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Author A.B. Yehoshua vexes US Jews
Yitzhak Benhorin
Published: 02.05.06, 19:34
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1. It is true...Israel is the only thing ensuring Jewish surviv
Dror ,   USA   (05.02.06)
survival*... We should all move to Israel (like I am next year) and bask in the glory of Jewish nationalism, culture and tradition. Israel - the country with Jewish prostitutes, Jewish police, Jewish basketball players, Jewish rappers, Jewish models, Jewish politicians. Israel is our country!
2. Yehoshua should learn demography
Ezra ,   Canada   (05.02.06)
According to demographic projections, Yehoshua is totally wrong : -the secular Jews living in galut will assimilate an a few generations. Those living in Eretz Yisrael will stay at about 3 millions. - the religious Jews will quickly grow to be the the only Jews in galut and the majority in Eretz Yisrael. The Haredim will make the majority of religious Jews. As a consequence, the future of the jewish people doess not rest on israeli identity but on judaism.
3. pompous twit
David ,   Raanana   (05.02.06)
Well, this is what happens when you ask a fabricator of fairy tales to opine above the internal fantasy world that constructs his universe. Second thought, who gives a fuck what this pompous twit has to say… He represents none other than the daydream world he lives in. Silly piss ant.
4. #1....of really?
David   (05.02.06)
Jewish prostitutes? You mean all those Bulgarian or Romainian girls that are smuggled and sold to SLAVERY in ISRAEL are Jewish?? Wow thats news to me. Do they Keep Shabbat? Only eat Kosher? Think about the stupid comments you made and lets see if you still think only Israelis are a light unto the nations....
5. wrong
David ,   Cincinnati Ohio   (05.02.06)
Dear Dror... Grow up...It's not that simple... You can't ignore history and the power of Jews around the world... Israel can't be powerfull without the Jews around the world.
6. And what about double identity?
Gavriel ,   Budapest, Hungary   (05.02.06)
Mr Yehoshua seems to forget all the Jews who are not only diaspora Jews but people who are convinced Israel is their second (or first) country, even if they don't live in Medinat Israel. They usually look at Israel as a "mouther country". Mr Yehoshua may not believe in G_d: it is his problem but he has no right to take in doubt other's national identity. If I say I'm Hungarian but also an Israeli (because I speak Hebrew, have Jewish familiy backgrounds, or because I'm Zionist and I have relatives living in Israel) he has no right to say I'm a "stranger" in the eyes of my country (i.e. Israel). From the other side such opinions are dangerous for Israel's future because of well-known demografic developments in the Middle East. If Mr Yehoshua and his leftist fellows do not want to see prosperous "Israelis" (i.e. Diaspora Jews) in other countries, he may reach these goals by continuing to speak the way like he did.
7. No surprises here....
Arik ,   USA   (05.02.06)
There is nothing surprising or new about Yehoshua's comments. They are widely subscribed to in Israel. I would say that most Israelis (even those who themselves live outside Israel) look at Diaspora Jews with varying degrees of derision and envy--irrelevant Goy-pseudo-Jews, Yehudonim, marginalized shtetl Jews, Woody Allen wimp Jews, embarrassed, self-hating Jews, etc. Of course, this does not prevent them from accepting huge sums of charity from said "Jews." That cow just offers up too much bounty not to be milked. For most Israelis, the Israeli Jew is the one and only model. The dominant religion in Israel is "Israelism" which incorporates and, at the same time, supercedes Judaism.
8. You missed it one more time
Ramzi ,   USA   (05.02.06)
When are you gonna realize what Yehoshua says? Struggle between you and us has never been religious in root. It is all about land. You took our land, and we will not rest until we get IT back. Point.
9. Unofrtunately, he is right. Diaspora Jews will intermarry
Roger ,   USA   (05.02.06)
..and slowly disappear while the Jews in Israel is the continuation of the Jewish future. Tedd Koppel is married to a Catholic and that is how his daughter was raised. Much good did he do for Judaism and Jews!
10. Pompous twit - I quite agree
Racheli ,   Jerusalem   (05.02.06)
Whilst I value the cultural Israeliness that Yehoshua speaks of, I dont think the Jewish people can obliterate our past or the reason we came here in the first place. Cultural Israeliness cannot replace Judaism and Jewish history rendering the others redundant otherwise why bother at all. Who needs to be Israeli. Who needs to stay here for Iran to shoot at? We might as well go to Scotland! I think that Yehoushua uses Israeliness to mask his alienation from Judaism. And he is INCREDIBLY pompous. Personally, whilst as citizen here I reject the right of Jews and indeed non Jews outside Israel to preach policy to me, I also see value in the Jews of the disapora and their culture and the binding traditions and laws that hold us together. I would like to seek out AB Yehoshua for a one on one about this but the old codger he is, I doubt he would be flexible.
11. To No. 9 Roger
NYC Girl   (05.02.06)
Not only that but his daughter, Andrea, a so-called journalist, was one of those who rushed to report that 4,000 Palestinians were killed in the "Jenin Massacre" and was reluctant to back off even as evidence to the contrary was becoming public.
12. Renowned Israeli author...
Ron ,   New York   (05.02.06)
but a jerk just the same.
13. Interested in the 50,000 people who read his works
Ilan ,   Ariel   (05.02.06)
He is a minor author that even most Israelis haven't bothered to read. And for good reason.
14. Re#1
Ross   (05.02.06)
Do not worry, they will steel ahouse for U from a palestinian guy in Hebron or Nablus.Then the Palestinian guy would be very pleased to welcome U taking his house, believe me a state built on others land would never survive......
15. Israel experiment is still pending
Chaim ,   Canada   (05.02.06)
The survival of Judaism (without Israel) has proven itself for 2,000 years. However, the survival of Israel without Judaism is still in doubt. Hopefully it will never be tested.
16. Really
Pete ,   Denver   (05.02.06)
I love Israel, but lets be realistic. We, the Jews in America are the ones who fund it. We are happy too, (since the Israeli upper class dont know how to give charity), but dont tell us we are worthless. At our synagouge this past Yom Kippur, they fundrasied over 2 million dollars that went to the Israeli governmnet.
17. #11 So much for Koppel's Jewish continuationu
Roger ,   USA   (05.02.06)
What a hypocrite! With Jews like Koppel there would be no Jews. Only the Israeli Jews and the remants of the Orthodox Jewry in the diaspora will remain Jewish. The rest of the Jews will become good Catholics.
18. YES - 100% CORRECT !!!
andrew ,   miami,fl   (05.02.06)
19. # 2 Ezra
yakov shani ,   afula   (05.02.06)
You made a prediction, permit me also to make one based on the premise that your prediction will materialize. In about 80 to 100 years from now we will still have no peace with the Muslims, they will never give up, so the IDF will look something like this. A rabbinical court will constitute the General Staff and Staff Orders will be the Tanaach. The Chief of the General Staff will of course be the Chief Rabbi,distinguished by his longer and unkempt beard, he will choose the others according to sect allegiances. Corps officers and indeed all combat officers will be appointed according to the number of years they have spent in yeshiva and their ability to quote the Torah and commentate thereon. All combat brigades will comprise a force of fearless bearded and sidelocked, black coated commandos, all toting a Talmud, the very sight of which will instill the fear of the almighty into our enemies who will approach by one road but by seven shall they be dispersed. This is my prediction but I shall not be here to experience it because I am already an old man, but I have 10 grandchildren so all I can say is If they are around, may the good Lord have mercy on their soul. I would however leave them some advice in my will. If you foretell this advent, then it is time to close the shop and leave. VAYHI AM, VAYHI ERETZ, VAYHI OR, VAYICHABUHU.
20. He's right.
Ari ,   NYC   (05.02.06)
He is right. The majority of Jews here in the US are unaffiliated and have no connection with Judaism or the Jewish people. Their destiny and their children's destiny is intermarriage. Therefore, A.B. is right. Only Israel matters. The galut is a waste of time. Take it from me, I live here.....
21. A..B. Yehoshua, an AMBARRASSMENT
SETTHERECORDSTRAIGHT   (05.02.06)
This arrogant, clueless piece of trash. He - and his type - are what are responsible, above all else, for the persistent decline of Jewish integrity in Israel. If he doesn't believe in G-d, doesn't consider himself Jewish - outside the narrow parameters of 'culturally' , 'by-chance', 'geographically' or 'linguistically' Jewish - then he and the likes of him - ought to move to Paris. What an ambarrassment he is. When the Moshiach comes, we will see if Mr. Yehoshua will merit redemption.
22. RACHELI IS CORRECT:
SETTHERECORDSTRAIGHT   (05.02.06)
Yehoushua uses Israeliness to mask his alienation from Judaism
23. Israel independence celebration going on...
JT ,   Central Area   (05.02.06)
In Israel the people have become mediteranean again, right now people are making music, strolling & dancing in the street in the middle of the night as at a Spanish fiesta. It is not true that most Israelis are not religious, whether or not there are outward trappings, the vast majority believes in a higher purpose connected with our history. This is my first Independence Day in the Land and it's a proud feeling to be here and be among so many Jewish people - you don't really become who you are meant to become until you come here, I think that's what ABY was trying to say... Of course American Jews act offended, because they are being challenged by him to come home - and they don't like it....they don't want to give up their big homes and big country, and won't until they are forced to - that time may be just around the corner...
24. # 3 David
yakov shani ,   afula   (05.02.06)
Your language is very colorful today, but I suggest that you obtain a good quality bar of soap and insert it in your facial orifice. After removing it perhaps you would give second thoughts to your childish criticism of an intellectual giant who has contributed more to the People and Nation of Israel than you have or ever will. What he said could be described as being almost axiomatic. Israel's future is that of the Israelis just as Moshe and Joshua forged a new Jew 4000 years ago in order to secure our future then, so must we today do the same. Otherwise from "the north will come the tempest", and the Third House will come to an ignominious end.
25. 5 Million and growing!
Yitzi ,   Jerusalem   (05.02.06)
#2 is right in that in a few years the majority of Jews will be religious due to assimilation. Also the best times for Jews in the Diaspora have already come and gone. Now is the time for all Jews to come home to Israel. The Anti Semites are getting warmed up for another round of pomgroms.
26. Really? Post #16
Ari ,   NYC   (05.02.06)
So by giving 2 mil that means you fund Israel? Laughter. You really are a dumb ass. The country has a GDP of tens of billions and there are multimillionaires and even some billionaires in Israel and you have still managed to convince yourself that you "fund" Israel. What a joke. You're a joke. I think the air is getting a bit too thin a mile high up there in denver. LOL
27. # 15
yakov shani ,   afula   (05.02.06)
6 million gone in a puff of smoke is survival ? If Israel had been declared by BG ten years earlier it would not have happened. So much for your equation !!!
28. #13 - Ilan - actually, quite a major author
Efrat ,   Israel   (05.02.06)
However, I don't know why people pay attention to his politics and views. Even he said once that he wants people to remember the characters in his novels and not his political views.
29. Ezra, post #2
Ari ,   NYC   (05.02.06)
I agree that the secular jews in America will disappear ezra. But where you are wrong is to assume that the secular jews in Israel will disappear. To the contrary, I believe that both the religious and secular jews in Israel will continue to flourish and that the communities in the galut will slowly disappear. The reasons are clear. The secular in the galut will be lost to intermarriage and the religious will eventually recognize that their place is in the homeland with their people. Therefore, 100 years from now Jewish people in the galut will be a thing of the past since there will be a net migration to Israel.
30. What he really is saying
tzippi Naomi ,   USA   (05.02.06)
Israel was created bc of ant-semitism, now it is the cause of anti-semitism. Yehoshua knows, as does every Israeli that the people who defend the State are fighting for thier very existance. Its black and white, there is no grey here at all. Israelis know they can depend on NO ONE. I think we should cut the guy a brake, after all, are not each of us guilty of some misdirected anger ? Especially with our own family.
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