Seattle Synagogue Continues Anti-Israel Crusade
Seattle’s Kadima Congregation hosts discredited anti-Zionist speaker.
Rabbi David Basior
Under the leadership of Rabbi David Basior, Seattle’s Kadima congregation has expanded their Israel related programming with a vengeance. Using lofty catchwords like “sharing our truths”, “openness” and “compassionate-listening”, the synagogue’s Israel programming comes in one flavor only, anti-Israel.
Hot on the heels of a Purim fund raiser for the anti-Semitic group Youth against Settlements, and Rabbi Basior’s current junket to engage in ‘direct action’ against the Jewish state, this afternoon Kadima hosted the discredited anti-Zionist historian, Ilan Pappe.
Promo of Pappe event from Kadima website
Co-sponsoring the Pappe lecture with Kadima was Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Israel, pro-BDS organization that hosted convicted Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Odeh at their recent national conference. Odeh was convicted by Israeli courts for her role in the murder of two Jewish students, Leon Kanner and Eddie Joffe in the bombing of a Jerusalem Supermarket.
Ilan Pappe “harbors deep animus towards the Jewish state, has publicly called for its elimination, and engages in activities to harm its citizens”. – Professor Tammi Rossman-Benjamin
Tami Rossman-Benjamin
The Mike Report reached out to Professor Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a lecturer at the University of California Santa Cruz, co-founder of AMCHA Initiative, and an expert on anti-Semitism. Professor Rossman-Benjamin describes Pappe as “an Israeli Jew who harbors deep animus towards the Jewish state, has publicly called for its elimination, and engages in activities to harm its citizens, such as a campaign to boycott Israeli academics, which he helped to found.” In addition, says Rossman-Benjamin, “he openly supports the terrorist organization Hamas and falsely accuses Israel of “crimes against humanity,” including “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”.”
Ilan Pappe flanked by his Palestinian “security guards” at a 2014 visit to South Africa.
It is difficult to fathom, what, other than his anti-Zionist, pro-BDS credentials, would lead Kadima to honor Pappe with a speaking engagement. Professor Benny Morris, one of the world’s most esteemed Middle East historians described Pappe in an article in New Republic as “at best”, “one of the world’s sloppiest historians; at worst, one of the most dishonest.”
Ilan Pappe is “at best”, “one of the world’s sloppiest historians; at worst, one of the most dishonest.” -Professor Benny Morris
Of Pappe’s book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, says Morris, “distortions, large and small, characterize almost every page”. Professor Morris noted that Pappe “often omits and ignores significant evidence”, “alleges that a source tells us the opposite of what it in fact says, but he will also simply and straightforwardly falsify evidence.” “To the deliberate slanting of history” says Morris, “Pappe adds a profound ignorance of basic facts. Together these sins and deficiencies render his “histories” worthless as representations of the past.”
While Pappe’s anti-Israel pontifications may be worthless as history, they are very useful as tools to demonize and marginalize the Jewish people and the only Jewish state. That a Jewish congregation like Kadima eagerly colludes in this endeavor is troubling indeed.
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For all the Jews and others who think Ilan Pappe is bringing forth accurate historical information, please have a look at this video examining his book “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.” It’s short:
Self-Hating-Jews, Anti-Israelism and Antisemitism are all mental disorders that make no rational sense, and cannot be cured by the Jewish people trying to be a nicer more generous people in the eyes of the world. For example, every time the Jewish State of Israel has given up land for peace it has only proven the definition of insanity, (doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result) to be absolutely true.
So I would like this message to strongly resonate not only in the minds of my fellow Jewish brethren, but all the diverse people and Nations of the world. As I believe the anti-Israel and antisemitic double standard Israel experiences stems from not taking a strong stand on who we the Jewish people are as a Nation, and all the land of Israel that belongs to the Jewish people. When we are strong the world leaves us alone, but when we compromise our very legitimate existence, especially with the Arab Nations, the Jewish people dilute their own National integrity amongst the Nations of the world.
I believe the weakness of Self-Hating-Jews and the Anti-Israel crowd have once again allowed the social acceptance of anti-Israelism and antisemitism to show there ugly heads, fueling the double standard that exists against the Jewish people of the world, especially the Jewish State of Israel, in the media and the United Nations and many countries around the world. I want the Jewish people to jump way in front of the media and all the Jew and Israel hating entities and take a strong National stand amongst the Nations of the world and self actuate the Jewish State of Israel’s true narrative and stop trying to please the Arab’s and others who want to wipe us out as a people.
I would rather be hated by the world then loved by a world who tries to save us (G-D for bid) from another holocaust. I DO NOT want the world to love the Jewish State of Israel, but to “RESPECT” it and the Jewish people collectively. This can only begin to happen when a ONE JEWISH STATE OF ISRAEL solution is established with secure defensible borders, including its language and culture preserved in perpetuity via implementing national laws similar to the democratically run countries of Japan and Switzerland.
Once we as a collective Jewish Nation stand up and say in unison, ISRAEL is L.E.G.I.T., then and only then will antisemitism and the double standard begin to disappear and the “TRUE JEWISH NATIONAL NARRATIVE” rise up throughout the Community of Nations around the world!
How is the Kadima Congregation responding to this information?
Elisa Azose
Other than wilful ignorance and self-hatred, I have no way to understand Jews being filled with such hatred against the G-d of our Bible and the miracles He has brought about in Israel. I’m used to secular Jews showing their disdain by turning away from religion and G-d entirely, but to actually put forth so much effort to try to destroy beautiful Israel by supporting her enemies is unfathomable for me. No one can fight G-d and win.
In every generation there are self loathing Jews who turn on their people. The Kadima is a cancer, I sense that Jews in Seattle of all religious affiliations are starving them of communal recognition.
Can the Jewish people of the world carry out their G’d given mission of being a light unto the nations doing the work of Tikkun while at the same time supporting Israel as a Jewish state at all costs? This is a question that has long lain on the hearts of many people, not only Jews but also Christians such as myself. Now, as difficult and painful as it may be, this question is being openly discussed in a growing number of religious communities in these United States.
This is the question that the Kadima community provided a forum for this past Saturday. Their guest speaker, Prof. Ilan Pappe’ clearly answers this question with a very definite, “No!” And it appears that this community along with their rabbi, David Bassior, for the most part agree. But Saturday’s program was a forum open for dialogue by people who differ on this question. Rather than standing on the sidelines taking potshots and slinging ad hominem arguments at Kadima’s guest speaker, me thinks it would have been far more responsible and creative if those of us who disagree with Prof. Pappe’ had joined in on the discussion and argued for what they believe is true.
One of the major problems we Americans suffer from these days is our apparent inability to have respectful and thoughtful discussions with those with whom we disagree. For the sake of the health of our religious communities as well as our American society, we, Jews and Christians alike, need to do what we can to alleviate this very serious and democracy undermining problem.