Why there is no Revolution in Mauritania?

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/140701

Protest against Genocide in Sudan or an Opera in Israel?
Kislev 10, 5771, 17 November 10 04:53, by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(Israelnationalnews.com) A Sudanese refugee is walking barefoot in the halls of Congress to drum up support in the fight against genocide in his home country.
The plight of Sudan’s refugees has been largely ignored on the international level, where United Nations Human Rights officials have taken aim at Israel for maintaining a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria and a maritime blockade on the Hamas terrorist regime in Gaza.

The anti-Israel campaign took on a different note in Tel Aviv Monday night, where human rights campaigners protested outside the Opera House to denounce the Cape Town Opera. The demonstrators claim that its appearance for the premier of the Porgy and Bess opera represented support “of Israeli oppression on Palestinians,” according to the South African Artists against Apartheid.
The South African Star reported that the protesters parodied the songs in the opera, singing “Boycott apartheid, boycott apartheid. It's time to tell Israel, no. Palestine, life there is not easy. Fascism is at the door."
Last month, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said, "Just as we said during apartheid that it was inappropriate for international artists to perform in a society founded on discriminatory laws and racial exclusivity, so it would be wrong for Cape Town Opera to perform in Israel.”

Opera official Michael Williams said it was "reluctant to adopt the essentially political position of disengagement from cultural ties with Israel or with Palestine.”

Tutu has not been in the forefront or even the second front of the campaign to stop the genocide in Sudan. While the protest was being staged in Tel Aviv, Sudanese refugee Simon Deng walked barefoot in the offices of Congress members to bring attention to a vote on mostly Christian South Sudan's independence from the Muslim-dominated north.

 "There is a great danger of another bloodshed in my country. American people and leaders are capable of preventing it and I will do all I can to make sure Sudan is on their agenda," said Deng, Sudan Freedom Walk's Co-Founder and an escaped slave. “I will visit the offices of every Congressman to ask for support of my people at this pivotal time. I want to make sure that if a war breaks out in Sudan, nobody can say he or she did not know.”

Deng visited the offices of Senators John Kerry, Russ Feingold, Harry Reid and others.  He recently marched for 250 miles from New York to Washington to raise awareness about Sudan, conducting the walk barefoot to publicize solidarity with all marginalized Sudanese people.  %ad%
Sudan's indigenous African peoples have been historically oppressed and marginalized by various Arab minority-ruling regimes in Khartoum. This marginalization intensified when the radical Islamist regime of the National Congress Party (formerly National Islamic Front), led by indicted war criminal Omar

The end of the cold war only made matters worse. William Greider explains it well:

One of the striking qualities of the post-cold War globalization is how easily business and government in the capitalist democracies have abandoned the values they putatively espoused for 40 years during the struggle against communism – individual liberties and political legitimacy based on free election. Western Sahara: France Blocks Human Rights

Concern for human rights, including freedom of assembly for workers wishing to speak for themselves, has been pushed aside by commercial opportunity. Multinationals plunge confidently into new markets, from Vietnam to China, where governments routinely control and abuse their own citizens.

Since the Security Council will review a new resolution tomorrow extending the mandate of MINURSO - the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara - Polisario Front strongly denounces the efforts made by France to block proposals to establish a mechanism for monitoring and protecting human rights in Western Sahara.
France has actively worked to protect Morocco from any international scrutiny of their serious and repeated human rights abuses in the occupied territory of Western Sahara. The First Vice President of Spain, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, confirmed on Monday at the UN, that Spain supports human rights monitoring as part of the mandate of MINURSO.
France's rejection of human rights in Western Sahara is in direct contradiction to its condition of state, considered one of the founders of the modern movement for human rights. The position of France is also dismissive and contemptuous with a large number of members of the Security Council of the United Nations, who consider that the issues of human rights in Western Sahara needs to be addressed.
The human rights abuses by Morocco have intensified to the point where they have become the main obstacle in negotiations between the two parties, the Frente Polisario and the Kingdom of Morocco. The French actions are a vote against human rights and one vote against the resolution to the conflict that has lasted 35 years on the decolonization of Western Sahara.

MINURSO is the only United Nations Mission currently at present that does not consider human rights monitoring as part of its mandate. In a 2006 report, which is kept secret by France and Morocco, the High Commissioner of United Nations Human Rights recommended the establishment of international monitoring of human rights in Western Sahara.
Ahmed Boukhari, Polisario Front representative to the UN.
english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/113235-western_sahara-0

Excerpts from:

Disposable People. New Slavery in the Global Economy.
By Kevin Bales, University of California Press. 1999

Mauritania

The White Moors who controlled Mauritania, properly known as Hassaniya Arabs, are organized into large extended families, which are further linked together into several tribes. Virtually all extended families of the dominant Hassaniya castes have owned slaves for generations. Any individual slave is the specific property of a male member of the family; as property the slaves are inherited and, very occasionally. Sold.

When slavery was abolished in 1980 one ulema responded by proclaiming “the lawfulness of slavery in Islam in general”. (p. 85)

Draconian measures of the Sharia

Less well known are the laws that apply specifically to laves. For example, one rule states that there will be severe punishment for any man who does not “restrain his carnal desires,” but it adds, “except with his wives and slave-girls, for these are lawful to him.” The law concerning the freeing of slaves is clear: it is the prerogative of the master alone. And the power that the Sharia gives any Muslim man over his wives and sisters is extended to his slave women and their children. Though the Koran also orders that a man should “show kindness to the slaves you on”, since its institution the Sharia has been used to keep the slaves intimidated and mindful of their place. Ex-slaves have been executed, and one whose hand has been amputated for theft dies as a result. In contrast, Moors found guilty of murdering slaves have not suffered executions.

International news on television and in the press focuses on the Arab world, concerning on the international struggle for greater Islamic purity and never touching on human rights..

To increase Moor control in Mauritania, Arabic was made compulsory language of instruction in schools. When Afro-Mauritanians protesting their rapid exclusion demonstrated in the capital, the army was called out and opposition forcibly suppressed. Merely discussing racial conflicts was banned. To further reduce dissent, the ruling party took control of all trade unions as well. By the early 1970s government repression had turned a sleepy French colony into a single-party police state relying on racial discrimination. The dictatorship of Fould Daddah silenced criticism and forced a program of Arabization of the country. To maintain its export market the French government actively support the Mauritanian regime, calling it the “most democratic country in Northern Africa”

The French praise the government as democratic and fund large development projects, studiously ignoring questions of slavery. The American deflect any suggestion of widespread enslavement in the country. Their 1996 “Human Rights Report for Mauritania” states: “Slavery in the form of officially sanctioned forced or involuntary servitude, is extremely rare, and a system of slavery in which Government and society join to force individuals to serve masters no longer exists.” The report makes horrific practices with bland euphemisms: “There are occasional cases of 'transfers' individuals – often children – from one employer to another, usually of the same family. Reports of sales are rare, cannot be confirmed, and are confined to past years.” (p.117)

From the mosques and from the holy men comes a message of honesty and obedience. Slaves are taught that only if their obey their masters will they go to heaven. For the slave, whose life is so appalling, the promise of paradise in the life to come is important. By moving the children around other households, lending or selling them to friends or relatives, slaveholders tied own slave women, effectively holding their children hostage.

Slaves are taught to speak only Arabic and are only rarely allowed to learn to read. Afro-Mauritanians speak their own language and French, and so are forced to learn Arabic as well if they are to forge any links with the slaves. Meanwhile the government and the White Moors keep up a barrage of anti-African propaganda. Black Mauritanians are referred to as “foreigners”, and the Moors circulate terrible rumors among the slaves about their plans to destroy society and attack Islam.

As in the 19th century American South, in Mauritania race matters intensely. Racism is the motor that drives Mauritanian society. Despite extensive intermarriage, White Moors generally disdain their black slaves and regard them as inferior beings. The world view of the White Moors is hierarchical, casting themselves as superior in all things. That superiority also stirs fear and animosity toward the Afro-Mauritanians who want a fair share in government. It is so strong that no official segregation is needed: the lines of family and tribe are exact and impermeable. The White Moors hold on to what is theirs.

India

Consider the case of devadasi, a young woman who is married to a god, which is not as pleasant as it might sound. Poor families, in an attempt to appease local gods and guarantee a happy future, will sacrifice a daughter by “marrying her to one”. Once married the girl is declared a “saint” and must move into the local temple and care for it. She must not do any other work, cannot leave the village, cannot “divorce” and marry anyone else, and is in the control of the men who run the temple. For centuries these men have turned the girls to prostitution, so that the temple doubles as a brothel. Any female children born to the “saints” are raised to be devadasi as well, and the women live out their lives as enslaved prostitutes, while the men who run the temple pocket profits.

Children also form a large part of the bonded workforce in India. A particularly well-known group are the children that produce fireworks and matches around the city od Sivakasi in the state of Tamil Nadu. Some 45,000 children work in these factories, making this perhaps the largest concentration of child laborers in the world. Between 3 A.M. And 5 A.M. Every morning, buses from the factories visit the villages in the surrounding countryside. Local agents have enlisted the children, whose age range from three and half to fifteen, paying an advance to their parents and creating the debt bond. The agents make sure the children are up and get on the bus for the trip to the factory, where they will work for the next twelve hours. A study by UNICEF, surveying 33 buses, found 150 to 200 children jammed into a single bus each day.. They will not be back in their villages until after 7 PM. In the run up to the big Diwali (festival of lights) holiday, the factories extended their hours and are in production seven days a week.

The children roll and pack the fireworks in dark and dingy sheds. The gunpowder mixture is corrosive, and over time it eats away the skin of child's fingers. When this happens blisters form and the child can't work, as the chemicals burn quickly into the exposed flesh. To wait for the blisters to heal takes fives or six days, but to stay off work for that long would mean being fired. Instead a hot coal or a lit cigarette normally is applied to the blister, bursting it and cauterizing the wound. In time the children's fingertips become a mass of scar tissue. The powdered potassium chlorate, phosporus, and zinc oxides also fill their lungs and led to breathing problems and blood poisoning. (200)

In Allahabad, the Ganges and the Yamuna join the magical, though invisible, “river of enlightenment” - the Saraswasti, which wells up from mystical regions. Their confluence is a holy place, one of the great pilgrimage destinations in India. The religious festival held here is the largest in the world, attracting more than 3 million visitors who set up vast tent cities on the floodplains and riverbanks.

Some plantation owners in the Mississippi Delta drove the freed slaves off their land and replaced them with boatloads of Chinese laborers. The Chinese were in debt bondage for the cost of their transportation to America, and the plantation owners oplaned to keep them that way,. They fully expected these quiet and obedient Chinese to be long-term replacement for their African slaves. It never happened. The first generation of Chinese worked on the farms, taking the place of the slaves, but their experience of directing all of the family's earning power toward a single goal brought most of their children out of debt. The second generation opened shops and cottage industries and never looked back. The Delta Chinese, as they are known today, add a prosperous dimension to the modern Mississippi. The old plantation owners were blindsided by their false sense of superiority and by a group of people who just weren't going to go along with their own enslavement. (224)

In India there are between 65 and 100 million children ages fourteen and younger who work more than eight hours a day. They fill the sweatshops and do many other kinds of work. Worse, about 15 million of those children are not child laborers, but child slaves. And enslaved children are even more hidden, trapped in debt bondage, they tend not to work in sweatshops producing for the large-scale export but in smaller-scale, more isolated businesses. Unlike the owners of factories making soccer balls, their masters have little fear of exposure or public pressure. (237)

In Germany, Kershaw explains “most of the police remained in their posts when the Nazi regime began; but they did not have to carry on as usual – they were now off the leash.” The only orders they had from the central government were to suppress all enemies of the state, especially Jews, and to achieve that suppression anything was allowed. In the case of Nazi Germany, as in Burma today, one mechanism of suppression was lave labor. (244)

It is not easy to crash human mind, but with enough brutality, time, and indifference to suffering it can be done. Around the world it is being done. The slaveholders provide the brutality, the corrupt police and government ensure that slavery is practiced with impunity, and the overarching materialism of our global economy justifies a general indifference. To close the circle and make the link with global economic change we have to remember once again that while violence is the tool by which slavery is achieved, the aim of slavery is profit. Unlike a century ago, no modern slaveholders delude themselves that they re somehow “civilizing” their slaves, or lifting them toward religious salvation. In the lean, mean global economy slavery is stripped of its moral justifications: slaves equal profits. Part of that income pays for the violence needed to ensure that the profits keep coming.

In the struggle to survive not just slavery but liberation, there is one striking parallel between the old slavery of the United States and the new slavery of today: when slavery came to an end in 1865 the slaves were (and are today) just tossed away. If slavery is to end, we must learn how ex-slaves can be best secure their own freedom. (p. 253)

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” says the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “No one shall be held in slavery and servitude.”

The 250 million Untouchable Dalits are in revolt
The 50 million White widows (who are Hindu widows) are incarcerated in Hindu temples and then sold as prostitutes to earn a living. Source: Indian moved Water.

Kancha Ilayah in his article Caste and the U.N. Meet (The Hindu. Online edition of India's National Newspaper. August 21, 2001) wrote: “The oppressive institutions, like the caste system, that came into operation through the process of civil societal structuring need the pressure of outside agencies such as the U.N., because it is more difficult to address the civil societal agencies than the Governmental agencies from within. The U.N. Human Rights charter has been worked out to serve that purpose also. It hence thought of addressing the civil societal oppressions that emanate from race, religion, language, gender and so on. Unfortunately, caste as an institution of social oppression was not included in the charter at the time even though caste discrimination has many traits of racial discrimination and, hence, must become part of the U.N. Human Rights charter. (www.hinduonet.com/2001/08/21/stories/05212523.htm)

“Equality is death, hierarchy is life,” wrote Langbehn

A. Hitler echoes this idea in his Mein Kampf: “If one rejects the aristocratic principle of Nature and replaces the eternal privilege of power and strength by the mass of numbers and their dead weight as a foundation of the universe, this doctrine of egalitarianism would bring about the end of any order intellectually conceivable to man...The result of an application of such social-leveling law could only be chaos, on earth it could only be destruction for the inhabitants of this planet.

In India, under the British Empire, the British rulers also used the idea of a distinct Aryan race in order to ally British power with the Indian caste system. It was widely claimed that the Aryans were white people who had invaded India in ancient times, subordinating the darker skinned native Dravidian peoples, who were pushed to the south (The same thinking was behind the apartheid system in South Africa). Thus the foundation of Hinduism was ascribed to northern invaders who had established themselves as the dominant castes, and who were supposed to have created the sophisticated Vedic texts. All this was happening in an age of rampant European imperialism which was supported by the then modern pseudo-science of RACE and Darwinian-related 'survival of the fittest' Eugenics. When these Imperialistic European esoteric speculators discovered lighter-skinned Arab, Persian and Hindu (caste Brahminist) Aryanist master-racism and casteism in India, and Sinhalese Buddhist Aryanist master-racism in Sri Lanka, the idea of the white Indo-European Aryan Master Race became foundational to the European rationale for world conquest and the subjugation of non-'Aryan' peoples world-wide. (Entry Caste in Wikipedia)
In his book Greater Britain, Dilke had written: ``In America we have seen the struggle of the dear races against the cheap--the endeavors of the English to hold their own against the Irish and Chinese. In New Zealand, we found the stronger and more energetic race pushing from the earth the shrewd and laborious descendants of the Asian Malays; in Australia, the English triumphant, and the cheaper races excluded from the soil not by distance merely, but by arbitrary legislation; in India, we saw the solution of the problem by the officering of the cheaper by the dearer race. Everywhere, we have found that the difficulties which impede the progress to universal dominion of the English people lie in the conflict with the cheaper races. The result of our survey is such as to give us reason for the belief that race distinctions will long continue, that miscegenation will go but a little way towards blending races, that the dearer are on the whole likely to destroy the cheaper peoples and that Saxondom will rise triumphant from the doubtful struggle.'' Darwinism proclaimed the triumph of the favoureud races over the cheaper people.
The East India Company which lasted nearly 260 years opened India and the Far East to English trade and brought India and Hindu religious tradition into the British Empire.

From Durban I to Durban II

“Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, 'Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more'” (Psalm 83:1-4). The Bible is right on target in describing conditions besetting our contemporary world

The aforementioned Kancha Ilayah ended his quoted article on a note of hope, “Caste will b e discussed in the inter-Governmental Conference at Durban under paragraph 109 of the agenda which reads: 'to ensure all necessary constitutional, legislative and administrative measures, including appropriate form of affirmative action, are in place to prohibit and address discrimination on the basis of work and descent and such that measures are respected and implemented by all states, authorities at all levels.' The Government and other state bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission must tell the nation that they will abide by the mandate of the U.N. Conference.”

The U.N. Diplomatic mob dashed all hopes of hundreds of millions of all the lowest castes of India. The 2001 Durban declaration says Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism and there are no other state practitioners of racism worth mentioning. They are being handsomely bribed for such declarations.

In the late February Secretary of State C. Rice decided to sit on the fence while UN-based anti-Semites build the next forum for demonizing Israel. Her unscheduled foreign policy vacation is in response to UN planning of “Durban II” - the next installment of the UN “anti-racism” conference that took place in Durban, South Africa, and ended with an ominous demonstration of intolerance three days before 9/11. Preparations for Durban redux, to be held in the first half of 2009, started in earnest this April, when the Pope came for a visit to the United States and addressing the United Nations.

The purpose of Durban II is “to foster the implementation of the Durban declaration.” After that the Pope, sure will canonize all the cows of India.

The latest country to pull out of the conference was Poland. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski informed the Israeli Embassy in Warsaw of his country's decision. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday defended the disputed conference text as "carefully balanced" and said the conference was necessary to confront simmering racial tensions that could otherwise trigger social unrest and violence

The Battle for Libya

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147239#.TlpCA13mmBM

It was only with difficulty that the Western countries managed to extract permission from South Africa to release some Libyan frozen assets for relief efforts.
South Africa balked at the idea of delivering the money specifically to the Libyan insurgents and preferred the ambiguous term relevant parties. For the United States Britain and others the main thing was getting the money released and they were prepared to accept the South African demand.

South Africa is miffed because during the entire fighting it felt rebuffed by the coalition when it attempted to mediate on behalf of the African Union. Libya was a member of the African Union and therefore the rest of the world displayed a lack of respect towards the continent by not involving the body in its decisions.
The government of Jacob Zuma is under fire from the youth wing of the African National Congress for supporting the UN Security Council resolution 1973 that the coalition used to justify its intervention.

Sympathy for Qaddafi goes back a long time because he supported the African National Congress when it was fighting against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Even Nelson Mandela has staunchly defended South Africa's friendship towards Qaddafi on those grounds.

British Defense Secretary  Dr. Liam Fox has chided South Africa precisely because of the apartheid parallel. It was basically world opinion that toppled the white regime in South Africa and now it is South Africa's turn to back the Libyan people's obvious desire.

The ANC position was accentuated by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, who was asked in parliament if NATO should be investigated for war crimes. Mr. Motlanthe said the matter was for the International Criminal Court to decide, not the South African government.

However, Molanthe was sympathetic to the thrust of the question. He told the South African Parliament that NATO tried to create the impression that the rebels were acting on their own. NATO was effectively pulling the strings and this was a matter for the International Criminal Court
"The question is whether the (court) will have the wherewithal to unearth that information and bring those who are responsible to book, including the NATO commanders on the ground."

South Africa maintains its position that Libya needs a unity government that will include elements of the deposed Qaddafi regime. Zuma's predecessor as president,Thabo Mbeki, signed a petition with 140 other prominent Africans condemning NATO policy in Libya and the overthrow of Qaddafi. The letter reaffirmed the right of Libyans to decide their own fate without outside interference, condemned the "marginalization" of the African Union and warned that the entire affair pose the threat of the " re-colonization of Africa, especially its resource rich countries."

Nigeria, that like South Africa, views itself as entitled to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, quickly broke ranks with South Africa and recognized the insurgent regime. The Nigerians do not have fond memories of Qaddafi as the deposed leader attempted to interfere in their politics. Last year Qaddafi proposed breaking up Nigeria to solve the interreligious conflict in Nigeria. In protest, Nigeria withdrew its ambassador from Libya. Nigeria is currently working together with Ethiopia to get the African Union to recognize the insurgent National Transition Council.

The African Union was founded at a summit in Gaddafi's hometown on Sept. 9, 1999. The state-owned Afriqiyah Airways marks that date by painting the motif "9.9.99" on the tail of each of its jets.

But Wiki says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union

The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other official languages) is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002,[8] the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states. The AU's secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


*We have received an official letter from African Union informing us God Bless Africa was a winner in the Africa Union Symbols competition. We also received a cheque for $3,000.00 for the third position. We gathered God Bless Africa was voted the best song by the competition judges and the public(people voted online). African Union had three songs on the table which where automatically pre-chosen without going through the competition. These songs included the original and revised OAU anthem and one made by one of the competition judges. Two of these songs due to political considerations were place above God Bless Africa. God Bless Africa remains the best of the songs based on merit. God Bless Africa remains the unofficial African anthem, and everybody likes it. We have released our God Bless Africa/Rise Up For Africa CD. The CD contains a total of 14 songs, and is available for purchase now. Click to view CD cover photos. CD sells for $14.00/copy, $24.00 for two(postal or shipping cost included). Please use the PayPal link below in making payment. Make sure to include your name, shipping(mailing) address, and phone no.(if any) in your PayPal payment submission. These information can be conveniently entered under 'Note(optional)' field. If you are purchasing through an association or group program, do not forget to indicate the name of your association, organization or group. Please address any question(s) or comments to info@africamasterweb.com  Allow 1 to 2 weeks for delivery. You can reach us by phone at 414-442-5133. God Bless.


http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/147279#.TlpAcl3mmBM

Republican party presidential hopeful Herman Cain, who won a straw vote in Georgia on Saturday, said in Israel on Sunday that dividing Jerusalem “is not even a consideration.” He walked to the site that is designated for the United States embassy in Jerualem, a move he supports but which has been blocked by several presidents, including Barack Obama.
[youtube:125296]
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Cain made it clear that “Israel is more interested in peace than the Palestinians” and it has “given up enough in terms of trying to facilitate peace.”
Cain, a highly successful businessman from Georgia, won his first statewide straw vote Saturday, winning 232 votes more than Congressman Ron Paul, which was a better result than Paul’s supporters expected. Texas Governor Rick Perry came in third place, followed by Congressman Newt Gingrich.
Cain said his non-political background is exactly what American voters want and asserted that mainstream media have tried to brainwash the public that money and a high political position are prerequisites to be president.
“I don’t have a zillion dollars,” Cain said, “and I get spontaneous applause every time I say I have not held a public office. Concerning the entry of Texas Governor Rick Perry in the crowded GOP race for the nomination next year, Cain marked him off “as just one more politician to beat.”
[youtube:125297]
He pointed out that independent Gallup polls have shows his “identity” rating double than what it was eight weeks ago, and his “positivity rating" is higher than that of any other candidate. "People like me," he said.
Concerning Israel, Cain, who is credited with saving Godfather’s Pizza from bankruptcy, said if president, he would review the case of Jonathan Pollard, incarcerated for life for passing on to Israel classified information.
An increasing number of past and present American officials have said that Pollard did not get a fair trial and that his sentence was unjust, considering the offense usually carries 2-4 years in prison.
Cain also noted that the small area of Israel requires it to hold on the Golan Heights, which he saw as strategically important.

Open Letter from the People of Serbia to Boris Tadic
26.08.2011 20:18

We are addressing you deeply moved by the current events in the friendly state of Libya.

As you are aware, the war in Libya started in a rather similar way as the war in Serbia, that is on Kosovo and Metohija, back in 1999. A group of terrorists that was wrongly named «freedom fighters», supported by NATO and the most powerful media machinery, started an invader's war on common people killing and destroying everything that stood in their way.
The Libyan army as the legitimate defense force of a sovereign state that was defending the Libyan people and acting according to the existing laws was unjustly demonized by foreign media and erroneously labeled as regime, aggressor and dictator's army.

These days, we are all the witnesses of the dirtiest and unfortunately superbly designed and organized media campaign against Gaddafi and the Libyan people itself whose majority is supporting him. Muammar al Gaddafi, as you well know yourself, is an old and proved friend of Serbia and the Serbian people. And as such he deserves the support of all of us in these hard moments when the country that he had been building during so many years in order to give a better life not only to the Libyans, but to all the people in Africa, is being bestially and mercilessly destroyed.

We are witnesses as well of an unpermitted and in the international laws unbased process of recognizing of TNC by the same countries that wage the war on Libya in the first place. Unfortunately, we witness as well that small groups of Libyan students studying abroad that support self - proclaimed TNC make the violent entries and even engage in beating the official Libyan representatives and diplomats in the Libyan embassies all over the world.

Given all the events concerning the friendly state of Libya we are appealing to you that you do not interrupt the excellent relationship with Muammar al Gaddafi, built during many years in the past and above all that you do not support the supreme injustice that is being done to Libya and the Libyan people.
We, citizens of Serbia, being ourselves the subject of the same injustice, appeal to you not to recognize Transitional National Council and that you do not interrupt the diplomatic relationship with the present, legally elected representatives of the Socialist Arab Libyan Jamahirya.

The strength of a true leader is reflected in the support of the people he leads.
We do count on you and we believe in you!

Citizens of Serbia
----

Politics and The Soviets’ Tactical Retreat from the Middle East

Sadat himself admitted that the Soviets told Nasser more than once, when he met them in Moscow following the 1967 defeat: “Go and talk to the Americans.” During the four times Sadat went to Moscow as President, the Soviets used to tell him: “Go and open a dialogue and talk to the Americans.” Gromyko also told Ismai’il Fahmi: “The United States own the essential cards in this game. This is a clear fact to all…”

There are sound reasons for believing that Sadat, in this case, is telling the truth. Senior Soviet analysts had been urging Egypt and Syria to adopt a strategy whereby the United States would be induced to do for them what these Arab countries, even with Soviet military assistance, were unable to achieve for themselves on the battlefield. As Ra’anan points out in a geopolitical analysis made just prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1975:

“The Soviet Union, for reasons of its own, was and is very eager to recover lost Arab territories for its Middle Eastern clients since the Israeli presence there is a visible reminder of Moscow’s inability to “deliver.” Needless to say, however, the Russians hope to achieve this aim at no major cost to themselves. What they have is to tell their clients that an open confrontation with the West is not in the cards. Consequently, Moscow has asked its clients for time, promising that it will gradually maneuver the United States into doing the job of handing back the lost territories of Russia’s Middle Eastern allies. How this aim was to be achieved could be learned from a detailed analysis which was printed in the soviet magazine The U.S.A.: Economics,Politics, Ideology. The author, Yevgeny Primakov (years later Prime Minister of Russia) is generally believed to occupy an influential position within the “apparat” concerned with Middle Eastern affairs. Primakov’s major emphasis is on the divisions within the U.S. on Middle East policies…On the one hand, he says, there are the so-called Gulf of Mexico oil interests. They have most of their investment in the Western Hemisphere and feel that there are sufficient oil reserves in that region for the Middle East to remain of secondary importance…However, Primakov says, there is another group, the so-called Atlantic oil interests. This group has strong supporters in the State Department. These circles have huge investments in the Middle East…They keep pushing the White House and the Pentagon to abandon the line of measured deterrence of the Soviet Union in the Middle East, because it also implies containing Russia’s Arab clients who, if they are not oil producers, at least control oil transit lines. Consequently, these Atlantic oil interests demand a policy of appeasement toward the Arab countries. Primakov comments that, to be sure, the final aims of these circles and of Moscow are different; he implies however that their immediate objectives are similar. He infers that the unwritten, short-term alliance between these interests, the U.S. State Department, and the Kremlin will succeed in pressuring the U.S. and, through it, the Israelis to withdraw unilaterally, without the Soviet Union or its allies having to pay any very serious price for this withdrawal. There are reasons for thinking that this analysis is precisely what the Soviet Union has been presenting to its friends in Cairo and Damascus.” (Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Foreign Assistance of the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. P.61-62)

The success of this deception depends largely on the widespread and mistaken belief that Egypt’s acquisition of Western and especially U.S. arms will result in the substitution of American for Russian leverage. The trouble is that Moscow can always outbid Washington. In Ra’anan analysis:

“If Carter offers Sadat half of the Sinai, then Moscow, of course will “remind” Egypt that it should have all of the Sinai. If Carter then somehow obtains all of the Sinai for Sadat, the Kremlin will point out that Egypt, prior to 1967, also held the Gaza Strip and that it would be a betrayal of the Arab cause to neglect the West Bank and the Golan Heights. If Carter subsequently proceeds to pressure Israel into a total rollback to the pre-1967 demarcation lines, the Soviet leadership merely has the point out to Egypt that, as all official Soviet maps have shown consistently, the USSR acknowledges as legitimate only the territorial lines of the abortive 1947 U.N. Partition Plan, which would whittle down Israeli territory way beyond the 1949 Armistice lines. (ib. p. 65)

In fact, Sadat’s confidant, al-Quddis, revealed the scenario for this piecemeal destruction of Israel in Al-Ahram. In an article dated November 14, 1975, he stated: “Israel is experiencing a feeling of waning or ‘withering.’ This withering will not stop even if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders…This waning may make Israel face the Security Council resolution of 1948 which calls for returning the Arab lands to their owners or compensating them…The Arabs, of course, refuse any compensation and insist on recovering the land, that is, they are compelling Israel to return to the Partition Resolution of 1947.” Needless to say, Israel would then cease to exist.

Sadat accomplished what all the oil of Saudi Arabia could not accomplish: the American mass media were now openly pro-Arab and anti-Israel. He also had succeeded in undermining Israel’s “special relationship with the U.S. – what Clausewitz would have called Israel’s “center of gravity.” Well, Sadat did not succeed in undermining Israel’s “special relationship” with God, the same God who millennia ago hardened the hart of Pharaoh so he refused the Hebrew slaves to go. God did that to show his people His Might. And similarly, He hardened the heart of President Sadat…

Atlantic Oil Interests

An extremely informative book has been published recently. The volume is titled Forbidden Truth, and it was written by French authors, Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillome Dasquis, and translated into English. The book discusses United States-Taliban secret oil diplomacy and the failed hunt for Osama bin Laden. Here are just a few quotes from the book:

“The Carlyle Group’s leading investors include many figures from former US President George H.W. Bush’s entourage, as well as that of President George W. Bush. Its board of directors includes important figures from the Bush team: James A. Baker III, former Secretary of State under the first President Bush; Frank C. Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan; Richard G. Darman, former director of the Office of Management and Budget under George H.W. Bush between 1989 and 1993, and John Sununu, former White House Chief of Staff under G. Bush. In addition, Saudi Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal, nephew of King Fahd, own an indeterminate stake in the group. Even President G.W. Bush was a member of the board of directors of one of the Carlyle Group’s subsidiaries, Caterair, between 1990 and 1994.” (p. 132) This quote is from the section entitled “Khalid Bin Mahfouz: The Lucrative Business of Terrorism,” from the chapter titled “The Banker of Terror.”

The book ties together many leading world figures with Arab oil companies, such as Aramco and Standard Oil of New Jersey. If all of these assertions in this book are factual, then the International Oil Business is heavily involved in Islamic terrorism and many world leaders are involved with big oil. Another telling passage appears in the foreword: “What’s more, the president’s close advisors benefited from considerable experience in managing world affairs, also acquired from their contact with Bush Senior and Texas oil companies. First in rank was the placid, enigmatic Condoleezza Rice. Even glossy celebrity magazines are interested in her; listing the same pedigree each time: professor at Stanford, Soviet specialist, and former security counselor (under Bush Senior) in charge of Soviet affairs. Meanwhile, from 1991 to 2000, Rice was a director of the Chevron group – one of the leading oil companies in the world – in which she notably dealt with questions related to the development in Kazakhstan.”

The Historical Logic Behind the Soviet Retreat from the Middle East

In May 1939 came the British White Paper renouncing the Balfour Declaration and the mandate on which British authority rested. The White Paper was prepared by George Antonius’s, The Arab Awakening: The Story of the Arab National Movement (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1939) The British imperialism in the Middle East was justified in such words: “There seems to be no valid reason why Palestine should not be constituted into an independent Arab state in which as many Jews as the country can hold without prejudice to its political and economic freedom would live in peace, security and dignity, and enjoy full rights of citizenship. Such an Arab state would naturally be tied to Great Britain by a freely negotiated treaty, which should contain provisions for the safeguarding of British strategic and economic interest. It would secure Great Britain’s interests on a firm basis of consent. And it would restore Palestine to its proper place, as a symbol of peace in the hearts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.” From that policy flowed the greatest tragedy ever to befall a single people in written history – and perhaps not-unrelated decline of British power.

In 1943 British officials expressed their fears to the State Department that Germany might “change over from a policy of extermination to one of extrusion and aim at embarrassing other countries by flooding them with alien immigrants.” In 1944 both British and American officials worried that “Germans might play the card of offering an unmanageable number of refugees to the UN.” The fate of Jewish people was thus sealed.

According to newly released records of Winston Churchill’s wartime cabinet meetings on July 2, 1943 Churchill said: “I’m committed to creation of a Jewish National Home in Palestine. Let us go on with that; and at the end of war we shall have plenty of force with which to compel the Arabs to acquiesce in our design. Don’t shirk our duties because of difficulties…” (Week in Review, Jan 22, 2006).

The expression “Jewish National Home” is not equivalent to “a Jewish state”. It was taken by Churchill from the Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 in which the relevant passage goes like that: “His Majesty’s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”
Actually, very cynical political goals were hidden behind the Balfour Declaration. Lord Palmerston, the architect of British 19th century policy regretted that Palestine, the very hinge of the new Egyptian Empire, contained no suitable minority, whose protection Britain could undertake as a pretext for evicting the Egyptians. Since there was no protectable minority in Palestine, Palmerston wondered if it might not be possible to inject one. Could Jewish nostalgia for the Holy Land, perhaps, be used in Britain’s interest? Having ascertained from the British vice-consul that there were already ten thousand Jews living in Palestine, Palmerston next wrote to the British ambassador in Constantinople: “It would be of manifest importance for the Sultan to encourage the Jews to return to, and settle in Palestine; because the wealth which they would bring with them would increase the resources of the Sultan’s dominions; and the Jewish people, if returning under the sanction and protection and at the invitation of the Sultan, would be a check upon any future evil designs of Muhammad Ali or his successors.”

Palestine guaranteed the eastern approaches to the Suez Canal. A Jewish Palestine dependent on Britain would be a counterweight to the ambitions of France and Russia, who both had clients in the eastern Mediterranean: the Russians patronized the Orthodox while since the days of Louis XIV the French had taken an interest in the Maronites of Mount Lebanon. Britain lacked a client minority, though it had, in Egypt, a client dynasty. Germany’s successful intrusion into the Middle East could prompt Great Britain to a counterthrust. If German influence dominated Constantinople, Britain would have a clear interest in killing off the empire she had long kept alive; this was the occasion under which the Zionists might get Palestine for nothing. By offering the Zionists something of what they wanted, Britain might get hold of Palestine. A Palestine under British control would safeguard the approaches to the Suez Canal and give access to that new target of the imperialists, Iraq.

Chaim Weizmann was well aware of that when in 1919 he stated: “I trust to God that a Jewish state will come about; but it will come about not through political declarations, but by the sweat and blood of the Jewish people. That is the only way of building up a state. No other way is known to me in all the history of the world.”

The present promotion of Nazi ideology in Great Britain by the upper classes is as relentless as it was in the 1930s when Hitler and his thugs received millions for their anti-Semitic, genocidal propaganda. The British sympathy for the Nazis also determined their policy in the post-war Palestine. The intelligence documents cited in A Memorandum Submitted to the Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nation in April 1948 by The Nation Associates show that before the 15 May 1948 invasion, British intelligence knew that the Arabs terrorizing the future Israel were being led in part by Nazi advisers. These included Bosnian Muslims from the infamous Handzar Division of the Waffen SS. According to a French intelligence document published by The Nation seven month later, the British sent thousands of Nazi prisoners of war, including top war criminals, to assist the Arab attack. This was after the Arab invasion.
Consistent with British tolerance for and apparent employment of Nazi war criminals against new-born Israel, The Nation memorandum shows that the British adopted a propaganda line reminiscent of the Nazis’ “Jewish-Bolshevist plot” which five years later was embraced by the ill-famous Senator McCarthy. The British accused Jewish Holocaust survivors trying to get to Palestine of being Soviet Communist infiltrators.

The Nation Associates presented the facts in their memorandum as essential to a wise and just decision. An examination of these facts show that the post-war violence in Palestine resulted from:
1) British sabotage of Partition – This British sabotage was deliberately undertaken in order to insure British base rights in Palestine in perpetuity, as well as to safeguard British oil and trade and military interests in the Middle East
2) British Alliance with Arab League – Within a month after the November 29th resolution, the Arabs were encouraged to believe partition would be substituted by a Federal State, and arms shipments continued to the Arab States despite their known use for Palestine warfare. On April 28, 1948 Foreign Minister Bevin was still refusing to halt them.

The British have also allowed 10,000 foreign invaders to enter Palestine, offering the feeble excuse that the British armed forces, consisting, at the outset, of over 80,000 men, could not adequately protect the border. Through their action they have admitted into Palestine Arabs of known Nazi allegiance in command of the invading forces, and have even admitted escaped Nazi prisoners of war, now to be found in command of Arab detachments.
Their prejudice against the Jews has been clearly indicated in their refusal to allow the Jews to arm for defense against Arab attack, and their blowing up of Jewish defense posts; in their turning over to the Arabs - and to certain death - members of the Haganah; in their confiscation of Haganah arms; in their treatment of Jewish defense personnel as criminals. The British have connived at the starving of the Jewish population of Jerusalem by their failure to keep the highways open.  They have refused armed escorts to the Jews.
By arrangement with the Arab League, if partition is shelved through any of several schemes to assure Arab dominance in Palestine, the British are to receive base rights in Haifa, the Negev and Galilee. But the British are not depending on Arab promises alone. They have already taken the necessary steps to assure the permanent rights in Palestine to air bases and land and sea communications.  To be able to carry out this program, the Mandatory has required a free hand.  That is why it has kept the United Nations Commission out of Palestine and refused it cooperation.
So intent were the British upon destroying partition that they have shown themselves oblivious to the facts that with it they may destroy the authority of the United Nations, and even the peace of the world.

The Nuremberg Trial Indictment prepared by the four powers (Cf. the so-called Quartet) had been sharply attacked in July of the same year by the Polish, governmental organ Rzeczpospolita which blamed the US, the UK, the Soviet Union and France for trivialization of the crime of genocide committed on the Jewish people. The wartime policy of the United Nations is still reflected in the Encyclopedia Americana; the entry Nuremberg War Crimes Trials does not simply mention the Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide; it universalizes the Jewish Holocaust as “crimes against humanity.” And yet the Wannsee Conference was not about humanity, but about Jews!

August 28, 2011

Laura Booth, sister-in-law of Quartet envoy Tony Blair, has called on “Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt liberate Al-Quds [Jerusalem].”

The former British prime minister’s family member has previously sailed illegally to Gaza on a flotilla boat. She joined an anti-Israel rally in London Trafalgar’s Square, where another protest today (Sunday) may be the last as the mayor London vows to crack down on the incitement as the date for the next Olympics approaches.
"The Mayor believes that intolerance of our fellow citizens and hate crimes against specific communities are totally unacceptable, particularly in a city like London and especially in 2012 when the eyes of the world will be on the capital,” said a spokesman for Mayor Boris Johnson, the London Jewish Chronicle reported.
The spokesman added, “The Greater London Authority will not be authorizing political rallies in Trafalgar Square during the Olympic and Paraolympic Games."  
The Trafalgar Square rallies against Israel have featured Hizbullah flags.
During last week’s demonstration, Booth went on another rant against Israel. “We say here today to you, Israel, we see your crimes and we loathe your crimes. And to us your nation does not exist, because it is a criminal injustice against humanity. We want to see Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt go to the borders and stop this now. Liberate Al Quds! March to Al Quds!”
Another speaker claimed, somewhat myopically as far as historical accuracy goes, that “the only time that land has seen peace between Muslim, Christian and Jew living side by side was when sincere Islamic rulers ruled with justice.”
During Ottoman Islamic rule, Jews were second-class citizens, called "Dhimmis". The myth of their "peaceful lives" has been debunked by historians, although they were not subject to pogroms as frequently as European Jews..
In fact, Jordan, during its occupation of the Old City and other parts of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria between 1949 and 1967, denied Christians and Jews all access to holy sites except for visiting dignitaries.
Israel opened up the sites to all religions after it restored the areas under its sovereignty in the Six-Day War in 1967.

Why Doesn't Judaism Accept the Christian Messiah

 by Tovia Singer /

Why Doesn't Judaism Accept the Christian Messiah?by Tovia Singer
Publisher: RNBN Publishers
Pages: 472
Format: Hardcover
Price: $36
Available At: Amazon
This eye-opening volume was written in direct response to the growing effort of numerous fundamentalist Christian organizations which aggressively target Jews for conversion. This book delves into the fundamental reasons why Judaism does not accept the Christian messiah. It meticulously illustrates that the core teachings and doctrines of the Church are incompatible with the cornerstone principles declared by the Prophets of Israel, and are opposed by the most cherished tenets contained in the Jewish Scriptures.

Moreover, this book illustrates how, over the course of many centuries, the Church systematically altered the Jewish Scriptures in its authorized translations of the Bible in order to persuade its adherents that Jesus is the promised Jewish messiah. To accomplish this task, Christian translators manipulated, misquoted, and mistranslated verses in the Hebrew Scriptures so that these texts appear to be speakingabout Jesus.

Over the past two millennia, Christians have been unaware of this systematic Bible-tampering because few parishioners can read the Hebrew Bible in its original language. Since time immemorial, earnest churchgoers utterly depended upon manmade Christian translations of the "Old Testament" in order to understand the "Word of God." As a result, Christians have wondered aloud why Jewish people, who are reared since childhood in the Holy Tongue, and are the bearers and protectors of the sacred Oracles of G-d, do not accept Jesus as their messiah. The central goal of this volume is to thoroughly answer this perplexing, age-old question.


One of the most common questions we receive at Aish.com is: "Why don't Jews believe in Jesus?" Let's understand why ― not in order to to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position.
Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:

1) Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.

2) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.

3) Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslations.

4) Jewish belief is based on national revelation.
But first, some background: What exactly is the Messiah?
The word "Messiah" is an English rendering of the Hebrew word "Mashiach", which means "Anointed." It usually refers to a person initiated into God's service by being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, I Kings 1:39, II Kings 9:3)
Since every King and High Priest was anointed with oil, each may be referred to as "an anointed one" (a Mashiach or a Messiah). For example: "God forbid that I [David] should stretch out my hand against the Lord's Messiah [Saul]..." (I Samuel 26:11. Cf. II Samuel 23:1, Isaiah 45:1, Psalms 20:6)
Where does the Jewish concept of Messiah come from? One of the central themes of Biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Isaiah 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)
Many of these prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)
Since every King is a Messiah, by convention, we refer to this future anointed king as The Messiah. The above is the only description in the Bible of a Davidic descendant who is to come in the future. We will recognize the Messiah by seeing who the King of Israel is at the time of complete universal perfection.
1. Jesus Did Not Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies
What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:
A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).

C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world ― on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).
If an individual fails to fulfill even one of these conditions, then he cannot be "The Messiah."
Because no one has ever fulfilled the Bible's description of this future King, Jews still await the coming of the Messiah. All past Messianic claimants, including Jesus of Nazareth, Bar Cochba and Shabbtai Tzvi have been rejected.
Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright; in the Bible no concept of a second coming exists.
____________________
2) Jesus Did Not Embody the Personal Qualifications of Messiah
A. Messiah as Prophet
The Messiah will become the greatest prophet in history, second only to Moses. (Targum - Isaiah 11:2; Maimonides - Yad Teshuva 9:2)
Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry, a situation which has not existed since 300 BCE. During the time of Ezra, when the majority of Jews refused to move from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets ― Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
Jesus was not a prophet; he appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended.
B. Descendent of David
According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, (1) nor will he possess supernatural qualities.
The Messiah must be descended on his father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father ― and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father's side from King David. (2)
C. Torah Observance
The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14 records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!"
____________________
3) Mistranslated Verses "Referring" to Jesus
Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text ― which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.
A. Virgin Birth
The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an "alma" as giving birth. The word "alma" has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as "virgin." This accords Jesus' birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.
B. Suffering Servant
Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the "suffering servant."
In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews ("Israel") are regarded as one unit. Throughout Jewish scripture, Israel is repeatedly called, in the singular, the "Servant of God" (see Isaiah 43:8). In fact, Isaiah states no less than 11 times in the chapters prior to 53 that the Servant of God is Israel. When read correctly, Isaiah 53 clearly [and ironically] refers to the Jewish people being "bruised, crushed and as sheep brought to slaughter" at the hands of the nations of the world. These descriptions are used throughout Jewish scripture to graphically describe the suffering of the Jewish people (see Psalm 44). Isaiah 53 concludes that when the Jewish people are redeemed, the nations will recognize and accept responsibility for the inordinate suffering and death of the Jews.
______________________
4) Jewish Belief is Based Solely on National Revelation
Throughout history, thousands of religions have been started by individuals, attempting to convince people that he or she is God's true prophet. But personal revelation is an extremely weak basis for a religion because one can never know if it is indeed true. Since others did not hear God speak to this person, they have to take his word for it. Even if the individual claiming personal revelation performs miracles, there is still no verification that he is a genuine prophet. Miracles do not prove anything. All they show ― assuming they are genuine ― is that he has certain powers. It has nothing to do with his claim of prophecy.
Judaism, unique among all of the world's major religions, does not rely on "claims of miracles" as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of "miracles" to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).
Of the thousands of religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation ― i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He'll tell everyone, not just one person.
Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8):
The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone's belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.
What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others... as it says, "Face to face, God spoke with you..." The Torah also states: "God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us ― who are all here alive today." (Deut. 5:3)
Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.
For further reading: "Did God Speak at Mount Sinai?"
Waiting for the Messiah
The world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. And to the extent we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions asked of a Jew on Judgment Day is: "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?"
How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.
Despite the gloom, the world does seem headed toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom again. Additionally, a major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.
The Messiah can come any day, and it all depends on our actions. God is ready when we are. For as King David says: "Redemption will come today ― if you hearken to His voice."
For further study: • Jews for Judaism
• "The Real Messiah," by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
• "Let's Get Biblical! Why Doesn't Judaism Accept the Christian Messiah?," by Rabbi Tovia Singer
• "The Path of the Righteous Gentile," by Chaim Clorfene and Yakov Rogalsky
FOOTNOTES
1. Maimonides devotes much of the "Guide for the Perplexed" to the fundamental idea that God is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that God assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: "God is not a mortal" (Numbers 23:19).
2. In response, it is claimed that Joseph adopted Jesus, and passed on his genealogy via adoption. There are two problems with this claim:
a) There is no Biblical basis for the idea of a father passing on his tribal line by adoption. A priest who adopts a son from another tribe cannot make him a priest by adoption;

b) Joseph could never pass on by adoption that which he doesn't have. Because Joseph descended from Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11) he fell under the curse of that king that none of his descendants could ever sit as king upon the throne of David. (Jeremiah 22:30; 36:30)
To answer this difficult problem, apologists claim that Jesus traces himself back to King David through his mother Mary, who allegedly descends from David, as shown in the third chapter of Luke. There are four basic problems with this claim:
a) There is no evidence that Mary descends from David. The third chapter of Luke traces Joseph's genealogy, not Mary's.

b) Even if Mary can trace herself back to David, that doesn't help Jesus, since tribal affiliation goes only through the father, not mother. Cf. Numbers 1:18; Ezra 2:59.

c) Even if family line could go through the mother, Mary was not from a legitimate Messianic family. According to the Bible, the Messiah must be a descendent of David through his son Solomon (II Samuel 7:14; I Chronicles 17:11-14, 22:9-10, 28:4-6). The third chapter of Luke is irrelevant to this discussion because it describes lineage of David's son Nathan, not Solomon. (Luke 3:31)

d) Luke 3:27 lists Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in his genealogy. These two also appear in Matthew 1:12 as descendants of the cursed Jeconiah. If Mary descends from them, it would also disqualify her from being a Messianic progenitor.
Comments


(126) Anonymous, February 13, 2010
Great article, Rabbi Simmons. For any who would like to read further on this, there is a wonderful book by Asher Norman, an escapee from the missionary exploits of the "Messianic Jewish" movement. His book is entitled "26 Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus." What impressed me the most about this book and has truly provided a day of reckoning for my former Christian faith is how the transmission of the Torah has been so well-guarded down through the ages. Not one letter has been changed in any Torah, save a couple of scrolls found in Yemen; even these were corrected. This is a true testimony, to me, of the sacredness with which the Jews have held their scriptures. - the credibility of the Torah is unimpeachable. The Christian bible, on the other hand, has been continually altered and "corrected" with what the author calls 'perverse audacity'. I know in my house alone I found at least 4 of the total eleven English versions of the Christian bible. What madness! Shalom!
(125) Anonymous, February 13, 2010
I grew up believing Jesus was both G-d and Messiah. But as I really studied both the Old testament and the New testament i came to the realization that he is not G-d or his equal as taught in christianity. As I studied more I found he isn't the promised messiah either. The very first chapter of the new testament shows error. If you read Matthew 1:22-24 Jesus was never named Immanuel as these verses say was fulfilled prophecy. No one ever even called him that any where in the new testament and the meaning of jesus is completely different from the meaning of Immanuel. "Immanuel" means "With us is G-d" where Jesus Christ means "savior annointed". This is just one thing of many that doesn't match up. Also if you look up "Council of Nicaea" you will find that the New Testament was put together by them out of a variation of many different books thought to written by prophets and they chose the ones that best expressed their views of what christianity should be. The rest were thrown out. Also that was when it was decided to make Jesus a deity where they later added in the holy spirit as a deity and came up with the trinity.
(124) Anonymous, February 11, 2010
The second coming a Jewish perspective
A second coming is not mention in the tanakh. The second coming is only in Christian theology. The liturgical calender teaches from Advent, the anticipation of the birth of Jesus, and then right after that you go into the anticipation of the second coming. You pass through the lenten season, to prepare you for the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then divine mercy, still anticipation of the second coming, till pentecost, when finally the second appearing comes, the holy spirit(Jesus) returns, and comes upon the disciples, which is called the birth of the church. Just like Jesus has already been born, you still go through the waiting like he hasn't,for the advent season, and the second coming was on the day of pentecost, yet each year as a teaching tool, you relive that anticipation, even though it happened on the day of pentecost. This is christian theology. Which means the second coming has already taken place. Which means that Jesus has had 2000 years to fulfill these prophesies, that he has not, and what Christian theology says he will do in the second coming which has already happen, as the church teaches. I am not saying this to hurt anyones faith, or their church teaching. However, I will remind you that you are on a Jewish website, and the title of this article is "why Jews do not believe in Jesus."
(123) Anonymous, February 11, 2010
Amazed by Christian readers
I am just amazed by how many christians have read this article. How many of the christians in churches, could of had Jewish ancestry, and do not know it. From the Jews that fled to the caucasian mountains after the temple was destroyed, to the spanish inquisition, and all the times inbetween when the Jews had to join the church to stay alive. When being a Jew you kept it a secret, and you didn't tell your children. And now several generations later, christians in churches are seeking their ancestery's religious roots. Thanks to your article Rabbi, they can have some understanding.
(122) HAROLD, January 21, 2010
Isaiah was misquoted
Isaiah lived 600 years before Je$u$.It concerned a Jewish King Ahaz(you would know that if you read all of Isaiah 7)and his worries of recapturing Israel Israel was split apart after King Solomon into 2 Kingdoms.King Ahaz , King of the northern Kingdom wanted to reunite both kingdoms and was getting ready for his battles and went to the Prophet Isaiah.. You can read the Prophet saying a son will be born to a young lady..The son was Emmanuel and his father born of King David was King Ahaz. the prophesy was complete. Emmanuel was not Jesus and Jesus was not related to King David. Mary was Joseph's 2nd wife The Old Testament is not Kosher. The Jewish Bible is Kosher and is called Tanakh
(121) Bobby 5000, January 18, 2010
Intellect and analysis not blind belief
I read the new testament and Jesus says a lot of nice things. My problem comes when he says you have to believe such and such. Later Paul at the Nicean conference says these are the particular idems that good Christians must believe. My Judaism is analytical and intellectual, scholars writing the Talmud and responsa poured over tough issues, sometimes reaching conclusions sometimes not. I can disagree and use my mental facilities to the ability given to me. My biblical heros periodically make mistakes though Jesus in Christianity and Mohammen are supposedly infallible. In short, my judaiism allows me to use my mind as I believe G-d intended.
(120) Jane, December 26, 2009
Yes!! Now I can explain to my family!
Thank you rabbi :) I am a convert and have struggled explaining to family why we dont believe in jesus. They have questioned me at length asking if what I say is only my believe or not. Now I can send them all this article explaining much better than I have been able to
(119) Anonymous, December 21, 2009
to jose m feliciano:
If you feel so strongly about judaism, you can contact a rabbi about converting. There are many rabbis that can help you with that, but only if you are serious about your commitment.
(118) Anonymous, December 20, 2009
This article is great on understanding the difference between the Jewish and Christian Messiah. Unfortunatly, it's not going to cut it when dealing with fanatic/ evangelical Christians. When I was a teen. I went to these types of churches. They believe Jesus is the only way to heaven and anyone who doesn't believe goes to hell. The Christians that don't like Jews defend themselves by saying that Jews belie they're the only ones going to heaven and no one else is. Once I tell them about the 7 Noahide Laws. I explain that they are attributes that allows anyone anywhere in the world, with or without religious training can go to heaven. Jews are "chosen" to uphold the law and nonjews can go to heaven without converting. Then they change their attitudes.
(117) LR, November 28, 2009
More info on mistranslations
Excellent for those of us Jews who were raised mostly among Christians. I have been on the receiving end of proselytizers for exactly 41 years now (since 1st grade) and often wondered why there weren't more articles like this written. The section on mistranslation of much of the bible is very very important yet was given the least amount of detail in your article. Please write more fully on this topic. Thanks.
(116) yaron, November 27, 2009
where does it say that in order for there to be a prophet, the majority of jews must be in israel
could someone please email me the source for the statement about majority of jews living in israel?
(115) Patrick, November 23, 2009
Jesus and Judaism
“As a former Christian Pastor who converted to Judaism...this I say: The Historic Jesus did not exist. It was all a lie. There is no real evidence for the man Jesus. There is no contemporary evidence by any scholar of his time to his exsistence. The one reference by Josephus was a latter addition and NOT written by Josephus. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE OF JESUS OR CHRISTIANITY PRIOR TO THE late 1st Century C.E. Most real Christian scholars know this but won't publicly admit it. Christianity and Jesus Christ was a myth created by Saul/Paul. “
Their reasoning led them to believe that the Sun was the product of the Sky god; the Heavenly Father. This "offspring of the Sky-god" was none other than "the Son of the Sky", or that the Sun was the "Son of the Heavenly Father", and that the immaculate virgin, the Earth (sometimes it was the dawn or the night), was the Mother of the Sun. Hence we have the Virgin, or Virgo, as one of the signs of the Zodiac. The zodiacal sign of Aires was anciently known as the Lamb; consequently, when the Sun made the transit of the equinox under this sign, the Sun was called the "Lamb of God." Later when the Sun was personified as "the Son" then the "Son was the Lamb of God."
(114) Debra, October 7, 2009
It was fine to post this comment but it was not fine to post my comment yesterday! For about 2000 years, millions of Jewish men, women and children have been murdered in the name of Jesus by his followers. That fact should be clearly pointed out time and time again.
(113) Marty, October 6, 2009
Can find “You Are My Witness: The Traditional Jewish Response to Christian Missionaries”
Trying to download this article from, http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/worddocs/LA2.pdf “You Are My Witness: The Traditional Jewish Response to Christian Missionaries” (free pdf file by Yisroel C. Blumenthal) -------------------- 404 - Component not found You may not be able to visit this page because of: 1. an out-of-date bookmark/favourite 2. a search engine that has an out-of-date listing for this site 3. a mistyped address 4. you have no access to this page 5. The requested resource was not found. 6. An error has occurred while processing your request. Please try one of the following pages: * Home Page If difficulties persist, please contact the System Administrator of this site. Component not found --------------------
(112) Reuben Arana, September 13, 2009
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Thank you for your super interesting teachings. Thank you again. Shalom. Reuben Arana
(111) Kal, September 7, 2009
Good Summary
Very much liked this. My only comment is you should write more about the absence of a second coming in the Hebrew Text. Conveniently christians believe in it, yet it was never mentioned in prophecy. This would be valuable. Thanks
(110) Stan Corbett, September 6, 2009
Millions Died in the name of Jesus
For about 2000 years, millions of Jewish men, women and children have been murdered in the name of Jesus by his followers. That fact should be clearly pointed out time and time again.
(109) Anonymous, September 6, 2009
Short video of Ramban's debate on this subject
Here is a short video highlighting Ramban's position on this subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiawe2Pyzws
(108) Matityahu, September 6, 2009
Bringing Jews home from enslavement to Christianity
I have been writing a book (currently 950 pages) wherein I address all alleged "prophesies" of the Christian savior in defense of Judaism. In the book I also address the changes of Hebrew texts as well as the changes of Greek texts of the NT which have been done by the Church. I offer the information free to any Jew who is involved in Christianity that sincerely seeks Emet. Sorry, but I don't work with gentiles. They are welcomed to find an Orthodox rabbi to help them find thier place in this world and the World to Come. Jews are welcomed to contact me at mattityahu at yahoo dot com. I will be happy to visit with you as I am a ger tzaddick formally trapped in the field of the Christian evangelism.
(107) Richard Maisel, September 3, 2009
Thankyou - this is a wonderful adjunct to 'The Year Of The Seed' article
Some of the comments regarding my college experience- infiltrating the messianic Jewish community ask for exactly what you have provided here! I advise those interested - read your clear and consise explanations. Thanks again and Kol Ha Kavod - Richard Maisel ACSW
(106) Sarah, September 1, 2009
More please
I'm so pleased to see information like this becoming more and more public. It's precisely what is needed especially because it's based on our scriptures and not just dogma. I'm ba'alat teshuva and from a very assimilated family and it's purely by Hashem's hand I find myself drawn to Judaism and getting more frum by the day. In becoming so I've been very conflicted by all I've been exposed to, and information like this is a huge help. Next stop, get Gerarld Schroeder or a Rabbi to write about science (evolution, the big bang) and also aetheism. These are the relatively new challenges that assault us daily. I don't think most people who claim to be Christian are actually 100% Christian. I think they absorb aetheism into their creed. How about some tackle Islam too, in a matter of fact way. It need not be offensive of insulting.
(105) Anonymous, August 31, 2009
Thanks a lot
I was a christian but after seeing the discrepancies in the Christian scriptures I started to question a lot of things. I then recognized that there is one G-d not three etc. Thanks a lot for this article. It just confirms a lot of what I have learnt just by reading the "Old" Testament from the Jewish Scriptures
(104) Dvirah, August 30, 2009
Yet Another Reason
Another reason why Jews cannot believe in even the concept of the Christian "Christ" is that Judaism rejects the notion of putting anything or anyone between oneself and one's Creator. The relationship should be direct and personal.
(103) Nicole, July 19, 2009
Why Jews don't believe in Jesus
Your article is very well written - congratulations. However, I feel it focuses only on that man's messianic claims, missing the greater issue: his alleged deity. Jews don't believe in Jesus because the Jewish G-d has no need to become a man - consequently no man can be G-d. The Jewish G-d is eternal and incoporeal, he cannot "die" - his existence holds the universe and if he did so would all of us! Scripture itself tells us that G-d is not a man that he should lie! And even to his claim of messiahship - the messiah will bring people to G-d, not BE G-d! Apologies for writing so strongly, but many people focus on that man's messianic claims and fall victim to the arguments of missionaries of what particular verses mean, whilst mainly G-d does not give his glory to another - and that is what Christians do!!! Cul tov
(102) Mandy (Orli), March 16, 2009
Thank you so much for this wonderful explanation. I am from a minute and relatively isolated Jewish community in a very Christian country and I am not as observant as I should be and all I have is an innate belief, a knowing, if this makes sense. This will help me articulate answers to questions from Christian zealots when they call at my door and try to convert me. It will be of great value for me if I am fortunate to have grandchildren someday and they are bombarded with Christian preaching and culture all around them as I and my children were when we were at school.
(101) Anonymous, January 21, 2009
Jesus
I don`t believe in Jesus mainly because millions of antisemites believe.It`s impossible for a Jew to divide christianity and antisemitism-corner-stone of it
(100) Anne, November 26, 2007
Thank you for your explanation
Thank you for this nice and clear explanation of why the Jews do not believe in Jesus Christ, at least I have a better understanding now. I myself am from a non strict christian family who never forced any beliefs on me at all. If any body here is unsure about their faith and what path to follow, may I suggest to you to simply go into a state of prayer direct to GOD himself, on a regular basis and ask him for his guidience, maybe a bit of fasting to show him you mean business.
The enemy of the human race is a very clever satan, and not each other.
(99) roger, April 21, 2007
Hello! I´m really impressed by your article
(98) Nelson D'Silva, January 13, 2007
Excellent explanation
I was born a Christian but from a very young age I always doubted whether Jesus was the Messiah. The so called New Testament seemed to have been written by a group of conniving and manipulative Romans and Greeks to give pagan Europe a religion equal in status to Judaism. When discussing with Catholic priests and Protestant pastors I have always asked them a very simple question. If Jesus was God, what restricted him from convincingly redeeming the world from its woes? What purpose did it fulfil if Jesus the so called messiah's first coming left the world in greater chaos and strife. They claim that Jesus had to die as a sacrificial lamb to establish a new covenant. To that I always retort as to why would God want to sacrifice his son (to think that God needed a son is in itself paganistic ideology); is God atonning for His sins that He has to make a blood sacrifice or is it man, the sinner, that has to make the blood sacrifice! They don't have a logical answer and indulge in further absurdities. It simply perplexes me to see how mankind has been taken for a ride by a few scheming people.
(97) Rod Ken, May 27, 2006
great
great article
(96) Peter Hirsch, May 17, 2006
An entirely reasonable approach from a startpoint of prejudice.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind: and love your neighbour as yourself."

My personal problem is at present that I find I do not know the in whom I believe; and unless one knows that, it is very difficult to love. It is as if I am outside in the chill darkness of a moonless night, in a fog; and a mist has hidden the stars. I saw them once: I remember glimpses, even of the sun; but I do not quite believe what I remember.

I hope the fog will clear, that a chill dry breeze will blow it away. Then I will get direction from the stars: but then how I would fear the dawn, the aweful uprising of the glorious sun!

In the meantime, I stumble on and blunder into obstacles and ditches, trying to work out a route from first principles and my every step is pain and fear.

The more I learn of this wonderful universe, so the more I wonder at the process and interlocking complexity of creation. Eternity and infinity are beyond imagination. These are the attributes of God. If we talk about these concepts, we talk about ideas beyond our capacity to understand and our talk is largely nonsense and all speculation.

I wonder too, about the constant consistency of ideas in ancient texts. Abraham, whose concept of one almighty God is inherited by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, was not the first to have that idea. It is also the concept of Brahman (while Atman mirrors the idea God in us) in Hinduism, probably the oldest extant religion. God has been trying to tell us his truth from the beginning of mankind and still is trying. All religions are revelations, some more successful than others. If these are the stars in the night sky, then none are wrong but some give more light than others. All give light and each of us, no matter which star we follow, should not be blind to the light of any other, for we need the light of all of them, as we struggle to find our way through the darkness and none of them will matter much when the dawn breaks.

But before it breaks, we who believe in one God would do best to concentrate on what we agree on and serve him together rather than endlessly waste the energy whe should expend on his work on arguing with each other - or worse.

God be with us all - and may we all be the people of God.
(95) Vera Hambley, April 12, 2006
interesting reading
thank you interesting indeed.
(94) Felix Aliaga, February 12, 2006
Highly illustrating explanation
For decades I've been curious about a Jewish response to Christian theology, and now I've read it. Thank you.
(93) Anonymous, February 7, 2006
To Catholic Female From London
This is a very basic explanation: Regarding the verse referred to in the article (Isaiah 7:14), it has nothing to do with Jesus. If you read it in the Tanakh, you'll see that it has to do with King Ahaz of Judah, who was concerned about two opposing forces (King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel), who wanted to attack Jerusalem. Isaiah told Ahaz that there was a young woman in the House of David who was pregnant and close to giving birth (to a son), and that 'before the lad knows how to reject the bad and choose the good, the ground whose two kings you dread will be abandoned' (Isaiah 7:16). Keep in mind that Ahaz needed a sign that was going to occur during his lifetime - not several hundred (about 700) years in the future.
If you read it out of the Tanakh, you'll see the entire, detailed context.
(92) Catholic female, London, 16, January 30, 2006
Contradiction
Might I add that you contradict yourself. You say that the messiah has to be of the line of David, right? Therefore, Jesus cannot be the messiah because he was born of a virgin, and the messiah has to be in the line of david on his fathers side. Fair enough, but later on you say that Jesus wasn't born of a virgin. The word is alma, and was mistranslated from young woman, to virgin. Therefore, you are saying Jesus WASN'T born of a virgin, but of a young woman, however, you just said that Jesus couldn't be the messiah because he WAS born of a virgin. Which is it? Sorry if this sounds aggressive, just curious (I'm a Catholic btw)
(91) Etaoin Shrdlu, December 25, 2005
Other differences with Christianity
Thanks for the excellent discussion of why Jesus is not the messiah. But what about the other differences between the faiths? For all the rhetoric about the so-called "judeo-christian tradition" it would really be more accurate to speak of a Judeo-Christian Division!

The plain fact is that many of the fundamental concepts of Christianity are a blasphemy to Judaism: Original Sin, Vicarious atonement by the crucifixion, Salvation through Grace, all are contrary to the essential Jewish concept of G-d as a god of Justice. We are answerable only for the sins we commit, not for those a remote ancestor. Furthermore, we must obtain forgiveness from those we have wronged, and receive it by our own efforts, not through the vicarious act of another. Finally, deeds, not faith, are the key to "salvation". The righteous of the earth all have a share in "the life to come", regardless of their beliefs. While, of course, it would be preferrable that the world recognize the G-d of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the obligation to do so only falls on those who wish to accept the covenant with Israel.
(90) cappy anderson, December 24, 2005
Makes sense to me a Christian
I have to say-your article makes more sense to me as a putative only Christian. I grew up in a quasi anti semitic household but the bible stuff they tried to feed me did not digest well.
Bottom line-the spiritual PRINCIPLES of the major religions and one's attempt to live up to them are what count as far as I'm concerned
(89) John Wilson, December 23, 2005
Thank you for "Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus". It is very useful in both format and content. I have printed out a copy for ease of reference in the future.

It is appallingly common to hear Christians(and not just fundamentalists)claim: "If Jews would only believe their own prophecies, they would acknowlege Jesus as Lord." Most Christians have never been exposed to the Jewish interpretation and understanding of Jewish Scripture. It is common for Christians to feel a love for the "Old Testament" and when confronted skillfully with jewish scholarship there is an emotional response, a kind of inner knowing, that for the first time one is finally hearing the truth about something with which one has lived yet not known at all.

Once again, let me express my appreciation for "Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus".
(88) wayne stevens, August 9, 2005
your beliefs in the messiah
i dont know how many idiots it takes to know GODS word NEVER CHANGES. He is ALPHA AND OMEGA. hOW HARD IT TO UNDERSTAND?IF IT IS IN THE INTERPAITON OF HEBREWW EXPLAIN???
(87) Anna Dickan, August 7, 2005
As a practicing Catholic and religious studies educator, I appreciate your informative article, even though I feel the Catholic view has been misprepresented in some of the readers' comments.I respect your informative comments
I am a practicing Catholic who has been teaching Catholic Christian religious studies on the high school level for nineteen years. I have also been chairperson of the religious studies department of an Archdiocesan Cahtolic high school for the past five years. First, I would like to express my appreciation for the informative article on the Jewish view of Jesus. The points are clearly articulated and supported. The Catholic Christian Faith which I embrace, however, is one which emphasizes its roots in Judaism. Please know that a great deal of reverence is attributed to the Jewish Faith and people in the religious studies curriculum of Catholic high schools. The Jesus we teach of does not contradict the Torah; rather, he expands the message of the Torah, emphasizing the "Spirit" of the Law, rather than the "letter" (the reason why he seemingly contradicted the Torah by curing people on the Sabbath). Catholics believe that the "perfect kingdom" our Messiah (Jesus) brings about was begun by him in this world, is to be continued by us in acts of charity, understanding, justice, etc. during our lives, and will be brought to perfection in the next world. In this way, the Catholic belief is that each one of us takes part in building the Kingdom of God on earth. Also, the Catholic belief is that Jesus did indeed fulfill Messianic prophecies, such as his birth in Bethlehem (foretold by Isaiah), and in the words of Psalm 22, fulfilled at his death. Please know that Catholic educators today consider Jewish history and teachings with profound respect.
(86) jose m feliciano, August 6, 2005
Being Jewish
I was cristian for more than 20 years and a year visit to Israel showed me the way to G-d, and I feel in my heart that I am Jew. Although I can't trace any hebrew lineage on my family; can I still become Jew? I'm circumcized and I read the Torah everyday. I follow the laws (deut) and I'm awaiting the Messiah. Is it posible?

Shalom: Brujim Havaim
(85) majezan, August 3, 2005
Concept of God that raise confusion
I am 46,raised in a moderate Muslim socio-culture.I think the problem with us is regarding the concept of God.It is due to the learned men of all religion to adhere to their own interpretation and exploitation of God's meaning of Himself that confuse the mass.As normal human being,we do not have enough time to explore all religious books to have a good grasp of what is being told or written,worst if the written scriptures was altered and coloured by individual interest passing history.I would like to suggest all our friends to read the Holy books unaided by mentor and we can explore them and will definitely understand the meaning of God,so we can save the world and live in harmony.
(84) Victoria, July 17, 2005
this is not anti-christian! it's straightforward explanation of the jewish position
How the visitor Randolph Smith came to view ideas like the following as slander is beyond me: "How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well."
Clearly, he couldn't read the very words you wrote!
(83) JEHIEL CHALEFF, July 14, 2005
VIRGIN BIRTH
TO BE VALID UNDER HEBREW LAW A MARRIAGE NEED HAVE BEEN CONSUMMATED. IF MARY & JOSEPH WERE INDEED MARRIED AT THE TIME OF JESUS' BIRTH THEN SHE COULD NOT FAVE BEEN A VIRGIN.
(82) Ramon E. Vicioso, May 28, 2005
My deepest respect and admiration.
I am 41 years old, born in Dominican Rep., Catholic, but a firm believer in Israel.

For long time has been my believed that the world has a debt with Israel.
The courage, bravery and suffering of Israel is without equal.
I do not understand how blind is the world. The world do not realize how much the world owe to Israel.
I am a poor man, but one day I wish God give me the means to be able to pay my debt.
The Children of Israel are the chosen one and they have shown why.
If is possible I would like to help Israel. Like I said, I am poor, but just let me know.
I dont like writing, but I could give you my phone number.
Is there a forum where I can talk to ppl with my way of thinking?
(81) randolph Smith, May 25, 2005
If you insist on slandering my savior as you are, you are only fanning the fires of anti-semitism which sincere Christians seek to extinguish because Jesua's message is one of love, not bigotry. When you slander him and diminish him to the nations you are a bigot yourself.
(80) Karen Kennedy, May 11, 2005
I didn't know
I didn't know. This article has been informative and insightful.
(79) jolene, April 23, 2005
i will pray for all of you for i would not want any to perish
(78) Ernest Torres, April 18, 2005
Awaking
I need to know more about religions other than Christianity
(77) PEDRO R POLIDARIO, March 30, 2005
to,rabbi shraga simmons,i would like to have a features of this,,,,,for my perspective of research in religion, thanks, pedro
(76) Adina, March 22, 2005
loved the article. It brought insight to a beter understanding. I have been looking for a website like this.
(75) Maxine Endy, February 15, 2005
a real eye-opener
Thanks so much for helping me to be able to explain this to my fellow Jews and non-Jewish friends. I always give your site as a reference to people looking for answers!
(74) Adina, February 15, 2005
Helpful information for Jewish chat rooms!
There are as many missionaries as Jews in Jewish chat rooms. I appreciate having facts with which to counter their arguments.
(73) Jody, February 10, 2005
Very interesting-thank you for this clarification!
I was raised Lutheran, but am very interested in religion and do not follow the christian faith specifically anymore. I felt this article answered so many questions that had disturbed me for most of my life. Thank you!!!!
(72) Michael Granados, January 27, 2005
Why Jews don't believe in Jesus?
Todah Rabah ! We need more information like this. Thank you.
(71) Nathalice, November 6, 2004
what a relief!
I was catholic, but I left the church because I was feeling as if I were living a kind of lie there. My questions and doubt weren´t answered. Now reading your text I feel a relief. You explained an important issue clearly. Above all you based your arguments on the Bible.
Todah rabah lecha!!
(70) Anonymous, October 18, 2004
so much to learn!
as the saying goes, you never stop learning.i'm a christian.i discovered the truth about the shabbat 14 years ago and stopped worshipping on sunday.will continue reading your articles.thanks for the explanations.
(69) Anonymous, August 15, 2004
from black south african
this has been an eye opener. I learned so much about judaism in less than 5min
(68) Roy Amick, August 14, 2004
Thank you for answering some questions I have had.
I recently converted from Christianity to Judaism for many of the reasons you have mentioned. Unfortunately, I belong to a Conservative/Reform Synagogue and there isn't much teaching there as our rabbi is itenerant. Your website is excellent and a great help in convincing me that I made the right decision. I began to think of conversion when I served for five weeks in the Sar-El program in Israel. My wife and I again went back this summer for another four weeks. We hope to finish our conversion and someday move to Israel. I also discovered recently that my ancestors were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe. HaShem seems to be calling out his people from pagan Christianity. Thanks again for the excellent commentary and Shalom.

Roy Amick
(67) Livia, July 15, 2004
Incredibly thorough!
After reading "all of this articles links" there will be no doubt about how to answer a missionary. Thank you for the concise explanation.


(66) Geoff, April 18, 2004
As jews we need articles like this to understand the weak foundation that unerdlies Jesus' teachings. For a more comprehensive treatment of how Christianity and Islam have distorted the Old Testamant and how their claims can be easily refuted, read Rejoice O Youth and Awake my glory be Rabbi Avigdor Miller.
(65) Anonymous, April 9, 2004
I was raised in a Catholic Home, my grandfather was a very religious man, and I spend most of my years of school in a private catholic school where I was not supposed to ask questions, I was just told to have faith in what I was learning about my religion, so everything I learned was inconclusive and questionable, and there were many things that contradicted themselves and many, many things that I never understood one of them the Trinity, but I never asked questions because I was only to have faith. Now that I am grown up and reading the old testament and also the new testament my mind is full of quetions. In the old testament I found many readings that make so much sense. My catholic religion is based on both the new and the old testament but now that I am reading it again I can see there is many things that we as Catholic don't follow through, also my big question is Jesus the mesiah came and there is still no peace on earth? What happened? I want to read more books regarding judaism. Can you recoment good books, please.
Thank you,
Patricia
(64) Laura, April 9, 2004
Curious for faith
i was bought up in a non religious family, i used to go to a baptist church on my own from the age of 9. i hae been searching for the true faith and it gives me joy to read texts like why jews dont believe in jesus, it sets my mnd working, positive energy and i can see the world from another point of view. thank you
(63) Christina, April 2, 2004
It all makes sense
Having been raised Catholic, I never quite "got" what the big deal was. At a VERY early age, I began questioning the faith that was being imposed upon me. As I got older, I gave up and began to learn more about Judaism. And once again, I didn't quite "get it." But this article somehow put it all in perspective. I get it now!! Although I have not converted as of yet, I probably will. If anything, this article has brought me closer to making that decision. Thank you, Rabbi Simmons.
(62) EDITH ALSTER, March 31, 2004
THE JEWISH FUTURE
We need to educate our own Jews on our religion, history & Torah. It is sadly amazing to find so much ignorance especially from college students, that is why they are so easily persuaded. This is a sad commentry on what our future holds in store for us. Learning begins at home.
EDITH ALSTER
(61) Mike Kruger, March 24, 2004
another reason
I am a Jew that is living in a christian home. Because of my beleif that Jesus was not the messiah,I basically got disowned. However, I mentioned to my parents that if Jesus was the messiah and he "saved us from our sins" why is there so much sinning in the world still today.?
(60) Karey Skinner, March 23, 2004
I wish everyone had access to websites like this. If we were all familiarised with eachothers' beliefs there wouldn't be so much prejudice and intolerance around.
(59) Anonymous, March 23, 2004
The Jesus myth has caused the world misery.
Most Christians do not understand that Jesus is not his name and he did not created a new religion. Saul did but irrationality still permeates human concepts. We must support Israel and our people through education.
(58) Anna R, March 21, 2004
Jesus article
I am a Christian who is 1/8 Jewish, the 1/8 being enough to get me anti-Semitic remarks and attitudes in London;'that Jewess' being the nicest. I took it as a compliment, as my Jewish heritage is very precious to me.

I found the Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus very informative & not 'vitriol'. I don't see it as anti-Christian, but as a concise summary of what the Jewish attitude to Jesus is.

If anyone finds this hard to take, I would suggest that they examine their own faith. I know what I believe, and also respect others' rights to their own beliefs. As a friend of mine says, we should look at what we have in common, not dwell on our differences. In my opinion. G-d will not ask why we were a Jew/Gentile/Sikh et al but what kind of Jew/Gentile et al we were!

Shalom to all readers.

PS Does being 1/8 Jewish count as being Jewish ???
(57) yehudite, March 20, 2004
Superb;concise
As a Jew brought up in Israel until age 3, and growing up in a totally Jewish home in New York, Philadelphia, Virginia,going to a Hebrew speaking camp in the summers with Flatbush Yeshiva kids who knew so much more than I about Judaism, I always knew the minhagim,how to davin, and speak Hebrew fluently. However, I never studied about Judaism. I am now an adult woman and have sent all my children to Jewish Day School. They know more than I about their roots and I find it difficult to study. Life is full of mundane pressures. Readings like this are invaluable as a way of enriching my knowledge. Thank you. The more the better.
(56) Iris, March 20, 2004
Thank you for your excellent article
As a Jew who is surrounded by Christians, I truly appreciate this article which explains why Jews do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. I much prefer this scholarly and thoughtful explanation to the knee jerk type of response which betrays understandable hatred for a figure upon which so much Jewish suffering and death have taken place. This article should be used in all places of Jewish and Christian education.
(55) Anna, March 20, 2004
I am a Christian, but I have long realized that my reality may not be someone else's and I respect that. However, in reading the comments posted on this and other Jewish websites, I must say that I am a bit taken aback at all the vitriol leveled against my faith. I may be a goy, but if I insulted Judaism the way I have seen my faith insulted, would I not be considered (with reason) anti-Semitic? And why is it acceptable for others to bash my faith? Bigotry is bigotry, wherever you find it. There are no exceptions.
(54) Bonnie, March 17, 2004
Outreach
Dear Rabbi Simmons: The phrase you quoted in the beginning of your excellent article: "the best Christian outreach opportunity in 2000 years" is exactly where I would place your article and the many other excellent commentaries that are coming forth from Jewish sources. You and countless other Jews hold age old knowledge of not just what it means to be a Jew, but what the definitions and meanings are relating to G-d.

The links you provided are EXCELLENT!

For almost two years I have been reading and searching my heart, praying and considering much before the Lord.....I want definition and knowing. From reading the response to your article, it seems I am not the only one, Jew or Christian who is hungry for true knowledge.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
(53) Anonymous, March 15, 2004
nice summary of beliefs
shalom, thanks for the well written article...i am part jew and undergoing conversion...i was raised christian...and believed it for a while..until God opened my eyes and i started to ask the questions which no one wants to hear...it has taken me a while to reach all the conclusions you have put into your article...and when i had asked my jewish friends about why they didnt beleive in jesus....to be blundt...they knew less about their faith and beliefs than i did....it was disheartening....your article should be read by all jews who are sincere in their quest for the knowledge of God in their life...and most importantly..they need to study the tanakh and take it to heart...not just listen to a few lines from a boring cantor/rabi on saturday morning.....live the tankakh and take it to heart! make it a part of you so that when a gentile or a non believing jew ask why you dont believe in jesus....you wont have to stumble around trying to think of reasonable sounding answers....another thing i have noticed with dismay, is the mean spirited or cowardly way many jews respond to christians when they are challenged about their belief in God and why they dont believe in jesus...... a lot of christians are trying very hard to know who God is....they have been brought up NOT to ask hard questions but to just "have faith and believe"it is a golden opportunity for every faithful jew to give a possibly life changing response to someone who could truly be searching for the truth.......sure...many christians will not listen to anything you have to say no matter how rightly you speak......but there are more christians out there who will listen if you approach them with kindness and love than you might ever imagine.......dont be hateful and arrogant..but dont shrink from the challenge.....and above all dont be ignorant of what you are supposed to believe.....know the torah and the prophets.........i have read many of the anti christian books available now....most have many valid points......but many are given to exageration which is neither desireable nor neccessary......just know the tanakh and speak to them out of loving kndness...which is how we received it from God
shalom
michael
(52) Anonymous, March 15, 2004
Very clear explanation
Thank you for clarifying our position towards J. The article's point by point explanation makes our position crystal clear. After reading this article, there can be no doubt in anyone's mind that the claims used by missionaries to shmad our innocent/unlearned brethren are nothing more than twisted misrepresentations of the Torah. Moshe emes v'soraso emes. Thank you!
(51) Anonymous, March 13, 2004
The Catholics I know
psst! The Catholics(including a priest brother-in-law age 66, my other brother-in-law age 60, and my husband age 68 (I'm 59 and raised Lutheran) do not want to read this or hear about it. In fact on a regular basis from them, I hear how the Jews own and control the media so much I want to hit them over the head! But, my voice is a little one crying in the wilderness and easily dismissed by them (they like to say I'm nervous, or anti-catholic, or I have abandoned my Catholic religion - which I think I should). They don't care nor want to listen to facts or a voice of reason. I even mentioned the new book, THE NEW ANTI-SEMITISM, which scares me as I believe it is true, but they don't care and won't listen because only they are correct! The most anti=semitic people I know are Catholic (and are Irish and Polish). This is my experience after converting (before I met my husband) and marrying 40 years ago. When I was a young mom and was bothered by some Catholic teaching, and went to confession. I told the priest that I guess I would stay Catholic and raise my children in the Church as the Church must be the one true church because it has lasted so long, or it has to be pure evil! I still have tons or trouble with these "good and holy Catholics". Once when I talked about Bill Kurtis' report on pedofile priest (many many years ago), the brother-in-law the priest jumped up, pointed his finger in my face, and said I needed psychiatric help! My husband said I caused a rift in the family - which unfortunately isn't true, because he would walk through fire for them, but can't even introduce me as his wife when our daugther was recently in ICU without first introducing "my good, holy brothers" first! It's a sickness!!! Just last week I was being shouted at in the car by my brother-in-law (who's the bacheor) that the Jews own and control the media! The controlling ones are these holy Catholics, not the evangelical Protestants. I have to "suck-it-up" and listen to this prejudice becuause my husband's brothers are so good and help us out when he and our daughter are so sick(so he says - its just a command to have to sit and listen to them!) If it was the Inquisition, I would be dead and condemned to hell already. This prejudice of theirs even pervades a comment on the soup I made for my husband (and I'm known as a good cook). Because I had to go to the store and buy the kosher noodles I liked, my husband said the soup wasn't as good as I usually make- "what did you do, use the Jewish noodles?" Maybe you are Catholic and reading this and will be very insulted by these accusations. Well, why did Gibson go to the evangelical groups to show this movie? I think because he know they would embrace it without accepting the Catholic theology (the exact meaning of a few words that can be interrupted differently by Catholic vs. Protestant theology). In my area, it's the Protestant churches, not the Catholic, ones that are advertising this movie. Again this is my experience in a big Catholic metro area. Sometimes I think I was Jew from the Holocaust born into a gentile soul that converted to Catholic Church to be the reluctant conscience of the Pope's holy followers. Or, you may think I am a little bit nuts, but beware. These same good Catholic brothers I know wooed and joked their way into the good graces of my jewish doctors, and them come home and think our country is being control by the Jews who are very anti-catholic! Wake up America and the world! The Jews are God's timetable and we should be so lucky as to be God's chosen people. Shalom.
(50) Anonymous, March 13, 2004
if so, then what?
Shalom.

Thank you for the article. My next question is what's next if this is the case. Has anyone at Aish thought about putting up an article or a link to another site that describes Judaism's requirements for gentiles - specifically the Seven Commandments of Noah? I think this would be very helpful in explaining the part about the world recognizing the God of Israel: when people recognize that they have a part in Judaism as "Children of Noah," they won't need to define themselves as Christians in order to have a relationship with the God of the Bible.
(49) Anonymous, March 13, 2004
Finally, clarity on why we don't believe in Jesus!
This article by Rabbi Simmons is nothing less than magnificent. It is clear and gets straight to the point. Everything I more or less knew - but couldn't articulate - I now understand clearly. Thank you!

May we see the true messiah speedily in our time!
(48) Hillary, March 12, 2004
Thanks for helping me clarify why
I have so many gentile friends who ask me what Jews believe about Jesus. They ask if we believe he was a prophet, but not the messiah, or if we even believe he existed at all. Thank you for giving me very distinct and clear answers to that question. Now I can intelligently explain to my friends why we Jews believe in Hashem, not in a man named Jesus.
(47) Anonymous, March 11, 2004
Powerful and Educational
Terrific Job,

Thank you
(46) David K., March 11, 2004
Not offensive, but informative and STRAIGHT to the point
Well done! You have shown yourselves to be an informative website with a wealth of information for the honest and true thinker.
Thank you for enriching me and helping me broaden MY knowledge.
(45) Lonnie Craig, March 11, 2004
Thank You...!
Tripping & stumbbling thru 15 different
versions of KJV for over the last 38 yrs & the nagghamadi documents- You confirmed my doubts about Jesus as Messiah. He was just a "good ol boy" with a soft spot for the sick & poor... Thank you again.
(44) Mae Eye, March 11, 2004
Thank you for this article!
I have been trying to find something like this article to help me make some explanations re the Messiah. Thank You
(43) Melvyn Berger, March 11, 2004
Everyone should read this, especially Mel Gibson.
You have explained to us the reasons why we still follow our true faith and not a false one. Peolpe of other faiths should read this and understand why we do so.
(42) Paul Simons, March 11, 2004
Gibson's hateful movie spreads the opposite of Christian love.
Gibson fits his own definition of Satan. He grins, bats his eyes at Barbara Walters, says in effect "I'm a good guy'" but his hateful movie spreads the opposite of any Christian message of love. No one in the film even looks right - Jesus, Mary and that family look like German-Irish Catholics, and the Jews look not like Middle Eastern Mediterranean people, but like contemporary American Jews. The movie is trash.
(41) Peltz, Feivel, March 10, 2004
S. Simmons' work is masterful
Rabbi Simmons article should be required reading for evryone involved in
Jewish outreach.
(40) Mustafa Khan, March 10, 2004
Very good web site for every one, specially information about jews.
(39) Anonymous, March 10, 2004
Jews didn't accept the theology of the New Testament because it did not agree with normative Judaism.
I am auditing a course this year at Bar-Ilan University about the growth of Christianity in the First Century. The main idea I have come away with is that the tenents of the Christian faith which did attract a small number of Jews and a larger number of gentiles just did not agree with normative Judaism. (E.g.: Baptism in Christianity brings an abolition of sin. This is not acceptable in normative Judaism where emercement (tvila)brings ritual purity. Christian morality as put forth in the NT negates people living in a normally functioning community. I am definitely not an expert on any of this, but I do have the feeling that the majority of the Jewish people (all through history) just were not willing to accept the precepts of Christianity.
(38) Al Puglisi, March 10, 2004
book
Wonderful piece. This site, along with Jews for Judaism and Judaism 101, and several books, was intrumental in my departure from trinitarian Christianity.
As you can see, you article was an eye opener for the Christians who do read this site.They had never heard this before. Either had I. Unfortunately there is what, maybe 1 Christian for every fifty Jews that read this site.The point being, the most Christians will never hear what you had to say here. What is needed is a book in which Judaism confronts the theology of the Christian church.I am sure many Christians would be receptive to and have their eyes opened by such a work.
(37) Anonymous, March 10, 2004
Great Explanation
I was raised a Christian and taught to revere Jesus. I was taught to pray to Jesus and that Jesus would be my savior and that he alone would have all of my sins forgiven. Our Church used the new testatment as do most christian churches. As I grew older and began to read the Old Testament, I began to notice discrepancies. I am not a genious. If I can read the Bible and notice things are not right with my religion, then most of the christian population should also be able to do the same. For the life of me I can not understand why they refuse to see the truth. You would think everyone has the yearning I have. It brought me to the Bible. It brought me to search for the truth. It brought me to this site. Even though I was raised with this strong belief in Jesus I still had this yearning for something that was missing. I still do. I still do not have the courage to go to a synogog to worship. I miss the spiritual aspect of not going to Church. I pray every night and day directly to G-d now, but I still feel ike something is missing. I have shared your information with other Christians and some flat out say you are lying. They deny the truth. One was so ignorant and surprised that Jews did not believe in Jesus. I was totally amazed at the person's reaction. I grew up in a remote part of the world, yet I knew Jews did not believe in Jesus. The mentality of the human population absolutely amazes me. I pray for the day the real Mesiah comes and opens everyone's eyes to the truth. G-d Bless Isreal and the Jews. I hope you can get the message out the needs to get out to everyone in this troubled world. There is so much hate. People are raised to hate other people. It seems like an impossible undertaking to get this peace to all the world.
(36) Greg Wotton, March 10, 2004
Messiah -- messiah
If there was such a person as Jesus he was certainly "a" messenger, a philosopher if you will, but certainly a Good Jew.

Most Christians are completely unaware of the sheer butchery that the "New Testament" went through before the Roman Emperor accepted it and "declared" it "true". There are many versions of the Gospels and many Gospels that didn't make the cut (i.e. didn't agree with the political agenda of the time). With these "Gnostic" Gospels in combination with the four that made the book we get a very different view of Jesus.

I don't think that he meant for people to think of him as THE Messiah (capitals intended), rather he felt that it was important to impart the role of the messiah into every single person. We are all Children of G-d and within us all there is a spark of the divine. We have Mitzvot to perform, many of which exemplify charity, kindness and community. This may have been the man's message. It is too bad that it got blown out of proportion.

Whether the man was fictional or real, the message was to love each other, be kind and charitable and take on the personal responsibility of setting an example for the whole world. It's sad that we can go from a message like that to a 90 min. bloodbath about his execution. What about the others that were executed for annoying the Romans? Why don't we remember their names as well? Was their sacrafice any less than his?

Today we need people to act as examples of Good more than ever before so please, the next time you're doing a mitzvot, consider how important it is for others to see that some people in this world still care.

in Light
Greg
(35) Anonymous, March 9, 2004
Printed your article for the Mother of a friend
Firstly thank you for your article which I have printed for a friend whoose Mother has been dragged by her Catholic daughter in law to a a special screening of this film at their Church.

I have no doubt that this will not be the only attempt at "evangelising" and promoting their faith.
(34) anita passman, March 9, 2004
I really enjoyed reading the article and even though I knew some of the information, I still can't help but wonder how so many people have accepted Christianity.
Could it be as I have always thought that it is easier to believe in Jesus because you don't have to do all the mitzvot to have a relationship with G-d.
Secondly , is that really a bad thing. I wish there was a web site to discuss this with other people. Thank you again
(33) Anonymous, March 9, 2004
This article should be part of the curriculum of every Hebrew school, Sunday school, wherever Judaism is taught. Our children should internalize why we do not believe in Jesus and at the same time what we as Jews do believe.
(32) Steve Walker, March 9, 2004
Appreciate the clarity
As a believer in Jesus, I found your concise comments very helpful in understanding the Christian position from a Jewish point of view. I appreciated your irenic tone and specific disagreements. Thank you!
(31) susan, March 9, 2004
for my son
This article is helpful, especially for my son. We live in South Carolina. Where there is mostly christians.So now I can talk to huim about this. thank you
(30) betti miner, March 9, 2004
amazing!
Rabbi Simmons is right on!!!! I was not aware that tribal affiliation is through the father. I grew up a Christian but chose Judaism 10 years ago along with my husband who I had long and thoughtful talks with. We had read over 25 books on the Catholic Church and its invention by Constantine in CE 325 and the corruption and hatred against the Jews. Mel Gibson's movie we will never go see, it is anti-Semitism in its purest form and makes us Jews look bad, and we do not want to watch a man get killed slowly for an hour-and-a-half. No thank you. It is a fictional account in places, thanks to a nun who must have had a bad piece of bread. Thank you Rabbi Simmons for your revealing article.
(29) Anonymous, March 9, 2004
Very interesting...
I've always wondered why the Jews didn't believe in Jesus. I've never truly heard an explanation like that. Now that I've heard it I find it very very interesting. Thank you.
(28) Leon Blum, March 8, 2004
Very Concise Thanks
Thanks for your clearly written discussion of this important issue. We are beginning a discussion of this topic in a bi-weekly meeting sponsored by the United Orthodox Synagogue, TORCH (in Texas). I forwarded this link to the participants of our group to jump start our discussions.
(27) Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein, March 8, 2004
Outstanding!
The clarity of your piece is exceeded only by its brevity. It should be required reading for everyone searching for truth. For an even more compelling understanding of the power of National Revelation, readers are urged to attend the Discovery Seminar.
(26) Simmy Lager, March 8, 2004
Brilliant!
Didn't know all the answers till I read these expounded views and commentary. It has certainly revealed all I ever wanted to know
(25) Edward Emsley, March 8, 2004
Toda Rabbah
From someone who believes in Emet HaTorah but who is niether a Jew, Christian or Muslim,...thank you Rabbi Simmons for feeding my Soul.
(24) JUAN, March 8, 2004
IT'S VERY TRUE
THANK YOU, VERY MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION.NOW I HAVE MORE INFO TO TELL PEOPLE WHY I CONVERTED.I AM A LATIN.SOME FAMILY AND FRIENDS TRY TO CALL ME A TRADER.BECAUSE I DON'T FOLLOW WHAT THEY BELIEVE(CATOHLIC).BUT THANK G~D!.I KNOW THE TRUTH.ONE G~D!SHALOM!.
(23) JOYCE, March 8, 2004
Enlighted
Thank you for writting this topic, It will help us a lot to explain to our gentile friends why Jews doesnt recognize JC as Messiah.
(22) Debra, March 8, 2004
All the answers
(21) Anonymous, March 8, 2004
clear cut
Plain and simple; this brief piece has articulated a book full of learning in one page. I read 'On Eagle's Wings' which helped me to understand the Jewish perspective on the Moshiach. An excellent book, but this article even more so, crystalises why the Nazarene is not accepted as the Moshiach.

Shalom.
(20) Anonymous, March 8, 2004
A key point
One key point that you didn't mention is that Judaism is based on peace, justice, love, obeying the second Commandment, even to the point of letting your slaves go free in the 7th year. The cruelty, savagery and brutality, that was inflicted upon Jesus obviously is in direct opposition to Judaic beliefs.
(19) Anonymous, March 8, 2004
Excellent, concise and clear
Thanks for a quotable, useful treatise on some very important differences between Judaism and Christianity.
(18) Yaakov, March 8, 2004
Moshiach on the front pages
Gibson and his message are ugly and hateful, but it is surely for the best that the world is now abuzz with dicussions of who can be Moshiach, what will he accomlish, etc. As Jews especially begin to feel the need to know what Torah, and particularly the inner Torah of kabbalah and Chassidus have to say on the matter, it will serve to bring about the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.
(17) j spencer, March 8, 2004
Helpful
Thanks for your contribution to the discussion. I fear this movie may be the beginning of a pressure to proselytize. Your words are ammunition, especially for children of secular, unaffiliated parents who haven't been given the background, sense of identity or skills to retort. I hope your readers will forward your comments.
(16) sheila minnich, March 8, 2004
This is the best explanation I've ever read!
I have needed something like this to show my Gentile friends. Many thanks!
(15) Bob MacLAughlin, March 8, 2004
On The Passion
Dear Rabbi Simmons: I have not yet seen the Passion. Maybe I will, maybe not. I have read with interest your comments, and those of Rabbi Blech, Charles Krauthammer, and Rabbi Shapiro. They certainly give a person a lot to think about. I guess we'll differ on who Jesus was: but when I pick up my Bible I'm hold Jewish history in my hands, and for that may the Almighty bless you, His people. Thanks to you all, oh.. there was an editorial cartoon that you should have scene. One panel showed the Crucifixion and the other showed a crowd with money in their hands waiting to see "The Passion". It seems that what it all comes down to is not faith, but money. Keep well, Best regards
Bob MacLaughlin
(14) Colin White, March 8, 2004
What every one should read
These writings are invaluable for a person to form their own informed opinions and hence to conduct their life accordingly.
(13) Good, March 8, 2004
Thanks
This article answered my questions very simply, without all the complicated going on andn on and losing me, thanks for this great article.
(12) Anonymous, March 8, 2004
thank you
What a wonderful consice statement, Rabbi, and so needed among many of us. In a way, we should be thanking Mel Gibson for giving us an impetus for learning about and affirming our own faith. I learned a lot from the book, "You take Jesus, I'll Take God" But I must state that I have never heard nor have I been taught to hate or despise Jesus or those people who profess belief in him. AS Maimonides stated, those people who have descended from pagans have come to an understanding of God which they would perhaps not otherwise had. Many of those people are supporters and friends of Jews. If one beleives that God orders all and sends all things then one must accept that God had a hand in the beginnings of the Christian religion and has organized the world for Christianity's place. I believe that Mel Gibson has much to answer for and that he has mmainipulated the whole situation for his own personal pride and aggrandizement, not to mention the slew of money that he is making from this venture. As the saying goes, he is crying" all the way to the bank." But we should not let a Mel Gibson stand in the way of us all helping to bring the Messiah and that way is through the betterment of the world which won't happen by the belittlement of one group or another. wonder if the embrace of this movie that we see is an indication of the fact that many of its viewers feel a lack of spiritualty in their lives.
(11) Anonymous, March 8, 2004
Wonderful, meaningful article
Thank you for the wonderful article, but unfortunatly this is only read by Jews!re: Comments- Don't you think it is time to stop criticising Reform and Conservative Jews!!! I think we do concern ourselves about keeping our children and grandchildren Jewish!!!and remember that anti-Semites do not discriminate...so why should we?
(10) John Hummel, March 8, 2004
Thank you
I am an evangelical Christian and have read many pieces outlining the differences between Judiasm and Christianity. Often times the arguments are full of vitriol, from both sides. Thank You for a clear and unantagonistic presentation.
(9) Len, March 8, 2004
A thoughtful and civil response
Thank you so much for your fair and reasonable discussion of the issue of the nature of Jesus. I am a Christian who has been offended by the furious condemnation of the central theme of my faith; the redemption of mankind by the suffering and death of Jesus.
Your discussion is informed, well thought out, and fair. Thank you for establishing a high standard in putting forth your position.
I hope we all will get over the anger and begin to dialogue constructively.

Bless you.
(8) Lea S. Krasniker, March 8, 2004
not pointed enough
Dear Rabbi Shaga, everything you write is of course correct, but I think that you should start with the basics 1, 2, 3: according to our Torah (Deut.13.1 and onwards, the laws about the false prophet)that are ironically copied in the N.T. "not to add or to omitt the smallest sign" shows that Jesus of Nazaret was a false prophet who omitted and added to the Law of Moses. Once a false prophet, always one and it is impossible to rectify with a "second coming". Another question: how is it possible to kill a god? "DEICIDE??????" Christianity is maybe the religion of double talk: Love= S.M. (Masochism/Sadism) and that is the basis of this belief. It cannot exist without carefully preserving each blow,drop of blood etc. etc, BECAUSE that is their raison d'etre: their founder HAS to suffer, because that takes away all responsibility of the followers of any bad deed. They are free because he is the sufferer, and the more the better. Of course somebody has to be the perpetrator and guess who? The Jews!!!!. It is a given that Esav hates Ja'akov(Edom versus Israel)and our Sages long ago recognized Edom as Christianity (the sign of the pig who shows is split hooves: "look how kosher I am", but not on the INSIDE). The hypocrisy is nausiating. The so called love for Israel has only one basis: to hunt our souls for conversion.
We do NOT need them in any way. Just like Mordechai said to Esther: ...relief and deliverance will come to the Jews ...We in Israel live with the daily wonders of G'd's Protection against all our oppresors and we should concern ourselves with ourselves and living according to the Law of Moses. Edom will stand trial, don't worry. It is written by the Prophets. With regards from Zion and impatiently expecting the arrival of our King the Mashiach and total redemption
Lea
(7) silvia borges, March 8, 2004
Exceptional write-up....
I'm a "newly self proclaimed" Sephardic Jew and having attended Cathollic schools thru College, your article addressed so very many points that I should have been asking myself. It's as if you answered questions before I (who is highly inquisitive and hopefully intelligent)thought of them. As a matter of fact it addressed so many issues that I have to go back to them slowly and digest them. It is difficult to understand as fully as I'd like since I've forgotten what little Catholic dogma I knew. Two things crossed my mind: I wish there would be a "debate" (as American presidents have) between a Rabbi and a Catholic priest...in order to hear "both sides of the story" AND I wish I could talk one on one with a Rabbi. I contacted my local synagogue (Easton, Maryland, USA)about 4 months ago when I was learning of my Sephardic roots and it didn't heed my request. (I respect the Jewish ways of not just "opening up" the doors to those that just knock on them) I respectfully want to comment on something said here...."that the Jewish people are growing in their numbers and returning to their homeland" I had just read in the last week about the "problem" with jews NOT being antisemitism but the dwindling numbers and that by year 2080 what a fraction of Jews will be on earth.
Nevertheless, thank you for your article and must say that even if "not fully Jewish" I can finally hold my chest upright and feel good about who I really am!
(6) Anonymous, March 7, 2004
I am so grateful
Thank you Rabbi Simmons. Wonderful!!!
I am so grateful to be a Jew, and I appreciate the reminder of the beauty that I sometimes forget to remember!! :)
(5) Anonymous, March 7, 2004
Excellent
A relatively comprehensive look "at the facts", without belaboring any one point.
(4) stu reder, March 7, 2004
thank you!
once again, Rabbi, you have come forward to help your people. thank you and may God bless you and yours.
stu reder
stureder@gci.net
(3) Norma Rockman, March 7, 2004
Desperately need that we Jews have erudite response to The Passion
Besieged by the immediacy brought about by The Passion, I have started out reading the New Testament for the first time in my life, with The Gospel according to Matthew, the Synoptic Gospels, to try to find out for myself just what Jesus preached and what is said. In the reading, I found myself immersed in feelings of pain, feelings of fascination with Oh, so this is what [this version] says, so this is what Christians read and preach, yet intellectually desperate for a learned response to who and what all of this is about from a Jewish standpoint. Never in my Orthodox shirium has anyone addressed the New Testament and we can barely utter the name "Jesus." This has proven a mistake, for me, because ignorance does not make one stronger. Best to educate ourselves and have the information you have presented here. I have Gibson to detest for waking sleeping dogs, yet have him to thank for catapulting me into the desire for edification. Thank you enormously for your erudition, because for Jews to remain silent and ignorant in the face of The Passion would be a grave mistake. We may detest Jesus for the false messiah that he was, a rabble rouser, seducer, sourcerer, etc., but better to educate ourselves so we can strengthen ourselves. Thanks. (I revised this about four times, so I hope you get this copy only!)
(2) Meira Forgy, March 7, 2004
An excellent article.

Perhaps it should be circulated in Reform and Conservative religious schools. It would give the students (and their parents) some well-needed protection against missionaries and against their own doubts.
(1) Chaia Sperling, March 7, 2004
Fantastic article! Now we (Jews) can more effectively respond to the goyim who make it their mission in life to convert us. Presenting facts and logic to discredit their very own arguments instead of offering emotional responses or half-recalled facts strenthen us.The experience most gentiles have with most Jews is that we are not as well versed in Torah (if at all) as they are. How can we then possibly dispute their arguments even if the tenets of their belief are based on distorted interpretations and mistranslations of our own Biblical scriptures .
Thank You, Rabbi Simmons, for writing this article. It couldn't have
come at a better time !



Why Jews Don't Accept Jesus
David Klinghoffer explains what he wishes Christians understood about the Jewish rejection of Jesus--in the 1st century & today.
BY: Interview by Rebecca Phillips and Laura Sheahen
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Jewish author David Klinghoffer has long been a thought-provoking voice on Beliefnet, commenting on issues ranging from Jewish holidays to politics to Mel Gibson's "Passion." His new book, "Why the Jews Rejected Jesus," traces the history of the debate between Christians and Jews over Jesus, from the first century to modern days. Beliefnet editors Rebecca Phillips and Laura Sheahen, approaching the book from a Jewish perspective and a Christian perspective, respectively, joined Klinghoffer for a conversation about the meaning of Isaiah 53, would-be messiahs in ancient Palestine, why Christian evangelism is healthy for Jews, and contemporary Jewish-Christian relations.
LS: What's the general attitude toward Jesus in Judaism?

The reality is that Judaism doesn't regard Jesus as particularly important. He's not a big subject. I wrote this book mainly for non-Jews, because to them the Jewish view of Jesus is a much bigger deal.

[Jewish radio personality] Michael Medved has made the point that this is the one thing that all Jews have in common--that we don't accept Jesus as our savior. That's the one and only thing on which all Jews agree. For many Jews, tragically, that's where their Judaism ends. For them, Judaism means we don't believe in Jesus. That's really a sad, impoverished version of Judaism.
RP: What Medved said has a lot of implications about the current state of Judaism itself within a larger Christian world. Jews often feel threatened by Jesus. Why is that?
Well, there's obviously history, 2,000 years of friction. In my book, I also deal with the historical backdrop. In the first century, there was a perception of Christian Jews as essentially deserters. When Jerusalem was under siege by Roman forces, the Jews looked around and discovered that the Christian Jews had fled across the Jordan to safe ground.

LS: If you talked to a contemporary rabbi about Jesus, would he or she consider Jesus a renegade rabbi who was a traitor to his religion, or a good person whose followers went astray and became traitors?
There's a huge diversity of opinion. You have someone like Rabbi Irving Greenberg, an Orthodox rabbi who is quite liberal and provocative, who regards Jesus as having been a failed messiah. You also have [Talmudic scholar]
Jacob Emden
, who died in 1776. He was traditionally Orthodox--in no way a modernizer--and regarded Jesus as a hero who brought religious civilization to the gentile world. He writes amazingly positively of Jesus.

In a lot of ways, the [contemporary] rabbinate has not really caught up to Emden. Most people don't know about his view of Jesus.

LS: Is Jesus ever mentioned in Hebrew school or in other Jewish contexts?
There's a lot of Jewish ignorance about Christianity, a lot of fear and mistrust--not so much about Jesus the person but about Christianity as a historical phenomenon. Unfortunately, in every area of Jewish life, you'll find people who have an irrational fear of Christianity. The more serious the Christianity is--for example, evangelical Christianity--the more of a bogeyman it becomes in the mind of some Jews.

RP: I often find it hard to explain to serious Christians exactly how Jews regard Jesus. I remember a conversation I had with a woman on the subway who invited me to a Bible study class. When I explained that I was Jewish and didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, she exclaimed, "But he was such a great guy!" For a lot of Jews, that's the hardest thing to explain--why we can believe he was a good person, but not the Messiah. Are there a few talking points for Jews you can give us?
There's a lot of misunderstanding among Christians about how a Jew is "saved." Even using that word, you're already using Christian vocabulary. Christians, especially evangelicals, regard Judaism as a system where you purchase salvation with acts, good deeds, sacrifices. That's such a misunderstanding of Judaism.
Jews were assured that we had been "saved"--to use Christian language--at Mount Sinai [where the Jews received the Torah]. The 613
mitzvot
--commandments--are our
response
to being saved. They're the grammar in which we conduct our relationship with God. The relationship has already been given to us as an unmerited gift at Mount Sinai. Just as there's a grammar of your relationship with your parents, your friends, your spouse. It's the same with God and the Jews and the Torah.

When Christians say, "You're receiving the gift of Jesus' sacrifice," it's like they're offering us a gift that we already had, in return for giving up something--namely, our relationship with God expressed through the Torah, through the commandments--that's the essence of what we've been for 3,300 years.

For a non-Jew, the offer of Christianity is wonderful. For a Jew, the offer of Christianity is getting something you already had, and giving up something of eternal, immeasurable worth--namely a unique relationship with God.
LS: In your book, you talk about meeting a window washer in Seattle who is sincerely puzzled that Jews don't accept Jesus. Many Christians feel there's this overwhelming stack of evidence--usually connections made between the New Testament and the Hebrew scriptures--"proving" that Jesus is the promised Messiah. What should both Christians and Jews know when a Christian says, "clearly Isaiah shows that Jesus is the one"?
One thing to know is that for every Christian claim about, for example,
Isaiah 53
[which describes a "suffering servant" who is persecuted to redeem the sins of his people], there's a Jewish response.
You
can
make an intelligent case from Isaiah 53 on behalf of Jesus. You can construe the Hebrew prophets as if they pointed forward to Jesus. But you can construe them to mean lots of different things.
Shabbatai Zevi
, the false messiah of the 17th century--his followers used those very same texts, including Isaiah 53, to prove that Shabbatai Zevi had to undergo suffering as the Messiah. You can use these texts to prove virtually anything.
What do Jews say the Messiah will be like? Read more >>
  Related Features
Jesus: Just Another Wonder-Worker?
Rabbi David Wolpe: Why Jews Don't Accept Jesus
Jesus for Non-Christians



LS: And your book says first-century Palestine was full of would-be Messiahs--a lot of people going around [like Jesus] with healing powers and other things.
Right. For Jews to give up the unique relationship with God that we have on the basis of a plausible, but by no means the only plausible, interpretation of scripture, is asking a lot.

There are one or two verses in the Hebrew Bible that some Christians will point to as showing that the laws were going to be transcended or discarded. But if you look at the context, those verses, to my mind, don't indicate that.

But even if you thought the Christian interpretation was plausible, it's only a couple of verses. To base a decision to give up Torah on a couple of ambiguous verses in
Jeremiah
is not, to me, a serious response for a Jew. For a Christian, who defines his spirituality through the lens of the New Testament, it's different. The Christian prioritizes the new over the old.
LS: What do Jews believe the Messiah will be like, and how does Jesus differ from this?
The Messiah will change the world. There won't be any question about whether he's come.
LS: It will be completely obvious?
Yes. There's no indication that it will be a test if someone accepts him. In my book, I make the analogy of seeing a woman who's clearly pregnant, and then later her stomach is flat. There's no need to ask, "Did you have the baby?"

The trite response is, "Jesus didn't bring world peace." That's just the beginning. Ezekiel describes the third temple being built in the time of the Messiah--things anyone with eyes can verify.

Some Christians will say, it's a two-part process.

LS: Or they'll say it's metaphorical.
Well, if it's metaphorical, then everything's up for grabs. They'll be inconsistent about what's literal and what's metaphorical; Jews have a tradition that tells us what to understand literally and what figuratively.
LS: So the Christian interpretation of the rebuilt temple being Jesus' resurrection--that kind of symbolic, metaphorical reading--just doesn't work in terms of Jewish beliefs about the Messiah? You're saying the actual temple will be there. It will be an actual stone building?
There's no question. In the
last chapter of Ezekiel
, he describes a temple in great detail, down to exact measurements. The measurements are all wrong if it's supposed to be the First or Second Temple. So either he's describing something that's never going to happen or something that will happen.
Christians and Jews who take prophecy seriously can't understand his very architectural description as a metaphor. It clearly hasn't happened yet.
RP: I had never realized that Jesus was censored from the Talmud. You write that all mentions of Jesus were removed in the 16th century to avoid Christian wrath. I wonder if we would have been saved a lot of interfaith relations problems later if he had been left in. How did that happen and why?
There are a handful of references to Jesus in the pre-censored text of the Talmud. I struggled with whether to bring this up in my book, because some of them are off-color and offensive, certainly to Christians.

RP: Offensive because of the way Jesus is depicted?
The Talmud described his being punished after death--in a way that is clearly meant to be a metaphor. The story is a vision of villains suffering in hell, and one is of Jesus in hell [for 70 years]. It's clearly a metaphor, because Jews don't believe people suffer in hell longer than a year.

LS: So Jews believe people suffer in hell for a year?
Up to a year, if you've committed evils and haven't repented. In Jewish terms, it's not possible for Jesus to have been in hell 70 years after he died. It's clearly meant as a metaphor.
Nevertheless, I struggled with whether to bring things like that up at all. Why hurt the feelings of Christians? In many ways, it's the most religious Christians who are our very best friends--because they are friends of Israel and are on our side morally. But I ultimately decided that you can't write an honest history of the Jewish-Christian debate about Jesus without bringing up some disturbing things. The truth is, anti-Semites are already aware of this.

LS: What do Jews wish Christians understood about their feelings about Jesus?
I'd like them to understand that there is a serious and pretty massive response to Jewish arguments on behalf of Jesus. The story I tell in the book about being evangelized--that happens not infrequently. My friend Michael Medved, who speaks to a lot of Christian groups, tells me he gets asked about five times a week by Christians, in effect, "You seem like such a wonderful person, why don't you accept Jesus?"
It's not out of ignorance or impiety or not caring that Jews remain Jews. It's because we take the Hebrew Bible seriously. Christians, especially evangelicals--who also take the Hebrew Bible very seriously--should be able to understand that.
In a sense, I welcome Christian evangelism, because I think it's a very healthy challenge and prod to Jews. In my own case, my whole journey to Orthodox Judaism started because I got into an argument with a Jew for Jesus in 1982 on the UCLA campus. He argued with me about Isaiah 53 and showed me I didn't know anything about my inherited religion. I was disturbed by that, and it made we want to go out and learn more about the religion I'd been raised in.

For a lot of Jews it's the same. We sort of blithely go along and say, "To be a Jew means we don't believe in Jesus," which is nonsense. Christians, when they evangelize us in their sweet, respectful way-which is always the case in my experience-are challenging us to learn more about our own religion.

RP: At the same time, Jews spend millions each year on counter-missionary efforts. I doubt whether most Jews would say, "evangelism is a blessing."
I'm friendly with the guys at Jews for Judaism. They do a great job. I don't mean this in an insulting way to Christians, but when your body gets an infection it produces antibodies, and the antibodies are good to have around. Jews for Judaism wouldn't exist if it were not for Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus doesn't have a lot of success attracting actual Jews. A lot of the people who attend Messianic synagogue are not Jewish by birth.

LS: There have been many recent debates about religion in the public square. But do Jews feel uncomfortable seeing a creche scene on someone's lawn, or a crucifix or painting in someone's home?
There are definitely Jews who, while driving around a non-Jewish neighborhood and seeing a depiction of the Nativity on someone's lawn, would think "Oh, it's evangelism." It's a minority of Jews, but there are some Jews who have a very thin skin about any hint of any religion whatsoever. Not that they would take offense at a crucifix in someone's home, but they might feel "they might try to evangelize me." There's a weird fear, as if Jews haven't learned how to say "no thank you." I don't understand the fear, but it's definitely there.
LS: For many Christians, the Hebrew scriptural links are prioritized, as you said, according to how well they mesh with the story of Jesus. The interpretations are so ingrained. It's a big conundrum--how to gently explain to Christians that the evidence linking the Old Testament and New Testament isn't quite as self-evident as most Christians believe.
The only point where I disagree is "gently." My preference is for vigorous civilized debate in these issues.

LS: What about on a more personal level--when you're in someone's living room?
Yeah, for sure. We live in a really special time when Jews and Christians for the first time can discuss these questions in a spirit of friendship and love, not in a spirit of being threatened or angry. We should take that opportunity and not pretend it's still the Middle Ages when a Jew could get killed for saying the wrong thing.