Prof. As’ad Abdul Rahman
With the clear absence of an Israeli Constitution, and due to the increasing religiosity of the Jewish Israeli society, the Talmud strict rulings (written by the rabbis to explain the Torah) are being harshly enacted targeting, often and in many cases, Palestinians fighting the occupation of their land. One example of Talmudic law “justice” is perceived when listening to the teachings of Rabbis in Israel which is now in a frenzy of anger against the Palestinian BDS grassroots movement. The Sephardic chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yousef who was, very recently, addressing an audience of the faithful in a religious public meeting declared that “under Jewish law, no Palestinian should be allowed to live in the land of Israel”. His statement prompted a comment from Haaretz which accused him of “espousing the ethnic cleansing of Israel, and the expulsion of 20% of the population”.
The Rabbi’s words were in line with the Talmud that states: “Non-Jews are really beasts, but in human forms. They were created for the purpose of serving the Jews.” Another law of the Talmud includes that “if a non-Jew hits a Jew, the non-Jew must be instantly killed.” This Talmudic law explains the instant execution of many wounded Palestinian youth unable to resist.
The current insanity pervading the leadership in Israel against the non-violent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, BDS movement has reached an unprecedented level of incitement against its founders and leaders, especially Omar Barghouti. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL expressed concern “for the safety and liberty of Palestinian human rights defender Omar Barghouti, and other Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists, following calls alluding to threats, including of physical harm and deprivation of basic rights, made by Israeli ministers at an anti-Boycott Divestment and Sanction conference in Jerusalem on 28 March 2015”. BDS has been transformed from being a thorn into being a dagger in the side of the Israeli economy with its recent successes in Europe and the United States in particular. Boycotts one after the other against Israel by sovereign wealth funds, banks, global corporations and companies, along with churches, labor unions and student associations in various American and European universities have unhinged the wit of the political leadership in Israel.
Richard Silverstein wrote in the Tikum Olam political blog that “the Yediot Ahronot conference attacking BDS has become a veritable carnival of hate.” A picture was included showing the minister of intelligence, Israel Katz talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu and asking: “when do you want Barghouti’s scalp, now or later?” The taking of scalps of American Indians by the white settlers in early American history only happened after the victim was killed. This satiric caption can only mean that a floating decision to kill the leader of the BDS may have been taken.
The Israeli minister openly called for “civil target killing” of BDS activists, especially its activist leader, Barghouti. But he later denied that he meant actual killing. Silverstein wrote saying “we are entering a dangerous territory” and “in this torrid political environment in which Israeli leftists have become criminals and wounded Palestinians youth summarily executed in the street, it is only too easy to foresee Palestinian activist, like Barghouti, having a bounty on his head”. In other words – based on previous experiences – this means “a contract” might be given, most certainly to a Palestinian criminal element working closely with Israeli Security to arrange the death of Barghouti and make it look like an accident to collect “the bounty on his head”.
Barghouti is known around the world as a man of peace who is trying to connect with peaceful people of conscience and with many Jews in Israel and around the world supporting him in order to end the colonial occupation by non-violent means. The great number of Jews in and out of Israel, supporting BDS testifies to his peaceful intentions. Their support for the movement is for the sole reason of saving Israel from self-destruction by its current colonial racist policies imposed by force upon the Palestinian population for decades without end. In other words, Barghouti and other BDS leader appear as a rescue mission to save Israel from its ruling religious right wing dragging it towards the pit of destruction.
We call on the United States of America and the European Union who tirelessly have been advocating non-violent means and ways to resolve the Palestinian/Israeli conflict to step in and make it plain that the BDS and its leadership are “UNTOUCHABLE”. It is important here to remind as to who have replaced the PLO fighters; the black flags of lSIS shall provide the answer! BDS consists of non-violent activists and its demise would instantly be filled with the likes of degenerate Jewish gangs who call themselves the price taggers and are burning churches, mosques, farms and homes with the Palestinian families asleep. Burning families with their babies is not going to give the Jewish population of Israel any peace or prosperity, whatsoever; neither will the demise of BDS and its leaders.
Israel’s Minister Katz and his religious allies have taken the Talmud side and completely shunned the divine laws of the Torah; “To love thy neighbor as you love yourself”. The law of reciprocity that came down to Prophet Moses states: “Who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword”. The ruling religious right is “the Jewish ISIS/Daesh” as some in the Israeli media are calling them now. They are self-righteous in their own aggressiveness living by the sword and if they change not, the law of the Torah will be invoked upon them, sooner or later.
