A Call from Jerusalem

LEMAAN ACHAI VEREAI! i happy to bring your this wonderfull article from Rabbi Amrom Blau zt"l (The Jewish Guardian[1], Issue 1 April 1974)

It is the nations of the world who gave credence to the canard that the Zionists represent the Jewish people. It is an ironical fact that without this recognition, the Zionists would not have beenable to establish their hegemony over the Jewish people.

If the Arabs lay the blame, for the loss of their territories,to the nations, then the Jewish people can attribute an even greaterloss to their historic identity as a G-dly people through the acceptance of the Zionists as the spokesman of the Jewish people. By their recognition, they have inflicted more ham on the authentic people of Israel, its Torah and its faith than on the Arab people.

Actually, the Zionists athiests have no intrinsic connection with the Jewish people. There is no fact as axiomatic of the Jewish people as the fact that they are characterized by their adherence to the Torah. The Jewish people as such, has no interest in the Zionists or Zionism, or in power over the state. They eschew nationalism and its political impliications.

The Jewish people are opposed to any confrontation with the Arab people. Before the advent of political Zionism the Jews had no conflict with the Arab world.

It is well known, that Baron Rothschild made substantial purchases of Land from the Arabs. The original Jewish settlers of Rischon Letzion, Zichron Meir, Rachovos, Ekron etc., lived in harmony amongst under their Arab neighbors. Their was never any opposition from the Arab community concerning Jewish immigration or purchase of land. We lived side by side with our Arab neighbors in tranquility. Moreover, the Arab population had genuine respect for their Jewish neighbors and maintained business relationships in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.

Not until after War 1, when the Zionists received the Balfour declaration and came to the Holy Land, did the fight between the Zionist and the Arab people begin. The Old Yishuv (the Jewish community which predated Zionism) found themselves caught in this conflict against their will.

The Zionist who have shown no regard for Jewish blood, and have proven to be irrensible, extended their rule over parts of the Holy Land, which had been inhabited by Arabs, and there upon brought the entire Arab world into conflict with the Jewish communuity.

These Zionists claim to be the proud descendants of the infamous hoodlums who were responsible for the genocide of the Jewish people at the time of the First Temple. The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with them to lay down their arms in the face of insurmountable odds and certain defeat and surrender the city to Nebuchadnezer, King of Babylon. Jeremiah proclaimed it was the will of G-d that the city of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple be destroyed as punishment for their sins and if the "people of Israel" accepted this decree then their lives would be spared. Jeremiah was labeled a traitor by these hoodlums and as a result not only was the Temple destroyed, but almost the entire population slaughtered.

These Zionists also claim to be the proud descendants of the infamous hoodlums who were responsible for the destruction of the Second Temple. Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai, leader of the Jewish people, called upon them to lay down their arms and surrender to the Romans. They refused and brought upon the Jews the calamity of the destruction of the Second Temple and the exile which followed.

All former habitants of the Old City of Jerusalem know full well, that if not for the courageous two Jews who approached the Arab camps with the white flag raised during the Zionist war of 1948 to conquer the Old City, not a single Jew would have remained alive.

The Zionists thwarted the first attempt of these two elderly rabbis to leave the battle zone, by gunfire wounds. Undaunted, the two suceeded at their second attempt. Therby saving the remainder of Jewish populace in the Old City.

In addition, the Zionists went step further and called these two valiant men traitors.

In their surge for power and victory at all costs, their proclaimed alternative is a Massada death. As one of their own leaders stated emphatically before the 1967 war, "we are prepared to fight to the last Israeli". How much Jewish blood must be spilled in order for them to maintain their goal of a so called "Jewish State"?

The Massada complex of these ancient hoodlums and their modern reincarnation, the Zionists would have then, as now, condemned the Jewish people to complete physical annihilation. The Jewish people rejected national suicide inherent in the Massada complex and they survived as a people only because they accepted throughout the generations the leadership of the Jeremiahs and Rabbis Jochanan Zakai.

Moreover by the command of the Torah the Jew is obliged to further the welfare of the state wherein he dwells. He entetains no thought of rebellion, in particular the Torah forbids us to retake Holy Land by force of arms. Jews abhor the shedding of blood of any human being for any reason whatever. In our entire long exile, there has never been an instance where the Torah justifies the use of bloodshed even against opponents. As the Sages point out, with particular reference (Genese Rabba93;) and it can be seen from their comment on the verse "Turn to the north" that this aplies even to attackers (Deuteronomy Rabba).

The Jew deplores the loss of lives caused by the struggle for power. The "people of Israel" meaning the Jews who are loyal to G-d and to his Torah are also loyal to the covenant imposed upon them, even when dwelling in the Holy Land, to abhor force of arms. They are innocent of responsiblity for the present disturbances, and they are actually captives of the present regime. Those who are unwllingly involved in the political state consider it a contradiction to their faith and conscience.

One should appeal to every upright person, to realize that the whole world wll bear the guilt of an irreparable crime if this game, involving the lives of thousands of innocents, is enabled to develop, Heaven forbid. The attribute of compassion, which is in the heart of every scrupulous person, must be aroused to exert influence and compel those with this empty ambition to stop.

May He to whom peace belongs grant us and the whole world blessing and peace.

Rabbi AMROM BLAU

I hope this article was clare and rekindle your soul in order to help you understanding the position of Judaism.

rabbi amram blau protesting for the holiness of the shabbos and for jewish modesty

[1] The Jewish Guardian was a religious collection in the English-language that showed how Zionism is opposing the Jewish faith, it was a periodical that appeared during the 70s and 80s. It contained a rich treasury of articles by famous rabbis as well as historians and activists, detailing the Torah view on the issues of the time as well as analyses of the history of Zionism. It was mailed out to subscribers and reached a wide variety of Jews from all communities.