The Kindness of Fools - Part I

Many centuries ago our Sages passed on to us the following words of wisdom:

“He who is compassionate to the cruel will ultimately become cruel to the compassionate” (Tanhuma, Parashat Mezora,1; Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Chapter 121.)

It seems that there are those amongst the Jewish People who have yet to learn this lesson.

American Jewish organizations gear up to help Arab Israelis

The Jewish community in the United States is gearing up for a new challenge: raising funds to promote equal rights for Israel's Arab minority. Having proved its strength in struggles for the Jews of Russia, Ethiopia and Iran, American Jewish organizations are now readying to help improve the lives of Arab Israelis.

This initiative is an absolute disgrace for two very different reasons:

1) There can be no doubt that that the Arabs who posses Israeli citizenship do not recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel existing as a Jewish / Zionist State. This applies equally to both to the masses (as can be seen here and here), as well as their leaders (as can be seen here and here).

Now, it's one thing to argue that the State of Israel has an obligation to ensure the rights of all of its citizens, regardless of their race or religion, and as such, has an obligation to provide services to Arabs who posses Israeli citizenship. However, this does not explain why private Jewish organizations should be raising funds to support those who are clearly enemies of the Jewish State!?!

2) This leads to the second problem I have with this initiative. Let's pretend for a moment that the Arabs of Israel were not enemies of the Jewish State; that they accepted the fact that the State of Israel was, is and will continue to be a Jewish State, and that they had no desire to change that reality.

(ahhh... how nice).

Even were this to be the case, it still does not justify spending private Jewish funding on the Arab citizens of the Jewish State.

* Are there no poor Jews in the State of Israel who could use a little support from their Jewish brothers and sisters?

* Are there no Jewish communities in the State of Israel that couldn't use a little boost?

* Are there no worthwhile causes or charitites whithin the State of Israel that seek to strengthen the Jewish People and State that are worht supporting?

* Have the Jewish communities outside the Land of Israel overcome all of their own internal challenges confronting them, such as the skyrocketing intermarriage rates, assimilation, waning Jewish identity and support for the Jewish State that they can afford to be throwing money at the Arabs of the Jewish State?

* Do those behind this initiative truly believe that by investing in the Arabs of the Jewish State that they will be able to buy their loyalty and friendship the Jewish State?

* If the Arabs of the Jewish State are so badly off, why is it that they choose to remain?

* Furthermore, if the situation of the Arabs of the Jewish State is so dire, why do we not hear of the Sheik's of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar rushing to provide financial aid to their "brothers"?

Of all the questions, the last is the easiest to answer.

Why should the sheiks of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar send aid to the Arabs living in the Jewish State when they can count on the misplaced kindness of their enemies (the Jews) to do the job for them?!?

There’s a sucker born every minute… and they seem to end up either in the government of the State of Israel or heading major Jewish organizations where they spend all their time developing absurd initiatives that cause the Jewish People and State more harm than good.

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