The infamous Qibyā reprisal raid (peʿulat tagmul), led by Major Ariel Sharon, later to become Israel’s Prime Minister, was the first military operation for which the young State of Israel was severely condemned by the UN, major nations, and the world Jewish community. It was carried out on the night of October 14, 1953, in response to many terror attacks by Arab fidāʾiyūn who had infiltrated Israel from Jordan, from the vicinity of the village of Qibyā. In particular, the raid was carried out in response to an attack on the town of Yehud, in which Sultana (Suzanne) Kanias, her three-year-old daughter Shoshana, and her one-and-a-half-year-old son Benny were murdered. Her thirteen-year-old son, Yitzhak, was seriously wounded, and died three years later. The raid was officially named “Operation Shoshana.”
In his response to the raid, Roth asked two main questions: (1) Do we as Jews today have an obligation to traditional Jewish values? (2) What manner of human beings could have carried out the Qibyā raid? In his response to the raid, Leibowitz, in effect, engaged with Roth’s two questions, and gave thought-provoking replies. Although Leibowitz did not mention Roth, it seems clear that he had read his response and was in conversation with it – at least with regard to the second installment (January 15), if not also with regard to the first one (December 15).
Correct link is https://seforimblog.com/2026/02/disenchantment-with-zionism-leon-roth-and-yeshayahu-leibowitz-on-the-qibya-raid/
ReplyDeleteLeibowitz was always disenchanted with Zionism.
In the era of the early 90s, there was a public clash
Between Rav Shlomo Goren ztl and prof Leibowitz.
Regarding the land of Israel.
Leibowitz accused Rav Goren of always being caught up in controversy.
Rav Goren said "he wants another churban. In fact he is the churban!"
For 1800 years, Jewish virtue was measured in suffering. The more you suffered, the more you put up with the Gentiles tormenting you, the better a Jew you were.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly it flipped. Jews now had the ability to stand up to the attackers and fight back. And this horrified all the Jews who couldn't move past "A good Jew is a suffering Jew"