Rabbi Stephen S Wise and President Roosevelt

QUESTION FROM INTERVIEW WITH CONSERVATIVE DAVID GOLINKIN:

 

Your grandfather, Rabbi Mordechai Golinkin, took part in the Bergson Group's march by 400 rabbis to the White House in October 1943 . How did you feel when you learned that Wise and other Jewish leaders opposed the march and urged president Roosevelt not to meet with the marchers?

It was painful to discover that Jewish leaders urged president Roosevelt to ignore the rabbis. In the play, Rabbi Wise and Samuel Rosenman, a senior adviser to Roosevelt who was very reluctant to pressure FDR on this issue, sit in the White House and complain about the fact that 400 rabbis are demonstrating outside. In real life, Rabbi Wise wrote an article condemning the march as a "stunt." If there had been more such "stunts," perhaps more European Jews would have been rescued.

Cruise ship fends off pirate attack with gunfire from Israeli Security

 

By NICOLE WINFIELD –  Assosciated Press

ROME (AP) — An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits.

Six men in a small, white Zodiac-type boat approached the Msc Melody at about 1730 GMT Saturday and opened fire with automatic weapons, Msc Cruises director Domenico Pellegrino said. They retreated after the security officers returned fire and sprayed them with water hoses. The ship continued its journey with its windows darkened.

"It felt like we were in war," the ships commander, Ciro Pinto, told Italian state radio.

Human Rights Watch has conducted a thorough investigation of civilian deaths … On the basis of this investigation, Human Rights Watch has found that there were ninety separateincidents involving civilian deaths ... Some 500 ... civilians are known to have died in theseincidents. ... nine incidents were a result of attacks on non-military targets that Human Rights Watch believes were illegitimate. ... Thirty-three incidents occurred as a result of attacks on targets in densely populated urban areas ... the use of cluster bombs was a decisive factor in civilian deaths in at least three incidents. ... In its investigation Human Rights Watch has found no evidence of war crimes."  (Source:http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2000/nato/Natbm200.htm#P37_987)

When some 500 civilians die, when non-military targets are attacked and cluster bombs are used and yet, the conclusion is that there is "no evidence of war crimes", you can be sure of one thing: Israel wasn't involved. Indeed, the quote here is from a report on NATO's bombing campaign in Yugoslavia ten years ago.

Hey Everyone

Thanks to everyone for checking out my blog! In staying with the theme of "grey," I try to post things that (hopefully) go against the grain of painting the conflict in black-and-white terms, as many virulent supporters of both sides try to do. Thanks again everybody

Arab Protectors of Israel

My admiration for the Druse and Beduin serving in the IDF, especially those that volunteer for combat units, knows no bounds. These are people that could easily get out of doing anything dangerous, and I suspect, could get out of serving at all. I've also read that not a few of them face discrimination or backlash from their communities for serving in these units, especially considering that "combat" means engaging Arab targets.

I sat quietly next to them, eating my mashed potatoes, and glanced at their faces and then the IDF symbol on their chests. Purple berets sat naturally on their shoulders. The new Tavor assault rifle rested on their laps. They are very much not Jews, but these young men are Israeli warriors, fighting for our shared vision of freedom and peace for all the residents of this country - Arab and Jew alike.

From Jpost Blog Central

Israel’s Non Jewish Protectors cont.

Israel’s Non Jewish Protectors

The Beduins have a similar story in that they are Arab, or essentially Arab, and many of them are found in the IDF among the regular Jewish makeup.

Because, after all, they don't have to fight for that peace! No one is attacking the Druze. They can sit back and just live in the land they've lived in for a thousand years. No one is going to push them out, or target their children, or blow up their villages. Why would they?

Israel’s Non Jewish Protectors

   Israel’s Non Jewish Protectors

The Givati unit is where most Druse and Beduins serving in infantry go. Druse is a religion that branched off from Islam a thousand years ago; Druse speak Arabic, and have an Arab culture. Their ethnic makeup is varied and complex, and I'm certainly no expert. 

That being said, there are over 100,000 Drusim [pronounced droo-zim] living in Israel. Furthermore, being that they are citizens, boys that reach 18 years of age are automatically conscripted into the IDF.

 

1st Post

This blog, "A touch of grey" is dedicated in loving memory to David Gordon White, my Uncle, who died of an enlarged aortic valve unexpectedly at the age of 43.

We've kept in contact since the last 'family reunion' and have gone back and forth on everything from Jimi Hendrix to Israel to the dumbest videos I found on Youtube. My heart still hurts every day he is gone. His death is forcing me to take a closer look at a health issue of my own: addiction to cigarettes.  Even after his death his life force keeps on giving.

Another aspect of "A touch of grey" blog will deal with the subtleties of life and in world affairs, that for the most part, things are not just in black and white. This blog will hopefully be illuminating and thought-provoking to the reader. More Soon.