Time to Come Together

Between Putin hosting the first G-8 Summit in Russia, the EU pressing Iran for a decision on (its) nuclear intentions, China pushing North Korea to return to Six Party talks and Israel fighting to recover its captured soldiers, Ameinu members might have been legitimately distracted as their President, KenBob debated the very raison d'etre for his organization’s existence with a heretofore unfamiliar provocateur, known only as the RavDav.
Throughout the past week, as the Crisis in Gaza grew over Cpl. Gilad’s kidnapping, these two philosophical polar opposites have debated the value of negotiations with Hamas. You can read the entire exchange in the Archives of Perspectives (7/5/06), Inseparable Events in Israel and comments.
Like watching two heavyweight champions going for the Gold, it becomes obvious to all but KenBob himself, that this is no simple 15 round bout, but rather a fight for survival of all he holds dear. Is Bob’s long-standing commitment to ‘being nice’ so ingrained in his very soul that he’d continue to push for Peace long after having been shown that there is no Partner for Peace to negotiate with? Has KenBob finally been confronted with the fact that his Progressive, Liberal values would actually now bring harm to Israel were they to be employed with the Terrorists in Gaza? Not only did the RavDav answer every charge and counter every rhetorical-punch KenBob was able to muster, but when he looked up from the mat all Bob could see was Labor’s own Minister of Defense, Amir Peretz vowing not to negotiate with violent Palestinians and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declaring ‘War’.
Has this debate come to and end? Is KenBob’s silence to be taken as his ‘swansong’? Have his core values been so shaken that he’s now ready to stand up to Israel’s enemies, to call a spade a spade and stop believing in the Easter Bunny? Perhaps this is KenBob’s ‘Come to Jesus’ moment – or ‘Yeah-shoe’ as we Jews are apt to pronounce the name. Whatever one might call it, it’s long overdue!
As President of Ameinu, you all know KenBob. You know he’s a smart as a whip, sharp as a tack and was an ardent Zionist by the time he was Bar Mitzvah. If the man at the top of your organization has come to realize that advocating for peace with the currently, elected Palestinian government is indefensible, then intellectual honestly would demand that you, as members of Ameinu, have little choice but to follow suit.
Kol Yisrael, all Jews everywhere are headed for some tough days ahead. As the IDF presses the Terrorists from Gaza to the Golan and from Bethlehem to Beirut, critics from the UN to CNN will attack Israel and extol its sworn enemies. Now is the time for all of us to come together and stand shoulder to shoulder behind Olmert and his cabinet.
May G-d’s blessings be upon y’all,
RavDav