticuff types don’t seem to exist anymore, replaced by the self-hating liberal. We seem to have lost the ability to do this in the U.S., with thuggery several generations behind us. Fascinating story!
Thank you Joshua for a most illuminating history of Jewish strength. It is just what I needed to learn. Jews here in the US need to know this background. I will send this post to a select group at my Reconstructionist synagogue that is still standing in the Pacific Palisades while everything around it burned. We won’t be able to go back there for at least 2 years because of the toxic atmosphere in its environment. It is an example of our resilience.
The lion doesn’t cut it anymore. We need to act like hornets. Just swarm and sting everyone, no mercy, until the world realizes it’s better to leave us alone. Our enemies will not stop until they have murdered us all. They have told us this. Kill one of us, our response needs to be extreme. Gaza is full of complicit enemy combatants that will, given the chance, murder Jews again and again, while the two states solution is foolishly argued. Collective punishment must be imposed. They deserve no quarter. Innocent civilians were tortured as POW’s. Hamas has no intentions of complying with the terms of the cease fire. It’s time to demand the release of all POW’s. It’s time for an ultimatum. Torture and barbarism is systematic within their culture. Fortify the boundaries of Gaza with Israel. Embargo Gaza until Hamas and any other terrorists surrender or vacate. Do not allow one cent of reconstruction until the surrender is accomplished. Iran, along with Turkey, is threatening again. These medieval barbarians will never accept the Jew, the Christian, or anyone that doesn’t succumb to their demonic obsession. When someone tells you who they are it’s probably better to believe what they say. As Golda Meir would have put it, if the choice was between a respected dead Israeli and a hated living Israeli, her choice would have been hated and alive Israeli. Her words are not just for the Jews.
“And yet, time and again, we have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to rise above adversity, build resilience, and establish deep networks of influence.”
Yes you do and it’s because of the God of Israel who will always be with you.
Isaiah 49:16. I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands ….”
I appreciate your regular efforts here on Substack on behalf of the Jewish people Joshua. That said, I have a bit of criticism. You wrote, "Rome fell, and the Jewish People endured..."
I've heard that before. It's really lame. Most people consider modern Italians the inheritors of Rome. The Byzantines continued until 1453, and all of Europe and Western civilization still bears the mark of Rome. The Roman Empire evolved into the modern Italians and others. The Jewish people also evolved from what that civilization was in the 1st and 2nd centuries to what the Jewish people are today.
The Jewish people were conquered by the Romans into a remnant of their former nation.
Definitely, it's more accurate to say that Rome won and the Jews lost.
Joshua, from prior comments, you should know that I am an ardent supporter of the Chosen People and the nation of Israel.
I often contend with many people from varied backgrounds who, for one reason or another, hold and share views, or act, in ways that are inimical to the Jewish people, Israel, and those who love and support both. As such, I am more familiar than most Gentiles with the various ways that different ‘threads of truth’ are woven together with distortions, exaggerations, biased emphasis, suppression of counter-facts, lack of context, and falsehoods to create ‘fabrics of lies’. And I have zero doubt that the facts you’ve set forth in this essay will soon be used by ignorant, deceived, or evil people to ‘strengthen’ their anti-Semitic/anti-Zionist/anti-Israel arguments and propaganda.
That said, I was not aware of much that you have shared here, so perhaps it is best that I now am - to better prepare for the future encounters that are certain to come.
But, my heart is troubled by the fact that there are people who would take ‘pride’ in the close association with ‘gangsters’ and the underworld they thrive in. I know ‘it’s complicated’, but it’s also quite simple; fallen human nature is such that there is a strong tendency to ‘become like the company we keep’. And the currents created by such associations do not carry us in the direction of ‘godliness’, or anything approaching Biblical morals.
I expect there will be responses to my post that either mock or critique my ‘moralizing’ in the face of the evils the Jewish people have endured. I understand the emotions and the perspectives that would underlie such criticisms; indeed I feel within my own being, the pull of using whatever means is available to fight against evil(s) and injustices. But that does not change what is ‘right’; what is fundamentally true.
‘The ends justify the means’ is not the path to overcoming evil. Quite the contrary, as proven throughout history, it virtually guarantees the perpetuation and spreading of it, to the spiritual corruption of those who embrace such a view as ‘justified’. And I am certain that it is precisely this path that has led us to the point we are in today; a point at which insidious, tremendously powerful, and widespread evil is poised to execute a long term strategy; a bonafide conspiracy, to upend and take over the world. And, although there has been significant Jewish participation in that conspiracy, its hidden end is the demise of the nation of Israel, and the ultimate extermination of Jewish identity.
Perhaps I’ve opened a can of worms here; perhaps this will lead in directions that I’d rather not go. But I choose to trust that, if that is the case, those ‘worms’ may serve to aerate and nourish the ground, that a ‘good’ crop can better grow from it.
I truly appreciate your moral clarity on this and appreciate your conviction.
As a Jew, I understand that we are set apart from others and appreciate your support and love of Israel. For you having spent so much time there to gain the perceptions of Israelis and the complexity of so many of these issues is admirable. Keep in mind the old Jewish adage “ 10 Jews, 11 opinions”! Haha! We are a complicated, complex people who, like any family, argue and fight with each other but stand together when attacked by outsiders. Clearly, this was a factor in Hamas decision to attack when they did as they saw an opening with the political divide inside of Israel at that moment. What they underestimated was that, for all of the political division, that we are all in this together. As Golda Meir told then Sen. Joe Biden in the ‘70’s, “Senator, we Israelis have a secret weapon… we have no where else to go”.
Regarding the moral compromise of the article, it is a compromise. We’ve all done things that we are not proud of, sometimes out of circumstance, sometimes as a mistake in the moment, sometimes looking at the “ends justifying the means” which I thought that was the motivation in the case we are discussing. And, fortunately, in this case it worked. I did not see any instance where the ones who were asked to do the “favor” came back for any reciprocation. I wonder if those gangsters who did those favors were ok with doing these favors and maybe saw it as their moral obligation? You know, Jews helping Jews.
While you see this conflict and events in a much larger, possibly biblical context, (I, too, have thought about the last 100 years in that regard), it is hard to think in the macro when the micro is bearing down so heavily right now on Israel and the Jewish people in general.
Yes, Sometimes HaShem (G-d) gives us some strange commandments that are difficult to understand and, being a “stiff necked’ people, we have free will to do or not do some of those commandments, including much interpretation of those, arguing and debating every word of Torah, i.e see Talmud. Like Kashrut (Kosher), Red Cow, and even circumcision to name a few. But, somehow, someway, we are still here…much to most of the world’s dismay.
Most of us aren’t versed in Torah, much less Talmud, but have the moral fiber in our DNA. We get too much attention in the world for being the world’s smallest minority (or among them). We are less than .02% of the world’s population but,for some unknown reason, we get way too much attention mostly negative. Jew hatred is the oldest hatred in the world starting in the 1st chapter in Exodus with much of the same tropes we hear today. As is said in Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun”.
We may agree on some of these issues, not on others, but I truly appreciate your thoughts and support. God knows, we need all the friends we can get. Hang in there with us, we, Israel and Jews, generally do the right thing, I truly believe. At least in this case. And, in Gaza.
Thank you so much for your outstandingly well-written response, Rick! There is so much I’d like to say, but I’ll just say this; you strike me as a person I’d love to have as a friend, and someone who one would be proud to have by one’s side in meeting any serious challenge. G-d does indeed work in mysterious ways. And I’d love it if He one day caused our paths to cross with time to share more deeply.
Re "I wonder if those gangsters who did those favors were ok with doing these favors and maybe saw it as their moral obligation? You know, Jews helping Jews. "
Oh my YES with "bells on" (ok brass knuckles)--MORE than OK! The may've been gangsters but they were proud jews too! Not only they did it FOR FREE with all their hearts but (see mah comment above), Lansky refused help from the Italian mob (his buddies) as this was a jooish issue an' he wanted to take care of it "in the fambly"--i.e. with only jews doin' it. Yes, that's the schneken of this story! These crooks felt a moral obligation ta fight for their own...
It's a DELICIOUS tale... just found this "appetizin'"
Thanks, Mike. These are well intentioned and well thought out comments.
Yes, there is some more complexity to having to resort to asking criminals who participate in immoral acts to cooperate with those who would typically be “above reproach” in achieving a “moral” end to immoral acts. No different than after 9/11 where the NY “mafia” was asked to cooperate with the FBI, etc. to help root out more terrorists in the NYC area. Somewhere, and possibly for selfish reasons, these mobsters did cooperate which benefitted the country.
These are not simple decisions, but possibly decisions borne of self-preservation for survival.
While in most circumstances you may be right about the “ends justify the means” but it sometimes it does work.
Thanks Rick… For some reason, I’m not getting notifications of responses here, so i only just saw yours.
I understand that there are a great deal of challenging questions associated with this, as well as other subjects related to Israel and the Jewish people. There is a considerable amount of ‘grey’ area in these matters, and most of us are, or can become, uncomfortable with lack of clarity. I have lived with such tension almost constantly for many years now, and i still find it uncomfortable.
Why is that?
There may be many reasons, but i suggest that the principle one in my case is because i intuitively sense the seriousness of the stakes involved. I believe there is a fine line that exists here, and that it would be very, very easy to slip over to one side or the other of it, with unforeseen and potentially quite harmful consequences. And i think that is what i react to more than anything else; the sense that most people don’t seem to exercise the caution and critical analysis that should attend to matters such as collaboration with ‘the underworld’ - not to mention less obvious moral challenges.
My Biblical worldview; derived from what i believe G-d reveals in and through His Word, underlies and informs all my thinking about these and all other matters of significance. And, as I see it, there are many examples from Israel’s Biblical history that, in various ways, touch on similar issues to what we are dealing with here.
I’ve been to Israel on a number of occasions; most recently for three weeks spanning late September to mid-October, and i have had long conversations with many Israeli friends and acquaintances. As a result, I am well aware of the complexity of views spanning the spectrum between secular materialism/humanism and spirituality/religious beliefs.
I understand that many people would disagree with my own deeply held views. But, for what is worth, i will sum them up by saying that i firmly believe all that the Tanakh reveals about the G-d of Israel, His faithful love and care for His people, and His Land, and His faithfulness in regard to the eventual fulfillment of all of His promises and prophesies regarding His Chosen People, the Land of Israel, and the world as a whole. And, in the light of His Word, i cannot see Him approving of His people VOLUNTARILY entering into associations or alliances with criminal, even evil, people or groups.
Has it happened? Sure. Has it served in some way or another to preserve or protect His people? Sure.
But, was that His will; has that brought Him honor or glory? No. Given that such were the choices made, however, He works with it, weaving it into His own plans. However, there’s a consequential cost to be borne. And it is always more consequential than we thought it would be.
Ultimately, Israel’s survival has been, and remains, dependent on G-d’s loving, powerful, active bestowing of grace - and nothing else. He will not share His glory with another. But, especially, anyone from the underworld.
Intellectually, I get your argument, Mike. I'd also agree with you to some extent, however as we now see, there are no reliable legal or educational institutions in the wider world willing to beat back the threat. As can be interpolated by current events, Jews do not have the luxury of relying on normal means to disrupt mortal threats to our existence. The reaction to 10/7 shocked me, but it shouldn't have. As a daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, my whole life experience is based on the knowledge that it could, most assuredly, happen again.
So essentially you are saying that we shouldn't stoop to their level. I get that. I understand it and in many cases I would agree with you. However. Sometimes it's the only level they understand.
Bottom line — throughout history, and imbedded in biblical history, Jews have demonstrated bravery, commitment, and hutzpah in keeping the tiny, but mighty, Jewish people alive. G-d works in mysterious ways.
You should only fear God. We have MANY fakes and liars in our midst and it does not bode well for those who don’t come to truth.
Yer tellin' one'a my FAVE-o-RITE tales that secretly makes me grin ear-ta-ear.... but yer leavin' out the BEST part! Al Capone wuz glad ta help his jooish pals--after all, they were in "da bizness" (bootleggin') 2gether BUT Lansky said NO. This is a jewish battle...I wanna take care of it myself (he thanked Capone mightily BUT indeed used only his jewish thugs--lol!--ta knock out Nazis). From all I'm recallin' (it's been awhile...) Lansky himself rolled up his sleeves... In the end they KO'd the bulk've them Nazis. Today, nobuddy gotz the cahuna's of Perlman. It's not that judges today are all on the up 'n up--SO many judges doin' doity deeds but NOT fer a cause. In the case of two wrongs (breakin' the lawr or breakin' up Nazis...) arguably two wrongs DID make a right ;-)
I pray for Israel and all Jewish peoples.
Excellent read.
Your overestimating the role of organized Jewish groups and Jewish socio-political networks in the current global program. And while it the global *may* have been beneficial for a majority of Jews for a while, its always been very, very bad for most all humans for the four of five decades its been running, and its now bad for most Jews as well. The very groups who allude to with fondness, if they and those they are in alliance with succeed, will harm most all Jews, possibly severely.
"Despite their eventual defeat, the Jewish resistance inflicted massive casualties on Rome, leading Emperor Hadrian to take extreme measures, including renaming Judea to “Syria Palaestina” in an attempt to erase Jewish identity from the land. But Rome fell, and the Jewish People endured; today 'Syria Palaestina”'is the State of Israel, and rightfully so."
Syria Palaestina included the heart of the Jewish people's historical ancestral territory —d Judea, from which. they derive their name, Jews. Also part of this territory is Samaria and Gaza.
Antisemitism is an emotion, not a logical argument based on reason and facts. It can only be neutralized through a well organized campaign that employs the enemy's own tactics against it.
That history and Customary International Law (Uti possidetis juris) plus the UN's own founding charter recognizes Israel as the rightful and legal homeland territory of the Jews matters little when prejudice, bias, bigotry is the order of the day.
"Throughout the Middle Ages, Jewish communities faced persecution across Europe, often forced to defend themselves against pogroms and crusaders. In the 20th century, Jewish partisans in Nazi-occupied Europe — many of them armed with little more than homemade weapons — fought back against the Wehrmacht, organizing daring raids, sabotaging supply lines, and saving countless Jewish lives. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 remains one of the most heroic acts of resistance in modern history, proving yet again that Jews do not go down without a fight."
That explains why Jews snuck out of ghettoes to attack their neighbours, kill innocent babies, rape women, and seize civilians to shield their ugly deeds, like they did more recently in Poland and all the other countries the Germans liberated. Typically, when they perpetrated attacks on the Wehrmacht and SS soldiers protecting them for their own good, the ingrates became terrorists and attacked them mercilessly.
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.” ~ MLK
Those fisticuff types don’t seem to exist anymore, replaced by the self-hating liberal. We seem to have lost the ability to do this in the U.S., with thuggery several generations behind us. Fascinating story!
Learned something. Thanks
Thank you Joshua for a most illuminating history of Jewish strength. It is just what I needed to learn. Jews here in the US need to know this background. I will send this post to a select group at my Reconstructionist synagogue that is still standing in the Pacific Palisades while everything around it burned. We won’t be able to go back there for at least 2 years because of the toxic atmosphere in its environment. It is an example of our resilience.
Why would anyone say that!
It's sickening how archeologists pooh pooh Jewish history. It is time we talk about our contributions to the World. It is time we do pr for ourselves!
The lion doesn’t cut it anymore. We need to act like hornets. Just swarm and sting everyone, no mercy, until the world realizes it’s better to leave us alone. Our enemies will not stop until they have murdered us all. They have told us this. Kill one of us, our response needs to be extreme. Gaza is full of complicit enemy combatants that will, given the chance, murder Jews again and again, while the two states solution is foolishly argued. Collective punishment must be imposed. They deserve no quarter. Innocent civilians were tortured as POW’s. Hamas has no intentions of complying with the terms of the cease fire. It’s time to demand the release of all POW’s. It’s time for an ultimatum. Torture and barbarism is systematic within their culture. Fortify the boundaries of Gaza with Israel. Embargo Gaza until Hamas and any other terrorists surrender or vacate. Do not allow one cent of reconstruction until the surrender is accomplished. Iran, along with Turkey, is threatening again. These medieval barbarians will never accept the Jew, the Christian, or anyone that doesn’t succumb to their demonic obsession. When someone tells you who they are it’s probably better to believe what they say. As Golda Meir would have put it, if the choice was between a respected dead Israeli and a hated living Israeli, her choice would have been hated and alive Israeli. Her words are not just for the Jews.
“And yet, time and again, we have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to rise above adversity, build resilience, and establish deep networks of influence.”
Yes you do and it’s because of the God of Israel who will always be with you.
Isaiah 49:16. I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands ….”
Joshua - Keep these essays coming - I hope they are widely circulated, I certainly will share this one...
I appreciate your regular efforts here on Substack on behalf of the Jewish people Joshua. That said, I have a bit of criticism. You wrote, "Rome fell, and the Jewish People endured..."
I've heard that before. It's really lame. Most people consider modern Italians the inheritors of Rome. The Byzantines continued until 1453, and all of Europe and Western civilization still bears the mark of Rome. The Roman Empire evolved into the modern Italians and others. The Jewish people also evolved from what that civilization was in the 1st and 2nd centuries to what the Jewish people are today.
The Jewish people were conquered by the Romans into a remnant of their former nation.
Definitely, it's more accurate to say that Rome won and the Jews lost.
Joshua, from prior comments, you should know that I am an ardent supporter of the Chosen People and the nation of Israel.
I often contend with many people from varied backgrounds who, for one reason or another, hold and share views, or act, in ways that are inimical to the Jewish people, Israel, and those who love and support both. As such, I am more familiar than most Gentiles with the various ways that different ‘threads of truth’ are woven together with distortions, exaggerations, biased emphasis, suppression of counter-facts, lack of context, and falsehoods to create ‘fabrics of lies’. And I have zero doubt that the facts you’ve set forth in this essay will soon be used by ignorant, deceived, or evil people to ‘strengthen’ their anti-Semitic/anti-Zionist/anti-Israel arguments and propaganda.
That said, I was not aware of much that you have shared here, so perhaps it is best that I now am - to better prepare for the future encounters that are certain to come.
But, my heart is troubled by the fact that there are people who would take ‘pride’ in the close association with ‘gangsters’ and the underworld they thrive in. I know ‘it’s complicated’, but it’s also quite simple; fallen human nature is such that there is a strong tendency to ‘become like the company we keep’. And the currents created by such associations do not carry us in the direction of ‘godliness’, or anything approaching Biblical morals.
I expect there will be responses to my post that either mock or critique my ‘moralizing’ in the face of the evils the Jewish people have endured. I understand the emotions and the perspectives that would underlie such criticisms; indeed I feel within my own being, the pull of using whatever means is available to fight against evil(s) and injustices. But that does not change what is ‘right’; what is fundamentally true.
‘The ends justify the means’ is not the path to overcoming evil. Quite the contrary, as proven throughout history, it virtually guarantees the perpetuation and spreading of it, to the spiritual corruption of those who embrace such a view as ‘justified’. And I am certain that it is precisely this path that has led us to the point we are in today; a point at which insidious, tremendously powerful, and widespread evil is poised to execute a long term strategy; a bonafide conspiracy, to upend and take over the world. And, although there has been significant Jewish participation in that conspiracy, its hidden end is the demise of the nation of Israel, and the ultimate extermination of Jewish identity.
Perhaps I’ve opened a can of worms here; perhaps this will lead in directions that I’d rather not go. But I choose to trust that, if that is the case, those ‘worms’ may serve to aerate and nourish the ground, that a ‘good’ crop can better grow from it.
Am Israel Chai!
Love, Mike
Thanks, Mike
I truly appreciate your moral clarity on this and appreciate your conviction.
As a Jew, I understand that we are set apart from others and appreciate your support and love of Israel. For you having spent so much time there to gain the perceptions of Israelis and the complexity of so many of these issues is admirable. Keep in mind the old Jewish adage “ 10 Jews, 11 opinions”! Haha! We are a complicated, complex people who, like any family, argue and fight with each other but stand together when attacked by outsiders. Clearly, this was a factor in Hamas decision to attack when they did as they saw an opening with the political divide inside of Israel at that moment. What they underestimated was that, for all of the political division, that we are all in this together. As Golda Meir told then Sen. Joe Biden in the ‘70’s, “Senator, we Israelis have a secret weapon… we have no where else to go”.
Regarding the moral compromise of the article, it is a compromise. We’ve all done things that we are not proud of, sometimes out of circumstance, sometimes as a mistake in the moment, sometimes looking at the “ends justifying the means” which I thought that was the motivation in the case we are discussing. And, fortunately, in this case it worked. I did not see any instance where the ones who were asked to do the “favor” came back for any reciprocation. I wonder if those gangsters who did those favors were ok with doing these favors and maybe saw it as their moral obligation? You know, Jews helping Jews.
While you see this conflict and events in a much larger, possibly biblical context, (I, too, have thought about the last 100 years in that regard), it is hard to think in the macro when the micro is bearing down so heavily right now on Israel and the Jewish people in general.
Yes, Sometimes HaShem (G-d) gives us some strange commandments that are difficult to understand and, being a “stiff necked’ people, we have free will to do or not do some of those commandments, including much interpretation of those, arguing and debating every word of Torah, i.e see Talmud. Like Kashrut (Kosher), Red Cow, and even circumcision to name a few. But, somehow, someway, we are still here…much to most of the world’s dismay.
Most of us aren’t versed in Torah, much less Talmud, but have the moral fiber in our DNA. We get too much attention in the world for being the world’s smallest minority (or among them). We are less than .02% of the world’s population but,for some unknown reason, we get way too much attention mostly negative. Jew hatred is the oldest hatred in the world starting in the 1st chapter in Exodus with much of the same tropes we hear today. As is said in Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun”.
We may agree on some of these issues, not on others, but I truly appreciate your thoughts and support. God knows, we need all the friends we can get. Hang in there with us, we, Israel and Jews, generally do the right thing, I truly believe. At least in this case. And, in Gaza.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Thank you so much for your outstandingly well-written response, Rick! There is so much I’d like to say, but I’ll just say this; you strike me as a person I’d love to have as a friend, and someone who one would be proud to have by one’s side in meeting any serious challenge. G-d does indeed work in mysterious ways. And I’d love it if He one day caused our paths to cross with time to share more deeply.
G-d bless and keep you!
Love, Mike
Re "I wonder if those gangsters who did those favors were ok with doing these favors and maybe saw it as their moral obligation? You know, Jews helping Jews. "
Oh my YES with "bells on" (ok brass knuckles)--MORE than OK! The may've been gangsters but they were proud jews too! Not only they did it FOR FREE with all their hearts but (see mah comment above), Lansky refused help from the Italian mob (his buddies) as this was a jooish issue an' he wanted to take care of it "in the fambly"--i.e. with only jews doin' it. Yes, that's the schneken of this story! These crooks felt a moral obligation ta fight for their own...
It's a DELICIOUS tale... just found this "appetizin'"
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/gangsters-vs-nazis
Thanks, Mike. These are well intentioned and well thought out comments.
Yes, there is some more complexity to having to resort to asking criminals who participate in immoral acts to cooperate with those who would typically be “above reproach” in achieving a “moral” end to immoral acts. No different than after 9/11 where the NY “mafia” was asked to cooperate with the FBI, etc. to help root out more terrorists in the NYC area. Somewhere, and possibly for selfish reasons, these mobsters did cooperate which benefitted the country.
These are not simple decisions, but possibly decisions borne of self-preservation for survival.
While in most circumstances you may be right about the “ends justify the means” but it sometimes it does work.
Thanks Rick… For some reason, I’m not getting notifications of responses here, so i only just saw yours.
I understand that there are a great deal of challenging questions associated with this, as well as other subjects related to Israel and the Jewish people. There is a considerable amount of ‘grey’ area in these matters, and most of us are, or can become, uncomfortable with lack of clarity. I have lived with such tension almost constantly for many years now, and i still find it uncomfortable.
Why is that?
There may be many reasons, but i suggest that the principle one in my case is because i intuitively sense the seriousness of the stakes involved. I believe there is a fine line that exists here, and that it would be very, very easy to slip over to one side or the other of it, with unforeseen and potentially quite harmful consequences. And i think that is what i react to more than anything else; the sense that most people don’t seem to exercise the caution and critical analysis that should attend to matters such as collaboration with ‘the underworld’ - not to mention less obvious moral challenges.
My Biblical worldview; derived from what i believe G-d reveals in and through His Word, underlies and informs all my thinking about these and all other matters of significance. And, as I see it, there are many examples from Israel’s Biblical history that, in various ways, touch on similar issues to what we are dealing with here.
I’ve been to Israel on a number of occasions; most recently for three weeks spanning late September to mid-October, and i have had long conversations with many Israeli friends and acquaintances. As a result, I am well aware of the complexity of views spanning the spectrum between secular materialism/humanism and spirituality/religious beliefs.
I understand that many people would disagree with my own deeply held views. But, for what is worth, i will sum them up by saying that i firmly believe all that the Tanakh reveals about the G-d of Israel, His faithful love and care for His people, and His Land, and His faithfulness in regard to the eventual fulfillment of all of His promises and prophesies regarding His Chosen People, the Land of Israel, and the world as a whole. And, in the light of His Word, i cannot see Him approving of His people VOLUNTARILY entering into associations or alliances with criminal, even evil, people or groups.
Has it happened? Sure. Has it served in some way or another to preserve or protect His people? Sure.
But, was that His will; has that brought Him honor or glory? No. Given that such were the choices made, however, He works with it, weaving it into His own plans. However, there’s a consequential cost to be borne. And it is always more consequential than we thought it would be.
Ultimately, Israel’s survival has been, and remains, dependent on G-d’s loving, powerful, active bestowing of grace - and nothing else. He will not share His glory with another. But, especially, anyone from the underworld.
Love, Mike
You are making many valid points!
Intellectually, I get your argument, Mike. I'd also agree with you to some extent, however as we now see, there are no reliable legal or educational institutions in the wider world willing to beat back the threat. As can be interpolated by current events, Jews do not have the luxury of relying on normal means to disrupt mortal threats to our existence. The reaction to 10/7 shocked me, but it shouldn't have. As a daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, my whole life experience is based on the knowledge that it could, most assuredly, happen again.
So essentially you are saying that we shouldn't stoop to their level. I get that. I understand it and in many cases I would agree with you. However. Sometimes it's the only level they understand.
Bottom line — throughout history, and imbedded in biblical history, Jews have demonstrated bravery, commitment, and hutzpah in keeping the tiny, but mighty, Jewish people alive. G-d works in mysterious ways.
Love this. And we could use another Perlman in America right now.