Channels
Photo: Knesset Website
Israel Eichler unimpressed with Beilin's proposal
Photo: Knesset Website

Beilin's 'final solution'

Proposal to recognize Christian children as Jews will backfire

Meretz party chairman Dr. Yossi Beilin proposes an excellent final solution to the century-long Israel-Palestinian war: Let's recognize the Palestinians as Jews, and everything will be alright.

 

Writing about a reality television program, Beilin calls on Israel to recognize the children of non-Jews as Jews. How revolutionary: The dead are actually alive, non-Jews are actually Jews, and Palestine is actually a golden European country. It's just a question of phrasing.

 

And why not? The children of Christian evangelists who try to sing the Jewish anthem "Am Yisrael Chai" (The Jewish People lives!) but can't quite get out the guttural "ch" sound in "chai" should also be considered Jews, and why not the children of Palestinians?

 

Turning a chicken into fish

 

An old joke tells of a Jewish convert to Christianity caught eating meat when it is forbidden to do so. His friend asks: How could you go against our religious dictates? Don't you know that you now qualify as a heretic?

 

And the ex-Jew answered, "Well, the priest dripped some 'holy' water on my head and said from now on I was Christian. So I, too, dripped some water on the meat and declared it fish!"

 

Absurd? This is exactly Beilin's answer to this issue: Stop moaning about the destruction of the Jewish people and recognize the children of non-Jewish women as Jews.

 

Throughout history, the worst oppressors of Jews, from the Cossacks to recent times, were carried the children of assimilated Jews. Beilin is either naive or pretending to be, if he thinks children of assimilation will love Israel and view themselves as good Jews.

 

Just look at the self-hatred of assimilationists themselves, 100 percent kosher Jews. Look at how they preach hatred for Jews and their holidays. What should this nation expect from the Christian children of assimilated Jews?

 

Not a Jewish country

 

I have no argument with Dr. Beilin's argument that Israel is not a Jewish country, but rather a secular country completely divorced from the sanctity of the Land of Israel. I also agree that the name "State of Israel" is misleading, for there is absolutely no connection to the religion of the Jews.

 

The state owes nothing to Judaism. Its judges and leaders intentionally shun all connections to Judaism.

The Supreme Court has even ruled that religious considerations are to be considered "foreign" to government decisions.

 

But there is no Jewish nation without the Jewish religion. This is a historical fiction with no basis in historical fact and no chance for the future.

 

A nation with no past also has no future, and its present has no meaning. The Zionist leaders of the previous generation understood that the only thing connecting Israeli and Diaspora Jews was the Jewish religion. Without it, the Jewish people have no right to exist, and certainly no right to an independent country.

 

Global citizens

 

It is specifically because Beilin's approach is considered acceptable to the "elite" that the end of the Jewish nation-state appears closer than ever. Not because the Arabs don't want us here, but rather because the Jews can't figure out what they are doing here. "Enlightened" Jews will simply leave.

 

Today already, most wise investors only invest overseas. Also, note the responses of Ynet readers to Beilin’s proposal. A large part wants to see the continued existence of the Jewish people, which through devotion was able to maintain genealogical purity over thousands of years.

 

It hurts him that one generation of assimilationists could break the golden chain and erase a nation that managed to survive so many generations. Despite a generations-long war against Judaism, most Jews in Israel continue to believe in God. These are the ones that will remain here.

 

The other, younger part, already sees Beilin's generation as an outdated anachronism. Call them Jews or non-Jews or goyim or people. It's all the same. The younger generation scorns the idea of "family" and is divorced from the idea of a "Jewish people."

 

These people are citizens of the global village. They don't want to be a separated from the other nations of the world. And why should they? If there is no God and no Torah, why suffer through all the trials and tribulations for a tiny sliver of the Mediterranean coast?

 

Young people today are asking real, tough questions. Why not return to Europe? Is it so bad for Jews in America? They could assimilate there, too. Even better there.

 

What are people here dying for? And who am I? The best amongst them quickly find themselves overseas. There, they find good jobs, nice restaurants and good cars. Only the backward stragglers stay behind to suffer the heat waves and terror attacks here, trying to find jobs in the public sector.

 

Secular state will also disappear

 

Beilin makes one more mistake. He might think his final solution to the Jewish problem will lead to peace in Israel. But the Islamic nation will continue to chase the secular state, as if it were a Jewish one.

 

The president of Iran will continue to call for Israel's destruction, and the Palestinian brigades will continue to strike.

 

They will not rest and will not quiet down as long as Beilin refuses to recognize the Palestinians as Jews (or vice-versa), and refuses to declare the State of Israel an Islamic state.

 

But the "white Beilins" will be unable, to their horror, to become citizens of the Islamic nation. The Palestinians are unwilling to assimilate amongst the European immigrants. Otherwise, it would be possible to solve the Jewish problem by assimilating and turning them into Palestinians.

Absurd? It is the same idea as recognizing Christian children as Jews.

 

But all this is philosophical and polemic. This country has an atheist minority which rejects everything, and rules the judicial system and the media.

 

There is also a large Muslim minority and a small Christian one who have no feeling at all for the name "Israel."

 

In practice, most Israelis don’t see it this way. They meld together Judaism and Zionism, religion and nationhood. Therefore, Beilin must not strike at the desire of most secular Israelis to view their country as a Jewish state.

 

Anyone who separates Judaism from the State strikes a blow at the vast majority of non-religious Israelis.

The ultra-orthodox will remain Jews, even if the State of Israel becomes Christian or Muslim, even if it becomes atheist.

 

But most Jews threw their support behind the State of Israel because of its Jewish nature, not because they wanted to assimilate.

 

No Jewish immigrant before the most recent wave of immigration came because of Beilin and his "enlightened", European culture.

 

This they could have gotten in Europe or America, and for much cheaper prices.

 

Rabbi Israel Eichler is a former Knesset member and the head of the Jewish Information Center

פרסום ראשון: 11.01.05, 21:29
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment