Letters, February 18, 2011

THE photograph of an Egyptian protester holding a photo comparing Hosni Mubarak to Hitler (AJN 11/02) might not mean what we think.

There are too many leaders in the Arab world who would regard such a comparison as quite flattering.

ONE of the more likely scenarios in Egypt is for the Iranian-backed Muslim Brotherhood to be included in a coalition government similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Muslim Brotherhood, like Hezbollah, would, one fears, bide their time and eventually take over, similar to what has happened in Lebanon .

Statements reportedly said by leading members of the Brotherhood – such as deputy leader Rashad al-Bayoumi, who said: “There is need to dissolve the peace treaty with Israel’’ or Muhammad Ghannem, who said: “Egyptians should prepare for war with Israel” – do not sound ­encouraging.

It is disturbing that so many world leaders who are ready to embrace a Brotherhood-based government in Cairo don’t appear to have read all the Islamist parties’ anti-Western, anti-Semitic extremist statements over the years.

While it is not up to the international community to tell Egyptians who to vote for, that doesn’t mean we should embrace or cooperate with an Iranian-style Egypt.

HAVING gone to the Arab village of Lifta before, I can appreciate its quiet beauty. To me, it will always appear as a calming sanctuary from the bustle of central Jerusalem.

The last time I was there, an Israeli on lunchbreak – who said he goes there to relax and appreciate nature – offered me some hot coffee from his thermos while I waded through a narrow cave with some of my siblings. It was a place to be cognisant of our wonderful world.

The mistake in building there is not about jeopardising the peace process (“Arab ruins redevelopment row” AJN 11/02) – this village is insignificant in the scheme of things – but it is a blow to the dwindling remnants of nature close to Jerusalem’s centre. Rehavam Ze’evi was quite right in believing that “everyone wants a green entrance to Jerusalem”.

It was also Anne Frank who confided to her diary that “the best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God”.

FOLLOWING Sam Lipski’s column (AJN 04/02), various correspondents have written about their fear for the continuity of our community due to the large number of intermarriages.

Certainly it is a drain, but our continuity has never depended on numbers. All of Joshua’s – and after him almost all of Israel’s – battles were against superior forces. Nevertheless, our generals were instructed to send home the newlyweds, the ones with new houses and the faint-hearted before a battle. Our victories have never come from superior numbers.

Jewish continuity is assured by the Orthodox and Chassidim, who have large families and uphold our faith and values, and observe the commandments.

By all means, let us do everything we can to bring Jewish singles together and I urge all those who feel they can to organise parties and dances and other

events to this purpose.

Hopefully, Hakoah Club will reopen soon in Sydney and will attract all ages and provide an available venue for meeting a possible partner.

I am much more concerned at the high rate of separations and divorces that leave so many people, including the abandoned partner, parents and bewildered children, so very unhappy.

It seems to be spread over all age groups and long-term partnership is no proof against it either. Successful males abandon families for younger women, disgruntled females believe their lives will improve without their partner no matter how old they are.

With both members of a couple working and trying to maintain a household while also looking after children, it leaves very little time or even emotional resources to maintain a loving and close relationship.  Many couples live alongside each other rather than together. In the hurry of getting  ready for work and school, there is no opportunity to express love, even if the partners feel it, with all the resentment and anger rising up in a tired soul.

The children suffer the most and it takes an almost saintly attitude not to transmit the feelings of anger, despair and, yes, often hatred of the other parent.

So much misery! We need to tackle this. I wish those who know how would come forward and tell us what to do about it.

ERWIN Hayman (AJN 04/02) and Ian Katz (AJN 11/02) both seem to have demonstrated one of the points I made within my letter to The AJN three weeks ago – many Australian Jews do not know what Zionism as political ideology is, which is problematic in allowing them to understand what Jewishness is.

First, I would like to reiterate that within my letter, I never referred to Judaism or a religious connection to Eretz Yisrael – these were not my point of conversation.

I referred to Jewishness (a word to describe Jewish culture, history and tradition) and Zionism (a political ideology that does not appear in the Torah, as it developed in the late 19th century and was confirmed as a political movement at the first Zionist conference in 1897).

Indeed, Eretz Yisrael is mentioned in the Torah, but the State of Israel isn’t. In fact, at one point, Zionists even discussed settling in Uganda.

I would like to further clarify my point, which seems to have been completely misunderstood by Hayman and Katz – a Jew refers to someone who is active within their Jewish community and does Jewish things, including celebrating Jewish festivals, speaking Jewish languages, studying Jewish texts, participating in Jewish cultural events and more.

Hayman, you have no right to tell anyone they are not Jewish if they are not a Zionist, as minimising Jewishness to one form of Jewish political ideology is ignorant to Jewish culture, history and tradition. If Hayman kept reading the Torah beyond the comments on the Land of Israel, he would find that it also states “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18).

Jewishness is also about being a mensch. Hayman’s comments to those of us who are active Jews and do not subscribe to his Jewish political ideology are both offensive to us and to Jewish tradition.

I am proud to be a Bundist because Bundism teaches me one thing that you clearly need to reflect on – all Jews are equal, even if you disagree with how they practise their Jewishness.

I think you owe many Jews in this community an apology, including not just Bundists, but ultra-Orthodox Jews and others.