Kislev 20, 5777
December 20, 2016
Palestinian terror in the last two hours
*Palestinian terrorist threw Molotov firebombs from a passing car at IDF soldiers waiting at a bus stop at the Efrat Junction. Fortunately, the Molotovs hit the protective glass around the bus stop; the terrorists escaped.
*10 Palestinian terrorists were arrested in Shuafat following a terror incident in which rocks and “Molotovs” were thrown at Israeli security personnel.
The A.B. Yehoshua Effect
A day after Yehoshua’s remarkable statement indicating support for annexing Area C of Judea and Samaria, his fellow leftie, Yossi Beilin, appeared this morning and said that if Yehoshua has no problem, neither does he.
It is hard to describe what a sea change this could become in Israeli politics. Who could have imagined that the right and the left could ever agree on annexation?
More specifically, who could have imagined that the position of some of those on the left could have changed so dramatically?
TODAY’S BLOG:
Christmas Tree Wars Erupt in Israel
Christmas trees being given out at the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem–trees paid for by the municipality of Jerusalem. Should Jerusalem be in the Christmas tree business? (picture: Times of Israel).
For Christians and even some non-Christians around the world, Christmas trees are lovely ways to celebrate the holiday of Christmas.
Nevertheless, the issue of Christmas trees in Israel is a completely different matter. A number Christmas tree incidents have arisen in Israel in the last two days:
1. The Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Dov Kalmanovich, has declared that the city of Jerusalem is “required to issue” Christmas trees to Christians in the city because the city distributes “thatch” to Jews during Sukkot to put on their sukkot.
Kalmonovich said:
“Christian residents of Jerusalem are part of the city’s population and if we declare that Jerusalem is unified, we must give its Christian residents what we give its Jewish residents. If we give thatch on Sukkot, we will not stop distributing Christmas trees to Christians at Christmas.”
2. Meanwhile, the Chief Rabbinate in Jerusalem has called on Jerusalem hotels to stop putting up Christmas trees in their lobbies.
Hoteliers are resisting the request on the basis that it would hurt Christian tourism to the city.
3. In Haifa, an orthodox website has issued an edict to Jewish students forbidding them from entering the Technion or eating at the university’s cafeteria because Christmas trees have been placed there. According to the administration, the Christmas trees have been placed as a show of respect to the many Christian students at the Technion.
The author of the edict declares: ‘This symbol is anti-Jewish . . . for example, is it conceivable that in the name of religious freedom, we allow students to declare that Jerusalem does not belong to the people of Israel as was done in UNESCO? This is not about freedom of worship; the Christmas trees are in the public space of a campus partially subsidized by the only Jewish state.”
4. Believe it or not, Israel’s Jerusalem Post has been running huge ads on its front page in recent weeks seemingly supporting interfaith relations by noting that even Theodor Herzl’s house had a Christmas tree.
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So what are we to say about all of this–especially from our vantage point here in California this morning where virtually every Reform and Conservative Jewish household has a Christmas tree.
Let’s touch on each of the four points:
First, should the Jerusalem municipality be in the business of distributing Christmas trees?
Of course not.
Despite what UNESCO would have the world believe, Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish country of Israel. To say that because thatch is provided for Sukkot that Christmas trees should be distributed is patently absurd–and dangerous.
Second, is it really necessary for hotel owners to put Christmas trees in hotel lobbies to attract tourists? And will occupancy rates drop without Christmas trees?
Of course not. Christian tourists do not come to Jerusalem to see Christmas trees. They can see the trees in their own homes.
Third, insofar as the complaint at Haifa is concerned, there is a historical basis for claiming that Christmas trees are “anti-Jewish.” In the Middle Ages, Christians were known to place Christmas trees into synagogues at Christmas time in order to proclaim the sovereignty of Christianity.
But more than this, your humble servant completely agrees with the idea that “This is not about freedom of worship, it is the public space of the campus. This is the only Jewish state.”
There are a myriad of other ways to show respect to Christian students.
Fourth and finally, it is true that Herzl had a Christmas tree in his home. In fact, he records the following in his diary:
I was just lighting the Christmas tree for my children when [head Vienna rabbi Moritz] Gudemann arrived. He seemed upset by the “Christian” custom. Well, I will not let myself be pressured!
And what about Gershom Scholem who founded the study of Kabbalah. He wrote that he grew up listening to his aunt sing “Silent Night” beside the Christmas tree in his house.
Whatever you want to say about Herzl and Scholem, they were raised in Christian countries by Jewish families who felt an urgent need to assimilate. Think about what eventually happened to the Jews in Hungary and Germany.
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To sum up, interfaith displays are misplaced and even dangerous in Israel. With Christian groups ardently working throughout Israel everyday to convert Jews to Christianity, Israelis should fight for Judaism.
Stopping the spread of “lovely” Christmas trees in Israel is one of the important ways that this fight can be carried out.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.