Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Shimon Peres Gets It Right Again

From his eulogy at Kfar Chabad:

For several days now, the whole world has had to answer the question of a small child, Moishe, who is asking, "Where is my mother?" We all need to be able to answer clearly why little Moishe's mother was murdered. The world will not know calm, and will not be able to be a world of quiet and peace, a world of believers, a world of decent people, until we can give a clear answer to Moishe's question.

I saw Rivky's face, I saw Rabbi Gavriel's face; modest people, glowing faces, who had nothing but nevertheless gave everything out of an uncommon generosity. They did not seek wealth or prestige, only the light of the Torah, which they brought forth to the ends of the earth as emissaries of the Jewish people to bring salvation and hope. They did not want to force anything on their fellow man and they did not ask for anything. This was the greatest mission for a believing person, a Jew.

I was privileged to see the Lubavitcher Rebbe and to meet with him and I know that the Rebbe would not let anybody despair, nor would he let anybody cast doubt; in this way, faith will triumph. But Moishe's question is still awaiting an answer. Throughout the world are scattered hotels, kindergartens, schools, and houses of prayer, and no state is immune to terror. The world is divided into two: places in which people are as cruel as animals, and places in which people know that they were created in the image of God.

We need to tear out terror at the root without hesitation and without equivocation. I don't understand how it is possible to accept a state like Iran, which constitutes a nest and a hotbed for terror and which calls for the destruction of Israel, as a member of the international community and of the United Nations. If the whole world cannot stand up to one man with a strong, meaningful stance, and if the world will not fight with a war of boycotts against all places in which there is money that is financing terror, then the peace and quiet of the world will be in danger. Terror represents an epidemic that we must stop and we must eradicate.

We, the Jewish people, have known sadness and martyrdom. We never lost our humanity and we never supported murder. Terror is not just a problem for the Jewish people or for the State of Israel; it is a problem and a danger for the entire world. From this point must emanate a clear cry to stop the insanity, to stop the terror and to provide a clear answer to Moishe. The answer to Moishe needs to be given by the whole world, because if not, we will not be able to live in a world of peace and security. The world must answer why a wonderful woman like Rivky was killed, why a holy man like Gavriel was killed, and why Moishe is left an orphan.

We will not rest and we will not relax until an answer is found.



In mid-November in the UK, he also was very, well, Zionist and even rightwing.

1 comment:

Thermblog said...

I recently caught part of an interview Peres did on BBC's Hardtalk and thought he did an excellent job. He really knows the arguments, presented a very humane face of Israel and calmly chided the interviewer (Stephen Sackur) when necessary.

It's here (so I can watch the whole thing later.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7739576.stm