Jewish Scene
Rabbi Aviner: Halacha bans Arabs from Knesset
Kobi Nahshoni
Published: 13.02.09, 08:14
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1. The rabbi is right
Yoel ,   רעננה   (02.13.09)
He's open-eyed and we must pay attention on what he says. Let's fight for our values, and at least judaism's basics.
2. rv Aviner
vashDi ,   israel   (02.13.09)
finally a real man who makes sense.
3. Why are you racists?
Maria ,   UK   (02.13.09)
You want a Jewish state, you are building borders between you and west bank, everytime somebody criticizes you ,you get very angry and go crazy about it, simply who do you think you are? .......God's chosen people!!!!!!!
4. Racists!!!!
(02.13.09)
.... and you say that Muslims are the ones who hate you, they're racists and extemists, you better check where you're going, racists!!!!
5. Investigate rav aviner for incitement and racism
(02.13.09)
6. Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook is irrelevant
Eric ,   Tel Aviv   (02.13.09)
7.  Rabbi Shlomo Aviner is irrelevant
Eric ,   Tel Aviv   (02.13.09)
8. Racist policy
Jonothan ,   Toronto, Canada   (02.13.09)
Seriously? In this day and age Rabbis are condemning Arabs from participating in the Knesset. La chaim.
9. Right or not
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (02.13.09)
He had better be keeping silent since "they have no influence , it's not so bad" [ what he wrote ] So why , if it's not so bad , to sayi it ? To show he is racist ? The same was , and is , said worldwide about Jews .
10. With Avigdor Lieberman
cfs ,   fr and dz   (02.13.09)
its a danger in Israel's Democracy. Fascism led to wars and to no liberties for the citizens. In France some fascists mayors close theatricals... In Algeria when FIS come to power, the army remove it because they were fascists but that led to civil war... In all situation, extreme right is bad for all, they take power and use it for theirs only purpose : war.
11. Leaving aside religious justifications.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (02.13.09)
What Jewish law says or does not say on the subject of non-Jews in the Knesset, or the interpretation given by this particular rabbi, the fact remains that Israel is not a theocratic state - far from it. But there are practical considerations that have nothing to do with Jewish law per se & that are specific to our circumstances. It is pointless in the extreme to bring up all kinds of abstract principles that are not intimately connected to our actual circumstances. We are in the midst of an ethnic/religious conflict. Our adversaries would like to see us disappear - I don't think that this is even debatable, it is just a fact of our existence. Were we talking about any other ethnic/religious group, this question would never come up for discussion. There is nothing racist (a word used with reckless abandon) in defending our collectivity; self-defense against a hostile group is not racism. In truth, we are not talking about a minority - WE are the minority in the region. Our adversaries do not see themselves as a minority - they self-identify with the larger majority in the region. So, this is the context of any discussion of whether Arabs should be in the Knesset or not.
12. if you go according to halacha..
m. ,   jerusalem   (02.13.09)
... then don't pick just whatever you like. halacha tells you to treat the strangers among you nicely. there is a lot of racism here against arabs! (and don't tell me it's all their fault) example: jobs and aptms
13. #12 You make me sick!!!
Barry ,   New York USA   (02.13.09)
14. I agree with #1
Keren ,   Israel-SP   (02.13.09)
Israel must keep in its principles,in its roots. Non Jews will,inevitably, try to push the Jewish State to their interests,this is a fact-christians will push to christian interests;muslims to muslim interests and so on. Israel can not permit such things,inclusively thinking in the next generations:today they(non Jews) are few in the Knesset ,but if our principles are not tightly kept,in the future other ideologies can take over,as had happened many times in the past,actually. We should think in long,long term terms.
15. It Has NOTHING To Do With Race
Yishai Kohen ,   YeShA, Israel   (02.13.09)
So it can't possibly be racism. An Arab who converts and joins the nation of Israel wouldn't be an issue.
16. #12 You are idiot;you lie;you have sand in your eyes.
Keren ,   Israel-SP   (02.13.09)
Arabs have an excelent life in Israel,many times much much better than Jews.They dwell in excelent houses and apts and get the best public jobs,that actually should be given to Jews,since arabs spit in the plate they eat. Go crawl in your hole,you fool!
17. #3
estytamar ,   NZ   (02.13.09)
Maria we arent racist, we are trying to maintain our race and each time someone criticizes us we dont get angry, we get fed up of trying to make ourselves understood and no, we never claimed to be G-d chosen people, Torah was offered to everyone but it was us at the end who accepted it - you had first offer. instead of attacking us, ask us why we do things and what we believe and why, I am sure someone here will happily explain.
18. LOL, go back to Lyon and leave this land to its owners (END)
Nour ,   Palestine   (02.13.09)
19. He is out of his mind.
John ,   Europe   (02.13.09)
In that case, Jews should be prohhibited for running for any parliamentary office anywhere in the world.
20. Nour- it's his land, not yours
James Meeker ,   USA   (02.13.09)
Go back to Arabia.
21. Apparently these days if you are against Democracy that =
Yitzchak ,   Yerushalyim   (02.13.09)
Apparently these days if you are against Democracy that = RASCISM.
22. Re: 11 Terry
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah   (02.13.09)
B"H - Terry: "It is pointless in the extreme to bring up all kinds of abstract principles that are not intimately connected to our actual circumstances". - ABY: That's where you are wrong Terry. Jews are Jewish because they act Jewish. Acting Jewish means mitzvot and mitzvot means Torah. Trying to separate Jews from Judaism will be the downfall of the Democratic Republic of Israel, the entity that occupies Eretz Israel. Distinguish, it is not a Jewish State, even if it tries to sell itself as such.
23. it doesn't matter what aviner says
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah   (02.13.09)
B"H See http://www.aviner.net
24. emnity
to sad to say ,   who I am   (02.13.09)
And this is why you will never have peace with your neighbors.
25. I wish, I wish he was right
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah   (02.13.09)
B"H I wish he was right but unfortunately he is not. Arabs have a great influence, relative to the number of their MKs. Rabin, for example, could push through knesset his plan only because of Arab MKs. Sharon, for example, could push through knesset his plan only because of Arab MKs. Aviner is only playing into the hands of his paymasters. See www.aviner.net
26. The Rabbi Is Wrong
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (02.13.09)
Very wrong. The State of Israel is not a Torah state and has never accepted Halacha as binding. This rabbi is confusing the classic Eretz Yisroel (which is Jewish and ruled by a king with a Sanhedrin) with Midinas Yisroel which knows nothing of G-d and Torah and masquerades as democratic. The rabbi is applying a set of rules and standards to the State which are not applicable to it because it is not "holy" in an way, but purely secular. The rabbi is confused and has confused Kodesh with Chol.
27. The Rabbi is right...at 100%.
Franklin ,   Paris   (02.13.09)
Because...if the jew have the right for ONE state in earth...it Eretz Israel. Halakha...Tehilim or what you quote...make no difference between the Jewish people. All of them...share a commun destiny facing...Racism, Progroms, Inquisition, Genocide...........by ennemies hatring...Rabbis or not . BUT JEWS.
28. better get arabs than traitors I say.
avi   (02.13.09)
did halacha prevent the Shoah ??? time to do some soul searching and stop smiling as if we were safe from Amalek because Amalek comes when jews wonder if they are jews and this is presently what is happening right under our nose.
29. #11
Keren ,   Israel-SP   (02.13.09)
"It is pointless in the extreme to bring up all kinds of abstract principles that are not intimately connected to our actual circumstances." Our actual circumstances ARE intimately connected to abstract principles. These abstract principles are brought into earth,into material,into practic, by Jewish laws. The Jewish laws are the ones that bring materiality to our condition of Jews,to our "actual circumnstances"as you say. You can not disconnect Judaism from Jews and from Israel;we are all the same. What you can do is pick up one principle or another to drive in your Jewish route,but they all come from our Scriptures,being them only ethical,moral,alimentary and so on. It is impossible do deal with Jews without Torah,incurring into the risk to be driven by an odd ideology,like leftism,for example,and be swallowed by it. We have nothing else to grasp than our own Scriptures:the Tanach.
30. #18, Jews are the natives of Israel. Go back to Arabia
David ,   Boston, USA   (02.13.09)
Nothing native about Arabs in Israel. You want to live in peace in Israel fine, but Jews are the native people to the land. You can see it everywhere. hence Arabs try to hide the archeological finds, because they are JEWISH. Before Rome, before Muslims. JEWISH. Jews are not native to Europe, but to Israel. Strange how you dont know this. Considering that Jews were called Palestinians before the Arabs took that name in the 60s. Another example of revisionism.
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