Let me first say that I can’t promise to have an answer. But even if I can’t figure it out, we still should keep pondering this accusatory question.
For starters, any of the generalizations should not make us lose sight of the fact that in any group, there good and bad people. That’s very important!
The Israeli public is quite tolerant, on average. Maybe, that’s because Judaism stresses to be more critical of oneself than of others?
Also, the Sages say that Jews, 80% of Israel’s population, are characterized by being humble, compassionate, and nice.
The exception, sadly, seem the Rabbis. So, a major question is: why?
The religious parties, led by rabbis, are the only ones who, as a group, stop Gay marriage in Israel. But, back to our main spotlight, on journalists.
***
Why are the Israeli media so hostile? (Include: indifferent.) Persecution of Jews and Gays is similar enough.
Forget about Left or Right. Haaretz is not much better. Nor is the TOI.
This public/press discrepancy is not unique. So are a major part of the US news outlets anti-Israel, but the population and the Senate are with us.
The Jerusalem Post, a far cry from the quality paper it once was, is the only one that always takes a news story with an LGBTQ angle. Is that because of its British roots? The UK was the last Western country to decriminalize being Gay. And Jews from there still feel their deep shame about it? (Once, I talked with one of the most senior journalists of the JPost and she was an absolute homophobe. But that’s years ago and her paper is not anymore.)
Take this moving story from the JTA about a US cantor who pleaded for a successful athlete disgraced for being Gay over half a century ago. As a result, the Catholic school and the officials of then retracted their shameful behavior, moving the victim to no end. Only the JPost ran the item. I even asked the TOI to publish the now 3-day-old piece — to no avail. Why?
Beats me. Also its almost 10,000 bloggers are typically silent on LGBTQ-issues. I don’t get it. So, I call upon you, the reader, for suggestions.
***
My best guess is that the Israeli English press is mainly populated by secular Jews from English-speaking countries. They somehow can see that Jews need their own place under the sun but not LGBTQs. But why?
Maybe their assimilation causes this? Not holding on to much of the tradition, being anti-Gay became a last relic of their Jewish identity? UK Chabad Rabbi Chaim Rapoport in his book on the subject suggests such.
***
For those who think that this is a rather marginal issue: If (conservative estimate) 5% in every community are Lesbian or Gay, then at least a third of the population has a first-degree Gay relative (0.95 times 0.95 times 0.95 times…). Also, there must be at least 1 million Lesbian or Gay Jews.
Some people may dislike the calling out of Homophobia. Would they also object against standing up against Racism? LGBTQ-hatred is a form of Racism too. Under the false argument of a different body (visible skin tone vs. invisible brain gender preferences), regarding others less because they threaten the comfort of the White/Hetero-normative privileged.
I’m going to repeat myself for all clarity. Not every person in the groups I mentioned above (chronologically: Israelis, Jews, Rabbis, the Israeli and US journalists and populations, the Left, British, bloggers, secular Zionists) fits the same mold. I’m only describing a general trend in these groups. But if you’re the exception, please use that to your and everyone’s advantage.
And, as with any oppression, while hurting the target group, the people who act as agents of the bigotry hurt mostly their own humanness.
Whatever the cause, this must change. Hostile media are a mighty enemy.
***
Meanwhile, in slightly related news, International Women’s Day, March 8, has turned into a week (much like a yearly Pride Parade turned into Pride Month). The JPost started past Friday with dozens of articles in which women take center-stage and the TOI has joined the parade of articles.
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
