White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has arrived in Israel as planned, to celebrate the bar mitzvah of his son. The event was originally set to be held at the Kosel. Emanuel was in Eilat on Friday, and then headed to Yerushalayim, where reports indicate he will be remaining for a number of days during this private visit.
It appears Emanuel will not be holding the event at the Kosel, seeking to avoid the display of opposition promised by right-wingers. Reports indicate he has opted to celebrate the event with “rabbonim” affiliated with Israel’s Conservative Movement, at a different venue.
Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Givir have announced that they will do their utmost to disturb any attempt by Emanuel to celebrate at the Kosel, releasing a media statement that the White House “token Jew” is most unwelcome in Eretz Yisrael.
While the players will undoubtedly extend the required political courtesy to the senior American administration guest, Emanuel is viewed by many as persona non grata, believed responsible for the White House’s harsh anti-Israel policies.
No meetings have been announced between Emanuel and senior officials but a meeting is likely with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prior to his departure.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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9 Responses
Are there no other pictures of Emanuel available or does YWN only like to mach choizek?
I guess a knee jerk reaction would be to protest and give him the cold shoulder – or worse. Would that help anything? Hardly.
We should welcome him and spend time lovingly (jew to jew) showing him the facts on the ground and proving to him without a shadow of doubt how his policies are misguided and that Israel is technically committed to peace but with the PA, it is an impossibility.
why meet the behaima why give him anymore courtesy than he gives when you are in the us
#2,I don”t know if what you wrote reflects daas baal habayis or not , but it definitely smacks of a great deal of liberal idealistic naivete.
#2. On the surface, I would agree with you, but the reality is, Emanual is an arrogant jerk who only cares about THE agenda.
He should be aware of the facts, given his father, etc. He doesn’t care. He’s nothing more than a modern day “Kapo.”
i would tend to agree with #2
who knows what would happen if he was exposed to true genuine torah judaism.
Most people I know feel meshubad to invite their co-workers & boss even goyim to their kids Bar Mitzvas. I wonder if Rahm invited his
Mazel Tov Rahm! He should be warmly welcomed to Israel. While one might disagree with him and Obama he is not a Kapo and Obama is not anti~Israel. Stop the name calling and please discuss the issues rationaly.
#4
He is not your typical liberal who cannot be rationalized with – with regard Israel. He is very jewish (son bar mitzvah in Israel and a past record of pro israel). It is only in the position of power and kovod that he is in, is it distorting his view to look good with his boss and the Democratic party. With some love and genuine logic and lots of kovod, I believe we could get somewhere with him.