Netanyahu's messianism could launch attack on Iran
Relying on the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his teachings in a speech that was ostensibly in favor of a Palestinian state is like relying on a racist who fervently supports slavery in a speech that is ostensibly in favor of abolition, while also making abolition contingent upon conditions that will never be met.
By Sefi RachlevskyBenjamin Netanyahu promised to tell the truth at the United Nations, and the truth was indeed revealed. The prime minister chose in this speech to quote reverently from his meetings with one person only: the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who viewed himself as the messiah.
Neither the source nor the inflammatory quotation was coincidental. Netanyahu was intimately acquainted with the Rabbi King Messiah, and also with the views he expressed from on high. The rebbe's followers stood behind Netanyahu's victorious campaign in the 1996 election, which following the incitement-filled demonstrations and Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, with the slogan "Netanyahu is good for the Jews." And on Sunday, the prime minister's entourage was sent to genuflect at the rebbe's court.
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The Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose followers stood behind Netanyahu’s victorious campaign in the 1996 election. |
| Photo by: AP |
The Lubavitcher Rebbe was famous for his vehement opposition to even the tiniest withdrawal from any territory ever held by the Israel Defense Forces, even in the framework of full peace. He even opposed withdrawing from territory on the other side of the Suez Canal. In his view, not one inch of the Holy Land could be given to the Arabs. He based this opposition on both security concerns - that missiles would be deployed on any vacated territory - and religious-historical arguments. Netanyahu reiterated both claims in his speech to the United Nations.
The most prominent emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe - the great rabbi, as Netanyahu termed him at the United Nations - included Baruch Goldstein, perpetrator of the 1994 Hebron massacre, and Yitzhak Ginsburg, the rabbi of Yitzhar, he of the radical books "Baruch the Man" (which celebrates the massacre ) and "The King's Torah: The Laws of Killing Gentiles." Nor was this by chance. The Lubavitcher Rebbe inculcated his followers with the doctrine of "your people are the land's only nation": In the land of the messiah, there is no room for Arabs. Thus racism entered Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations - not "merely" against Islam, but also against Arabs: They, he said, are not like your neighbors in New York.
Relying on the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his teachings in a speech that was ostensibly in favor of a Palestinian state is like relying on a racist who fervently supports slavery in a speech that is ostensibly in favor of abolition, while also making abolition contingent upon conditions that will never be met. And thus, in a speech that warned about the danger of radical Islam, Netanyahu relied upon the most radically messianic Jewish theologian of our generation.
But Netanyahu, whose speech was steeped in religious extremism, surpasses even his rabbi. For all his hatred of Arabs, the Lubavitcher Rebbe never incited against Jews. Netanyahu - from the demonstrators chanting "with blood and fire we'll expel Rabin" through the whispers that "the left has forgotten what it is to be Jewish" to his links with the radical Im Tirtzu organization - has also engaged in domestic incitement.
The Quartet's plea that Netanyahu, of all people, should bring about a full withdrawal from the occupied territories and Arab East Jerusalem within a year is thus pathetic. It is like wishing that Michele Bachmann would turn America into a welfare state or that Eli Yishai, leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, would separate religion and state.
Bill Clinton, someone with vast experience of Netanyahu, had it right: The man is not interested in peace and compromise. Netanyahu opposed peace with Egypt and the first Oslo accord. He led a campaign of incitement against the Oslo-2 agreement and then refused to implement it. Ariel Sharon, Rafael Eitan and then-Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak were stunned by what they interpreted as his willingness to consider arming doomsday weapons in the face of Saddam Hussein's threats, and they worked to dissuade him. Netanyahu opposed the pullouts from Lebanon and Gaza, and not because he thought they should have been done by agreement. Nor did he respond to Mahmoud Abbas' moderation by taking advantage of the opportunity: Instead, he waged a campaign of incitement to preempt any chance of a deal and a withdrawal.
After all, he is the emissary of the Chabad messiah, the man who taught that this is the Jews' land exclusively. He returned from the United States with the feeling that the American government is a rag to wipe his feet on, with no power to stop his most extremist plans.
This is the background to what must become a global understanding of the issue that is now most important of all, which will also be the main topic of U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's visit. Netanyahu is completely serious in his desire, and also in his preparations to circumvent the warnings of the entire defense establishment in order to implement this desire, which many of those in his inner circle have defined as messianic: to attack Iran before winter. Before the clouds come, anyone who can stop him must do so.
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he loves israel and love jewish nation.his point of view is well taken " we must protect the jewish nation .G-d bless him and in usa we love him. go BIBI shana tova.
Whether it is Shylock or the fundamentalists, isn't it about time we fight Jewish stereotypes, the kind Ahmedinejad and his mentor cling to. Not every Jew is Shylock or a fundamentalist.
I know we all hate war, and I share your feelings. However, Iran must be stopped from attainning nuclear weapons. And sanctions and talking with them will not get the job done as can be seen with the present results. If Iran gets nuclear weapons they will take over the mideast, attack Israel and move on to Europe and attack the United States. That is the Iranian outlook on the world right now. The Iranian people are mostly nice people, but they have a crazy messianic apocalyptic government. They want a horrible war to happen so that their "madi" will come out of the "well" that he supposedly fell into centuries ago and save them. These are the type of insane people Mr. Netanyahu has to deal with. And time is running out.
No fun and no brains, as one of my philosophy teachers put it. Better not vote for Rick Perry, either, because he is a Christian fundamentalist, anti-science, anti-evolution. None of these fundamentalists is good for the world. Who wrote the bible, not God, but man. Like interpreters of the Koran, Jewish and Christian religious followers put their own prejudice and meaning into the interpretations.
How is it different from Christian fundamentalism, where the bible is taken literally? From what I know, the Schneersons were the founders of a Jewish religious sect in Poland, that sprung up after a great pogrom that killed a large portion of the Jews and traumatized them. If this is a picture of Rabbi Schneerson, a descendant of the founder, it seems some followers like to think of him as a Messiah. Jews have followed no less than hundreds of Messiahs, including Bar Kochba in his day and age. I don't like to think of Schneerson as a Messiah; I think it is insulting to our religion and interpretation of the Torah. When the Messiah comes, our troubles will be over? It depends on your interpretation of the Messiah. Followers of any leader, who are prejudiced will not solve the problems, but aggrevate them. You can bad mouth the hundreds of messiahs, but blame the followers and interpreters of the torah as well. I don't follow religious fundamentalism, whether Jewish or Christian.
BiB is the PM of Israel. Sworn to protect it all... He will give his life to protect it. (as shown by his war decorations.) Abbass is desparate to be an historical figure. Unlike abbass, he doesn't lie, cheat or exaggerate. He dosen't skim off the monies given to the beggars for idealistic purposes, he is not and never was a (black september) terrorist like abbass. I'd rather follow BiBi into war, a decorated paratroop, than Anyone else I see...Because I feel BiBi won't use me as a prop or cannon fodder the way that awful awful mess Peretz did to 22 dead soldiers in his care...Quite frankly, I am surprised peretz wasn't a victim of "friendly fire"...And I was somewhat disappointed about that ... (here's a great deal for the PALS--Trade peretz for schalit!)
The rebbe never claimed to be the messiah (he was mute at the end of his life, he never confirmed or denied, and it's unclear he even understood the movement to crown him), the messianincs of Chabad has dimininshed greatly in the last few years, 15 year old accusations that he led to Rabin's murder are silly at best to prove Sefi's point, painting Netanyahu as crazy because Baruch Goldstein was a Chabadnik is ridiculous, using the word "incitement" over and over does not make Netanyahu's words incitement, Abbas' moderation is dubious & relative at best, the fact that Iran hasn't been attacked already puts the lie to Netanyahu's supposed recklessness, etc.
This gov't will NOT attack Iran. All the wars Israel has been in since Oslo in 1993 have been started by Left-wing "peace governments"-Graps of Wrath attack on Lebanon 1996-started by Peres. Suicide Bomber War -started when Barak was in in 2000, Lebanon II and Cast Lead-Gaza started by Olmert-KADIMAH.. The RIght can NOT start a war because the Left would join the rest of the world in denouncing it, just like in the Lebanon I war.
Not only that: it was the Rebbes right hand, Rabbi Abraham Hecht who publicly in his functin of the American Rabbis Union demanded Rabins death. His interpretation of jewish law concerning the Din Rodef, the jewish equivalent to the muslim Fathwa, was sent to many Yeshiwas in Israel. One of their puipils killed Rabin. Netanyahu was their candidate. The same people that publicly demanded Rabins death, the same people that brought out Rabins killer, brought their candidate into power afterwards. So everything they planned functions great until today, just because people do not want to open their eyes - eventhough all this is public - nobody gets aware of it.
The Rebbe did not proclaim himself messiah. Some of his students did, and for all I know still do. I met him in January 1970. He had mild blue eyes which looked like he could see right thru you. Readers who did not see the Rebbe in person are the losers
Does Netanyahau understand that there won't be any Israel after attacking Iran, that millions will die but Iran will remain standing?
The author has taken leave of his senses. Netanyahu attends synagogue services 3 or 4 times a year, doesn't wear a kippah, etc. Just another attempt by an Israeli to defame his own prime ministers in a very dangerous time for Israel. Madness!
Very impressive that you are defending the criticism of Prime Minister Netenyahu coming from former President Bill Clinton: the President who got caught receiving oral sex in the White House. Very reputable, duh.
so full of untruths. the starting point is the rebbe was vehement about not being the messiah. the rest of your article is equal baloney
Attacking Iran would be war on a world scale.
I have never seen an article as detached from reality as this one.
Lubavitcher Rebbe even opposed withdrawing from territory on the other side of the Suez Canal.He returned from the United States with the feeling that the American government is a rag to wipe his feet on.!!!!!! immaginable! The jewish terrorism is the most dangerous threat to world peace.
" Before the clouds come, anyone who can stop him must do so." The writer talks about the PM's incitement?? If the above line is not incitement to violence, I don't know what is! Perhaps the Attorney General needs to be notified about Mr. Rachlevsky's frightening words.
You can read it in the New York Times, if you don't believe it. Netanyahu was the candidate of these religious circles - who publicly promoted him in 1996 after the dead of Rabin, killed through one of their diciples, made place for their candidate.
Thank you for this article that also links to my comment on Michaeli piece yesterday. For me, you precisely formulated the sum of all fears behind the "Jewish state" drive. My fear is that the great majority of all Israelis are hostages to ideologists who will exploit the real state, its citizenry and resources in order to realize their vision. Our lives seem to count for nothing in this scenario.
(at the expense of human rights)
My eyes were already open, but you've just opened them much wider! I knew he was an extremist and not interested in any equitable peace agreement, but I never realized the FULL extent of his extremist views. And yet again, I guess I did know it, but you've just added substance to what was a gut feeling before. Thanks for your article!
This whole commentary rings of the Jewish-by-Label constituency--the ones whose connection is so thin that the disappearance of Jews by attrition exceeds 50% among them and piles up numbers that would leave Hitler in awe. At a worldwide population of merely 14 million, Jews--especially the ones of faith--cannot afford mistakes, the worst of which would be to assume the role of a small domesticated rabbit in a cage full of coyotes. I've been a member of a range of congregations, from "reform" to Chabad. I see nothing in this commentary that suggests that its author is familiar with any of them.
and disciple of the Lubawitsch Rebbe, publicly explained that the killing of Rabin and Peres is conform to Jewish Law because it is forbidden to Jews to give land back to Muslims, therefore it would be appropriate if they will be killed. His expertise was sent to many yeshiwas in Israel and one of their disciples killed Rabin 4 months later. The deed was a full success - the same people promoted Netanyahu in his election campaign in 1996. Later it was Netanyahu who in a home video , which can be viewed on Youtube, that it was him, who brought down the Oslo Process.