These three U’s are coming to Jerusalem: the Eurovision Song Festival, the US Embassy and You as tourists. What can you expect?
It’s all about so many groups living alongside and together with each other. Some differences have never been clearer. Take Jerusalem this week for its main four faiths.
Secular- Jewish — First there were Sunday at midnight the celebrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem of mostly secular young Israel of after 20 years it again winning the Eurovision Song Festival 2018 – with a chicken song. According to the lead-chicken – sorry: singer – during jury results proclamations, this is a vote for diversity – because she’s not the stupid slim body ideal. The song’s most catching part of the lyrics was the high-level poetic “I’m not your toy / You stupid boy,” which leads me to think that winning through the popular European vote was a #metoo result: a vote against sexual harassment.
Though Israel’s law are the height of protection against sexual harassment, the looks of the performance were … Japanese, which immediately gave critiques a way to call it racist appropriation. (Even Israelis’ lack of national pride elevates the Japanese to a race.)
At receiving the coveted Prize though, the looping artist proclaimed love for her country and was looking forward to the next competition being held in Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, in 2019 – miraculously on Lag baOmer. So much for the secular and racist labels as Netta is beloved especially by her large traditional Oriental fan base.
Religious-Jewish – Then Sunday, mostly at daybreak, the more religious part of Israel was honoring postponed Jerusalem Day celebrations, giving thanks to the Creator for the 51-years unification of Jerusalem as the the Capital of the Jewish State, and especially including all of the Old City and the Kotel (Western Wall) of the Temple Mount. As can be seen earlier and later at the Kotel and later downtown and also in Tel Aviv. (Though on top of the Mount the law of the Muslim Waqf reigns, when they want to remove a Jew, they still need to call Israeli police to make the arrest. It is really in our hands.)
For religious Jews this day is even more significant than Independence Day. A record number of Jews went up the Mount today, as also recorded in dismay by the anti-Zionist Haaretz. However, Jerusalem Day is really from all Jews and not against anyone, as some realize in tolerant Jerusalem.
(Mei 14 is also the civil date of Israel’s 1948 Declaration of Independence – not celebrated in Israel, but nevertheless mentioned by the American Delegation for tomorrow’s event.)
Catholic – Tomorrow, Monday, the call for removing Israeli control over its Capital will receive a serious blow with the US embassy being opened in Jerusalem. (Still, it’s kind of acknowledging that I have a head or my shoulders. Do we really need the stating of the obvious?)
While the main anti-Jewish slogan since the Jews’ intention to work for an independent Jewish state was for driving the Jews from Jerusalem, the more subtle anti-Zionists promote: dividing Jerusalem, or even finer: putting it under international control – as if there could be any group more international than Israel’s Jews.
Though the Church has been one of the main players against Israeli’s sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, almost the whole of post-Holocaust Europe does not lag far behind, with some recent notable exceptions.
In keeping with the Jewish concept of not mixing celebrations (we don’t marry on a Festival), the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will be on the day-after, unbeknownst that it is Hebron Day, commemorating 51 year that the Israeli Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren took a Torah scroll and walked into Hebron, liberating it without a blow. Just as it says in the Bible, Deuteronomy 28:7 and Joshua 23:10. When the hostile soldiers and population saw the self-confident Chief Rabbi enter alone, on foot and unarmed, they assumed that he must be followed by an enormous military might – and fled.
Muslim – The day after, Tuesday, Arab Palestinian activist will commemorate and persist in their historic mistake not to settle for half of the country and instead choose all-or-nothing, victim hood, injury and death in the ever-fresh pipe dream of anti-Semites to succeed in exterminating the Jews.
Muslims loyal to the State of Israel will keep their mouth shut, because they don’t have the means yet to safely be more nuanced about this.
The day this year coincides not just with Rosh Chodesh but also with the start of the Ramadan. Let’s pray that the holiness of this month, of the tradition to repent for a month will help these “demonstrations” to pass without violence and may we hear a beginning of a public choice for hope for building a better future for all – not just for the Palestinian autocrats. To all Muslim readers: Ramadan Kareem!رمضان كريم
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