The reason I'm posting on it at all is that among the readers who commented on the Forward's item is one Rabbi Tony Jutner, who writes, and I quote with no embellishments:
I agree with both Norman,s and as leader of New Judaism, I can comfortably state that I represent most American Jews. Judaism demands social justice, and that means supporting the Palestinians in all of their aspirations, including the Right of Return. The Jewish people need to make the ultimate sacrifice by giving up zionism and therefore usher in a golden age of peace for all. The international community of world citizens demands it
I don't know who this fellow is, nor can I say if he's for real or perhaps spoofing. The spoofing possibility looks plausible to me, given the utter clarity of the position he espouses: no ifs, buts, simply dismantle Israel and world peace will happen. So I asked Professor Google if she knows the rabbi, and she doesn't, but she did dig up a comment he left on an earlier Forward item:
I wont support Israel as long as it is a flawed country. San Francisco is my Jerusalem.
Well, glad we've clarified that, then.
12 comments:
Who is going to excommunicate this guy?
which is one of my many many personal proofs why Zionism will never succeed at world domination or is there a central Super-Rabbi that can condemn this man to eternal hell - to the best of my knowledge jews don't even have a proper hell
- So which eternal damnation are Jews threatened with, if they get out of line? and to stay in this world did jews ever have a habit of blinding their waywards as the Byzantines loved to do for quite some time, or what about the stake so beloved by the Catholics? Anything along that line in any quantity?
rgds,
Silke
Who is going to excommunicate this guy?
which is one of my many many personal proofs why Zionism will never succeed at world domination or is there a central Super-Rabbi that can condemn this man to eternal hell - to the best of my knowledge jews don't even have a proper hell
- So which eternal damnation are Jews threatened with, if they get out of line? and to stay in this world did jews ever have a habit of blinding their waywards as the Byzantines loved to do for quite some time, or what about the stake so beloved by the Catholics? Anything along that line in any quantity?
rgds,
Silke
"as leader of New Judaism, I can comfortably state that I represent most American Jews."
If he's not just a caricature or the alter ego of a non-rabbi, then he's a nut case. No sane rabbi would be stupid enough to make such a ridiculous statement. Any rabbi in America who isn't overcome by delusions of grandeur knows very well how fragmented the Jewish community in the US is, and how ludicrous is any claim to "represent the majority of American Jews" in just about anything - but is also aware that most American Jews who actually identify as Jews do support Israel's right to exist. Even in San Francisco.
San Francisco, incidentally, is a deeply flawed place, so I guess "Tony Jutner" can't support San Francisco, either.
There's also no indication that "Tony Jutner" is rabbi of any congregation or any organization that wants his name associated with them.
He's a nut case or a fictitious character. Or more likely, both.
It appears to me to be a spoof of Prof. Tony Judt's name. Judt is a leftie professor at NYU, Jewish of course, who pontificates about (among other things) Israel's sins.
Stuart -
The thought had crossed my mind, but now that you've put it in writing, it seems likely. I'd go so far as to say that I myself might adopt the moniker were I ever to wish to cause mischief, were it not for the fact that the real Tony Judt is dying of an awful illness, so the time to poke fun at him has passed. Anyway, there's certainly no dearth of other candidates.
Jewish self-hatred is not a new phenomenon. The Torah itself records that during the Jews' march through Sinai, the Jews rebelled and wanted to return to Egypt. Opposition to a Jewish homeland was around long before Herzl and Zionism ever arrived on the scene.
I'm quite sure it's a spoof - I can hear it in the tone... maybe because I actually live here in the "Jerusalem" of San Francisco (the reference to which is a dead giveaway - this place is a haven for assimilation & politically correct antisemitism).
I assume it's a spoof not just cause its ridiculous but because his name looks like Tony Judt. Maybe the spoofer intended to clue us in with his choice of name?
The poster is, indeed, a spoofer. There is no evidence anywhere, outside of his posts on the Forward, of this "rabbi's" existence. Google, Yahoo and Nexis-Lexis him yourself to see. He has left many similarly outrageous posts at the Forward before and has often been removed by the moderator on the grounds that he aims to mislead. I am not sure why they have not removed him this time.
This is a quote from Tony Judt, he is not a rabbi. He is a University professor- look him up on Google.
Even that champion of Palestinian nationalism, Richard Silverstein rejected comments left by "Rabbi" Jutner and that's pretty bad.
I would also say that to my ear 'Jutner" is a self selected name and denotes an "Aryan" identity.
Tony Judt may be ill, and I wish him well, but his position on Israel and much is else is very wrong.
He is a former Marxist who has kept the leninist hatred of the idea of a sovereign Jewish State.
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