Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Wednesday 26 October 2011

The Notion of Jewish Chosenness (video)

As seen in my last, the notion of Jews as the "Chosen People" is subject to widespread misunderstanding, and is of course a potent gift to antisemites.  The religious Israeli speaker in this video attempts to clarify the term and dispel misconceptions.

4 comments:

  1. "religious Israeli speaker"=Muslim

    that said, one need not be a follower of Judaism to correctly articulate the biblical concept of "chosenness"...listen, but verify, is all I'm saying

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  2. ER - are you implying that I am a Muslim, any more than any other Jew who takes Torah seriously is a Muslim? I am a "muslim" ONLY in the sense of one who strives to submit to G-d's Will. Not in the sense of one who tries to serve Allah in accordance with the teachings of Muhammad.

    From -- guy in the video.

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  3. I probably should have rejected that comment, Yosef - it was certainly strange. Luckily, I don't get too many oddball comments on here.

    ReplyDelete

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