Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, head of the orthodox-affiliated, non-profit Zomet Institute, has expressed perhaps the most strident censure possible in Judaism for Peace Now activists, who are fighting to uproot settlers from the Migron settlement.
"Such tale-bearing is known in Hebrew as 'moser' (informer)… Individuals who have sunk to this lowest level of behavior were despised and shunned (in Jewish tradition). They are considered worse than heretics or apostates," wrote the rabbi in an article published in "Shabbat BeShabbato", a leaflet distributed in Israeli synagogues weekly. Rozen wrote that, according to halacha (Jewish law) the punishment of such tale-bearing was death. The rabbi quoted Maimonides, who wrote "a person who turns over a Jewish person or his property to Gentiles is a moser and has no part in the world to come… It is permissible to execute the moser even today when there is no capital punishment… it is permissible to kill the moser before he informs… If he has been told not to inform and insists on informing, then he who executes the moser first has great merit."
However, he immediately followed this statement with a warning against taking the law into one's own hands, stating that "the trial of capital offenses is the office of the court and it is not the duty of individuals to implement this particular halacha."[...]
In response, Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer said that "the legal authorities must not stand for the phenomenon that is evidenced by alleged rabbi Yisrael Rozen, and not allow such incitement and calls to murder." "Peace Now will continue in its struggle to put a stop to the illegal construction of settlements and the struggle for a sane future for the this State of Israel. The organization will appeal to the Attorney-General in order to file charges against the rabbi and his dangerous words," he said.
It's a shame when learned rabbonim fall into this trap. There's enough ways to legitimately criticize the idiocy of Peace Now without threatening, chalilah, death on them.
ReplyDeleteFor example, forcibly moving their executive to apartments in Ramallah...
B"H
ReplyDeleteLubavitcher Rebbe on "Peace Now":
The Rebbe on ‘Peace Now’ Part 1
http://savethelandofisrael.blogspot.com/
2006/11/rebbe-on-peace-now-part-1.html
The Rebbe on 'Peace Now'. Part 2.
http://savethelandofisrael.blogspot.com/
2006/12/rebbe-on-peace-now-part-2.html
a part from the above links:
[...]
The argument of the Peace Now - as is the argument of the communists and Arabs is based exactly on the thinking of the spies in their time that the nation inhabiting the land is too powerful for us to overwhelm. Do not conquer and put down roots in the land of Israel! Since there dwell in Jerusalem 60,000 Arabs [in1980] they are far more powerful than the Jewish people living there, quoting the spies – “they are stronger than us”, therefore Jews must not be allowed to live in the Old City [of Jerusalem]. If Jewish people already live there, they should be evicted by all means available. The Old City must be given away, including the Temple Mount and the spot of the holy of Holies – to the Arabs! They raise the same argument about Hebron. Since there live there 50,000 Arabs [1980], they are stronger than the Jews who live there. And they raise further arguments in favour of the Arabs – that they are descendents of Abraham the patriarch who is buried in the Cave of Machpela in Hebron. Therefore, we must not allow Jews to live there, and those that are there already must be thrown out! They argue further that any lands that the Arabs demand must be handed over to them, since they are more powerful than our selves! The spies argued: “All the peoples whom we saw there are giants who fell from the skies – one is a giant murderer, the second is a giant in armed robbery, the third is a giant thief, the fourth a great diplomat, one knows many languages, and more. And on top of all these arguments they announce ‘Peace Now!’ In addition to all their arguments they offer peace, and the peace will be NOW – peace unto Israel! And more! They argue that giving away the lands to the Arabs is human justice! Thereby danger to the Jewish People will be averted since it is a land which devours its inhabitants. If we annoy the Arabs and not give in to them their demands - they will eat us alive. And if we do give in to them, giving the land away, there will be peace NOW! Who argues this? Jews and Jewish communists. These people bring down terrible danger onto Jews and onto the Land.
These people are the ‘demolishers and destroyer’ from amongst the Jewish people and of the land of Israel. Yet they shout peace now. There is nothing greater than peace, but G-d says [Isaiah 39.17] ‘, The wicked have no peace [to offer!]’.
[From the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Shelach, 1980]{...]