While escorting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva in Yad Vashem on Tuesday, Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi asked the visiting dignitary to pass along a message during his upcoming visit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He asked that he pass along a message from a “child from Buchenwald”, that he is willing to meet with him at any time, any place, confident that following such a meeting he would change his Holocaust denying views.
As he entered the Children’s Memorial, also escorted by President Shimon Peres, Silva commented that he believes the two greatest crimes in history were the Holocaust and slavery, commenting at the end of the visit that anyone who wishes to lead a nation must visit towards ensuring such an atrocity never occurs again.
Rav Lau, who is the chairman of Yad Vashem, commented on Silva’s statement, adding that while slavery has been abolished, threats of the Holocaust mentality continue.
While the high-level visitor has expressed concerns over Iran, he nevertheless maintains good relations with the Iranian president and the two are scheduled to meet after he departs from Israel. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman boycotted Silva’s Knesset address due to his refusal to visit the grave of Theodore Herzl and his relationship with Ahmadinejad.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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18 Responses
Very interesting! Good luck!
I hope that he can be mekarev Ahmadinejad. I highly doubt that Ahmadinejad will accept, though
Hatzlacha to Rav Lau shlita. He is following in the footsteps of the Neteurei Karta, in trying to reduce anti-Jewish feelings in Iran.
I think we need a bit of introspection. When Rabbonim who are true Yerei Shomayim & are moiser nefesh for the authentic Torah values that they recieved from their saintly Rabbeim, meet with Ahdenetc. trying to help us all from the terrible attacks from real enemies of the Torah, we condemn them, despite their pure motivation, when a high profile Rabbi wants to promote his own agenda & gain publicity, “says” he wants to meet with Ahdenetc. suddenly we heap praise upon him.
Think about it!
Wait a minute. I thought all rabbonim, including Satmar, were against all of this. Aren’t they going to condemn him like they condemned Neturei Karta for meeting the new “Hitler”??!!
Ahmadinejad knows the truth, he knows the holocaust happened. His denying is just propoganda. He doesn’t need convincing.
Rabbi, Don’t waste your time
Volvie:
Purim came and went. We are in Chodesh Nissan now. The Naturei Karta are traitors who want Iran to succeed in their mission of nuking Israel. They are Reshaim Gemurim who deserve what happened to Korach Veaydosoi. To put Harav Lau in the same sentence as NK is a Chutzpah NOIRAH and you should ask him Mechila.
UnInformedYid:
Rav Lau shlita is doing the same thing you condemn Neteurei Karta for. It’s time for you to acknowledge the error of your ways and admit NK was right all along — as Rav Lau shlita has bravely done as described above.
i highly doubt that rav lau wants to meet with achmadinijad during a holocaust denial conference and then embrace him
to compare the nk with the rav is disgusting
#10 I don’t get what you are saying. You mean that Ahmedinajad is only a murderer who wants to kill several million Jews when he meets with Neturei Karta, but becomes simply a leader when he meets with Rabbi Lau?? He has a chazaka in people’s minds of being a new Hitler. So which is it, #10?
Volvie was actually trying to compliment Rav Lau by comparing him to the Neturei.
Interesting.
to even compare Rav Lau to NK is disgusting. NK would happily see us all be killed by our enemies just so they can see israel fail.
they are the amalake with in our midst.
i think that rac lau is following in the footsteps of yaakov avinu- engaging eisav with words and gifts (the meeting itself could be considered a gift because he really doesn’t deserve the attention) and only then milchama.
maybe, just maybe, if am yisrael would have started with yaakov avinu’s approach after WWII we would be in a better position today?
what has all this bloodshed and sticking up for ourselves accomplished us? we have a tzivui of haba l’ horgecha to protect us, and when the time comes, we will be allowed to wipe out amalek with a milchemes mitzvah.
really now, what has the zionist approach accomplished us till now if anything but blood on both sides?
rav lau shows us that its never to late to return to our father’s example of how to deal with eisav.
All of you NK demagogues are full of —-! Your “friends” went to meet and SUPPORT the Arab leaders, while Rabbi Lau wants to undermine his ridiculous denial of the holocaust. Are u NK’s really so THICK?
I cannot seem to get a straight answer! Either Ahmedinajad is the dangerous Hitler or he isn’t. Which is it? Why is it permitted for Rabbi Lau to visit him but not for Neturei Karta if he is a Hitler? Can I get a logical answer from anyone??
#2, I doubt he’s trying to be mekarev this rasha!
Although #16 maybe could have made his point in a more pleasant way, he definitely said it better than anyone else on this board! I’m with you, smartaleck! You have to be really twisted to not see the difference here!
I find this discussion to be a PATHETIC Chilul HaShem. That any sane and intelligent person dare to compare Rav Lau – A Tzadik in our time, Yirei Shamayim and Holocaust Survivor to the insane and derranged rantings of lunatic Neturei Karta that not even Satmar can tolerate, is nothing short of pathetic. SHAME ON YOU. May Hashem have mercy on your souls. OY! NK are the worst Erev Rav that have ever existed in Am Yisrael – who dance and sing with Sonei Yisrael and advocate for the destruction of Medinat Yisrael, which at a minimum would endanger millions of Jews. Crazy, Crazy, Crazy.