They stay true friends but must unlearn the supremacy they were fed, too
Comparing Hamas to Nazi Germany doesn’t come from being stuck in the past, obsessed with our darkest hours. The comparison holds and clarifies!
- President Biden lectures Israel to care more for Gaza civilians.
Does he really think he can improve on IDF’s and Israel’s morality?
- The UK’s and Canada’s PMs demand Israel obeys International Law.
This after Hamas perpetrated 15 types of war crimes and Israel none.
- The Pope pleads for a ceasefire.
After D-Day, should the Allies have ceased fire for German civilians’ relief?
- The Dutch leader of the left calls us to be calm despite our anger.
Do we seem angry? Perhaps he means the Hamas demo in Amsterdam.
- The UN Secretary-General told Israel we asked for it.
True, the UN is only Israel’s fair-weather friend, but how to answer it? I would reply: Just like the Jews in WWII had it coming to them, right?
- Many still think they’re ‘fair’ for being even-handed, for two States.
Is it reasonable to see WWII as conflicting needs of Germans and Jews? The Frisians and Bedouin don’t need their own States because they have full citizenship of the Netherlands/Israel respectively, with respect.
- Many Allies believe they are better informed than Israelis.
They believe Hamas, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and the international and their national press agencies. But they have Internet. Why not the Israeli news? Why not listen to the Muslims, Druze, Bedouins, and Christians in Israel?
- They still speak of the Israelis and Palestinians.
When the haters openly say: As Muslims, we hate the Jews, they prove this isn’t a territorial dispute, much like the Nazis didn’t need Jewish spaces.
- In contrast: German Chancellor Scholz said: “Israel is a democracy, a country committed to human rights and international law and acting accordingly. The accusations being made against Israel are absurd.”
It’s not enough to scandalize the lies, disrespect, and hatred of politicians. We must also show how people speak who value us, to prove there is no unshakable law of nature forcing the others to speak/act haughty to Jews.
***
There are too many people who claim they support the Palestinians, but they lie. They just hate the Jews, their old hatred.
There are too many Christians who claim they support the Jews, but they lie. They just hate Muslims, their old hatred.
No one profits from that kind of hatred disguised as support for the other.
You don’t take them seriously when you call them useful idiots of Hamas. Hamas didn’t turn them into Antisemites. It’s the old supremacy. Respect and true love for Jews would’ve protected them against anti-Jewish lies.
It should be a no-brainer to reject Antisemitic speech coming from anyone.
Just like a woman can ‘hate’ feminism, a Jew can hate Jews. So sad.
We need to turn against any Israeli politician who attacks the present unity government. Unity is our strength. Let’s ignore the naysayers.
During an Antisemitic war, PM Netanyahu has the easiest job in the world. He doesn’t need to spin anything. He doesn’t have to have a selective memory or focus. He only must repeat the truth, over and over again. But if you object: ‘But politicians get no training for that,’ then you’re correct.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1