The “Orthodox Anarchist” who couldn’t shoot straight

The other day Ariel Beery from Blogs of Zion posted an article which served as a good preface for his op-ed in the Jerusalem Post where he critically observes the habit among many young Jews – especially among those with the hubris to call themselves “progressive” as if the rest of us are, uh, regressive – to offer support to many others even as other members of their religion or nation are suffering and need just as much assistance.

Ariel, of course, brings up a significant issue although he does so gently and without true reproach despite the fact that often these same “progressive” “new Jews” are actually offering support to enemies of Israel. They certainly do so with their political activism (die-in anyone?), and in particular by using their very heritage and relationship with other Jews to present themselves to the world as having authority to speak knowledgeably and morally as a different and “better” Jewish person.

Ariel doesn’t explore in any length why these Jews act as they do. If you ask them they will speak nobly of believing in peace, brotherhood among all people, the Jewish imperative to act in certain ways, their true understanding of the nature of things while the “old school” is blinded by their historic allegiances, etc. However, this is pish posh, what is driving them is personal insecurity and a desire not to be perceived negatively by the larger society that surrounds them. They have no greater claim over justice or peace than those with whom they disagree.

Ariel Beery, in his Jerusalem Post op-ed, mentions Daniel Sieradsky who runs Jewschool and Orthodox Anarchist as an example of someone who belongs in this “new Jew” camp and notes that Sieradsky, also known as Mobius, recently exemplified the confused allegiances of the “new Jews” when he decided to hold an event to raise funds for Lebanese victims as well as Israeli victims. Apparently many people don’t support this idea at a time when the war had just concluded and Israel’s north lies in ruins and desperately needs funds and support to rebuild. This is hard for Israel since it will not be receiving the billion dollars from the international community and who knows how much from Iran that Lebanon is in line to receive. Also, Israel will now have to rebuild its arsenal and bring in new defensive anti-rocket, anti-anti-tank, other systems and revamp its intelligence abilities because of possible future wars against the same forces that supplied and try to supply Hizbullah.

Mobius took great umbrage at not receiving support for his project, instead of understanding that people aren’t evil but simply have different priorities at this time, including to those whom they consider part of their nation or co-religionists. He wrote a lengthy rant on Orthodox Anarchist.

Several months ago, Mobius went into a large and successful website and in order to gain votes for the oh-so-important Jewish blog awards, falsely and unjustly attacked Israel for committing war crimes. He was speaking, of course, as the voice of Jewish authority on a website where it seemed many of the visitors were non-Jews.

Ariel Beery’s post linked to the long post by Mobius on his personal Orthodox Anarchist site where he wrote angrily that he is opposed to the Zionist state in its current form and that those who support it turn the world and justice upside down to meet their own horrific objectives of support for this illegitimate Zionist entity. He goes as far as to talk up his own Orthodox credentials to show that he’s a “good” Jew before concluding that halachically (according to Jewish law), Israel has no right to exist in its present form.

No, I’m not a Zionist. I’m a Jew. I’m not going to whitewash this despicable desecration of our inheritance and paint it as awesomely wonderful because of its scientific breakthroughs or its false appearance of democracy.

The more venom you spew in my direction [nobody had spewed venom or even bile], the more I realize it’s true — that Zionists don’t really believe in Torah. Because Zionism is assur by the Torah. Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism. It is a Jewish nationalist movement. Judaism and Zionism are not one and the same.

and

So you can take all the photos of “hot chicks” at the Kotel on Tisha B’Av you want [an attack on one of our posters, apparently that he isn't a good Jew]. And you can write all the op-eds in the Jerusalem Post you like [attack on Beery whose article he hadn't yet seen and which was quite gentle in fact], publicly shaming your fellow Jew for not being a blind cheerleader in the Zionist army. And you can celebrate your depravity and curse those [ed. italics mine] who genuinely seek to connect to and serve G-d all you like. Piss on my head and tell me its raining. Stand the definition of justice on its head and smile as you stuff a shit sandwich down my throat.

But as you inch this world ever closer towards apocalypse, just know that I would rather be on the side of G-d and justice than a member of your club. If you want to make me out to be a pariah — if you want to put me in cherem because I actually believe G-d when He says redemption comes “Not through arms nor through strength, but through My spirit” — go right ahead.

Toss me out on my ass if you must. But know that you are throwing aside one of the most devout, committed, whole-hearted, loving Jewish people in the world today. And not because I’m not a good Jew. But because I don’t support the infinitely corrupt and halakhically illegitimate state that will be the undoing of our people.

Mobi commands a large audience on both of his sites and, in my opinion, causes unwarranted harm not only to Israel but to those of us who support it. While he feels comfortable wielding his Machete of Superior Morality ™, in fact it is those of us who do not fit his egregious and heinous descriptions Of Israel and its supporters who are tainted by his constant criticism and calls for a different state of things.

Since he has an audience and he not only attacked a friend but also attacked those of us who support Israel, I decided to respond to his comments. Unsurprisingly, he did not post my comment. Well, just so it won’t be lost in Mobi’s selective filter, I report my (undeniably harsh) response here for your pleasure, dear Jewlicious reader.

I rarely visit this site [Orthodox Anarchist] and now I know why.

The laughable part of this, which really proves the shallowness of your opinions on the topic, is your belief that everyone who supports Israel supports it uncritically or supports the neo-Cons and their position on the Mid-East. Your simplistic, childish view on this issue as about as, well, simplistic and childish as your view on attacking Israel about its struggle to survive in an incredibly hostile environment. You would not be able to live as you do without the “Zionist army,” the “Zionist state” or what they need to do to survive. Sure, you could live in New Jersey as a Jew but if that was what you wanted, presumably that’s where you’d be. Instead, you live off the sacrifice of others even as you criticize them.

You write:
publicly shaming your fellow Jew for not being a blind cheerleader in the Zionist army. And you can celebrate your depravity and curse those who genuinely seek to connect to and serve G-d all you like. Piss on my head and tell me its raining. Stand the definition of justice on its head and smile as you stuff a shit sandwich down my throat.

You don’t have the capacity to determine what is justice and what is injustice. You have no tools to judge what is deprived and what is not deprived. You have no idea what God wants although you have the hubris to tell others what he wants. You’re a spoiled anglo tourist in Israel who feels comfortable taking from the “Zionist state” has to offer while vilifying it in terms that service its enemies. Let’s call it shitting where you’re eating – usually a sign of poor manners although in your case it’s also called service to the enemy.

But as you inch this world ever closer towards apocalypse,

Wait, you’re talking to Zionists about this? Zionists?! Are you so blinded by your own rhetoric and “progressive” friends that you don’t understand the society in which you live to this degree? The people inching the world closer to the apocalypse are certainly not those living in the “Zionist entity.” How incredible that you would say this.

just know that I would rather be on the side of G-d and justice than a member of your club.

Um, you’ve spoken to God about this and he told you what he wanted? Funny thing cuz there is a leader in Iran, another in Lebanon and another in Afghanistan who have also had this very same consultation with God. You’re on the same team: “the Zionist entity is a criminal enterprise that must be destroyed.” I guess you must really know what he wants.

And not because I’m not a good Jew. But because I don’t support the infinitely corrupt and halakhically illegitimate state that will be the undoing of our people.

Pay close attention.

Right now there are plenty of very fine Jews who disagree with you both about whether it is a halachically legitimate state, whether it is infinitely corrupt, whether it deserves to exist and in what form, and how it needs to fight for its survival. Some of them, tzaddikim far greater than you, even died in the past several weeks defending their beliefs and their state. It is their memory and upon their surviving family members – parents who have lost their sons; wives who have lost their husbands; children who have been orphaned; friends and family who will never recover – that you continually piss on with your hypocritical views, especially since you broadcast those views loudly and publicly.

Next time I’m in Israel I will say this to your face.