the Chabad-Lubavitcher way to Peace in the Middle East / stfu you Holy Schmuck

Comment (apparently later deleted) to the story below on the e-edition of The Jewish Daily Forward:

Robert Merkin
Thu. Jun 4, 2009

There's a Chabad House down the road from me, and I've always wondered why it gives me the creeps, and why I always hit the gas pedal to speed past it.

I am grateful to Rebbe Manis Friedman for clarifying why the Chabad-Lubavitch Kult gives me the creeps and makes me break the speed limit to make it recede swiftly in my rear-view mirror.

Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims are children of God, and thus my brothers and my sisters. May we all, as the Vulcans say, Live Long And Prosper, in respect, brotherhood, shalom, salam and Peace.

To borrow the texting patois of youth, I sincerely hope Rebbe Friedman will stfu. He is one sick schmuck, and at the most fragile moment I have ever witnessed for Planet Earth, he slimes us all with poison, kerosene, hate and drek.

Keep his Jonestown Talmud far from me, my community, my neighbors, my planet. You can put Holy Lipstick on a chazer, but he's still a chazer.

==================

Jewish Daily Forward (founded 1897)
English-language weekly
New York City USA
Wednesday 3 June 2009 (e-edition)
Friday 12 June 2009 (paper edition)

Popular Rabbi’s Comments
on Treatment of Arabs
Show a Different Side of Chabad

by Nathaniel Popper

Like the best Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis, Manis Friedman has won the hearts of many unaffiliated Jews with his charismatic talks about love and God; it was Friedman who helped lead Bob Dylan into a relationship with Chabad.

But Friedman, who today travels the country as a Chabad speaker, showed a less warm and cuddly side when he was asked how he thinks Jews should treat their Arab neighbors.

“The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle),” Friedman wrote in response to the question posed by Moment Magazine for its “Ask the Rabbis” feature.

Friedman argued that if Israel followed this wisdom, there would be “no civilian casualties, no children in the line of fire, no false sense of righteousness, in fact, no war.”

“I don’t believe in Western morality,” he wrote. “Living by Torah values will make us a light unto the nations who suffer defeat because of a disastrous morality of human invention.”

Friedman’s use of phrasing that might seem more familiar coming from an Islamic extremist has generated a swift backlash. The editor of Moment, Nadine Epstein, said that since the piece was printed in the current issue they “have received many letters and e-mails in response to Rabbi Friedman’s comments — and almost none of them have been positive.”

Friedman quickly went into damage control. He released a statement to the Forward, through a Chabad spokesman, saying that his answer in Moment was “misleading” and that he does believe that “any neighbor of the Jewish people should be treated, as the Torah commands us, with respect and compassion.”

But Friedman’s words have generated a debate about whether there is a darker side to the cheery face that the Chabad-Lubavitch movement shows to the world in its friendly outreach to unaffiliated Jews. Mordecai Specktor, editor of the Jewish community newspaper in Friedman’s hometown, St. Paul, Minnesota, said: “The public face of Lubavitch is educational programs and promoting Yiddishkeit. But I do often hear this hard line that Friedman expresses here.”

“He sets things out in pretty stark terms, but I think this is what Lubavitchers believe, more or less,” said Specktor, who is also the publisher of the American Jewish World. “They are not about loving the Arabs or a two-state solution or any of that stuff. They are fundamentalists. They are our fundamentalists.” Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League and a regular critic of Arab extremists, said that in the Jewish community, “We are not immune to having these views. There are people in our community who have these bigoted, racist views.”

But, Foxman warned, Friedman’s views are not reflective of the Chabad rabbis he knows. “I am not shocked that there would be a rabbi who would have these views,” Foxman said, “but I am shocked that Moment would give up all editorial discretion and good sense to publish this as representative of Chabad.”

A few days after anger about the comment surfaced, Chabad headquarters released a statement saying that, “we vehemently disagree with any sentiment suggesting that Judaism allows for the wanton destruction of civilian life, even when at war.”

The statement added: “In keeping with Jewish law, it is the unequivocal position of Chabad-Lubavitch that all human life is G-d given, precious, and must be treated with respect, dignity and compassion.”

In Moment, Friedman’s comment is listed as the Chabad response to the question “How Should Jews Treat Their Arab Neighbors?” after a number of answers from rabbis representing other Jewish streams, most of which state a conciliatory attitude toward Arabs.

Epstein said that Friedman was “brave” for stating his views so clearly.

“The American Jewish community doesn’t have the chance to hear opinions like this,” Epstein said, “not because they are rare, but because we don’t often ask Chabad and other similar groups what they think.”

The Chabad movement is generally known for its hawkish policies toward the Palestinians; the Chabad Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, rejected peace accords with the Palestinians. Rabbi Moshe Feller, the top Chabad rabbi in Minnesota, said that the rebbe taught that it is not a mitvah to kill, but that Jews do have an obligation to act in self-defense.

“Jews as a whole, they try to save the lives of others,” Feller told the Forward, “but if it’s to save our lives, then we have to do what we have to do. It’s a last resort.”

Friedman is not a fringe rabbi within the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was the English translator for the Chabad Rebbe, and at the rebbe’s urging, he founded Beis Chana, a network of camps and schools for Jewish women. Friedman is also a popular speaker and writer on issues of love and relationships. His first book, “Doesn’t Anyone Blush Anymore?” was promoted with a quote from Bob Dylan, who Friedman brought to meet the rebbe.

On his blog and Facebook page, Friedman’s emphasis is on his sympathetic, caring side. It was this reputation that made the comment in Moment so surprising to Steve Hunegs, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council: Minnesota and the Dakotas.

“Rabbi Friedman is a best-selling author who addresses some of the most sensitive issues of the time,” Hunegs said. “I intend to call him and talk to him about this.”

But Shmarya Rosenberg, a blogger and critic of Chabad who lives a few blocks from Friedman in Minnesota, says that the comment in Moment is not an aberration from his experiences with Friedman and many other Chabad rabbis.

“What he’s saying is the standard normal view of a Chabadnik,” Rosenberg said. “They just don’t say it in public.”

For his part, Friedman was quick to modify the statement that he wrote in Moment. He told the Forward that the line about killing women and children should have been in quotes; he said it is a line from the Torah, though he declined to specify from which part. Friedman also said that he was not advocating for Israel to actually kill women and children. Instead, he said, he believed that Israel should publicly say that it is willing to do these things in order to scare Palestinians and prevent war.

[The Torah is the Hebrew original text of the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.]

“If we took this policy, no one would be killed — because there would be no war,” Friedman said. “The same is true of the United States.”

Friedman did acknowledge, however, that in self-defense, the behavior he talked about would be permissible.

“If your children are threatened, you do whatever it takes — and you don’t have to apologize,” he said.

Friedman argued that he is different from Arab terrorists who have used similar language about killing Jewish civilians.

“When they say it, it’s genocide, not self-defense,” Friedman said. “With them, it’s a religious belief — they need to rid the area of us. We’re not saying that.”

Feller, the Chabad leader in Minnesota, said that the way Friedman had chosen to express himself was “radical.”

“I love him,” Feller said. “I brought him out here — he’s magnificent. He’s brought thousands back to Torah mitzvah. But he shoots from the hip sometimes.”

Contact Nathaniel Popper at popper@forward.com

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Comments

Southern James
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
Had this been a Christian or Muslim cleric speaking such a load of venom, it would plastered all over the TV and the papers. I thank Moment Magazine for having the courage to expose religious nutjobs within their own ranks.

RoninTT
Wed. Jun 3, 2009

Hey Friends,

I want to thank the Forward for posting this original statement by the Chabad Rabbi! What courage! Yofi for you!

For Foxman; Shame on you! (Foxman said, “but I am shocked that Moment would give up all editorial discretion and good sense to publish this as representative of Chabad.”) Are we to take this to mean that we are not to uncover the zealots in our midst? Shine a light on them for what they truly are?

Again, much love to Forward for representing ALL jews. Not just the interest of the religious - Foxman. I am quickly loosing love for the ADL with your comments here.

Rabbi Feller, Friedman does not read the Torah I know. Yet, he assures I will never know Chabad.

yonason
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
And what's wrong with pointing out that the "morality" of Western invention is flawed? We DO need to fight them, no-holds-barred. They shoot rockets at our civilians, and people like "Southern James" could care less. Their Imams spew hatred for us and for America, and not a peep. But when we say it's time to take the gloves off, and fight like we mean it, then the little "S.J's" of the world talk about how "bad" we are. Rabbi Friedman is right, if we took the fight to them, and crushed the evil instead of trying to appease it (which, in case anyone hasn't noticed, has not only no worked but makes matters ever more worse), then peace would come swiftly. The West is destroying itself with it's foolish notions. G-d won't let Israel be destroyed, but those who are trying to destroy us, and those who aid and abet them won't survive.

And RoninTT, I don't need your "assurance" of anything, as if you were any kind of expert. Read what King David did to the Philistines of his day, and you will see Rabbi Friedman is pretty mild by comparison.

Our enemies will, as King David said in Psalms, fall into the trap they have made for us.

esthermiriam
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
Believing in Evil, it would follow... and variations on the theme are not hard to find.

Yosef ben Matitya
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
Kudos to Forward on this expose. In truth, this is no "different side" of Chabad. Chabad has refined it's "double speak" into an art. Towards the outsiders, (uninitiated jews and gentiles alike) they come across as almost christians in their "universal love", tolerance to all, etc...; they aren't God's policemen, rather God's salesmen. Among Ana'sh -anshei shlomeinu- or initiates however, they feel free to expose their fangs; be it towards the arabs, other jews who don't buy into their version of 'judaism', orthodox and others alike, zionists, officers of the IDF . Love turns into disdain and often overt outright hate!

Neil
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
This is the 2nd time in as many weeks that I hear a prominent Jew going Amalek when talking about Muslims. Recently an Israeli politician used similar terminology about Iranians. Sounds to me like hubris. And we all know what that precedes.

JMB
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
Chabad showing its true colors in public understandably due to open criticism of israel policy in some US circles they always believed what friedman is saying its just that they're venting their anger as stalwart ally US is understanding the harm these C-L extremists are doing to the US.

Akiva
Wed. Jun 3, 2009
R. Friedman can think what he wants, but in my 25 years going to Chabad shuls never have I heard this before. Now that I have it sounds like a good idea to me.

Robert
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
Rabbi Friedman shows the true face of zionism.Amazing how many posts here defend this mad rabbi.I know such Rabbis as late Elmer Berger or the Rabbi who publihes Tikkum Magazine! They are real followers of Judaism. But too bad they are in minority! On political side we have such mad men as Daniel Pieps,Alan Dershowitz,Joe Liberman Schuer the US Congress man et al.They are loud mouth and a disgrace to Jewish people.

Parave Rebbe aka Marvin Kravetsky
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
That old adage holds true .'fight fire with fire!' The black people of America have a derogatory phrase that holds true as well and especially with my Jewish Bretheren. Unce Tom Jews is a rampant malady with us Jews never mind Uncle Tom's cabin. Also remeber the English Prime Minister who said there will be,"Peace in our Time" Look what happened to the world and to the Jewish Nation of Europe! The Chabad Rabbi deserves praise and support for what he said and a very emphatic, Yash Koach!

Yosef ben Matitya
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
re:Marvin Kravetsky's posting yeah, red neck bigots, jewish bigots, german bigots, polish bigots are all the same. question is, how jewish is mannis friedman faith. what is left in it? first they discarded monotheism now they are out in the open scrapping middos. bunch of phoneys.

Moshe' Dovid ben Yakov
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
I wouldn't be so quick to criticize the Rabbi. Did anyone flinch when the Navy Seals shot dead the 3 Somali Pirates holding the American transporatation boat captian? What's the difference between that and Israeli held hostages? Hard lines have been drawn and not by Jews concerining Israel. They want us DEAD for crying out loud! That includes you Yosef ben Matitya. Judaism is not a Turn the other Cheek way of life. It is forbidden to kill but not to defend. We were given land after the Holocaust by the UN. After constant attack we Occupied uninhabbited areas or areas we had been attacked from. Palestinian refusal to ever work things out diplomatically and bitching and moaning all the while to people like you only strengthen their cry and weakens Israeli stability. Wake up and smell the coffee.

yonason
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
JUST A SLIGHT CORRECTION

"It is forbidden to kill but not to defend." -- Moshe' Dovid ben Yakov

Actually, it is forbidden to murder, which is not what the Rabbi is advocating. However, when someone is coming to kill you, you are required to defend yourself, and if the enemy is hiding behind his civilians, who may very well be just as guilty as he, there is no sin in killing them too, IF that is unavoidable.

So, I repeat to the rest of the anti-Semites and self hating Jews.... All the Rabbi is saying is that we have to go all out in letting the enemy know not to start up with us. The sooner we start valuing our lives over theirs, the more of our lives AND THEIRS we will save!

yonason
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
To tell the truth, though, I AM embarrassed by what Rabbi Friedman said, or at least part of it - the apology! Sure, I think he didn't explain himself very well in his first, and grossly misinterpreted statement. But that merely requires clarification, not contrition.

The Rebbe himself said it was unthinkable that the IDF would risk the lives of Jewish soldiers in order to save any of the enemy. He didn't want the enemy to die, but in war you have to think of yourself first. Anything short of that is a recipe for defeat.

We do not want them to die...
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/807777/jewish/Should-I-pray-for-the-death-of-terrorists.htm

...but if it comes to a choice between me and my family, and them and theirs, please G-d let it be them - until the come to their senses, and then we can truly live in peace.

Meanwhile, here's what every Jew needs to know (I hope the links I've put in come out OK)...

http://sichos-in-english.org/books/eyes-upon-the-land/01.htm

max
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
this is monstrous.

Jeff
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
Basically, Abe Foxman is saying that this story should not have been published so as not to give Jews a bad name. Is that what the ADL is for? To protect the image of Jews, kind of like - i don't know, not allowing us to see the daily murder and starvation of Palestinians because it may make the Jews look bad? I see how it works, now. Abe has no problem conflating everything that happens in a day with the latest scourge of anti-semitism, but shed some light, tell the truth about the dark side of Judaism, and it's suddenly "hands off"?

David
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
So there you have it: The crazy statements of this extremist rabbi expose in public what many Chabad people usually keep hidden for PR reasons, along with their belief that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the risen Messiah.

And we have a few of (a) the vile supporters of these views posting here too, along with (b) the usual crowd of ignorant people flirting with antisemitism ("the Zionists expose their true colors" etc, of course forgetting that Chabad is DEFINITELY NOT a Zionist group, while "the Rabbi who publishes "Tikkun" IS a Zionist). Don't bother posting here, the readers of the Forward are politically liberal and not interested in your hate. So Yonason, Robert etc GO AWAY.

Menahem
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
My most heartfelt thanks and congratulations to The Forward for publishing this: I already started forwarding the article to my mailing list, both here and abroad. I can only confirm that I heard with my own ears this type of language from Chabadniks.

Ben
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
As a Jew, I say unhesitantingly that Jesus was a better rabbi than Mr. Friedman, and that perhaps he should read some of the man's sermons.

Menahem
Thu. Jun 4, 2009
I just want to add, after reading some of the comments, that the Rebbe held different views, largely misinterpreted or intentionally disfigured by some of his followers. After all, we must bear in mind that he always spoke Yiddish: every word is translated (and at times "betrayed"). A very sad case of a very enlightened leader betrayed by some of his own followers/epigons.
Holly
Thu. Jun 4, 2009Rabbi Friedman has created a massive PR disaster for Chabad.
Arvin Khadr
Thu. Jun 4, 2009it's fortuitous for the world that everyone see what Israel is really about, and that's murdering women and children with WP weapons it buys from the U.S. (EDO CORP) and uses with abandon in Gaza and elsewhere, even though it's a WAR CRIME to do so.

Robert Merkin
Thu. Jun 4, 2009I think my earlier comment about this Holy Meshuge has been deleted.

Wasn't I warm and cuddly like the Rebbe?

I'll re-post my comment on my blog:

http://vleeptronZ.blogspot.com

but I thank The Forward for this astonishing story, and hope The Forward will let me say again:

Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims are children of God, and thus my brothers and my sisters. May we all, as the Vulcans say, Live Long And Prosper, in respect, brotherhood, shalom, salam and Peace.