91 thoughts on “Israeli Army Radio Presenter: I Hope Next U.S. President Will “Hate Arabs” – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. When public displays of racism have become acceptable, that is when society takes a dangerous turn. This mentality preceded the mass slaughter of American Indians (the newspapers and churches spread the word that “the only good Indian is a dead Indian), the internment of the Japanese Americans during WWII, and the Jim Crow laws. In the case of Israel, it supports the occupation, the warmongering, and it justifies Jewish Israeli exceptionalism.

      1. Yes, churches. They were instrumental in the spread of the belief that if the savages couldn’t be converted to Christianity, it was good to kill them as they were simply vermin.

        1. You don’t need to go back that far. Churches had a passive part in the Shoah, they had an active part in maintaining White Supremacy in South Africa and in the genocide in Rwanda.

      2. From the 1630s, when Gov. Winthrop wrote in his diary, thanking God that he’d sent 500 heathen souls to Hell that day. Puritans in Mass. defined themselves as the Elect and Native Americans as Devil’s Childen very early on. In most American countries, the majority are descended from Native Americans, in whole or in part. The US, Canada and Argentina are the major exceptions.

  2. No-one in the United Kingdom’s Aerospace Industry is on the side of someone calling for Customers to be hated!

    Fortunately, the Customer of Riyhad has purchased some ALARM anti-radar missiles which could easily be programmed to fly down the throat of an offensive radio transmitter.

  3. USA president should hate Arabs? As he should hate drug-resistent-bacteria? As he would hate cockroaches and bed-bugs if only he knew of them?

    THIS on Israeli state-run radio and no apology (and Arabs among the Israeli citizenry)? Wow! Israeli state radio asks next USA president to hate (some) Israelis!

    Let’s play that on the US Berkeley campus at the pro-Palestine events (but need a translator, of course: maybe one of the lovely Hillel folks would translate).

    1. Wow! Imagine an American talk show where the guest says he hopes the next president will hate Jews! Arabs are 20% of Israeli citizenry, and Jews are only some 2% of America. Yet imagine the uproar. ADL, Stand With Us, SWC, the ACLU, the Congress…Let’s see what the reaction is in Israel.

      1. A closer analogy would be 1932, a Romanian/Croatian/Sudentenland talk show and one guest says he doesn’t know how the political uproar in Germany will come out but he hopes a new government will “hate Jews.” (laughter/applause)

        I just want readers to fully appreciate this jibe.

        1. That would not be a closer analogy.

          A closer analogy would be a talk show in Egypt/Jordan/Lebanon where a guest says he hopes that the new US president will hate Israelis.

          I wonder if anything like that has ever happened.

          1. I would give you this analogy but he would have to say “hate Jews” not “Israelis” as the instance used “Arabs” not “Palestinians,”

            Therefore, I do not grant this is a fair analogy.

      2. Well, lots of US Dispensationalists are pro-Israel, and think they are pro-Jew, but for their own reasons, like speeding up the Rapture and the Second Coming.

    1. Is that why a native Hebrew speaker & Israeli sent me the clip? Because he doesn’t understand when something is a joke & when it’s serious.

      Besides, are you claiming Arieli is a political satirist?

      1. Yes, Kobi Azrieli is a satirist and a stand-up comedian — as clearly attested to by the Hebrew link you provided at the beginning of your blog post.

        In the recorded section you make available here, he is joking that he would like an American president to love Jews and Israel, but since that is never going to happen (ha ha), the best one can hope for is a president that hates Arabs.

        Giving credence to the probability that what we hear is part of a running gag, you can hear that Irit Linor is already laughing before the comment.

        Taken out of a humor context, can be portrayed as racism. But in all honesty, this very short audio clip does not make a compelling case for Jewish hate speech.

        Does anyone reading this blog know how we can get a longer clip to more accurately and fairly judge the context?

        1. If we concede that this was political satire & not meant to be taken seriously, what do you think it means when a satirist makes such a joke? Satire is only funny because it contains a kernel of truth amidst the exaggeration. In other words, it’s only funny because many Israelis actually believe it in their heart of hearts.

          1. Would the ADL etc. accept the defense of “humor?” I don’t think so. That organization would say what Richard says plus that it was humor in “very bad taste.” It was anti-semitic humor.

      2. Arieli is a comedian that is not to be taken seriously, and his audience is well aware of that.

        If you were familiar with his work, you would have known that he make far more racist jokes about Israelis and Ultra-Orthodox jews like himself much more often.

        I think that if you translate the whole 53 seconds, word by word, or at least knew what this radio show was all about, you wouldn’t even bother posting it.
        The whole thing just got lost in translation.

      3. Arieli is a satirist, a journalist, a publicist and also appears on TV, sometimes as a comedian, sometimes as a representative of the modern Ultra-Orthodox Israeli.

        I’m sure that the person who sent you this clip knows it was a joke, as in everything that is said in that radio show (“The last word” – HaMila HaAcharona).

        But don’t take my word for it. here are links to Wikipedia’s articles.
        The Last Word radio show: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%94%D7%90%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%94

        Koby Arieli:
        http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99_%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99

        1. Okay, so it was all a joke, the fellow is a stand-up comedian and all that. Fine!
          “Many a true thing is said in jest”..an old saying. Still let us examine the mores of humor for a bit, shall we?
          How many Jews on this list are familiar with “Jew Jokes” and how many will laugh uproariously at them?
          There are plenty of “jokes” at Blacks, how many of you will recount them in public?
          Women? How many of you have heard the old saying, “When rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it”? I wonder, how many women will laugh at this “joke” and how many men will openly make this “joke”?

          For that matter, how many comedians will continue to enjoy their careers if they spout some of the above “jokes” in a public performance…say a joke with Hitler, Jews and ovens or Blacks and lynchings or, women and rapes?

          Not so long ago, a US radio host made a comment (a joke, I am sure!) about women basketball players and called them, “Nappy-headed hos” or something similar to that.
          The public was not laughing and he had to be fired.

          Jokes are always more amusing and tolerable when a majority directs them at a minority and then, when the victim complains, s-he is accused of not having a sense of humor, but the jokes always, reflect current public sentiments, otherwise they are not funny.

          1. I agree with your last paragraph.
            If you knew the show you would have known that the idea is that the presenters are two people with different political views, and they make political-incorrect jokes at each other’s views.

            Arieli’s side (right-politics) get hit just much as Orit Linur’s (which used to be a raging leftists until a few years ago).
            It’s a kind of humor that a non-Israeli probably wouldn’t get, and I’m surprised that an Israeli blogger sent this to Richard Silverstein as if it was a big deal.

          2. Nimrod — I get the joke. The point is that it flirts with a boundary on a very important matter. By reaching over the boundary, the humorist provides the audience with the thrill of transgressing. Evidently, the audience was indeed titillated. The essence of the joke is the appeal to what, in fact, the audience is thinking, as Richard suggests, but which should not be said. That this is affirmed with laughter and applause suggests the truth here — it is commonplace to simply hate Arabs. If that hatred were confined to a marginal group, the joke would fall flat on a bewildered audience even though the boundary assault might still be exciting. But, if hating Arabs is commonplace in Israel, then Israel is racist, by definition.

          3. People laugh at jokes they can “relate to” = for example, the 70’s US television sitcom “All in the Family” became very popular because it’s main character was a caricatured and rather rabid bigot.

            There is a point when humor ceases to be funny and begins to hurt and offend, and “will hate Arabs” is damn close.

  4. Thank you Richard, for bringing this up the broader attention. The anti-Arab, anti-Muslim climate in Israel has gne to an extreme that would shake the souls of the victims and survivors of the Shoah. Today’s Israel has no problems when the Chief Rabbi of the military instructs all soldiers to kill every Arab…man, woman of child and if they do not, they will suffer God’s wrath. This being just one illustration.

    I am sure people will jump to Israel’s defense by pointing out vile, hate-filled comments among Muslims. My response to the anticipated responses is, firstly, two wrongs do not make one right (Math notwithstanding) and secondly, we are measuring Israel (and the US) by the high standards they themselves, hold aloft all the time, as reasons why “they hate us”.

    1. You are absolutely right in the second paragraph in stating that what “the other” does not automatically rehabilitate what “we” do. That by itself is not an excuse. However, beyond some limit a bad impact is inevitable. The Israeli population has been exposed throughout its existence to a massive hate campaign from the side of the Arab world – obsession to the highest degree. All that, cannot not have an impact in a pluralistic society – it elicits the “the bad” side of it. They are plainly reaping what they have sawn.

      1. Yeah, well I’d be a little annoyed if my home for centuries was taken away and given to European immigrants with so much as token compensation. Just a little irritated. A publicist would not have to stretch this truth or shade it to rouse an angry public.

        So, it is the Arabs fault that Israel is now unambiguously racist and this racism is caricatured on television. The Arabs made their “race” a target by objecting to Israel’s exploitation. If they didn’t object, would they then be free of discrimination in Israel? Let’s try it out: Blacks didn’t object. Are blacks in Israel free of discrimination? I don’t think so. So it isn’t because Arabs objected to Israel that they are discriminated against in Israel. Discrimination and poking fun at Arabs comes from a different source than the one you cite. It is for some other reason. I’d venture to call that reason “racism.”

    2. ‘the Chief Rabbi of the military instructs all soldiers to kill every Arab…man, woman of child and if they do not, they will suffer God’s wrath. This being just one illustration.’
      This is a lie. Never happened. Why do you lie?

      1. You’re an ignorant twit & moderated so you’ll never be able to accuse anyone here again of lying. The IDF chief rabbi did indeed justify the killing of Palestinian civilians including women & children, though not ALL of them as the commenter claimed. But his statement was disgusting enough without exaggerating it.

        If you’re ignorant about something doesn’t mean it’s not true. It just means you’re ignorant.

        1. Are you talking about Rafi Peretz, the current Chief Military Rabbi of the IDF? If so, can you provide a link to those remarks? Not challenging you here, just genuinely curious to see exactly what he said. It sounds pretty awful.

        2. Will you please site your source for this accusation AND the statement? I’ve done a brief search and come up empty-handed on ANY quote of an IDF Chief Rabbi condoning the killing of Palestinian civilians (men, women or children).

          1. As Israel was invading Gaza, the Chief Rabbi of the military (Rontzki) issued a memo to the military telling the soldiers to have no mercy (like the tactics of David and Samson) on anyone they find (words to that effect). Then he issued ANOTHER memo to the military, saying anyone who showed any mercy to anyone, would be damned eternally. I suppose it is to their dubious credit that Israeli soldiers showed no mercy. If you need still more information, let me know and I’ll do the research for you.
            It is very tempting to start listing all other atrocious directives by Rabbis, but I shall resist that.

            Discussions such as these, inevitably fly off into tangents until we get so far off-topic that few recall how it all began.
            The main point is, that casual and not-so-casual talk that justifies and dehumanizes a people, can easily prepare the stronger population to accept genocide…after couching it in existential and inavoidable terms, of course!

          2. DavidL. Regrettably, I was the one who opened the door to tangential discussions when I mentioned Rabbi Rontzki, so I must continue on that tangent.
            http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/idf-rabbinate-publication-during-gaza-war-we-will-show-no-mercy-on-the-cruel-1.268849
            In spite of his blood-thirsty convictions, Rontzki could not openly advocate “The final solution” for Palestinians, but he did suggest it by quoting Rabbi Avinar (In the Old country we call it “shooting the rifle from someone else’s shoulder”) and saying the tactics of Samson and david were to be used. If I recall correctly, those tactics were to “kill every man, wonman and child, even the animals and to raze all structures to the ground so one cannot distinguish the land from the rubble”…am I correct?

            Besides, Israeli authorities use the term “terrorists” to refer to ALL Palestinians and age has never been a factor that held an Israeli bullet back from its Palestinian target.

            No doubt, there are plenty of Muslim “imams” who spew bloody talk against Jews, Christians and lots of others, bnut I was not referring to Simmilar-minded Jewish Rabbis, I was referring to those Rabbis who held leadership positions such as the current Head of the Rabbinical committee of Magen David Adom (as an example), Rabbi Eliyahu who called for the slaughter of a million Palestinians if they don’t stop the rocket attacks.

            Palestinians have been reduced to vermin and the hitlerian “TB Bacillii”, eradicating a few (or more) here and there is only a P-R problem, not a moral one.

            As for Muslims being as bad as Jews, I cannot argue that. What I say quite often, is, “I wish more Jews were like some of the Muslims i know and I wish more Muslims were like some of the Jews I know”.
            We could have a happier world.

          3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Views_of_violence_in_Judaism

            “In 2007, Mordechai Eliyahu, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel wrote that “there was absolutely no moral prohibition against the indiscriminate killing of civilians during a potential massive military offensive on Gaza aimed at stopping the rocket launchings”.[72] His son, Shmuel Eliyahu chief rabbi of Safed, called for the “carpet bombing” of the general area from which the Kassams were launched, to stop rocket attacks on Israel, saying “This is a message to all leaders of the Jewish people not to be compassionate with those who shoot [rockets] at civilians in their houses.” he continued, “If they don’t stop after we kill 100, then we must kill 1,000. And if they don’t stop after 1,000, then we must kill 10,000. If they still don’t stop we must kill 100,000. Even a million. Whatever it takes to make them stop.”[72] In March 2009, he called for “state-sponsored revenge” to restore “Israel’s deterrence… It’s time to call the child by its name: revenge, revenge, revenge. We mustn’t forget. We have to take horrible revenge for the terrorist attack at Mercaz Harav yeshiva,” referring to an earlier incident in which eight students were brutally gunned down in cold blood. “I am not talking about individual people in particular. I’m talking about the state. (It) has to pain them where they scream ‘Enough,’ to the point where they fall flat on their face and scream ‘help!’ “[73]”

        3. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-soldiers-should-kill-terrorists-in-their-beds-following-shalit-deal-former-idf-rabbi-says-1.390461

          Of course, he says about “terrorists”, but every one who is aware of Zionist-speak knows that they call “terrorists” even children. They murder Palestinians and call the dead “terrorists”. Not mentioning “Torat Hamelech”, the book by Zionist-state supported rabbi, about murdering CHILDREN – non-Jews, of course, being a duty.

          1. He was rotated out of his post & not fired since of course he was expressing views endorsed by the IDF & State. He is still a State functionary whose salary is paid by taxpayer shekels.

          2. Didn’t say (or mean to suggest) that he was fired. I am just glad that he doesn’t hold that position any more. I would hope a rabbi would be sensitive to the sanctity human life in a way that the army or state may not be. Hopefully the current Chief Rabbi of the IDF is different. Do you know anything about him?

          3. Nope… not good enough. The claim was made that an IDF Chief Rabbi justified the killing of civilian Palestinian women and children.

            Whether you like or disagree with the what that Rabbi stated in the article link lidia provided, and perhaps this is Richard’s basis too (still waiting for your reply with a link… if this isn’t it), it does NOT have him condoning the killing of civilian women and children. He is referring to terrorists- people acting with the intent to harm/kill others. He said words I don’t like either and don’t condone.. but as harsh as they were I didn’t see a command to kill women and children.

            And I don’t buy lidia’s “Zionist-speak” garbage. When women and children take up arms- they are no longer innocent and in many cases, yes… they are terrorists.

            As for the “Torat Halmelech”–give me a break! This is not a main-stream or widely accepted Halacha… There has been widespread condemnation by many Rabbis and others. Nobody takes this seriously. This thinking is nothing like Halacha. Judaism does NOT preach killing women and children.

            To Jafar’s comment about “atrocious directive’s by Rabbi’s”— I can say the same for many an Islamic Immam and their “love” for Jews (I won’t even mention how they feel about Israeli’s) – not tomention the lie’s they have spread (particularly sick was the the old “blood libel” lie that re-surfaced a few years ago on Saudi Arabian television) so you’ve made no points there… Fundamentalists in ANY religion are going to make some rather disgusting comments– mostly politically motivated, I’d assume- and NOT the real teachings of their respective religions.

            I’d like to believe that Islam does not condone the killing of Jews just as much as I believe Judaism does not condone the killing of Muslims- and certainly not innocent men, women and children.

          4. You have misstated what the rabbi said. I haven’t read the link but remember very well what he said then because I posted about here. He said that it is permissible to kill Palestinian civilians if an Israeli soldier feels endangered because the importance of protecting the lives of soldiers is far more important than any threat or danger the IDF poses to Palestinian civilians. He said that if it was a choice between the lives of our (fr his vantage pt) soldiers & their civilians it’s not even a choice. Our boys come first. This is a flagrant violation of not just international law, but of Halacha, which affirms that soldiers must protect enemy civilians.

            And I assure you that I’m understating his views. His actual statements were far more homicidal & racist.

            As for links, I don’t generally offer links to readers when they’re readily available to you here in this blog or the Internet. Do your own research first.

            You are also wrong about Torah HaMelech. It is a text widely embraced by the settler movement & their rabbinical leadership. Not to mention that the teachings are widely implemented on the ground within the settler community in their relations with neighboring Palestinians. The settler ideology is the prevailing, driving force within Israeli politics. This book is further inspiration for homicidal settlerism.

          5. One of the worst things is that some people listen to the hateful dreck coming from the loony imams in Saudi Arabia and think it’s Islam.

            But let’s also not forget those cute little settler kids carrying firearms, and shooting them at Palestinians. Is that not racism, and is that not terrorism?

          6. To Mary’s comment- Unfortunately all those “loony Imams” aren’t just from Saudi Arabia as I have seen many a clip from other Arab countries, include Palestinian TV having spewed similar and just as hateful biggoted statements. I am with you in my hope (and you seem to know more about Islam than I do) that those comments and biggotry is not Isalm’s message. Yet it is very distrubing that they come from Arab countries and so-callled Islamic leaders. Politics no doubt effect the judgement of religious leaders as well.

            As to your comment about “cute little settler kids” picking up arms and shooting at Palestinians. I don’t know what you are talking about. Yes there are settlers who have weapons and yes there have been cases of misuse and killings of Palestinians… but none of them were “kids”. And though I do know some settler women carry guns, I do not recall them ever being involved in an incident . While in contrast there have been many cases of Palestinian children and women involved in violence from stabbing of soldiers and civilians to suicide bombings… granted NOT every and certainly the MAJORITY of Palestinians are not apt to do this and are innocent civilians… there those that have taken to violence.

          7. No doubt those clips originate from MEMRI & allied hasbara outlets. Expand your horizons get out in the world instead of hanging out with the pro Israel propagandists & anti Semitism mongers.

          8. What’s it matter where these clips were shown… they weren’t doctored or made up, but documented broadcasts that originaged from the PA Television, Saudi Arabia, Egypt… where-ever. Would you call Youtube a hasbara outlet???

            If anything you should expand your horizions. When’s the last time you spent time with people who oppose your POV… ever sit and “talk” , even debate with a settler family? Ever discuss your issues with IDF personnel? Instead of getting your “insider information” from your own cozy sources , do you every expand your horizions and try and contact the source of these issues you report yourself? Did you even try and contact Kobi Ariell or Galai T’zhal to see what the’re intentions or reactions are…. oh, I forgot, your a blogger, not a reporter.

          9. Of course it matters because if you’re watching Hasbara TV & learning about what Islam supposedly is, you’ll only get a miniscule portion of reality. So you’ve tactily admitted that you get your views on these matters from MEMRI, etc. I’ve challenged you to branch out. Now tell us which sites & resources will you use to expand your horizons? Perhaps readers can suggest credible, balanced sources from which he might learn. IMEU is one. Check it out.

            As for expanding my horizons. If you spent any time here you’d know that every day I’m reading pro Israel sources with which I disagree. Haven’t you read any of the hundreds of posts I’ve written critiquing them? If so, how can you speak so ignorantly? Perhaps you need to spend more time here reading material with which you disagree.

            When you sit and talk with a Palestinian family whose son or husband is on hunger strike, when you visit with Veronika Abusisi and hear about her husband imprisoned w/o trial for two years, when you meet Moira Jilani, whose husband was executed point blank range by a Border Police thug–then we can talk about who I’m sitting & talking with.

            As for IDF personnel, I spend considerable time challenging the lies of the IDF spokes-twitterati. I have an excellent sense of their pt of view.

            If you don’t think I’ve done my job as a blogger or reporter you’re perfectly welcome to do your own research and report what you’ve learned to us or wherever you wish. In fact, you’d add more credibility to your pt of view if you’d do that instead of sitting back & taking lame potshots at my own work.

          10. This is rappidly getting old. Of course settler youth carry guns & use them. Parents have also exploited their children at protests by putting bulls eyes on them. Settlers murder far more Palestinians than the other way around. When we see you unprompted noting & protesting such outrages then you’ll be accorded more resect here.

          11. What do you mean “of course”. First of all, youth are NOT allowed to carry firearms. I’m refering to youth under the age of army inscription… after that age, that’s no longer youth! Secondly your “bulls eye” comment about parents and youth no doubt refer to a VERY SMALL minority. It’s not quite like sending out children to throw stones and put them in harm’s way on purpose.

            And I wouldn’t go into the “whos killed more” battle. THAT is getting old very fast too. I don’t know or care so much as to the numbers game you want to play. Suffice it to say there have been enough Palestinian infiltrators to Jewish settlements in both disputed terrirtory and Israel proper to make your head spin. And their henious attacks and insensitive murders can’t be compared to many of the Palestinians who have been killed- BUT this doesn’t lessen their deaths either!

            I truly don’t like violence and detest the loss of innocent lives on both sides and am willing to admit the short-comings of BOTH parties in curbing violence. Settlers and soldiers who unjustly kill Palestinians get no points in my book. A innocent Palestinian who is killed bothers me as much as any other death. And in every case the murderer of innocent men, women and children on EITHER side is a crime unforgivable.

            YOU would earn more respect if you would at least make an attempt to show some balance and mitigation on your posts. You constantly paint a broad-brush negative picture without showing the “light of day” to the “other side” of many a blog you post. Israel isn’t all so black-and-white the way you talk about it here. When YOU show a more balanced and mitigated “reporting” of events your respect will no doubt rise among others.

          12. Whatever are you talking about: “youth are not allowed to carry firearms.” How do you know what settler youth do & don’t do. I tell you that teenage settlers carry weapons & use them. I tell you that they killed, maimed & assaulted many times more Palestinians than any Palestinian has done the same to any Israeli. Stop with the “very small minority.” There were hundreds of settlers at these protests. There were many children with bulls eyes on their chests (I display here pictures of a few of them). Settler parents are perfectly willing to exploit their young children on behalf of their hateful ideological cause. If you don’t know this then you know nothing.

            You don’t care that six times as many Palestinian civilians as Israeli are killed every year. You don’t care that these statistics were carefully amassed by B’Tselem. You just want to sleep blissfully in the arms of MEMRI TV because it feeds you all the poison you need to maintain your own blind, ignorant perspective about Muslims & Palestinians.

            Wow, you’re exercised about Palestinian “infiltrators” when the IDF “infiltrates” Palestinian villages at will where it terrorizes entire populations with home-wrecking searches, arrests of 11 yr old children, murder of old men in their beds in cases of mistaken identity. And as we already said, far more Palestinians are murdered in this way than Israeli. So what are you blathering about?

            Don’t give me this bull about not liking violence. You have two standards for violence: good or acceptable violence and bad violence. Somehow MEMRI TV offers you your daily dose of the latter. If you ever hear about the former you can always minimize it because it’s violence perpetrated by your own flesh and blood. That’s somehow easier to defend or explain.

            As for Israelis being held accountable for those “unforgivable crimes” which you bemoan. They’re not. So what good are all those crocodile tears you shed when nothing ever happens to any Israeli who kills a civilian or burns down a mosque.

            Don’t lecture me about earning respect. I don’t crave your respect and need no lessons from you on how to earn it. Have I suggested how you could earn more respect from commenters here? Do I care?

            As for balance, when you can show me the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Arutz Sheva or Yisrael HaYom (which have far more impact on Israeli discourse than I) showing balance then we can talk about balance. BTW, a foolish “balance” is the hobgoblin of little minds (paraphrasing a very smart man, Ralph Waldo Emerson). What I’m more interested in is you pointing out anything false or inaccurate which I write.

            You want “light of day” from the Israeli government side? Talk your friend Bibi down from his war fever. Tell him to return to 67 borders & recognize a Palestinian state. Then I’ll give you all the light you can handle. Till then, I’ll make my own judgment about darkness & light.

  5. Excuse me but don`t you see that what you are doing here is cherry picking (as well as omitting contexts): In a free-speech democracy you can “prove” in this way whatever you want. It`s plainly anti-intellectual.

    1. Wow, when the hasbara tries to downplay Israeli racism.
      Since when has Israel become a “free-speech democracy” ? What about endorsing BDS publicly ? What about a statement wishing for a new Jew-hating président on a public radio ? “Plainly anti-intellectual”, huh.

  6. What is astonishing is that these same guys like this radio presenter are normally the most vocal in shouting anti-Semitism to even rather mild verbal attacks against Jews/Israel around the world. He would without doubt become completely furious if a lets say some French tv person would say: “I hope our next president will hate the Jews and is ready to show it.” I can imagine what this Israeli person would say for his defense if this imaginary French event would be compared to what happened in reality. He would say that these events can not be compared without explaining what he means.

    Some weeks ago the Israeli press had “joyful moments” (= many stories) when there was circling a story how in Austria fans of the Greek soccer team PAOK Saloniki, who were on their way to a game, had shouted to Rabbi Schlomo Hoffmeister “Move, Jew – Jews out, Heil Hitler.” And then the Austrian police refused to intervene. What should these Austrian police have done to these Greek fans? Beat them unconscious and thrown in jail “for using their right to free speech”? In Jerusalem thousands march on the streets shouting death to Arabs and the police is mostly encouraging them in this expressing “their right to free speech”. Some examples
    one from 2011
    two
    etc more examples can easily found.

    Compare what happened just in Vienna to this frequent and open racist mass rage in Israel. Israeli media makes big noise about relatively harmless name calling when it happens abroad against any Jew. More noise than of the frequent mosque arsons and attacks against Arabs.

    1. In the US, Zionists and pro-Israel Jews are all for free speech when it comes to Pam Geller’s subway hate posters, identifying Islam with terrorism and savagery, and surprisingly willing to abridge free speech when it comes to the sensitive ears of Jewish students on campus having to hear some nasty things about Israel. This is cause for a resolution from the state legislature in California associating criticism of Israel with anti-semitism. In short, they dish it out but can’t take it.

      1. Without a doubt an advertisement with text

        “In Any War Between the Civilized Man and the Savage, Support the Civilized Man.”
        “Support Palestine. Defeat Zionism.”

        would not be allowed by those who are so happily supporting these subway hate posters. That ad version would have more moral ground than this “Jihad” poster considering the events of the past 60 years. The occupier and oppressor of millions is hardly the Civilized Man in this tragedy. The double standards in allowing (and encouraging) the mocking of Islam and denying any critics of how Judaism is used are simply pathetic.

        1. You are quoting 2 different ads, SimonHurtta. The first line is from Pam Gellar’s Islamophobic ad. The second quote “Support Palestine. Defeat Zionism.” comes from the Christians who are countering Gellar’s ad with their own. There is nothing wrong with “Support Palestine. Defeat Zionism.” It is not racist or anti-Semitic.

          1. O.O (=astonished). How can you mary make such conclusions of my comment? I complain, that people who are the first to allow/support/carry out attacking Islam are the most tender to whine about anti-Semitism. I have been so many times of been accused in discussions like this of being anti-Semitic, that I am hardly complaining of “Support Palestine. Defeat Zionism.” being anti-Semitic. 🙂

          2. Don’t misunderstand, please. I was pointing out that Gellar’s hateful remark was not answered in kind, but with something better. However, many people, including Bibi himself, equate anti-zionism with anti-semitism.

    2. That is definitely not true. This guy says nasty things about Jews all the time as well. Take a look at his page. The viciousness of the type of discourse in Israel between secular and orthodox Jews is almost as bad as that which is directed at non-Jews. Lots of hateful remarks thrown from one Jewish group to the other and back (specifically attacking them for their Jewishness or lack thereof). Orthodox Jews in Israel will scream, curse, and spit at non-Orthodox Jewish women and girls for instance who they do not feel are displaying a proper degree of modesty of dress. In some cases this has even resulted in physical violence.

  7. Responding to Nimrod: I have been familiar with this radio show for years, and have been a native speaker of Hebrew since 1970. I find nothing in what Mr. Arieli said funny. Ms. Linor’s reaction was yet another indication of her own shift toward ultra-right wing fascist views. And in any case, just imagine anyone, anywhere in the world, be it in Iran or Germany or Gaza, say similar things about “hating Jews” rather than “hating Arabs.” Would it then still be a legitimate satirical joke which is “not to be taken seriously?”

    1. Uri, I’m sure you understand that these things were said in the context of a joke.
      What’s the point of making a not that funny joke from a satire radio show into something its not?

      1. What about some non-Jew publicly making a “joke” about hating Jews? And being in some like official position to harm Jews and from the state that IS harming Jews? Would YOU be ready to say “it was just a joke”? After all, Nazis told “jokes” too. Zionist thugs (aka IOF troops) are making jokes about “Arabs” they murder.

  8. I have read the debate around kobi Arieli’s idiotic hopes. I speak & hear & read both Hebrew & English very well so no one can blame me for nit understanding. KObi Arieli is what can be described as “dos machmad” [pet orthodox] and if you ever seen his coocking show you can understand that he is no one to listen to. I suggest that someone will send a note about this idiotic gestures coming out of his mouth to the head of GALATZH [the army’s station] and ask what he thinks about this.

  9. Nimrod, what I understand is that this comment was made in the context of someone (well, to be honest, it takes two to tango) with racist ideas. Joke shmoke, as they say in proper English.

    Why you, or anyone else for that matter, would ever take the time to defend this asshole, is beyond by comprehension. נשגב מבינתי

  10. Sort of reminds me of how Rush Limabugh’s show is broadcast on US Armed Forces Radio.

    Don’t have a nasty quote from him at the ready but can be pretty sure he’s said several similarly outrageously offensive things.

      1. Do a Google search of “Rush Limbaugh” and “racist quotes” and I can promise you will find numerous examples of offensive hate speech.

          1. Limbaugh’s show is broadcasted on the US Armed Forces Radio Network, which is part of the US Defense Department.

          2. That is not the same as being an employee of the State, which is what Arieli is. When you are an employee of the State and work at the IDF radio station you’re in an entirely different category than Rush Limbaugh. Just because he’s aired on Armed Forces Radio doesn’t make him an employee. He runs his own production company & works for himself, not the military or U.S. government.

  11. I’m so sick and tired of the double standard Israel’s Zionists leaders have established between their own kind and the rest of the world. Actually, we should make that a multiple standard. Their hierarchy of civilization is topped, of course, by themselves, i.e. the most politically right wing of the Zionists. From there we descend through: ‘kinder and gentler’ Zionists; non-Jews of no particular interest to the Zionists (because, like Buddhists for example, they are not perceived as part of the imminent threat to their very existence); Christians; white Muslims; self-hating Jews; Muslims of color, but not Arab; Arabs, but not including Palestinians, and; last, and certainly least, Palestinian Arabs.

    I’d appreciate it if someone would tell me if I’ve missed a particular group here or fouled up on the order somehow. Anyway, you get the picture.

    1. This remark wasn’t made by a “Zionist leader” – it was made by someone more akin to being Israel’s version of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Sadly, there are too many such folks in Israel (and in much of the rest of the world).

  12. You may be sure that whoever is elected will be anti-Arab, but won’t admit it. One of the big differences between 1912 and 2012 is that racists, xenophobes, religious bigots, etc., no longer admit being bigoted.

    1. No, bigotry is rejected everywhere.
      Call it “Patriotism” and suddenly the very same thing becomes a lcareer-enhancing virtue. In the US, the Teapublicans are the Ultra-Patriots of the day.

  13. I recall an American Zionist commentator discussing Presidential candidates, one of them being George W. Bush, the incumbent. She cited a report that he has 4% approval in Muslim countries and concluded: in the light of that how can American Jews even hesitate to vote for Bush? And this lady never jokes.

    By the way, in Poland jokes can get you fired, or worse. Two radio comedians discussed during their joking banter a result of a soccer match between Poland and Ukraine in which Poland lost. “If I had a Ukrainian maid, I would fire her immediately. And would I owe her any money, I would not give her a penny. And if she was at least a bit pretty, I would rape her”. The radio station got a fine, they were promptly fired, state prosecutor is investigating if they should be prosecuted for “hateful denigrating a group on the basis of nationality, religion or lack of religious beliefs (there are more proscribed bases for denigration). Luckily for many journalists, comedians without taste are not on the list of “protected groups”.

    1. Certainly in the US, if someone is rebuked for saying something racist or bigoted, they usually say “I was only joking.” It’s a routine rhetorical trick.

  14. Torah-ha-melech does not seem to be very far from “national religious” understanding of Halacha. Some rabbis criticized it for “inflaming the gentiles”, not for inherent errors. Usually, these are a bit careful, meaning, leaving some steps of the reasoning to the soldiers in the field (or the settlers).

    First, there is a doctrine that showing mercy to the enemy is immoral. That raises the question: who is the enemy?

    This is explained by a response to the question: are Palestinians (i.e. Arabs within Palestine) like Philistines. The answer was yes. All Philistines were the enemy. Now you can put those two explanations together (and conclude what does it mean to “show mercy”) to figure that killing all Palestinians is OK, a duty actually.

    One has to also understand the nature of 2008 war. Most of Hamas were in hiding, and my guess is that IDF command had a good idea where, so they concentrated on attacking places where Hamas fighters were not present. This lead to very low casualties among IDF, and very high among the civilians, of whom all killed males could be classified as killed enemies.

    Later Rontzki voiced opposition to IDF practice of arresting suspects of terrorism, advocating to kill them in their sleep instead. That was shortly after an incident when IDF killed an uncle of a suspect in his (uncle’s) bed, and apparently ended the practice that Rontzki liked so much.

  15. Arieli is not an employee of the state. Like Limbaugh, he also runs his own production company (actually co-owns with his regular sidekick), and works for himself not the military or Israeli government. Israeli Army Radio just picked up his show (it also airs on another radio station in Israel, namely 96.6FM). It is exactly the same as Rush Limbaugh’s show being picked up by Armed Forces Radio.

  16. @DavidL, I do know someone who was in Hebron last summer and they told me a group of settler kids had weapons and were shooting at Palestinian children. Unfortunately I do not have a news article or anything else I can post in that regard.

    Perhaps, however, this will illustrate how likely it is to happen:

    http://mondoweiss.net/2012/06/tourism-in-israeli-settlements-practice-shooting-palestinians.html

    “The word used for terrorist in Hebrew is “Mechabel” (mechablim for terrorists). In Israeli discourse this is a synonym for Palestinian.”

  17. Now you’ve upped the age to “teenagers”… it started out here as kids, and now it’s moved to teens, no doubt over the age of 17 and have been weapons-trained. These aren’t “kids” these are adults. And I still claim they’re not all running around like gangsters shooting at everything that moves.

    You’re so wrong about what I view and know. Don’t dare try and purport to know what I believe and try and understand about Islam. I’ve you’ve read any of my comments you’d see it’s different than you claim… it seems easier for you to simply discharge broadbrush disparages at me than listen to what I’m saying.

    I see a HUGE difference between an “infiltrator” into a settlement/home/city/mall/yeshiva/nightclub/bus/restaurant/
    hotel/Passover Seder etc. with NO real mission other than murder and cause injury than and IDF who is trying to indeed find an instigator of terrorism. You pull up that poor old man who was shot in his bed so many times, it’s like a Chicago voter! His death was tragic, but it wasn’t done by a terrorist at random, say what you will. The murder of women and their children in a kibbutz bedroom IS terrorism. If you don’t see that difference your morally blind.

    1. @davidL, I am surprised at how well you’ve been able to sustain your level of denial as to the violence and fanaticism of Israeli settlers. Perhaps this may help: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2012_09_24_english.pdf

      Beginning on page 3 you will find the topic of settler violence discussed. I can also provide you with plenty of links reporting IDF violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, including home invasions where unarmed persons were shot (at least one while he slept).

      1. If Richard will allow me (don’t know), Mary… I saw the report and I agree. Violence by anybody, settler teenager with a fire bomb or stone throwing Palestinian youths are both dangerous and not adding to ending the conflict. YET… I was, in all honesty referring to your statement about “settler kids shooting shooting Palestinians” or the like… I have yet to see THAT (and not saying that firebombing is “child’s play”… it’s sick for children…ANY children to be involved in that type of violence).

        Yes there is fantasism and violence by some settlers… NOT ALL. The same way that this exists in the Palestinian camp as well. And as we most likely both agree, these acts are henious no matter who carries them out. It’s up to both sides to curb these acts, promote attempts to stop these acts of violence and prosecut the purpotrators.

        As to the IDF’s actions… not so clear cut in my mind-though I do agree that they HAVE to keep to a standard that isn’t easy to do, and when they don’t act according to military law- take to killing on their own initiative and unprovoked-that IS a crime-that needs to be punished. Yet in other instances they are doing what they are supposed to do and unitentional deaths, as tragic as they are do happen.

        I don’t think Mr. S will let me comment more, so I’ll leave it at that.

        1. Something is missing here: The violence in the WB perpetrated by settlers is policy. It is policy to make life miserable for Pals and violence can make anyone miserable. It is not just some extremists, it is extremists put there and encouraged for exactly that purpose, to claim the land of Pals and make life miserable for anybody objecting. It is Israeli policy, unwritten but plain as day.

    2. Enough already. I’m tired of this & you’re done in this comment thread. Move on.

      Settlers with guns are gangsters plain and simple. Thanks for offering the metaphor. Quite apt.

      Sorry but you’re the one displaying your prejudices and ignorance of Islam. Don’t blame me for responding to what you yourself have written. If you don’t like what I see then tough luck.

      And don’t you tell me what I should do or say, not in my own blog, buddy. I’ll do & say things as I see fit even if it ticks you off.

      The IDF is “trying to find an instigator of terrorism,” is it? Try this: the IDF itself is an instigator of terrorism.

      I only wrote about the old man shot in his bed once & have rarely referred to it here. But clearly the very few times I have have rankled you, for which I’m glad. The IDF soldier who shot him was little better than a terrorist. He was in the wrong house and killed the wrong man. But should he have been killing anyone, even the wanted man? Of course not. Shoot first, ask questions later if at all. Sounds pretty close to terrorism to me.

      As for being blind, I’d say you’re morally deaf AND blind.

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