{"id":4688,"date":"2025-03-07T15:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/?p=4688"},"modified":"2025-03-10T01:17:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T01:17:50","slug":"no-other-land-for-indigenous-jews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/2025\/03\/07\/no-other-land-for-indigenous-jews\/","title":{"rendered":"No Other Land for Indigenous Jews!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brace yourself, for this web site boldly reclaims OUR Jewish people\u2019s narrative, affirming to both Jews and non-Jews without a doubt that Jews are indigenous to our Canaan land of Israel Israel. Easily verifiable historical facts NEVER disappear, despite the prolific European and Arab settler Colonists\u2019 attempts to re-write, distort, and erase history to fit their false narratives that justify their continued setter Colonialism upon all Indigenous Peoples\u2019 lands worldwide \u2013 including upon the land of Indigenous Jews!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"No
No other Land for Indigenous Jews, Palestinians have 22 lands.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All Southwest Asia Indigenous peoples know that the ONLY colonizing \u201csupremacists\u201d upon our sacred lands are the pan-Arab nationalist \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 settler Colonists \u2013 that self-named themselves \u201cPalestinians\u201d in 1964. It always pains our Native peoples deeply when we lose one of our own to the racistly violent occupiers of our SWANA indigenous lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calling easily verifiable propaganda like \u201cNo Other Land\u201d a \u201cdocumentary\u201d and giving awards to the racist propagandists is a Hollywood specialty in the United States of Colonial America. Colonial Palestine \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 = Colonial America \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u2013 easily verifiable historical facts really do matter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only ethnic cleansing has been done by Muslims. Oh Arab nations, where are your Jews? In Israel \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 , of course! The only Apartheid upon the land of Israel is Islamic Apartheid, keeping Jews segregated from and out of parts of our Indigenous people\u2019s land. Racist Colonists \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6 invert and\/or erase history to justify their violent supremacist setter Colonialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Tigris river to the Mediterranean sea, one day Israel, Kurdistan, and Lebanon \u2013 and, hopefully, even Iran and Assyria \u2013 will truly be free \u2026 of Colonial Palestine \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8, of European and Arab settler Colonialism \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\u271d\ufe0f! Learn more here \u2013 http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/europeans-and-arabs-stop-appropriating-our-swana-shemagh-kufiya\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Other Land meme above is now correctly relabeled to reveal easily verifiable historical facts. Palestinians \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 have 22 lands to live upon, Jews \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 have only 1 land to be sovereign upon! Documenting the pan-Arab nationalist \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 quest to re-colonize 1948 decolonized \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 Israel by political land-squatting, terrorism, and disinformation campaigns!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Levantine<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jewish indigeneity \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac has absolutely NOTHING to do with Palestinian \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 identity and \u201cself-determination\u201d. Whereas, Palestinian colonial \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\u262d\u262a\ufe0f identity and \u201cself-determination\u201d has EVERYTHING to do with the existence of our Jewish people\u2019s \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac 1948 DECOLONISED Indigenous nation of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc! Easily verifiable historical facts really do matter, folks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to justify the \u201crighteousness\u201d of their settler Colonialism, pan-European \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 and pan-Arab\/Arabized \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfe\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf7 colonising nationalists must impose upon Indigenous nations THEIR definitions of who and what is \u201cindigenous\u201d. Hence, the concepts of Indigenous peoples being \u201cprimitive\u201d and racially \u201coppressed\u201d, without self-determining autonomy and sovereignty, and being determined by and limited by the colonial concept of \u201cblood quantum\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, by European and Arab Colonial \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 definition, any Indigenous people who have national sovereignty, who are equally technologically advanced, and\/or who have regained national sovereignty over their sacred ancestral land are \u2013 by the majority colonial United Nations\u2019 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 definition \u2013 no longer an Indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, by this Colonial nations\u2019 \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 definition, any human beings that are living upon a sovereign INDIGENOUS nation\u2019s \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\udff9\ud83d\udef6\u270a\ud83c\udffc land and that must submit to INDIGENOUS people\u2019s sovereign rule \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\udff9\ud83d\udef6\u270a\ud83c\udffc are the \u201cvictimized\u201d and \u201coppressed\u201d peoples \u2013 for rejecting citizenship in a sovereign Indigenous nation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence why the United Nations \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 of Arab-European \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 colonial nations\u2019 definition of \u201cIndigenous\u201d ONLY applies IF the Indigenous peoples are colonised \u201cprimitive\u201d and racially \u201coppressed\u201d peoples, without self-determining autonomy and sovereignty, and whose authenticity as \u201cindigenous\u201d is determined by and limited to Colonial \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 established \u201cblood quantum\u201d levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, IF a clearly Indigenous people \u2013 by UN established \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 worldwide DEFINITION, like the Jewish people \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e of our Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc (Judea and Samaria) \u2013 successfully achieve DECOLONISED sovereign Independence, then they LOSE \u270a\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\ude21\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc the \u201cIndigenous\u201d status in the narrative of the worldwide European and Arab \u271d\ufe0f\u262d\u262a\ufe0f settler Colonists of our SHARED planet Earth \ud83c\udf0d\ud83c\udf0e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A genuine Colonial-narrative MIRACLE \ud83d\ude4c\ud83c\udffc happens to such Indigenous peoples! By the grace of the Colonial god \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\u271d\ufe0f and UN colonial politics \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 , these Indigenous peoples experience a transformation into \u201cCOLONISTS\u201d of their OWN sacred land. ALL for achieving sovereign decolonisation UPON THEIR \u270a\ud83c\udffc ancestral land of Indigenous origin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know, like the Jewish people \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e of our Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc , who successfully freedom fought AGAINST the British-pan-Arab \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 post-WW1 militarized occupation of Judea and Samaria, the land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc , for near two decades \u2013 until the British \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 fled back to Europe and the Arab settlers submitted to their \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 opportunity to be an equally participating member of the reestablished Jewish indigenous nation of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, the worldwide \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 demand for pan-Arab nationalist \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 Palestinian \u201cself-determination\u201d upon OUR Jewish people\u2019s \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e successfully decolonised and fully \u201cIndigenous\u201d sovereign Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 . And the worldwide Colonial nations\u2019 support for Palestinian \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 post-1948 political land-squatting, Apartheid, UNRWA \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 funded terrorisms, and attempted Islamic genocides targeting the people of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YOU KNOW, the very CRIMES AGAINST INDIGENOUS HUMANITY that is obsessively blamed UPON the nation of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 for our Indigenous people\u2019s resistance \u270a\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\ude21\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc to re-colonisation BY the worldwide Colonisers \u271d\ufe0f\u262d\u262a\ufe0f of our SHARED planet Earth \ud83c\udf0d\ud83c\udf0e!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, AS WELL, the worldwide \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 refusal to recognise the Indigenous Kurdish people\u2019s \ud83e\udeac\u2600\ufe0f\u270a\ud83c\udffc successful decolonisation and self-sovereignty upon a portion of THEIR sacred ancestral land of Kurdistan. A SWANA Indigenous people \ud83e\udeac\u2600\ufe0f\u270a\ud83c\udffc , like the Jewish people, who are EQUALLY colonised by pan-Arab nationalist \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfe\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 Palestinians, AND who are called \u201csecond Israel\u201d \ud83e\udeac\u2600\ufe0f\u270a\ud83c\udffc by the pan-Arab Colonists of Southwest Asia!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Arabs and Europeans \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\u262d\u271d\ufe0f really wanted PEACE and SECURITY in the MIDDLE EAST, they would STOP \ud83d\uded1 with this nationalist \u201ctwo state solution\u201d between Indigenous and Colonist upon OUR \ud83e\udeac\u2600\ufe0f\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc decolonised sacred SWANA lands, and DEMAND that pan-Arab political land-squatters \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 EITHER become citizens of our Indigenous Peoples\u2019 nations OR return to their lands of origin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path to PEACE and SECURITY in the Middle East is to allow ALL Indigenous peoples of Southwest Asia \ud83e\udeac\u270a\ud83c\udffc to FULLY decolonise \u2013 free from European and Arab settler \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\u262d\u271d\ufe0f established national rule. Under Colonial national \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfe\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 established rule, every Indigenous nation\/people is struggling against our Indigenous own \ud83e\udeac\u270a\ud83c\udffc for our very survival!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IF allowed to peacefully and securely decolonise amongst the European and Arab settler Colonists \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\u271d\ufe0f , the United Nations \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 would be POTENTIALLY a benefit in keeping PEACE and SECURITY between our SWANA Indigenous nations \ud83e\udeac\u270a\ud83c\udffc \u2013 AT OUR SOVEREIGN national borders!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHY is this SO DIFFICULT to understand by the European and Arab Conquistadors \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\u262d\u271d\ufe0f seeking to mold OUR Indigenous peoples into THEIR colonial image?! This latter is NEVER going to work ANYWHERE upon our shared planet Earth \ud83c\udf0d\ud83c\udf0e !!! Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Africa\u2026. How many \u2013 after WW1 \u2013 are miniature USAs, Russians, Turks, Qatars, etc, etc, etc?!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snapshot \u2013 BOTH Europeans and Arabs had their OWN ancestors and ethno-religions, BEFORE they appropriated Jewish Canaan \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc ethno-religious identity as their own \u2013 in this CE PERIOD of human history (you know, \u201cA.D.\u201d period, not BCE). BOTH Issac and Ishmael are Levantine \u2013 NOT Arabian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arabs in the South already existed BEFORE the birth of our Levantine Canaan Ishmael \ud83e\udeac\u270a\ud83c\udffc ! Jesus died in Judea two generations before northern Aegeans got a hold of our Jewish ancestral writings and created Christianity \u271d\ufe0f ! Equally appropriating Islam \u262a\ufe0f was birthed AFTER appropriating Christianity. BOTH Christianity and Islam are theology-based colonizing religions \u2013 THUS antithetical to Judaism \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc , our Jewish people\u2019s indigenous Judah-people-ism!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing a theological religion\u2019s claim to one of our Jewish ancestors \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e does NOT make you indigenous to our Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc , NOR does this make you a Jew \u201cby faith\u201d nor by settler Colonial appropriation. Indigeneity does not work this way \u2013 ANYWHERE on our SHARED planet Earth \u270a\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\udff9\ud83d\udef6\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is WE, the Jewish people \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac of the Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc , who get to DEFINE and DECIDE who is a member of our Canaan people \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac , and who is not! Embracing THIS is what makes you a REAL ally of the Jewish people \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac and of our Zionism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to LEARN more about the Land Back struggle of Jewish \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac and Kurdish \u2600\ufe0f\ud83e\udeac Indigenous peoples, then visit JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa . If you want to learn more about the Land Back struggle of Michilimackinac Indigenous peoples \ud83e\uddac\ud83c\udff9, then visit NDNCollective . Then, HELP us Indigenous nations worldwide to successfully and PEACEFULLY decolonise our Native peoples\u2019 sacred lands!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ben<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs I have always stated, Jew-hate is not a Jewish problem. It is a non-Jewish problem which impacts Jews, [just as racism is a European and Arab colonial problem that affects all Indigenous, enslaved, and formerly enslaved communities,] just as homophobia is a heterosexual issue which affects the gay community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This then means allies are crucial to defeating the scourge of antisemitism [and all other forms of racism and bigotry. Antisemitism is the original form of anti-Indigenous racism!]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For allies to support Jews, however, they also need to be informed of our identity and understand our experience, through our perspective, not through theirs. Particularly post-October 7th, for non-Jewish people to support Jews, they must understand our connection to the Land of Israel, and why it is our home, even if many of us live in the Diaspora.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, if you support Jewish Zionism \u2013 our decolonization and self-sovereignty \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc upon our ancestors\u2019 sacred Canaan land of Israel (Judea and Samaria) \u2013 and do so from a Colonial religious perspective, whether Christian \u271d\ufe0f or Muslim \u262a\ufe0f, you MUST \u2013 simply MUST \u2013 embrace our Zionism WITHOUT feelings of \u201cgraphed in\u201d entitlements to the land of Israel and our ethno-religious identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing a theological religion\u2019s claim to one of our Jewish ancestors \ud83e\udeac\ud83d\udd4e does NOT make you indigenous to our Canaan land of Israel \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc nor does this make you a Jew \u201cby faith\u201d. Indigeneity does not work this way \u2013 anywhere on planet Earth \u270a\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\udff9\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc ! It is we, the Jewish people, who get to define and decide who is a member of our Canaan people, and who is not. Embracing THIS is what makes you a REAL ally of the Jewish people and of our Zionism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Shabbat reading for you! Ben M Freeman is an indigenous Jew raised in the Scotland diaspora. He teaches easily verifiable historical facts, like all of us still uncolonized and successfully decolonized native Jews around this SHARED planet Earth \ud83c\udf0d\ud83c\udf0e teach. Get yourself a copy of his book, and give yourself some time to embrace Jewish indigeneity \ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 and our resistance to settler Colonialism \u262a\ufe0f\u262d\u271d\ufe0f of ANY kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben\u2019s book is available on Amazon \u2013 https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Jews-Indigenous-Ben-M-Freeman\/dp\/1916797474<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jews: An Indigenous People, is the final instalment of Ben M. Freeman\u2019s seminal Jewish Pride trilogy. Ben M. Freeman takes readers on a powerful journey through 3,000 years of Jewish history. Exploring the origins of Jewish identity and practice and their resonance today, Freeman expertly weaves together anthropology and archaeology while examining globally recognised criteria for indigeneity. Brace yourself as this book boldly reclaims the Jewish narrative, affirming without doubt: Jews are indigenous to Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Indigenous
Link to the video Reel is directly below. Learn about some of the 100 Indigenous Nation leaders that support Israel\u2019s peaceful and secure decolonization upon our SWANA sacred Canaan land of Israel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We THANK YOU Michilimackinac, AbyaYala, and Island Indigenous \ud83e\uddac\ud83c\udff9\ud83d\udef6\u270a\ud83c\udffc brothers and sisters! It is a Jewish indigenous belief that to save the life of even one indigenous woman, man, or child is to save the entire world \ud83c\udf0d\ud83c\udf0e ! Am Yisrael Chai \u270a\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udd4e\ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Reel here (\u201cWayra\u201d, America Warriors track used for this Reel) \u2013 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/r\/1B3pCoRGPo\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring them \ud83e\udeac\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1\u270a\ud83c\udffc home now! Terrorists \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6 !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0627\u062d\u0636\u0631\u0647\u0645 \u0625\u0644\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0646\u0632\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0622\u0646! \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0631\u0647\u0627\u0628\u064a\u0648\u0646 \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6 !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05ea\u05d1\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05d5\u05ea\u05dd \u05d4\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea\u05d4 \u05e2\u05db\u05e9\u05d9\u05d5! \u05de\u05d7\u05d1\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6 !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Omer
Omer Shem\u2019s diary revels his ordeal as a captive of Arab Palestinian Islamic HAMAS terrorists \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 !<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Omer Shem Tov\u2019s father and sister speak out about the horrifying conditions he endured in Hamas captivity, and about the measures he took to stay alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Omer was starved, deprived of medicine, and kept in cramped, uninhabitable conditions\u2014but he didn\u2019t let any of it break his spirit. He refused to stop practicing Judaism and used his charm and humor to protect himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t let the remaining hostages continue suffering the way Omer did for far too long. Bring them home now! \ud83c\udf97\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview and photo credits to Uri Sela from Walla @uri_sela<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"AISH,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

AISH (Aish ha\u2019Torah, \u05d0\u05e9 \u05d4\u05ea\u05d5\u05e8\u05d4, lit. \u201cFire of the Torah\u201d) shared, \u201d In the book of Exodus (24:12), God tells Moses, \u201cI have given you the stone tablets, the Torah, and the commandment that I have written for the people\u2019s instruction.\u201d That verse indicates that in addition to a written law, God gave the Jewish people additional instructions as well. Those additional instructions\u2014known as the Oral Law\u2014were passed down from one generation to the next for millenia, and were eventually written down in various rabbinic works like the Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, and others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Jewish people\u2019s Torah stories teach us that if G-d attempts to impose divine will upon our Jewish people, without the Jewish people\u2019s resistance to that which we know to be unethical or immoral, then our Jewish people\u2019s lifeways would be meaningless. We would be nothing more than a religion based in theology, like Colonial Christianity and Colonial Islam (even Colonial Marxism, if political ideology replaces theology).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a common question that many humans ask: Why can\u2019t \u201cGod\u201d just build a peaceful and secure world, where the bad are punished and the good are rewarded? The answer to this question is that life itself would be meaningless and not worthy of divine-like sentient nefesh, \u201cbreathing-creatures\u201d. G-d doesn\u2019t need sentient nefesh wrestling with achieving ethical and moral outcomes, if the physical universe is programmed from creation to do what it does without built-in trial and error, choice and consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judaism is an Indigenous way of life, not a religion of blind obedience. Hence our greatest patriarchs and matriarchs never shy from questing G-d \u2013 sometimes defiantly. And our Torah stories teach us that G-d respects this, that we \u05d0\u05d3\u05dd, \u201chumans\u201d, were created in \u05d1\u05e6\u05dc\u05de\u05e0\u05d5 \u05db\u05d3\u05de\u05d5\u05ea\u05e0, \u201cin our image after our likeness\u201d (the likeness of El and the child gods and goddesses of El Elyon, Bereshit 1:26) \u2013 even if G-d sometimes refuses to listen to human reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why G-d demands a Brit, a \u201ccovenant\u201d or \u201cvassal treaty\u201d, with the Jewish people, that forces us to wrestle with the implementation of mitzvot, \u201cindigenous obligations\u201d or civil-ritual \u201claws\u201d by which to measure our behaviors with, and courts of law to determine the level of our achievement and compliance. For, according to our Jewish people\u2019s Torah, we human beings are to bring heaven down to Earth, by learning from our mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path to teshuva, \u201creturning\u201d (aka, \u201crepentance\u201d), is fully based in questioning and learning from our individual and collective mistakes (aka, \u201csins\u201d or \u201ccrimes\u201d). This is the path of Torah, and Torah is a tree of life for our Jewish people of the Canaan land of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Former<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rabbi Ysoscher Katz shared, \u201cWhen they tell you what they think, believe them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At an event last evening, talking about chareidi atitudes of superiority towards those who serve in the army, former chief Rabbi, Yitzchak Yosef, quipped that Chareidim should emulate enterprises like Coca Cola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 \u201cthey BRAINWASH people into believing that their products are superior, we too should do the same in defense of yeshiva students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words , the chareidim should embark on an ad campaign which will convince\/brainwash people into believing that the Torah of yeshiva students is far superior and does more for the defense of the state than those who enlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, hell no! No yeshiva bucher can hold a candle to my holy child and the thousands of other holy young men and women who DO enroll, in spite of the price it demands of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, yes, I will say this: all the Bnei Torah are partially culpable in the death of every person who died\/dies in this war. Were they to join the army, the risks would\u2019ve been distributed more broadly and the chances of each individual dying lessened significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know these are harsh words, but they\u2019re said more in sadness than in anger. When your own child is called up to miluim for the fourth time in 18 months, it breaks them, their partner, their parents and their whole family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, No, Rav Yosef, no brainwashing will work to convince us of the legitimacy of the chareidi dereliction of moral, communal and religious duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an \u05e2\u05d5\u05d5\u05df \u05d1\u05d9\u05dc\u05ea\u05d9 \u05e0\u05d9\u05ea\u05df \u05dc\u05db\u05e4\u05e8\u05d4\u2014\u05d5\u05db\u05dc \u05e9\u05db\u05df \u05dc\u05d4\u05e1\u05d1\u05e8\u05d4.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why Judaism, Judah-people-ism, must never become just a religion!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05d0\u05e0\u05d7\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05d1\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d4\u05d5\u05e8\u05d9\u05d3 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d2\u05df \u05e2\u05d3\u05df \u05d0\u05e8\u05e6\u05d4! \u05d6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e9\u05ea\u05d5\u05dc \u05d5\u05dc\u05d4\u05d2\u05df \u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05e8\u05e5 \u05d5\u05d0\u05e0\u05e9\u05d9\u05d4! \u05ea\u05d5\u05e8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d9\u05d3 \u05d0\u05d7\u05ea \u05d5\u05d7\u05e8\u05d1 \u05d1\u05d9\u05d3 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05d4!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must bring Heaven down to earth! This means we must plant and protect the land and its people! A Torah in one hand and a sword in the other!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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