What makes some Jews crazy, I mean really crazy? Golda Meir once made the most obscene statement that I've ever heard a Jew make, and that's saying something. "I can forgive the Egyptians for killing our children, but I will never forgive them for making us kill theirs." What is implied in such a statement? It can first be interpretted that Meir felt that Egyptian lives were more valuable than Jewish lives. I doubt that she believed that. Or it could mean that the greatest crime of the Eygyptians was not the killing of Jews but forcing Israel to "sink to their level." I think that this is what she meant by that statement; that Jews should not lower themselves and fight the arabs just because the arabs fight with the Jews. She obviously felt that forcing Israel to defend herself was beneath her dignity. How much dignity does it take to be stepped upon? More Jews have died needlessly over the last 60 years because Jewish leaders did not want to sink to the level of the arabs than for any other reason. I suppose those Jewish leaders feel that if Israel does not act according to some notion of a higher standard, they will be hated by the rest of the world.
Of course, this is not the case. As Chaim has pointed out many times, Israel is far more popular when it fights when necessary and does not shy away from showing its strength. When Israel tries to be loved by the rest of the world, which it does by "showing restraint" (in other words cowardice), Israel suffers the contempt of the world. Only Jewish strength and Jewish victories can make Israel become respected. This bizarre notion of "not wanting to sink to their level" could eventually destroy the Jewish state, G-d forbid. This attitude represents to me the ultimate arrogance. I would like to ask the criminal leaders whether they feel that the deaths of the citizens they are supposed to protect makes them better people. Where is it a mitzvah to die? Rabbi Kahane (of blessed memory) used to ask this question rhetorically. Dying is not a mitzvah, we are commanded to live!
I am writing this because they knife is at our throats like never before. American Jews did nothing for the Jews who were being murdered in Hitler's (ym"sh) ovens. That holocaust took twelve years to happen, with the majority of the killing taking place during the war. What Hitler did in twelve years, Ahmedinejad (ym"sh) could do instantly (G-d forbid) if we let him. So American Jews did nothing to save Jews during the holocaust, mostly because they were afraid of compromising their own relative comfort in America. Now we must demand from American Jews that they do not allow another holocaust to take place G-d forbid.
We at JTF know all of this, but it is the leftist Jews who do not. We must insist that they examine their deepest biases against their own people. We must start conversations, write to our congressmen, write to editors, talk to our Rabbis, reach out to our Christian friends, make more videos, distribute flyers, get the word out. Today, more than ever before, as I look at Jews, I see a people that are ethically disoriented.
I think we should start with our own families. I have leftist Jews in my family and I'm sure I'm not the only one here on this forum that does. I've first been trying to convince members of my family about the dangers of letting Iran continue on its murderous path.
As for all those Jews who feel a toxic combination of arrogance and inferiority, to those Jews who do not want to "sink to their level", I suggest that if you really want to show how you are better than the arabs, try leading by example. Observe the Torah, deal honestly with people, be proud of being Jewish, and then perhaps you will realize at some point that the Jews are a people worth fighting for.