Purim Sameach!

Robert

Can you assist me with something that just doesn't add up in my mind. It is your assessment that the biggest threat facing Israel today comes from Iran. Most Israelis would agree. So please consider the following.

As you know I lived in the UAE for nearly two years and during this time I traveled to most countries in the Middle East region. Being the political junkie that I am I took the opportunity whenever I could to engage people in political conversation even on the most sensitive of topics. I consequently witnessed first hand the truly frightening levels of deep rooted hatred that exists in the Arab world toward Jews. I came across perfectly pleasant people who foamed at the mouth at the mention of the word Jew or Israel.

However the one country where I found this to be astonishingly absent was Iran. I even found what I can only describe as an apparent respect for Judaism among the Iranians I met. I am not saying this to be confrontational. I am just describing what I experienced. Ok so I met some nice Iranians, big deal. It hardly means the regime is in any way less evil.

But I am not the only person confused on this. I get this a lot on my blog. Iranians are by far the best at assimilating into western society compared to other Muslims. I believe this is true in the US as well as Europe. In fact anti regime Iranians are often the ones who get into trouble. Furthermore Iran is the only country in the region that has not expelled its Jews since the foundation of Israel is it not. I also read recently that Iran's Jews have been travelling to Israel via Turkey to visit relatives and returning unmolested. None of these points (correct them if wrong) fit the categorization Iran has of being the greatest threat facing Israel. This is why I am confused.

You are a very knowledgeable man Robert. Please fill in the gaps for me.

Oh and Happy Purim. On my only trip to Israel I arrived druring Purim not knowing anything about it. Even one of the guys at passport control was in costume.

Obama is less than useless....

Boy, that's being kind.

He is well on his way to being much, much worse than Carter.

To all Jewish readers of Seraphic Secret...
A frailech Purim!!

Ted:

Thanks so much for the comment.

It is true that many Iranians are not Jew-haters, and do not advocate for genocide, but the fact remains that Jews have a very hard life in Iran. There are about 40,000 Persian Jews in Los Angeles and believe me they did not emigrate to CA for the sunny weather. I have heard tons of horror stories about midnight arrests, torture, property confiscations, and hangings.

In fact, when Iran has their gigantic "Death To Israel" rallies, Jews attend because if they don't a neighbor will inform on them and they will be arrested as Zionist spies.

Yes, its that's bad. Jews are compelled to chant "Death To Israel, Death to Jews, Death to America."

Jews who leave Iran do so by paying off the corrupt mullahs with money and property.

Here are two simple rules of Jewish history and there are no exceptions:

Rule #1: When a government threatens mass murder on Jews, they always try to keep their promise.

Rule #2: When Jews are oppressed and become easy targets for totalitarian Jew-hating regimes, everyone else becomes vulnerable.

That means you, because you are an infidel.

No doubt, there are lovely and tolerant Iranian citizens, but they are, like moderate Palestinians, irrelevant.

No doubt many Persians are westernized, and assimilated, but hey the Germans of the 1930's were the most cultured people in Europe. Education and culture count for nothing when it comes to the virus of Jew-hatred. In fact, it's usually the best educated who flock to the mob.

That's why state's go to war against other states, not against individual citizens or political parties.

Thanks so much for your Purim wishes.

History is indeed a wheel - never thought of it like that before but as the French say, "The more things change...."

If the movie Patton is true to the General, he made battle predictions and tactics based on previous battles a thousand years ago (in North Africa and Sicily)

The parallels I have seen with today - and the last few years - versus the 1930s are eerie - there were plenty of Hitler apologists and even admirers in Europe prior to 1939 (not to mention those who actively profited from the Nazis after 1939).

Putting myself into the 3rd person (stepping out of my "skin" as it were), it is astounding at the similarities today.

And yet with many things - Britain's holding off the Nazis, I have to believe that G*d was still guiding them. No matter how bad things looked.

If my aeronautical history is correct, the magnificent B29 - a huge bomber and the first pressurized bomber to enable it to fly at huge altitudes and distances - making 14 hour round trip flights from Saipan and Tinian to Japan - was conceived in 1939 and designed under the assumption that Britain would fall to the Nazis and this plane would make bombing runs to Europe from America.

When I look at America's victory over the superpower of the day, Great Britain, I have to believe G*d was helping us, all for His purpose.

But making national policy on the assumption that we will be bailed out by a Higher Power is not sound policy ;-)

Do you have a headache?

Mata Hari:

Headache-free! Thanks for asking. Happy Purim.

"Do you have a headache?"

Yes, and his term doesn't expire for 4 more years... *sigh*

By the way -- beautiful scroll!!

Thanks Robert

Very interesting

You have given me a lot to think about.

Ted:

You're very welcome.

Let's not forget the great elephant in the room- Saudi Arabia, one of the most closed fundamentalist religiois societies on the planet and a country that actively funds Madrasaas in Pakistan and elsewhere. Iran is definitely a concern but in some ways Saudi Arabia is an even bigger one both because of their policies which are even more repressive than Iran's and because of their great wealth which is funding fundamentalism throughout the world.

I was searching for a picture of a megilla and was getting all upset, because there were all these j4j sites, then I saw this one.
Thanks
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2010/02/purim-pet-peeve.html