Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Jewish Voice for Peace. None of the above

Pirkei Avot 5:13

There are four types among people:

He who says, "What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours"--this is the common type.
He who says, "What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine"--he is an ignorant man.
He who says, "What is mine is yours and what is yours is your own"--he is a saintly man.
And he who says, "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine"--he is a wicked man.


And again, we find Jewish Voice for Peace amongst the Wicked. JVP ('"Victim" is our middle name" ) has been of late whining about their justifiable exclusion from the "big tent" of the Jewish community. To which most of us think "well, duh!. Why wouldn't we exclude them?" Indeed, JVP is an organization that requires a loyalty oath for participation. Interestingly enough- being Jewish is not a requirement- its open to "Jews and allies". Paul Larudee, head of the International Solidarity Movement of Northern California is a member of JVP. He announced it proudly in an article written for American Muslim. Being Jewish is not required for membership- however accepting the Palestinian Right of return- code for the demographic destruction of the state of Israel is required. JVP excludes from its members anyone who fails to meet its test of whats socially acceptable for an anti-Israel, er, a "pro-peace" activist.

Yet JVP claims victimhood when the Jewish community excludes them. Whats yours is mine, they feel. But to JVP, whats theirs is exclusively theirs. They exclude. They set up barriers, while they expect to be welcomed. Wicked.

Jon, from Divest this discusses more JVP hypocrisy here, concluding

"..far from being “voices for peace,” groups like JVP are part of the arsenal militant organizations count on when making their military decisions. “How much can we rebuild our weapons stockpiles?” “How far can we push?” “How many rockets can we fire while Israel weighs the consequences of retaliating?” “If we trigger another war, how long before marches in the street (which will materialize seconds after Israel decides to shoot back) will force a cease fire?”


In short, for all their talk of peace, justice and love, JVP and like minded individuals and organizations who stand silent during the preparation for war, and spring into action only when two sides vs. one start firing needs to be seen for what they are: participants in a military conflict, no less responsible for mayhem than the driver of a getaway car who claims innocence since he did not pull the trigger himself.


If members of such organizations have managed to delude themselves into thinking they are voices for peace, virtue and justice, that is really immaterial, given the role they are currently playing as the propaganda arm of military planners. The fact that they have bamboozled themselves about their own true nature in preparation for bamboozling others into accepting their self characterization matters not a bit as renewed rocket fire signals the opening round of something that we all know will not end well.

Not end well for Israelis and Palestinians, that is. But for members of JVP, they will get to take to the streets in an orgy of self-righteous indignation with ranks swollen by those who “want to do something” without understanding that by marching alongside the BDS cru they are helping to ensure the next war is even bloodier than the last."



JVP. Proud to be ashamed to be Jewish.

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