Opinion  Soapbox
In support of free speech
Avram Hein
Published: 06.11.06, 21:54
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70 Talkbacks for this article
1. Only Free Speech For Left Wing Non Religious Crew
(11.06.06)
Any Religious Jew can be jailed for incitment, any religious party who advocates Jewish law or for kicking out Arabs such as Kahane can be kicked out of the Knesset. Any Jew who wants to pray on the Temple Mount can be jailed. When Jews who protect the land we have won in the past wars dont support removal of the land, they are called right wing extremists, but those that do are called peace activiists. You ask why there is a split, that is why, we religious will never bow down to the goyim or to those that act like them.
2. Freedom of speech, halakha, etc
Arthu ,   Miami Beach, FL, USA   (11.06.06)
Amen!
3. Looking forward to your orange sign
Steve ,   USA   (11.06.06)
B"H If you like freedom of speech, see if you protest in favor of the Gush Katif evacuees there, if you are allowed to take one step or if you are thrown in jail. I understand you like freedom of speech. But it cannot just be one-sided and called freedom. Encourage protesters in your group carying sign that say "Free Speech means Free Katif!" and I might agree with you. But the desecration to free speech from the forced not just demolitions but also economic devestation continues to this day, and I suspect the freedoms you proclaim are an illusion. The Gush Katif evacuees are unable to participate in demonstrations because of economic devastation well outside the law. So if you are a true defender of the law, buy groceries for those who are economically devastated instead of continuing to prevent THEM from marching. If you want to hold a demonstration of true pride, give some, and it will proceed smoothly. But to make it one-sided and claim "freedom of speech" after the events of last year and Amona is sheer hyprocracy. And if you want to compare a suicide bomber to someone throwing trash, I think that is also hypocracy. One has mass-murder in his heart, and the other is protesting violenly with some trash on the ground -- a huge difference. Mass-murder is a felony, and burning trash is a much lesser offense.
4. I couldn't have said it better - thank you.
Andy ,   ramat hasharon   (11.06.06)
5. Baruch Hashem
Lena ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (11.06.06)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. It makes me sick every time I hear about haredim burning parts of Jerusalem or stoning buses when they don't agree with something. It's anyone's right to disagree with the parade, and his or her right to peacefully protest, but this goes far beyond the limits of acceptable self-expression.
6. #3 steve
avi ,   binyamina   (11.06.06)
Supporting free speech doesn't mean supporting every cause.
7. You're not straight, you're crooked
bill handel ,   brooklyn usa   (11.06.06)
Your article mixes apples, oranges, and fruitcakes--what a cholent!
8. YOU CANT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
TIONI ,   BROOKLYN NY   (11.06.06)
MAN! YOUR CONFUSED!
9. good for you!
yael ,   jerusalem   (11.06.06)
I am happy to know there are people like you in Jerusalem!
10. What about the undemocratic supreme court
Yosef ,   Jerusalem   (11.06.06)
in a democratic country i cn acctually fight the supreme court! not in israel though, here they make a decision and there is nothing you can do except go out and riot! look what happend last year at the expulsion! the decision of the supreme court was undemocratic, you just have to rem that we dont live in a DEMOCRACY! i feel for some reason that somebody like you, a champion of free speach was probably watching it on tv like the majority of israel, not caring that an undemocratic decreee was just handed down by the "supreme court"
11. make your gay parade in a closed location
(11.06.06)
i dont do parades that im hetero. if you wanna be gay, thats ok, just keep it for yourself
12. The Writer Might Call HIMSELF Religious
H ,   Jerusalem   (11.06.06)
but nobody believes him and nobody else would consider him very religious since he doesn't believe in the Torah and in G-d's commandments. How dare he say the "halakha (Jewish law) does not prohibit a loving relationship between two people" when this prohibition is specifically mentioned in Leviticus 18:22 as an abomination!!!
13. THANK YOU!
EM ,   Ra'anana   (11.06.06)
14. it's all about numbers
Dror ,   Detroit, USA   (11.07.06)
Don't forget: the laws of the state of Israel are 58 years old; the laws of Judaism are 3318 years old.
15. What is next? Incest parades in J'lem?
BJL ,   Appleland USA   (11.07.06)
Where do you draw the line? Incest, pedophile, polygamist or beastiality parades? Free speech? Forced upon Davids city? It is easy to use Lashon hara when it suits your political agenda but it is not wrong to call evil what it is, evil. It is worse to give evil, license to be portayed as normal and good.
16. To all the people who talk about going against god
Dan ,   USA   (11.07.06)
If god cared at all about gay people - dont you think he'd take care of them on his own? Also, shouldn't he care more about the hizb or iran? Shouldn't he just smite them or kill their first born or something? God doesn't care - get over it!
17. Exactly
Marcus   (11.07.06)
All the reasonable and emotional arguments in support of this parade and in opposition to the actions of the haredim -- all from someone who is not pro-gay and who is a religious conservative. When you support one, you support all. When you harm one, you harm all. When you walk for one, you walk for all.
18. Not so huge a difference
Marcus   (11.07.06)
What is the difference between a stone and a bullet, but that the bullet is more likely to do the harm intended. And so, what is the difference between the thrown garbage can and the bomb, when the intent is the same?
19. Who Did The Nazis Go After?
Daniel ,   New York   (11.07.06)
How offensive it is to see these so-called religious people selecting one tiny prohibition in one line of the Torah to become violent. Why this issue? Why not any number of others? We all know the answer: Because they, like so many other people, are filled with violent hatred for things that make them uncomfortable. It's no coincidence the Nazis murdered the gays along with the Jews. And now these people are turning on the gays too. Shame on them!
20. LIAR THE TORAH FORBIDS MEN MARRYING MEN ETC.
(11.07.06)
21.  I WOULDN`T CALL HIM RELIGOUS.......................
(11.07.06)
22. You represent about 6 people
Shmuel ,   Jerusalem   (11.07.06)
Hey Guy - I am glad you are so proud of your views. Noone is trying to stop gays from living their everyday lives. But there is no "right" to hold parades anywhere one wants to. Jerusalem is a special city. Some call it Holy. But it for sure is not the right place for this parade. And I think most folks realize this.
23. Re #18. You must be kidding.
Steve ,   USA   (11.07.06)
B"H Difference between bomb and garbage... when intent is the same: what nonsense! That is an outrageous comparison. Burnt trash has no where near the intent as a bomb aimed at civilians. If you cannot see that difference that one is a lethal aim and the other is just a smelly fire, there are some real difficulties with your moral perception. Next you will tell me there is no difference between a man and a woman, and that men can bear children without women, through other men! And you want to promote that idea! Rediculous. The one approach does not prevent life while the other one does prevent children from being born.
24. ass-hole is religious and pope's a muslim sandmonkey
thanx Deform Rabbi   (11.07.06)
this website is full of nigahshit
25. 7+ people i guess...
realitygaps ,   Jerusalem   (11.07.06)
Well I am in a similar situation and I intend to do the same thing as the writer, what use is freedom if its only for things you support.... Great article, thank you - summed up most of the arguments i've had with religious friends the last few weeks....
26. Free to yell FIRE in a theatre
Michael U ,   SF,CA   (11.07.06)
A persons freedom of speech ends when it will cause physical damage. I think that although the GAY AGENDA has a right to free speech, they don't have a right to offend the people of Jerusalem. This is where free speech ends and destruction begins. Because people will be hurt by this parade, it should not be allowed to happen.
27. # 3, H
Vitaliy, Esq. ,   NJ   (11.07.06)
Hi, "H", If someone supports free speech, it doesn't mean he has to support fanatics, be they Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or any other kind. He can and, I am sure, does support their right to do that (with orange stickers, bows, signs) - NOT with rotten eggs, burning trashcans, and violence.
28. # 7, cholent?
Vitaliy, Esq. ,   NJ   (11.07.06)
Cholent? If you want to use that dish, at least name some things that actually go into cholent. I have never seen a cholent with apples, oranges and fruits.
29. #10, Supreme Court?
Vitaliy, Esq. ,   NJ   (11.07.06)
You mean they forgot to call you, to find out what you, the great Josef, think of something? Are rabbinical courts democratic? (they have even less people and who elects them - other rabbis). The courts are not democratic per se, they are part of the system that ensures democracy. Supreme Court is the court of last instance, beyond it - there is no review, save for that of G-d. If you believe in G-d - leave it to him.
30. # 12 and his friends
Vitaliy, Esq. ,   NJ   (11.07.06)
the rabbis and the residents of Mea Shearim call themselves "religious Jews." But how true is that? Do they forget why the 2nd Temple was destroyed? Do they hurt fellow Jews? Do they act with kindness to non-religious Jews? (well, from seeing how they hurt the Israeli police in Jerusalem and from their tactics - I am not sure)
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