One of the more unusual characters in Jewish literature appears in the Book of Esther. The palace guard Charbonah originally plays a role in Haman's conspiracy to slaughter the Jews and dispossess them of their property. But somewhere along the way he experiences a change of heart, turns double agent and informs on his co-conspirators. We remember Charbonah today in a piyut (prayer) as a man to be remembered for his righteousness. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik explains that Charbonah deserves his status because even those with initially suspect intentions can produce good deeds.
What the great rabbi might also have added is that in times of grave crisis, the Jewish people must accept help whenever it is offered. For many years the Jews inclined toward causes natural to our temperament, forming alliances with American blacks, environmentalists and human rights groups. Ever since the days of FDR and the New Deal, American Jews have consistently supported those they considered either the underdog or the downtrodden. But has there been a payback? When Jews felt their own cherished causes under assault, have the groups we once joined in a spirit of brotherhood responded in kind?
The record is not comforting. Black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have used their platforms to launch ugly attacks against Jews and Israel. The Democratic left has been less than enthusiastic in its support of Israel over the past two and half years and their record in Congress is nothing if not middling. Human rights groups regularly identify Israel as the perpetrator of massive abuses, while ignoring the far worse crimes of the country's enemies. As anti-Semitism has risen world-wide, fewer and fewer of our supposed natural allies have chosen to speak out on our behalf.
Contrarily, it has been the Christian right that has proven itself to be in the vanguard of protecting Jewish interests. The outpouring of support for Israel from this community has been extraordinary. Yet, a constant stream of warnings, issued within our own community, cautions us to avoid these same Christians, because of an agenda that is unconnected to Israel's welfare.
That proselytism is an item on the Christian right's agenda is something no one in the evangelical Christian community denies. Certainly we cannot and will not tolerate missionaries in our communities attempting to convert our youth. This must be made clear. But does it mean we turn our backs on 70 to 80 million Americans whose commitment to Israel's survival is not only unimpeachable, but vital to its welfare? These representatives of the American right, after all, form the core constituency of the most favorable American administration and president Israel has ever experienced.
This was clearly demonstrated on April 15, 2002, the day 200,000 people descended on Washington in a display of overwhelming support for Israel. Among those multitudes were thousands of Black Christians from the East Coast, white Christians from the South and evangelical Christians from the West. All came voluntarily. All paid for their own transportation.
The failure of the Jewish community to embrace the Christian right is all the more troubling when we remember the great lengths we have gone to cultivate organizations such as CAIR and the Muslim Alliance - Moslems whom we convinced ourselves were moderates. It has been a grave disappointment. Instead of vigorously condemning suicide bombing and terrorism, both groups have become apologists for these acts of base inhumanity. Even more troubling is evidence, produced by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, revealing that 80% of the mosques in the United States are controlled by the Wahaabi sect - most of whom receive direct financial support from Saudia Arabia.
For eight years, the most venomous among these Islamist leaders, a number of whom have even been recorded calling for Jihad against America, were invited to the Clinton White House to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This, despite the warnings and protestations of well-known terrorist experts such as Steve Emerson, Daniel Pipes and others. The Bush Administration, while maintaining the Ramadan Feast, has at least been more circumspect in who it invites.
Isn't it now appropriate to be asking the question why we give legitimacy to those groups who don't deserve our support and shun those that do?
[Part 1 of 2]
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Rabbi Steven A. Weil is the senior rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, the largest Orthodox congregation on the West Coast.
Avi Davis is the senior fellow of the Freeman Center for Strategic Studies in Los Angeles.
What the great rabbi might also have added is that in times of grave crisis, the Jewish people must accept help whenever it is offered. For many years the Jews inclined toward causes natural to our temperament, forming alliances with American blacks, environmentalists and human rights groups. Ever since the days of FDR and the New Deal, American Jews have consistently supported those they considered either the underdog or the downtrodden. But has there been a payback? When Jews felt their own cherished causes under assault, have the groups we once joined in a spirit of brotherhood responded in kind?
The record is not comforting. Black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have used their platforms to launch ugly attacks against Jews and Israel. The Democratic left has been less than enthusiastic in its support of Israel over the past two and half years and their record in Congress is nothing if not middling. Human rights groups regularly identify Israel as the perpetrator of massive abuses, while ignoring the far worse crimes of the country's enemies. As anti-Semitism has risen world-wide, fewer and fewer of our supposed natural allies have chosen to speak out on our behalf.
Contrarily, it has been the Christian right that has proven itself to be in the vanguard of protecting Jewish interests. The outpouring of support for Israel from this community has been extraordinary. Yet, a constant stream of warnings, issued within our own community, cautions us to avoid these same Christians, because of an agenda that is unconnected to Israel's welfare.
That proselytism is an item on the Christian right's agenda is something no one in the evangelical Christian community denies. Certainly we cannot and will not tolerate missionaries in our communities attempting to convert our youth. This must be made clear. But does it mean we turn our backs on 70 to 80 million Americans whose commitment to Israel's survival is not only unimpeachable, but vital to its welfare? These representatives of the American right, after all, form the core constituency of the most favorable American administration and president Israel has ever experienced.
This was clearly demonstrated on April 15, 2002, the day 200,000 people descended on Washington in a display of overwhelming support for Israel. Among those multitudes were thousands of Black Christians from the East Coast, white Christians from the South and evangelical Christians from the West. All came voluntarily. All paid for their own transportation.
The failure of the Jewish community to embrace the Christian right is all the more troubling when we remember the great lengths we have gone to cultivate organizations such as CAIR and the Muslim Alliance - Moslems whom we convinced ourselves were moderates. It has been a grave disappointment. Instead of vigorously condemning suicide bombing and terrorism, both groups have become apologists for these acts of base inhumanity. Even more troubling is evidence, produced by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, revealing that 80% of the mosques in the United States are controlled by the Wahaabi sect - most of whom receive direct financial support from Saudia Arabia.
For eight years, the most venomous among these Islamist leaders, a number of whom have even been recorded calling for Jihad against America, were invited to the Clinton White House to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This, despite the warnings and protestations of well-known terrorist experts such as Steve Emerson, Daniel Pipes and others. The Bush Administration, while maintaining the Ramadan Feast, has at least been more circumspect in who it invites.
Isn't it now appropriate to be asking the question why we give legitimacy to those groups who don't deserve our support and shun those that do?
[Part 1 of 2]
--------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Steven A. Weil is the senior rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, the largest Orthodox congregation on the West Coast.
Avi Davis is the senior fellow of the Freeman Center for Strategic Studies in Los Angeles.