The Druze, Machon Shilo, and Rebecca Bar Sef

[Y.B.Y.]

I would like to ask for the JTF community's opinions on three subjects: the attacks on the Druze in
Syria; the Machon Shilo organization; and the Rebecca Bar Sef Youtube channel.

Recently, the Druze community of southern Syria have come under attack by their Bedouin neighbors.
Israel has given a weak response with air raids near Damascus that caused little damage. The Druze
living in the north of Israel have staged the usual Israeli style of protests that involve
blocking roads to draw attention to the plight of their brethren. What do you think that Israel
should do to protect the Druze in Syria? How much of a sacrifice in soldiers' lives should they risk?

The Machon Shilo organization is a right-wing group based in Israel whose leader is Rabbi David Bar
Chaim. Their Youtube channel features lectures by Rav Bar Chaim and by two other rabbis as well.
But the best feature, in my view, are the talks given by Jonathan Pollard, sometimes by himself,
but usually with Rav bar Chaim. Jonathan Pollard has recently voiced concern that an Israeli failure
to assure the safety of the Syrian Druze will sever the amicable ties between Jews and Druze that
presently exist within Israeli society. The Druze play a prominent role within the IDF and their
loyalty has provided a great benefit to Israel. What do you think of the Machon Shilo Youtube
channel and Jonathan Pollard's assessment of the situation in Syria?

Rebecca Bar Sef is a young Israeli woman with a formidable background in IDF Intelligence and
computer engineering. She has a Youtube channel devoted to geopolitical analysis of the Middle
East. Her videos feature solo talks, livestreams, and interviews with knowledgeable guests including
Chaim ben Pesach. She believes that Israel should support the creation of an autonomous Druze region
in southern Syria, and that a population swap should occur in which the Bedouin now living in that
region would be exchanged for Druze living in northern Syria. She places special emphasis on the
notion that the political borders of Middle eastern countries are artificial creations of the
Twentieth Century and that the international community's insistence upon maintaining them in their
current form is unreasonable. What do you think of her ideas?

In my opinion, Jonathan Pollard's concerns are the most pressing. I also believe that if the IDF
commits troops to the defense of the Druze, then Israel should annex the Druze areas and grant
citizenship to the inhabitants. As a Kahanist, I have no respect for Middle eastern borders drawn
by Europeans, especially when it comes to Judea, Samaria and Gaza which belong to the Jews. Why
shouldn't Israel take southern Syria and southern Lebanon as well? At the rate we're going, this
won't happen until the End-Of-Days, but it would be nice to accelerate the process.

In addition, I feel that the close alliance between Jews and Druze is a mixed blessing. The
prominent Druze participation in all ranks of the IDF poses a potential hazard to Israel in the
event that relations between the two peoples should sour. I know that I am beginning to sound like
the Pharaoh who no longer remembered Joseph, but Israel cannot afford a Druze mutiny. What do
you think about that?

[Hrvatski Noahid]

Gentiles are obligated to keep the Torah's 7 Noahide commandments. They are not allowed to create new religious sects.

[Dovid_2]

Rabbi Bar-Chayim of Machon Shilo is a true Kahanist and advocates that all Jews MUST make every reasonable effort to move to Israel and strongly criticizes factions in Chabad that oppose aliyah (I am not criticizing Chabad, I belong to Chabad myself):

I think every Jew should watch his video on the topic.

I don't want to get into his attacks on Hassidic philosophy, all I can say is that everything he says is correct and was known centuries before the advent of Chabad and you can still be Chabad and reject certain incorrect philosophies that are taught within it.  For example, Manis Friedman has a cherem against him, but most of Chabad revere him even though his writings are heretical.

Anyways, this post is just to state that is would be shortsighted to reject him just based on a quick viewing of one of his anti-Lubavitch videos...  Watch his ENTIRE video so you can get some context.

This is not Menachem Shach here.