Comments on: Rabbi Yoffie Denounces Jewish Anti-Muslim Extremism

By: Muslims Against Sharia

Muslims Against Sharia — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:47:45 +0000

What is wrong with today’s Jews?
A perspective of a moderate Muslim.

When Muslims criticize Jews chances are it’s Islamists. You rarely see moderate (an I do mean real moderate, not Islamists like CAIR who claim to be moderate) Muslims saying unflattering things about the Jews. So, normally, when I see the Jews do dumb things i.e., supporting an Islamist congressional candidate because of partisanship (American Jewish World’s support for Keith Ellison) or providing utilities to a terrorist enclave (Gaza), I try to keep my mouth shut. For obvious reasons. But not this time.

I thought I’ve seen everything: Cuban missile crisis, fall of Berlin wall, 9/11. Until recently, I thought that the father of modern terrorism getting awarded a Nobel Peace Prize was the most peculiar event in my lifetime. But a recent, largely unnoticed event, could take the cake in peculiarity contest.

On December 15, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, the president of the Union of Reform Judaism (one of the largest Jewish organizations in America), gave a sermon in San Diego in front 5,000 Jews in which he announced URJ’s alliance with Islamic Society of North America (ISNA - one of the largest Muslim organizations in America).

As a part of the sermon, Rabbi Yoffie stated that “[ISNA] has issued a strong and unequivocal condemnation of terror, including a specific condemnation of Hizbollah and Hamas terror against Jews and Israelis. It has also recognized Israel as a Jewish state and supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” But has it really?

Read more: [ed., URL removed per comment rules]

By: Hanalah

Hanalah — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:12:07 +0000

These comments are vituperative in the extreme. Rather than weigh in on the question of how many Muslims want war or want to wipe out Israel, I have a question and a suggestion.

What do the Muslims have to say about this question? Why are they not posting on this website to tell us what THEY think?

Tell your Muslim friends about this website. Of course many of the comments will be offensive to them, but maybe one of them would like to say that they and their congregations do NOT hate Israel and do NOT hate Jews. It’s worth a shot. Even if only one chooses to post a comment, at least it would be something. And if none do, well, I guess we can argue about what THAT means.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:28:44 +0000

I’ve decided that Stuart can’t possibly really be Jewish despite the fact that he seems to be from Great Neck (alas, I thought well of the place till I found out Stuart hails from there–my wife grew up there). A real Jew doesn’t hate his fellow Jews even if he disagrees with them. He upholds the principle of clal Yisrael. But of course Stuart satisfies his “conscience” by declaring every Jew he disagrees with as not being Jewish. Then he’s allowed to hate them & wish them evil. Not sure where he gets the rabbinic authority to do that–pretty chutzpadik & arrogant beyond measure if you ask me.

As for useful idiot–the term has been flung at me so many times as to be meaningless. The only idiot around her is you my friend.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:53:48 +0000

Wrong again, fool. Kahane was self destructive, and damaging. The rabbis for whom I reserve respect are the ones who actually revere Judaism and G-d, not the ersatz Michael Lerner trash that you appear to profess. As to Yoffie, no matter how many times you praise him, it won’t change the fact that he is a danger to the very existence of Judaism. As to you: Lenin’s term “useful idiot” is a perfect description.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:43:40 +0000

Yoffie is a “leading rabbi” for millions of Jews throughout the world. The fact that you find him disgusting speaks volumes about the slimy version of pseudo-Judaism you profess & says nothing at all about Reform Judaism or Rabbi Yoffie. No doubt for you the only legitimate rabbi is Meir Kahane and his ilk who minister to the extremist settlers.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:16:50 +0000

What a crock of crap… starting with calling Yoffie a “leading rabbi,” and going downhill from there. Calling Yoffie and his ilk a “rabbi” is an insult to every person who has ever merited that title of respect. Calling the Reform movement a branch of Judaism is an insult to evry Jew whio has ever lived. RTeform stopped being Jewish 30 years ago. It is now nothing more than a group of leftists pretending to a theology. As a Jew, Yoffie and his comrades don’t speak for me, they are unspeakable and disgusting!

By: Politics in the Zeros » Leading rabbi denounces Jewish anti-Muslim extremism

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:06:47 +0000

[...] of the Union of Reform Judaism, America’s most populous Jewish denomination delivered a ringing affirmation of solidarity with this nation’s Muslim community at this week’s Islamic Society of North America [...]

By: Bulls in Dogs’ Clothing at Three Bulls!

Bulls in Dogs’ Clothing at Three Bulls! — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:40:10 +0000

[...] for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish denomination in North America. Rabbi Yoffie offered, in the words of blogger Richard Silverstein, “a ringing affirmation of solidarity with this nation’s Muslim community” when [...]

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 05:27:12 +0000

Prove that assertion.

Sorry, not the way it works. I read much of his bilious anti-Muslim ravings & he’s a bulvan when it comes to Islam. If he’s such an expert why doesn’t he have a tenured faculty position at any university in his field?? The fact that he can’t get one indicates what his academic peers think of his level of knowledge in the field.

And I don’t have to prove anything. Not to you, not to Pipes. I’ll just let my readers judge by continuing to quote his hate. You can believe whatever you like as far as I’m concerned.

Hirsi, Darwish, Pipes, Husain, the people at MEMRI who translate Muslim hate literature into English are all biased “Islamophobes”, but you aren’t, right?

No, I’m not a “biased Islamophobe.” And in fact, they all pick & choose what to highlight from Islam to present it in the worst possible light. I could do the same about any particular subject I knew something about including Israel, Judaism. It doesn’t take that much intelligence to be a propagandist. It just takes a certain willingness to divorce oneself fr. inconvenient facts.

I think our dialogue of the deaf is over for now. After scores of comments you repeat the same hate mantra over & over. I”ve read yr bilge. I’ve responded to you. Time for both of us to move on. Why don’t you try out a lfietime membership at LGF? You’re no longer welcome here for one month. And when you return, if you come back w. the same attitude you’ll receive the same treatment once more.

By: imjudy

imjudy — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:30:59 +0000

Let me understand this….you say “Pipes doesn’t know anythinhg about Islam and Arabs”.
Prove that assertion. Prove your asssertion that you know more about Islam then all of us, more than Ayan Hirsi Ali, more than Donie Darwish, more than Ed Husain in Britain. More than my friend who was born in Iraq and told me about the Farhud massacre of Jews in Baghdad in 1941 and the hate of Iraqi Muslims to Jews. Prove to me that you know more than the Saudi Prince gov’t minister I mentioned who admitted on the 60 Minutes show in the US that the Saudi education system does indeed teach hate of Jews and Christians.
I know what you will say… Hirsi, Darwish, Pipes, Husain, the people at MEMRI who translate Muslim hate literature into English are all biased “Islamophobes”, but you aren’t, right?
Show me surveys that show the true attitude of most Islamic believers around the world is love and appreciation for Jews and Christians. I have seen surveys showing the opposite, some done by PEW whom you have quoted in the past.
Who says you are right and they are all wrong? I am willing to listen to you if you can provide evidence of your assertions that the large majority Muslims today opposed extremist
rhetoric, love Jews and Christians. oppose Bin Laden, oppose violence. I am waiting.