Ceasefire Now vs. Free the Hostages: doing the moral calculus in Gaza
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
Of course, says Rabbi Brand Rosen, any humane person would and should desire a return of the hostages.
So he does well to remind us that Israel hold thousands of Palestinians as prisoners under military law.
Many are held without charge or trial, dragged out of their homes in the dead of night or picked up during protests and effectively kidnapped.
Although Rosen doesn’t use the term, they are in effect hostages.
There is plenty of room for moral outrage about hostages – but let it be about all of them.
RK
This article was originally published by Shalom Rav on Tue 31 Oct 2023. Read the original here.
Ceasefire Now vs. Free the Hostages: doing the moral calculus in Gaza
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As I read about Israel’s Military Order 101 I suddenly realised – the current Home Secretary’s thinking mirrors it!!! Is it a straight copy or a case of some authoritarian minds thinking alike?
UK civil rights are in peril now. We might have a “worked example” showing us what will happen if we don’t defend them while we can.
Brant Rosen is wonderful , I hope that many UK rabbis will follow his example. It was deeply disappointing that so many even progressive Rabbis signed the shocking letter claiming that Corbynite Labour was an existential threat to UK Jewish life! There is a moderate appeal for ceasefire from J Wittenberg here: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/jonathan-wittenberg-a-rabbi-s-plea-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza-1334128.html
But J Romain has said more or less the opposite. Perhaps Tom Selwyn, Ruth Appleton and people in JJP , all of whom may have links with links to progressive rabbis , may be able to tell us if anything like Rabbis for Ceasefire could be emerging here.