I refuse to be your enemy

I disagree with you here...totally

Is that of Common Sense and Honest Discernment! The "One I call G-d" is the same one that "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" call G-d ---- there is only ONE! The "COMMAND" (not "saying") to "Love your neighbor" as in Leviticus 19:18 "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Is to be taken in context with the WHOLE WORD. The COMMAND prior to the above is "Leviticus 19:17 "Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt." You are NOT "Rebuking" your neighbor/enemy (Gays are enemies of G-d in SIN/REBELLION) in Rightousness by "Marching and/or holding hands with them" ---- you are only "Sharing in their Guilt!!!" Just as we are to "Love our neighbors", we are also to "Judge and Rebuke" them according to Rightousness (Which we ascertain through the Wisdom provided by G-d to us in and through His Word [Prayer and Faith]. Loving your neighbor does not mean supporting them or your enemies in sin

MGD, You sir, seem to have the whole truth. I just need to know that if the one you call G-D only blesses Israel and condemns the rest of the world. There is another saying that goes: Love your neighbour as yourself. Is that meant to exclude everyone outside the settlements?

And if you are friend, how are you going to prove it?

we will win the second intafada. This after the Jewish Israel jailkeeper was munching on Pita sandwich during Passover. Becuase Jews like columnists here do not feel or practice anything sacred, they are the problem not the right, chareidim, or modern orthodox.

That by holding hands, marching and making PEACE with the Enemies of the Holy Sovereign G-d (the one of the Hebrew Scriptures) ---- that they can/will in some way avoid Calamnity?! G-d IS a G-d of Peace, Love, Truth, Compassion, Justice, Righteousness ------ as long as one does NOT have to compromise on any of the above to attain it!!! A picture of YOU added with a description of you that changes even one TRUTH as to your nature/color ---- becomes something/someone other than you. We can not change the TRUTH of what G-D is in ANY way, shape, form and/or fasion and still claim that we Worship G-D. There is only ONE TRUE SOVEREIGN, PERFECTLY HOLY G-D, HE IS "I AM". Holding hands with and/or making peace with His enemies ---- will NOT SAVE YOU or the WORLD!!! G-D BLESS ISRAEL!!!

Never there will be peace. you declare that the war is over, in your mind from the comfort of your computer with never ending supply of freedom of movement, food, electricity, firepower, money, support, etc. But the other side of the fence, they cannot declare the same because they have non ! how can they, when will it be their turn to have an imagination beyond the suffering, dream on, but for us, the war has not started

It is a wonderful thought in your above writing.

The trouble is Brad, there's nothing wrong with the basic idea of Zionism, of Jews living together and forming a society with a Jewish culture. The trouble is that Israel wasn't an empty land and the Zionist dream there is being built on the nightmare of another people. You were brought up in multi-cultural America and you're a nice guy and you know that fundamentally that's not right.

You made Aliyah from the United States just like me. Do you realize what this means? You, born in North America recieved a free passport and even free money to come live in the middle east. You have priority in the job market because of your race, religion and mother language. You who werent born in Israel have more rights than the Arabs who lived here for years before the Aliyot. You claim to refuse to be the enemy of the Arabs, but this is impossible given the situation. I believe that you and me ARE their enemies by nature. We have a right to live here that dates back thousands of years and their compermise is to slaughter us. I think that makes us enemies. Choose a side, and grow a pair please. You might refuse to be their enemy but tell them that when you stray into Ramallah.

I also applaud Bradley and agree with him, but Sherrod, you are deluding yourself if you think Bradley wants to end the sovereign State of Israel. the solution is the 2 state solution, two peoples divide a common country, and no, we don't want to live in a shared state because after 80 generations, we simply think we can only trust our own kind when tye chips are down. Actually, we also don't like the way Arab treats Arab or Muslim treats Muslim in the Middle East. Shucks, just not persuaded by the "brotherliness" in the Arab states, and all that jazz.

There are two Jewish peoples in Israel. Why can't Tel Aviv have its peace and Jerusalem its land and security? Medinat Israel is not Medinat Yehuda. Abandon Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem and close the border. The Jews living there will know what to do. And Medinat Israel will have peace at last.

But presumably yes to a multi-cultural Australia where you live. Isn't that hypocrisy Pete? Also, you complain about anti-semitic vandalism in the UK. Well I guess it happens occasionally and it's wrong. How do you feel about anti-Muslim acts of vandalism in Israel?

I meant to tell you Americans are very much against Obama's war today in Afganistan and just want all this war to stop too. Many have already aligned themselves with the traumatized Afgan people and won't accept US forces destabilization Pak- istan from across the border to gain control of its nuclear arsenals. ( you see, people aren't fools they know the score.) The bottom line evil is no stranger and the worst hypocrisy is to claim one can stomp out evil " once and for all" as that in- volves creating more evil in the end. Our best hope then is to contain evil and remain attentive to its root cause. It is after all part of the human condition and no one is free of it. So let's stop all the finger pointing as you said and make peace instead. It certainly makes ultimate sense to me. Cheers! Dutch

Good on you chum for the important information you have given Ari who seems to think and dismisses(wrongly I may say) that you are not an Israeli. Keep it up in your way the you never deviate and correspond according to the facts on the ground. Thank you

But as usual with Brad's articles which drag on and we wait in vain,it was not published. You are correct and I would like to say: Don't let the naysayers to dumped down your true points which are right to the nitty gritty of the situation. Regards

There is a commonality in the needs of all people for self expression and self awareness and to divide or seperate anyone out goes against the natural order of things and indeed the species. So yes, change everything as the people said and remove the barriers that impede this. This is the wisdom of the people. And absolutely my dear Bradley end the war there in Jerusalem where all people claim as their own. This is what people around the world desire also. Thus, there is such a broad and united nessage there in that gathering you found yourself in.... It isn't necessarily about your hopes and aspirations for Israel but the hopes & aspirations of all people to be united in their will with the family of man. Dutch

Not look for peace. A friend knows a continuous stream of abuse just gets people's backs up. A friend looks at the whole picture then points out errors in context. PS I have expressed my displeasure here more than once. PPS Beating up Jews and defacing Jewish property in Britain IS anti-semitism Trying to hide all that as multicultural peaceful society just criticising Israel is an apologists nonsense.

It is very strange to hear you speak about statements regarding "throwing Jews into the sea" when the reality is the Palestinians have been driven from their homeland starting in 1948, and are still being driven from their homes using all different means. Don't you think this Zionist myth has run its course already?? Reality speaks much louder than words and myths.

But,what you wrote speaks volumes.Cannot abide sentimental drivel(sorry Bradley). I think PETER SM has the right summation of the whole thing. Have a happy Chanukka.

Bradley and his wife in the USA.True honest imjun. Peter don't take any notice of the ones who berate you for being pessimistic.What you say is quite true.All well singing along with the enemy chanting,and happy until they wake he next day as it happens/happened today with the ROCKETS flying over Sderot and Ashkelon. Fools will be like that(am not criticising Brad')but reality is quite a different thing.

He is an Israeli.Hey you moved to Ben-Ami? What happened?But nevermind about your move. vhardman( Paul whatever)as I said a true Jew and an Israeli (if he does not mind my saying so) Your memory is afailing Ari

Even better than those on the beautiful dreamy march.Wow it must have lifted te HEARTS right UP TO THE HEAVENS for The Lord of Hosts to Hear.Even if it only was:Kumbaya. If only this was going to bring peace,then we would all go and dance our life away.

Paraphazing:Schiller Thank you...

Tummy wammies...What a jolly old day that must have been. I have a small anecdote of "Modern China". "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." "Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."

'Now I know creating that from the present mess isn`t easy, but at least say you want it.' The thing is, he doesn't want it. Israel, AS IT IS, is his ideal. It fulfills all his fantasies. He loves Israel, not in spite of 'Cast Lead' and all that it stands for, but because of it. An Israel at peace would be of no interest to him.

Your posts are increasingly impressive.

Marlene N, you might notice that you don't have a lot of tolerance for my viewpoint. But that's okay, because you tolerate everyone else's? If you claim you are tolerant you must then tolerate everyone, including those you find objectionable and intolerable.

Keep holding out Brad. The Assyrians have finally decided that they want to be BFF's. Why not take a nice walk through an average Arab neighborhood wearing a kippa. I'm serious. You might be persuaded to stop living in a fantasy.

On an individual level, you can be as kind and charitable and congenial as possible and still be hated. That being the case, having an enemy isn't your choice. It's theirs. Next year in Tel Aviv-Jaffa? I know you refuse to be their enemy Bradley, but are they still yours? Are you willing to give up Jerusalem to find out?

Your reply is exactly why it is important to separate religion from state because everyone is entitled to believe in God or not as he or she chooses. The most important thing is how we treat our fellow human beings no matter what we believe. That is what tolerance should stand for also. Your post is not an example of tolerance therefore, you should not be preaching it.

Everything you say SOUNDS right. One poster even said you are emulating Jesus Christ. Well ... you're not! The world forgets that Jesus was NOT tolerant of those who went against His Father's Will. The world does not want to hear this but it must be said: being tolerant of other gods and practising homosexuality were / are not okay with the Lord. For sure, love the sinner, but the sin is not to be tolerated. People are called to peace through God's Will, and peace will never come so long as mankind keeps living in his/her own will and not in the Will of God. Jesus calls us to love all who cross our paths, but to tolerate only that which is of God.

truer words were never spoken. Excellent, thank you.

Bradley's having a senior moment. Singing Kumbaya wont make peace a reality.

Come on mate. You can do it. You live in multi-cultural Australia. I live in multi-cultural Britain. Neither are perfect countries, but broadly speaking today both contain people from all over the world who get along OK and have an equal share in the society they live in. Australia isn't just a land for the immigrant Brits and Irish who founded it. Britain isn't just a country for the Anglo-Saxons who created England, the UK's biggest and richest part. Wouldn't you like to see Israel become something like that? Not The Jewish State, constantly having to discriminate against non-Jews, always agonising about that demographic time-bomb and becoming more religious and more extremist, but an Israel that is a society for all Israelis to share equally no matter whether they're Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bedouin, no matter what gender, what colour and what sexuality? Wouldn't you like that? Now I know creating that from the present mess isn't easy, but at least say you want it.

israel is for all jews not just israelis this been the problem that the politicians dont understand! my grandfather was in vienna with herzl before you were a twinkle ! 90 years on and you have the solution to the dispute WITH MUSLIMS ????????

But you (or rather your society) cannot be a friend to anyone as long as you remain their oppressor, tormentor and dispossessor, and as long as racism still reigns supreme in your surroundings. It would not have worked anywhere else, and so it cannot work here.

Bradley Burston is 100% on this one! So PAUL HARRIS or whatever you wish to call yourself today, butt out and leave us ISRAELIS, both Arab & Jew to solve OUR problem It's NOT yours.

lol...but on the brighter side, one must remember that it`s the baser values of humankind, motivated by hate, fear, and ignorance, that tend to be the most vociferous... while, for whatever reason, the more enlightened tend to be secure in their beliefs, and unfortunately, they feel less need to espouse their views. the "squeaky wheel" versus "the silent majority". it`s funny how that works. These are your words eric....Rings true dunnit?

All you have to do is look at the Talkbacks on articles in this newspaper to see that Israel will NEVER, EVER catch a break from many people. Unfortunately, there are a great many who believe that a Jewish state is "racist" by definition. They will never concede that Jews have a right to live in Israel, and they will forever believe that the creation of Israel was criminal. In their minds, Jews are trespassers in Israel, and the entire Jewish history in, and rationale for, Israel is a pack of lies. Because Judaism is a unique combination of religious as well as cultural and national identities, Israel will never be understood by these folks and will forever be seen by them as exclusionary and abnormal. They will never understand Jews, never recognize that we have had a historic and continuous presence in Israel, nor will they ever concede our need for self-determination. Israelis are scum, in their eyes. I wish I saw an end to the conflict, but I don't. I wish I had your optimism.

Never forget the importance of treating everyone as a human being.

with men this is impossible, but with G-D all things are possible. HE will make it so! shalom

May God bless you! I hope next year is tenfold as inspirational! You are completly correct and anyone who disagrees at this point is in the way a does not serve love or any other Godly attribute! God Speed goodly sir! Peace in the Holy Lands! The "jewish" state concept is apartheid point blank. No Jim crow state in the Holy Lands! Israel and Palestine together in peace and repect for each other. God is the Greatest!

you are a cynical hateful self centered biggoted little turd

he also invaded greece and started a war that united greece until they defeated him...anyone watching TV knows more than you

but aren't hellenist a step two above zionist who are pretending to be ancient israelites in the time of solomon? puff and huff but join the 21st centuray

I don't know where Mr. Burston resides, nor either,for that matter where you live. I live in Kibbutz Zikim which has absorbed numerous kassam attacks during the last eight years. We worked for years alongside people from Gaza, some of them became our friends and we still maintain whatever contact is possible with them while they suffer as Gaza's "front line", exposed to our reactions to their extremist's unhinged policies. I also personally know a number of Palestinian working publicly for peace in admittedly difficult conditions. You are ignorant of the Palestinian peace movement because you would rather not hear about it. If you knew, could you continue to ignore the suffering of innocent Palestinians caught between the anvil of Hamas intransigence and the hammer of Israeli overkill?

lol...but on the brighter side, one must remember that it's the baser values of humankind, motivated by hate, fear, and ignorance, that tend to be the most vociferous... while, for whatever reason, the more enlightened tend to be secure in their beliefs, and unfortunately, they feel less need to espouse their views. the "squeaky wheel" versus "the silent majority". it's funny how that works. by the way, i'm not much for marches and demonstrations, but were that i could, i'd be joining you next year. and one other thing, the title of your article should be adapted by every nation as a primary tenet of foreign policy and relations. it certainly wouldn't prevent any wars, but it would serve as a reminder that most conflicts are between nations, and NOT people.

Bravo!

peace.Preaching at one side is treating half a disease.Or are you seeing this conflict using progressive spectacles? Years of rejection of peace,official racist and rejectionist incitement,suicide bombings do not strenghthen the peace camp.Nor does denial of issues that do not fit the ideological mould. How do you make lasting peace with people of this mindset?" #2295 - Egyptian Ambassador Ahmad Al-Ghamrawi: Violence between Egyptian and Algerian Soccer Fans Was Part of a Zionist Conspiracy Dream 2 TV (Egypt) - November 26, 2009 - Meanwhile you have well & truly worked for this "2297 - London-Based Muslim Scholar Azzam Tamimi: Islam Liberates Europeans from Their Lives of Stupidity Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - December 8, 2009 "

lol...but on the brighter side, one must remember that it's the baser values of humankind, motivated by hate, fear, and ignorance, that tend to be the most vociferous... while, for whatever reason, the more enlightened tend to be secure in their beliefs, and unfortunately, they feel less need to espouse their views. the "squeaky wheel" versus "the silent majority". it's funny how that works. by the way, i'm not much for marches and demonstrations, but were that i could, i'd be joining you next year. and one other thing, the title of your article should be adapted by every nation as a primary tenet of foreign policy and relations. it certainly wouldn't prevent any wars, but it would serve as a reminder that most conflicts are between nations, and NOT people.

Your wife said it exactly: it IS a taste of the World to Come! And I am glad that Israel-Tel-Aviv got the message and has instituted this march. This is the answer to what happened to Rabin,z"l, that fateful night. He became Kiddush Hashem for this reason. This does not preclude the fervent prayers of the believers in front of the Kotel: I love that Wall, our Wall of Lamentations, our Wailing Wall, that has stood for generations waiting for the people to return, the Jewish People, to prepare for the Third Temple of which you speak.It is the vessel, the container of all our hopes and prayers for generations. We look at it with wonder, because we feel that somehow it is a direct line to Hashem. You look up at the stones, you look into them. And you seem to connect to the Ineffable. Hag Hanukah Sameach on this, the fourth candle.

The same day that Haaretz prints this story about "thousands" marching for peace, it also has a story about "tens of thousands" demonstrating for Hamas. With those odds, don't expect peace -- and don't blame the Jews.

It's easier to attack you, Bradley, as so many respondents are doing, than to confront and internalize your message. Every high school debate club member learns: when you can't deal with the message, "kill" the messenger. Maybe I'll get to next year's march myself! (Now someone will attack me as unqualified to comment because I don't live in Israel. Again, whatever anyone thinks of me, the message remains.) Jews are supposed to be rachmanim b'nei rachmanim, compassionate people-children of compassionate people!

"I refuse to be your enemy " BB. Isn't the same as " those who slaps your right cheek give them the left cheek to slap" . Yet, the christian world was always at war with each other for centuries and centuries !? Refuse to be an enemy will not spread love like roses; it will only increase violence. Blaming Israel for self-defending became the normal thing in this conflict with the palestinians & the standard thing is to blame Israel for everything. It used to be how the world was treating the Jews ! And now how the world is treating Israel ! It is a shame how some Jews today are treating Jews ! It is not "betraying God's work"; (BB), it is standing to man's inhumanity !

a year ago thousand of kassam were fallen on the south of Israel making the life of the people impossible 3 years ago the lebanon war broke out with our good and loving neighbourhood from the north making 133 victims ! Iran is slowly approaching toward a nuclear bomb i would like to live in the world you describe in your article i'm sure there are some people who wants to live side by side in peace but for the moment i'm not very optimistic and the world you describe is a bit utopic !!!

Hamas, which is the Palestinian version of Peace Now just declared their intent to use Gaza as a base to conquer all of Israel. Until there is a true Palestinian "Peace Now", with respected Palestinian leaders telling their people that BOTH sides will have to make difficult compromises for peace, (as opposed to telling the Palestinians that one day, they will drive all the Jews into the Sea and take their places),there can be no peace.

Maybe next year you can hold your march in Sderot.

dont forget that we needed allies back then to kick out the syrian/greeks... And that it was the divisions in the maccabees that lead to the romans taking over... Israel needs to stay united and strong if its to outlast the hasmonean dynasty...

an awful warning to idiots who think singing songs brings peace !

"Es kann der frömmste nicht in Frieden leben, wenn es dem bösen Nachbar nicht gefällt" Schiller "Not even the most pious can live in peace when that doesn't please his/her evil neighbour."

Not sure if you've ever read any of my posts. The less discerninf of the pro-Israel faction on here would see me as anti-Israel. I'm not. I'm a frustrated fan of Israel. I spent time there in the early 1980s and loved the secular, cosmpolitan, tolerant side of it like you describe. I went to Peace Now meetings to oppose the Lebanon War and I was impressed. Increasingly though that,very real, side of Israel seems to be overshadowed by the less tolerant, more extreme side of Jewish Israeli society and, to be honest, I think Israel's about to drink deep of the intoxicating, but ultimately lethal, combination of religion and nationalism. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but I could easily see Israel becoming the Serbia of the Middle East rather than the tolerant, cosmopolitan mix that you and I both clearly would like it to be. Best of luck.

What utter sophomoric tripe--the next time the PA holds such a rally will be the first. But go ahead, keep living in cloudcuckooland, as though the first two intifadehs did not happen.

Moshe...I am sure that you are a righteous man and a proud Jew. Yet, beware. There are indeed still Maccabees...and even more so there are still Zealots. The latter, as you know, are responsible for the destruction of the Temple, and the foolishness of Bar-Kochba and Akiva is responsible for the loss of the Homeland and 2000 years of Jewish suffering. In any case, there are greater goals than blind nationalism. For instance, the striving towards recognition of our common humanity which will eventually make nationalism irrelevant.

Ali, firstly, 20% of israels population is "Palestinian". They go to homes just like the Jews of Israel. Secondly, almost all of israels population are refugees or descendants of refugees themselves. Of course you would like to ignore this, but the "invaders" you speak of are actually holocaust survivors and Jews exiled from Arab lands. Why are the Palestinians still in camps? Maybe it has something to do with perpetuating the misery to finally complete the ultimate goal of destroying Israel? Don't take my word for it, read HAMAS' charter. Listen to Nasrallah's speeches...

I dream that we'll be in Haifa with you next year as well; Celebrating the triumph of tolerance and justice over predjudice and hate.

such warm feelings. the sort i detest. why, some of you ask? because we are well familiar with this sort of cold callous calculating hasbara that cries peace but offers not an once of justice. it's good for photo ops for the benefit of israelis. so we hug and kiss and sing STOP THE WAR songs. the war stops, the invaders stays put, the ethnically cleansed go back to their desolate refugee camps and to their exile. at that moment, Palestinians realize they have been scammed in a moment of their vulnerability...again and again and again. NO MORE ZIO-SCAMS. JUSTICE THEN PEACE!!! AND JUSTICE HAS ONE ADDRESS AND IT SAYS INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAWS!!!

Lucky for us all, in every generation there are also Maccabees. Happy Chanukah to the Jews. May our lights only burn brighter.

Bradley, you touched my heart. Next year in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Amen.

Such a march in London or Washington would be nothing out of the ordinary - all people, all with the same rights no matter what colour, creed, gender or sexuality. But you're in Israel Brad, the Jewish State, a state where you as Jewish immigrant from America are part of the Jewish state in a way which Arabs whose families have lived in the Holy Land for centuries never can be. Are you prepared to sacrifice your role at the centre of Israel? Are you prepared to sacrifice your Jewish people's current attempt to seize and hold large parts of the West Bank? _________________________ AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes.