Aloha brother,
First off - If I said anything that may have offended you, I apologize. My Post #5 was not meant to call into question what you have heard from the Jewish Rabbis you have spoken to; or any other Jews you may have had conversations with; or especially anything that your wife may have said about this issue. Again, if you think I was calling you or them liars, I apologize for not being clear enough in my Post.
What I was trying to convey was the attitude of many Jews (especially the "
religious" Jews) who live in Israel as opposed to those Jews living outside of Israel.
Quote:
"Are the Jews that live in the USA not real Jews
? IE: Race and Faith."
"Well you must think so also or you would not quote this information."
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I never once even "
hinted" that the Jews living outside of Israel weren't "real" Jews. Again I was trying to convey what I have read from the
religious Jews abiding in Israel, who think of themselves as being "better" (the reason for my comparing them to the Pharisees of Jesus' day) than most other Jews living in Israel and especially those Jews who are living in other lands (outside of Israel).
The
religious Jews and many "conservative" Jews living in Israel have a special affinity to the
LAND of Israel, and as such they cannot understand why other Jews would prefer to live somewhere else (outside of the land of Israel).
If I gave the impression that they didn't believe that the Jews living outside of Israel weren't Jews - then again, I apologize. It's not so much that they don't consider them Jews, as they (the
religious Jews in Israel) don't consider them (Jews living outside of the land of Israel) to be as "good" a Jew as themselves.
I know that this is "nothing new", but I was merely trying to point out the difference in the "attitude" between many Jews living
in Israel and many Jews that live
outside the land (I wasn't "taking sides" with, or judging who is right and who is wrong in regards to this "difference" - I was merely trying to point out that a "difference" exists.).
Having said all of the above, I have a hard time understanding why you are so upset with what I said. I was trying to inform you (and others on the Forum) about the difference in "attitude" between many Jews living
in the land of Israel and most of the Jews living
outside of the land. I was not making any accusations or taking sides in their differences, but many Americans are not aware of these differences and I believe they should be.
Many of the Jews living
in Israel have an extremely strong affinity for THE LAND of Israel (some people would describe them as being "fanatical"), and in this love of THE LAND of Israel they distinguish themselves from many other Jews living
in Israel and most of the Jews living
outside of Israel.
Israel is not only a divided land - at this point in time they are a "divided" people. If we Americans think that our country is divided and in chaos, Israel is even more so. I do not believe that most Americans are aware of the divisiveness that exists between the Israelites living in the land or the precarious position that Israel is in - in regards to the rest of the world.
The fact that they are so divided (religiously, socially, & politically) is the reason that they are weaker (as a nation) than they have been for the last 30 or more years. They "
lost" the recent war in Lebanon because they no longer have the resolve to defeat their enemies and
win a war (reminds me of the United States since the end of World War II).
My Post #5 was meant to inform. It was NOT intended as a criticism of Jews (inside or outside of Israel). I gave a bunch of web site addresses so that anyone interested in the subject might inform themselves of this issue and that they might receive information that the mainstream press inside the U.S.A. is not providing and what the two major Israeli newspapers, "Haaretz" and "The Jerusalem Post" also fail to provide. (Haaretz would be the "equivalent" to The New York Times {extremely "Liberal"}, and The Jerusalem Post would be the equivalent to the Washington Post {very "Liberal"})
We need to be informed. People should be aware that our President (George Bush) and our "
extremely bright" Secretary of State (Condoleeza Rice) have been trying to
force Israel to give up land that God promised to them (in perpetuity) almost 4,000 years ago!
People should be aware that the United States has been exerting tremendous pressure on Israel (through
fear, intimidation, threats, extortion, and coercion) for many years (Nixon - 1973 Yom Kipper War; Carter - "
Peace Treaty" between the "Palestinians" and Israel; Clinton - failed "
Peace Treaty"; and now Bush & Rice - The so-called "
Road Map to Peace".)
Brother, please don't get me wrong. I'm rooting for the Jews - even though they are not yet converted (as a nation), I wholeheartedly support them and am disappointed and dismayed at the way we (our government) have treated them over the past 35 years or more.
I hope I have made myself clearer this time, if I haven't, please ask any questions or make any comments or criticisms known to me and I will try to deal with them.
