The Jerusalem Post continues its slander of the PM
Speaking at an event marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Netanyahu implied that our [Jewish] tradition and modernity forbid hurting life-forms, so even more so fellow human beings, women.
He remarked that if you cannot hit any life-form, you certainly cannot hit women and children. This wickedness needs to be eradicated.
But the Post translated life-forms as animals and screamed that he called women animals. Its headline: “Netanyahu calls women animals” Also the Times of Israel editors don’t really understand Hebrew, it seems, as they follow the Post, though a bit milder. Only days later, the Post came with the real news from the conference.
Who cares if some low-life publication said so? But the Post still has a good name by those who missed that its glory is something of the distant past. And the Times really disappointed me.
Pieces like that give Israel’s press a bad name.
Bibi, please don’t blame the media in general. Call out the terrible ones. Or better: name the ones who are fair. Maybe not always supportive or always correct but at least trying to be fair.
***
In a further departure from reality, the JPost now headlines that “Some 49% of Israelis want Biden to relaunch talks with the PA”–conclusions from a left-wing ‘opinion poll’–lacking details like the scope and margin of error.
This gives the false impression that Trump had stopped talking to the Palestinian leadership. It’s really the opposite. As always, they refused to sit down for negotiations. But–new!–Trump decided not to wait for them.
Pushing a false narrative is typical for shady publications. Readers beware!
***
Three is a charm. The JPost applauds a further inquiry in possible bribery around military spending in Germany. They ‘know’ that 90% of the facts are still unknown. How do they know that? Prophecy?
Although the AG has cleared Netanyahu in this affair, “if Netanyahu [is] guilty of misconduct in this matter, we all have a right to know.”
If the JPost perpetuates hatred for the PM, readers have a right to know.
***
Betraying the underdog and huddling with power still paves the way to ‘greatness’
Running a gambling business where the poor, destitute, and hopeless gamble away their last dollars can make you rich and respectable.
Honesty, working, and earning a decent salary for a living is for losers.
Portraying strength and confidence will be liked by many more men and women than someone sensitive and cautious.
Emotions and insecurity are for wimps, women and losers.
Ignoring the plight of homosexuals won’t ruin your standing with most people while voicing their concerns will.
Solidarity with losers makes you a loser.
Placating the Middle Class will give more votes than voicing solidarity with blue-color workers.
Too much solidarity with the poorer will make you a loser.
Dog whistles to racist conditioning will get you votes.
Being politically correct is for losers.
Avoiding any emotion (‘grownup’) and being ‘super-rational’ will get you to the top better than being authentic (‘crazy’) and human.
The show must go on if you don’t want to be a loser.
Show that you are a top dog.
Talk of love, respect, and unity is for losers.
Don’t have empathy for Jews or Arabs if that costs you votes.
Sentimentality and solidarity are for losers.
The successful people who easily betray the interests of the weak, how do they live with themselves?
Well, while faking it on their way to the top, they promise themselves that when they get there, they’ll benefit the weaker parts of society too. Once they arrive, they forgot. How do they sleep at night? Very well, thank you.
Power doesn’t corrupt. People corrupt.
Not standing with the oppressed makes you part of the problem.
Stop following and having faith in those who ignored the weak to get power and look respectable. Look to people who dare to use their privilege to be with the underprivileged, not to win but to be true to their soul.
***
No one will profit from Trump
Trump uses people. When he’s done with you, he’ll toss you out quicker than you can say Mar-a-Lago. Loyalty is not part of his game.
If you’d accept a new spouse who cheated on their spouse to get to you, you can know that in the end, s/he’ll leave you for another just like that.
Fox News knew that he was a cheater and a liar when they pandered to him. Still, they would be loyal. He would not.
As soon as he found better, Newsmax and OANN, he went to them. He’ll cheat them too. Perhaps, when he’d start his own news channel.
His goal is to win and gain, not to hand out.
His biggest joy: no one fair will feel for them as they first abetted him.
And he won’t feel bad for them. No empathy. You wouldn’t want him to speak be at your funeral. Promoting himself.
About the Author
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. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 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 that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
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 agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. 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. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
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
