On Fri, 10 Jul 1998 Nurev at Kreative.net wrote:
> But, I would suggest that Israel itself will be the cause of future
persecutions of Jews in the diaspora. That includes the USA.
> And, let's not forget that as recently as five years ago there was a
full fledged pogrom in Crown Heights Brooklyn ironically perpetrated by
Blacks.
Joshua, I would love to see you make that *argument* about Israel being the cause of future Jewish persecution. Because, as your comment now stands, this sounds like typical ADL fundraising propaganda. Or does being asked about Israel's occupation of Palestinian land count as persecution?
As for the Brooklyn "pogrom," you've got to be kidding. The incident was a result of not just the Black child being killed by the Hasidic driver, but the Hasidic community reponse to the child's death as well. As for the death of Yankel Rosenbaum, well, it was unfortunate, but it doesn't qualify for a pogrom. Pogroms were marked by extreme violence towards a Jewish community with the complicity, or at least silence, of the local authorities. Every politician in NY was in Crown Heights, sucking up to the Hasidim and promising to bring Rosenbaum's killers to justice. I'm surprised you'd be interested in the Hasidic community. The Hasidim, after all, are anti-Zionist. I've never understood all those assimilated Jews who are supporters of and apologists for the Hasidic communities. It's like growing up as a Unitiarian and feeling like you have to support the Promise Keepers or Phyllis Schafly. The Hasidim are right-wing, repressive, homophobic, sexist fundamentalists; there is nothing romantic or quaint about them. Better that they *all* assimilated.
Frances Bolton, Jew.