תורת צדק

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Please find donation information and information about my U.S. tour April 30th-May  10th after my Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) Thoughts and a prayer for healing.

I seem to be making a habit of speaking at U.S. Congressional briefings, and then rushing home to be in Israel with my family to celebrate holidays. I am grateful to J Street, J Street U and the J Street Rabbinic Cabinet for their campaign opposing the demolition of threatened Palestinian villages, and the opportunity to speak at a congressional briefing about the crucial role the U.S. has historically played, and must again play, in preventing home demolitions, dispossession and displacement. I was joined by Susya spokesperson Nasser Nawajeh, whom I have known since he was 15. I wish we hadn't had to do this, but it was important to have this opportunity to speak, along with Betty Herschman from "Ir Amim" and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Congressperson Schakowsky has co-authored a dear colleagues sign on letter on behalf of endangered Palestinian villages-Please ask your congressperson to sign.

Throughout the briefing (and the preceding J Street conference), the word “crisis” was frequently heard. “Crisis” is a word easily overused. However, although most know me as the eternal optimist, I believe that we are truly in a dangerous crisis. I don't like images of "sides" and zero sum games, but the image in my mind is that of "tug of war." For years, the "sides" have pulled in one direction, and then the other. However, "our side" has now lost its balance, and is being rapidly pulled over the line. The game is often over at that point. It takes an extraordinary effort to recover.

It took me a while myself to realize this. Running from event to event, and task to task, the full import of several recent setbacks I will explain below hadn't hit me. However, the challenge and the blessing both of Shabbat and 11 hours on a plane was that I had time to think. This past Shabbat, as much as I tried to find some Shabbat peace of mind, the unease that had begun on the plane only grew. In the morning, when we were invited to speak the names of those who were in need of a prayer for healing, I did something that I have occasionally thought about in the past, but I don't recall ever having actually done, I whispered, "Medinat Yisrael," (The State of Israel). On the plane home to be with my family for the last hours of Memorial day, and to celebrate Independence Day with my family, I completed the Prayer for Healing for the State and People of Israel that appears below. I included it in my prayers this morning, along with Hallel-The joyous recitation of psalms we recite on holidays.

There will be those who will say that I have crossed a line by writing a prayer like this, just as there are those who are incapable of hearing the love in David Grossman's words at this year's joint Israeli Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony. The love is there in every line of Grossman's words, and one generally prays for the healing of those one cares about. As I wrote on my Times of Israel blog last Friday for the double Torah portion of Tazria-Metzorah (Israel is temporarily a week ahead of the Diaspora, which read Tazria-Metzorah this week, and we read Akharei Mot-Kedoshim), what the Torah teaches us about rot in the walls of one's home can teach us what must be done when there is rot in the walls of our national home. The goal is not to condemn the house and tear it down, but rather to heal it. If one ignores the rot, or is unwilling to acknowledge the rot for what it is because of what either the anti-Semites or the "Israel right or wrongers" will say, or refrains from doing everything possible to take care of the infected stones, there will truly be a danger that the house will get to the point that it is can't be healed. Those who reject the house from the outset will say that it cannot be repaired. If we wish to save the house, we heal it. As painful as it may be, we need to say that we have gone beyond what is simply a matter of legitimate political disagreement. The State of Israel is ill. Because, like it or not, the People of Israel are so intimately connected to the State of Israel, we are all affected.

It was also driven home to me on this past trip that the gap between Israeli and non-Israeli Jews is greater than it has ever been in my lifetime. For the first time I could imagine us becoming two separate peoples. We are thankfully still far from that, but that means that we are all still affected.

The illness can be summarized in the fact that our current leadership believes that they have the right to do anything they have the ability to do. They are carrying out the agenda they claim they were elected to implement. Neither the Israeli public nor the international community will be allowed to stand in their way. Dissent is opposing the will of the voters, traitorous and to be silenced. Those with very different views than ours have control of the educational system and most other key institutions. They are lessening press scrutiny and are closing in on the judicial system.

There are many symptoms of our illness, including the heightened attempts pass laws changing our courts, hampering the work of human rights organizations, the increasing general intolerance of dissent, the recent flip flop when we had the opportunity for a win-win solution regarding African asylum seekers, etc. In my "Passover Thoughts" I addressed the difference between how a military court addressed the killing of civilians in Kfar Kassemin 1956, and how the current government is reacting to criticism of the open fire orders leading to the deaths of Palestinians on the Gaza border who for the most part posed no threat to Israeli lives. (To the best of our ability to know. The army says it is investigating, but there is no independent and transparent investigation.)

However, I have been mostly thinking about two devastating setbacks that Torat Tzedek was directly involved with. In each case the setbacks reflect a significant institutional change. In both cases those we were trying to defend caved in because they realized we were not able to help them.
 
In neither case are we giving up.

The first was the main topic in my commentary on Tazria-Metzorah. Last week the Jewish State brutally twisted the arms of her non-Jewish Bedouin citizens residing in Umm Al Hiran to force them to "agree" to give up their way of life, and move into a Bedouin township. After years of struggle, they did so because the State was now threatening the use of crushing force, the fact that the High Court had declined to intervene because of a technicality and was not processing a new appeal in time to prevent forced eviction, the fact that the State had reneged on a previous decent agreement allocating them land for a new agricultural community, the trauma from the previous use of force in January 2017, the unwillingness of the international community to apply any meaningful pressure, the ineffectiveness of the concern of some MKs, and the feeling that they were alone. I would like to believe that if the residents of Umm Al Hiran had been able to hang on, one of several avenues we were pursuing would have succeeded, but they did not feel they could rely on that. Not only was there nothing that could stand in the way of those in power today, but they no longer observe any of the self imposed restrictions that in the past would have provided some protection. 

Police in show of force planning the demolition of Umm Al Hiran
Credit: Amon Lotan

The second setback is that we have not yet come up with an answer to heightened collusion between settlers and Israeli security forces keeping shepherds out of lands necessary for their livelihood. Ultimately this could lead to massive additional tracts of land coming under full settler control and becoming Palestinian free. Some of this was explained in my Passover Thoughts, but the situation has become worse. In the Jordan Valley and elsewhere, the army simply imposes repeated 24 hour closure orders on areas that it doesn't want shepherds to graze in. 

The second setback is that we have not yet come up with an answer to heightened collusion between settlers and Israeli security forces keeping shepherds out of lands necessary for their livelihood. Ultimately this could lead to massive additional tracts of land coming under full settler control and becoming Palestinian free. Some of this was explained in my Passover Thoughts, but the situation has become worse. In the Jordan Valley and elsewhere, the army simply imposes repeated 24 hour closure orders on areas that it doesn't want shepherds to graze in. 

In the case of the Jordan Valley, this is a retreat from understandings that had been achieved, and had led to quiet for a number of months. One officer openly acknowledged that the regression was due to settler pressure. The last time we were in one location the officer intimidated the shepherds by almost arresting one of them. They haven't gone back. 

Next to the Mevuot Yerikho settlement and in the South Hebron Hills the settlers go even further. Where the army doesn't do the job for them by issuing closure orders, they simply scare the sheep away. In the South Hebron Hills, a settler even set his pit bull on sheep. Near Mevuot Yerikho, where we are most involved, the army at first made a grudging effort to restrain the settlers where the army allowed the shepherds to graze. However, they began to look the other way. One day, after settlers had tried to drive their vehicles up close to the sheep while honking, an officer said that the only thing he saw wrong was me blocking the freedom of movement of the vehicle. A police officer not present said he would have to come and see, because it could be that even a vehicle driving through a flock of sheep was just trying to get to the other side. Other settlers bang pans or "jog" in the midst of the sheep while shouting.

We have tried making human circles around settlers, standing in front of vehicles, etc. However, ultimately we were not able to prevent the flocks from being scared away. Again, the shepherds simply aren't coming back. When the security forces so totally collude with the settlers who are already emboldened by a supportive and protective government, we must ask who will be left, even if there will be an eventual change at the political or international levels.

We have faced challenges before, and It is true that in any one of a number of factors could alter the balance almost overnight. However, it is also true that we are simply not playing a game of tug of war. The stakes are much higher, and "lo somkhim al ha-nes.," we don't count on miracles. We pray for God's assistance, but God expects us to do our part. We can't wait for some dramatic change. We must be the change. We must make that extraordinary effort needed to recover when you have lost your balance and are being pulled across the line.

Every day we explore new options. And, we need your partnership now more than ever. Let us pray that we are all up to the tasks at hand. Our efforts can determine how close the real Israel and Yerushalayim shel mata will be to the Israel we believe in, united with the Yerushalayim shel ma'alah. Here in Israel, our Torah portion, often read on the week of Independence Day, includes "You shall Be holy, "You shall love the one essentially like you as yourself, You shall love the non-Jew living among you, and any additional ethical commands.And as I told those assembled for the briefing in Congress, they will determine whether or not Nasser has a home.

Khag HaAtzmaut Sameakh – Happy Independence Day
Arik

UNITED STATES

The New Israel Fund (Tax Deductible)

Checks can be made out to "The New Israel Fund." (minimum $100 for NIF donations in the U.S.) and marked as “donor-advised to TORAT TZEDEK," or "TORAH OF JUSTICE” in the memo line. Please add "Account # 51139."

Please mail checks to:

The New Israel Fund
6 East 39th Street, Suite301
New York, New York 10016-0112

American Support For Israel (Tax Deductible)
Contributions of any amount can be made either on-line, or by check, via American Support For Israel. They do take a small handling fee. Checks can be made out to, "American Support for Israel." In the memo line write "Torat Tzedek" or "Torah of Justice," and add Account # 580651404.

Please mail checks to:

American Support for Israel
PO Box 3263
Washington, DC
20010


CANADA

Canada Charity Partners (Tax Deductible)
We can now receive tax deductible donations in Canada for our work to inform and educate the Israeli public about Bedouin Israeli citizens in the Negev. Contributions can be made on-line

Please make out checks to "Canada Charity Partners" Please note the memo line that your gift is donor advised To
Torat Tzedek, Act. # 580651404
Please mail checks to:

Canada Charity Partners 5785 Smart ave. Cote St Luc, Quebec H4W2M8

UK

New Israel Fund (Tax Deductible)

Tax-deductible donations of any amount can be made online through the New Israel Fund UK. In the comment box, please note that your gift is “donor advised to TORAT TZEDEK-TORAH OF JUSTICE Account # 51139”

Please mail checks to:

The New Israel Fund
Unit 2 Bedford Mews
London N2 9DF.

UK Gives (Tax Deductible)

Tax Deductible donations can be made on-line.

Please make out checks to "UK Gives." Please note in the memo line that the donation is for Torat Tzedek, Act. # 580651404"mail checks to:

483 Green Lanes
London, England
N134BS


Bank Transfer (Not Tax Deductible) If you do not require or are not able to obtain a tax deductions, bank transfers are the quickest way for donations to get to us, and the percentage of the donation we receive is the hightest:
Bank Hapoalim (Bank 12) Branch 574 Account 305386
Swift code: POALILIT, IBAN IL63-0125-7400-0000-0305-386

Checks sent directly to Torat Tzedek (Not tax deductible) can be made out to "Torat Tzedek" or "TORAH OF JUSTICE."
Please mail checks to:
TORAT TZEDEK-TORAH OF JUSTICE
Antigonos 8
Jerusalem 93303
Israel