Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that in line with campaign promises, he was moving ahead with the construction of a wall between his country and Mexico, a wall that the latter will fund “one way or another”.
While many world leaders expressed criticism, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was among the few praising the move, comparing it to his construction of a border fence which prevents continued infiltration by African aliens.
Mr. Netanyahu’s statements elicited the anger of Mexico, with its president rejecting Netanyahu’s statements.
A letter dated 2 Shevat 5775 from the Chief Rabbinate of Mexico to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri clearly states there are other who are unhappy with Mr. Netanyahu’s statements. It is explained the Prime Minister’s statements has resulted in increased anti-Semitism by Mexicans.
The beis din’s letter adds the Jewish community worked hard to establish relations with government leaders to gain the latter’s support for the State of Israel, and not, it is most unfortunate to see this tie being broken.
The beis din feels the only way “to put out the fire” is by the Prime Minister himself issuing a clarification, that there is a difference between Israel’s wall against terror and the wall that President Trump wishes to build against Mexico.
“Now they wish to oust the father who hasn’t papers and separate him from his children born in America. Certainly, America can do as it pleases but Israel must respect the Mexicans who live there and support them. Please try to explain this for the good of the Jews here and around the world” ends the letter signed by Rabbi Shlomo Tawil Shlita, Av Beis Din.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Stating an obvious truth does not cause anti-Semitism. Anti-Semites cause anti-Semitism. And if they can’t seize on one excuse, they’ll seize on another.
Eli Willner, can I correctly assume that you don’t live in Mexico?
do not for a minute think there’s no anti semitisam in Mexico or anywhere else regardless…
Eli Wilner – Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with Rav Hutners approach to Zionism.
Bibi is wrong on the wall, foolish to embrace Trump and endangers Jews with his reckless comments.
Absolute nonsense Mexico has a fence along its northern boarder to stop illegal from. Entering Mexico
If there increase in anti semitism which I doubt it’s because we Yankees come and flash our cash
#2: No, I don’t live in Mexico. I wasn’t aware that truth or logic change based on location. Live and learn, I guess.
#4: Perhaps I am already familiar. Perhaps even more than you, considering your ridiculous comments.
You’re right, it doesn’t. However, you stated a theory regarding anti semitism in general. If c”v something happened because of these remarks (which was only an excuse), who that feels personally affected would say that it’s OK because they would have found a different excuse some other time? Hence my conclusion that you wouldn’t feel affected personally.
Yes, live and learn.
R’Eli Wilner. – Rav Hutner faulted Zionism for creating a hatred of Jews.(“Years ago, it was still easy to find old residents of Yerushalayim who remembered the cordial relations they had maintained with the Mufti in the years before the impending creation of a Jewish State” and “This shameful episode, where the founders and early leaders of the State were clearly a factor in the destruction of many Jews, has been completely suppressed and expunged from the record” – Jewish Observer October 77) He did not say “Anti-Semites cause anti-Semitism. And if they can’t seize on one excuse, they’ll seize on another” Bibi is endangering Jews with his reckless attempt to curry favor by the egotistical Trump.
And BTW Israeli President Rivlin has already publicly apologized for Bibi’s silly and misguided comments.
#7, 8: To find the source of anti-Semitism you learn the tochacha. It didn’t originate nor did it end with Zionism and to imply that Rav Hutner said otherwise is to greatly misrepresent his point of view.
The State of Israel is a fact, it is where millions of yidden live, and most gedolim, including Rav Hutner, agreed that to enable them to live in security it was necessary to formally participate in the Israeli political process.
Most gedolim, including Rav Hutner, also agreed that maintaining the good will the US was a necessity, not a luxury and were extremely wary of actions that flew in the face of US policy for no reason other than hubris.
Defending Trump in the face of the firestorm of unfair criticism being unleashed on him by the left, by uttering truthful statements, as Mr. Netanyahu did, seems very reasonable in that light, and in the best interests of the security of Israel.
The fact is that every time Netanyahu, or any prominent yid, opens his mouth, some anti-Semite somewhere will seize on the words and try to make hay out of them. Obviously one should avoid deliberately making statements to stir them up. But it is foolish to tell Jewish leaders never to say anything, even something beneficial to the klal, because maybe an anti-Semite will use it as an excuse to spread his poison.
#4: Your statement that, “Bibi is wrong on the wall, foolish to embrace Trump and endangers Jews with his reckless comment” is your own opinion, and it is quite likely that Rav Hutner would have disagreed with it (most living gedolim, who by and large supported Trump, would also disagree with it). You are entitled to your opinion but it is false and disingenuous to attempt to imply that it is based on anything Rav Hutner said or did.
#9: Rivlin’s apology was a bow to political protocol and not a statement that Netanyahu was wrong, or even that Rivlin disagreed with him!
Eli Wilner – The Rov in Mexico clearly stated that Bibi’s statement caused anti semetic backlash and problems for yidden in Mexico. That is the factual reality. Please do not try to skirt the obvious fact that people on the ground all see.
Bibi’s statement was not obvious at all. As a mattet of fact the two walls amd reguons have little or anything in common. Israeli president Rivlin made that abudantly clear in his statement.
Bibi poked his nose into bussiness that was none of his concern. It was foolish and wrong for him to do that.
Gedolei Yisrael amongst them the Rav Hutner have spoken out forcefully against those that do not act as if we are in galus. Yiden who mock the galus mentality and chose to inject themselves in fights with the umas haoilam cause problems for klal yisrael. Rav Hutner blamed problems with the Mufti on such militant attitudes and did not say that it happens anyway or that the tochacha makes it unavoidable.
Many yidden live in EY and we must be concerned for their welfare and that is why Bibi must be opposed.
Kind of intresting to see people from a Yeshiva aligned with Rav Shmuel Aurbach defend the shikal hadaas of Bibi Netanyahu.
#12: I did not say that Netanyahu’s statement did not trigger anti-Semitism. I did say that his statement was done in the interest of the klal and that the anti-Semitic reaction was not something that he could have or should have anticipated.
No criticism of the Rav in Mexico is intended; his statements were also intended to protect the interests of his tzibur. His private opinion of either wall, or of Netanyahu’s statement, may not be the same as the opinino expressed in his public proclamation.
No one said that the two walls or the two situations were the same. You can’t give a drosho in a tweet. Netanyahu’s point was that if you want to control who has access to your country, and keep out those who don’t have legitimate access, a wall works. It’s hard to deny the legitimacy of that statement, and it’s hard to deny the propriety of Netanyahu’s attempt to solidify as solid a relationship with Trump as he can. Doing so is unquestionably in the interest of Israel’s security and other interests and he is charged with protecting those interests.
I fail to see how this reflects a non-golus attitude. On the contrary, attempting to ingratiate oneself and one’s nation to the world’s primary superpower is about as golus-oriented as you can get.
I get it that you don’t like Netanyahu. Or Trump. But attempting to invoke Rav Hutner in support of your position is ludicrous and more than a little chutzpadik.
#12: In the first place, my Yeshiva is not “aligned” any more with one set of gedolim in e’y than with another set.
In the second place, I doubt that Rav Shmuel himself would maintain that any position that Netanyahu takes is by definition wrong, simply because it is Netanyahu’s position.
You have invoked Rav Hutner and his Yeshiva to show that you recognize my name and my association with that gadol and that Yeshiva. Ok, you made your point, now give it a rest. This discussion has nothing to do with Rav Hutner and Yeshiva Chaim Berlin.
I choose to use my own name online because I am not ashamed to be associated with my opinions and my statements. It’s a little childish for you to hide behind a silly pseudonym and take gratuitous pokes at someone who feels no need to hide.
Injecting oneself into a diplomatic squabble the day after the Mexican President cancels his visit to Washington is מתגרה באומות.
Injecting oneself into a domestic political fight that is none of Israel’s concern is מתגרה באומות.
EY needs American support. Strengthening bipartisan support for Israel is the way to make sure that the “good will” of America lasts. Having the Israeli PM act like a Republican partisan hack is not a good way of solidifying American support for Israel and creates real and true danger for Jews in EY and other countries such as Mexico.
I will personally accept the view of a Talmid Chochom like Harav Shlomo Tawil over the view of a man like Netanyahu who just a few years ago caused extreme tzar for gedolei yisrael and our chareidi bretheren in EY.
#16: I am not sure how offending an impotent backwater like Mexico in order to gain favor with the most powerful nation on earth can be construed as מתגרה באומות but your are entitled to your opinion.
I don’t think a single Democrat that supports Israel was put out by Netanyahu’s support of Trump’s wall but if you have a statement from a Democratic support of Israel that demonstrates to the contrary I’d be happy to see it.
As I said earlier, you don’t know the view of Rabbi Tawil. He said what he had to say. For all we know he completely supports Netanyahu’s statement.