Peres I – Really ?

-->

The whole world seems to be coming to Peres’ funeral. One should bear in mind that much of the world’s love for Peres is due to the justifiable hatred of and disgust by Bibi.

Peres described himself as a man of peace and this is also how he is seen outside Israel. This is somewhat simplistic. He was above all a brilliant operator, mainly in the defence and security realm. Ben Gurion, in his wisdom, recognised Peres’ abilities and made him director general of the country’s ministry of defence at a young age of 29. Ever since and throughout his long career, Peres had his finger in every one of Israel’s defence pies, for good and for bad.

He became a “peace camp” politician rather late in the day. Indeed, the man, who tried to conclude a peace treaty with the Palestinians, was one of the first enablers of Israel’s illegal settlements in the areas it occupied during the 1967 Six Day War. He too, like many other labour party politicians, was land greedy.

Therefore, if you must read them - the eulogies - don’t just take them at face value.

Peres III - & Clinton (B)

It has been reported that former US President Bill Clinton will be flying in for Peres’ funeral in the private jet of Haim Saban, one of the mega-rich supporters of the Clintons.

Evidently the political advisers of Hillary do not consider such behaviour to be harmful to her presidential campaign.

Nothing, as yet, has been said about Trump, who could, of course, use the good services of the equivalent: casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

Hey Mr President, if you cannot afford the plane ride, stay at home.

Circumcision II

The Cologne court’s ruling that circumcision is tantamount to committing bodily injury continues to cause unrest. German politicians needed this ruling like a hole in the head. If they could, they would probably have the Cologne judge circumcised without anaesthetics. 

Everybody, rabbis, politicians and blog writers like me, are all chewing on the forbidden foreskin. Mrs. Merkel has warned that Germany might become a laughing stock of the world for banning circumcision. Her ministers are searching for ways to pass legislation that will allow such bodily harm (i.e. circumcision) for reasons of “religious freedom”.

Israel’s President Peres has also given it a tug: In a letter to his German counterpart Gauck, Peres explained that circumcision was a “crucial” Jewish custom, “a central aspect of our nation’s Jewish identity.” Now, 79-year-old Charlotte Knobloch, a former chairperson of the Central Council of German Jews, has come out with a bitter howl published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. For Knobloch, who survived Nazi Germany and life in post-War yet Nazi-ridden Germany, this ruling is more than she can swallow.

This general panic is a shame, as the issue deserves unhurried consideration. Everyone is talking about religious freedom – whatever that is - instead of going for a serious investigation into the fascinating questions of a baby boy’s rights and the extent to which circumcision is indeed harmful and/or traumatic.

Circumcision, Germany, Israel, Merkel, Peres