United with Israel: Remembering the 1929 Hebron Massacre

There are so many who wish to blame the violence in Israel on the 'occupation'. In Chevron in 1929, though, there was no such occupation. The Chavron Massacre still, most sadly, did occur. In this regard, please see my latest post on the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/remembering-the-1929-hebron-massacre/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: The Challenge of Communication and Presenting the Case for Israel

We forget that often there are two aspects to communication. One concerns the simple facts, the objective information, which one wishes to transmit. The other concerns the reactions one wishes to generate in those receiving this transmission. What we often do not consider, though, is the depth of distinction that exists between these two objectives. In various ways, the lack of recognition of this distinction is a problem for Israel.In this regard, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/the-challenge-of-communication-and-presenting-the-case-for-israel/.

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: When Judging Events in Israel or Elsewhere, Think Hard!

A mark of intelligence has always been the ability to recognize thoughtful distinctions even if they are subtle -- and, obviously, if they are clearly apparent. What is happening in the world today, though, seems to be a movement away from this process under a banner of promoting the support of broad groupings of positions even if they are not similar. To the left and to the right, it now seems to be all about the 'team'. The intelligence of seeing and defining intelligent distinction is under attack. In regard to this, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/when-judging-events-in-israel-or-elsewhere-think-hard/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: Applying the Balfour Declaration Correctly

That the Balfour Declaration has to be acknowledged as a significant and positive document in the history of the Jewish People is not in question. What this significance is, though, has to be carefully articulated. Many supporters of Israel, sadly, give it an importance that is, in fact, detrimental to Israel's standing among the nations of the world -- and we have to be extremely careful about this. In regard to this, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/applying-the-balfour-declaration-correctly/.

At the present time, this posting is not up on the UWI Facebook page; my hope is that it will be in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: The Ethic of Nations: Balancing the National with the Universal

Modern day ethics generally grew out of a perspective which focused on the individual without a consideration of an ethical value in sub-groupings within humanity – groupings such as nations or even families. The result is an ethical muddle. In regard to this, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/the-ethic-of-nations-balancing-the-national-with-the-universal/.

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: The Malice of the Sound Bite

One of the problems with the internet is that anyone can write anything. It can be jab and run with no possibility of serious, thoughtful discussion. The result is a voice for anything. In regard to this, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at https://unitedwithisrael.org/the-malice-of-the-sound-bite/ .

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: And the Descendants of Haman Studied Torah in Bnei Brak

The defeat of evil was, perhaps, not best expressed in the deaths of Haman and his sons. It was, perhaps, better expressed in that descendants of Haman eventually learned Torah in Bnei Brak. In regard to this, please see my latest post in the United with Israel blog at http://unitedwithisrael.org/and-the-descendants-of-haman-studied-torah-in-bnei-brak/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: …And the Result is Always to Blame the Victims

Is it not somewhat bewildering for the PA to make public pronouncements glorifying terrorists? Are they not thereby presenting themselves in a negative light to the world? The fact is that they see these pronouncements as actually furthering their cause in the eyes of many Westerners. Please see further, my latest UWI blog, at http://unitedwithisrael.org/and-the-result-is-always-to-blame-the-victims/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: Beyond ‘United with Israel’

A lesson from Yom Kippur that is beyond ‘United with Israel’. Please see http://unitedwithisrael.org/beyond-united-with-israel/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: Israel’s Special Unity

 This has been a hard time for Klal Yisrael. The essence of our soul was challenged from within -- but we responded with our uniqueness. I expand upon this theme in my recent post on United with Israel. Please see http://unitedwithisrael.org/israels-uniqueness-vs-violence-and-terror/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: The Iran Deal – A Place for Camaraderie?

I, like so many others, have my reservations about the Iran deal but, in the end, I must admit that I really don't have all the facts. After all, I am not tied into all the underlying intelligence. There is one matter, though, of which I am certain -- this is still not a time for camaraderie. This is an issue I address in my latest blog on United with Israel at http://unitedwithisrael.org/the-iran-deal-a-place-for-camaraderie/. I am sure it will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: I Cannot Be Charlie Hebdo

The natural response to the attack against Charlie Hebdo is to stand in support of those who were terrorized. The challenge, though, is that, while one can defend Charlie Hebdo's right to do what it does, in response to this terror, are we also called upon to agree with it? This is an issue I address in my latest blog on United with Israel at http://unitedwithisrael.org/i-cannot-be-charlie-hebdo/ (with 2 comments). It can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unitedwithisrael?fref=nf where it has 159 likes, 22 shares and 14 comments (including one of my own). Feel free to comment here or there.

A further issue that I did not address in the UWI blog but would like to mention here, in that it must also be addressed, is the balancing of Western values with Torah values. In the blog, I speak as one who favours the Western value of freedom of religion which includes the respect of variant religions. I therefore inherently have problems with Charlie Hebdo's mocking of Islam. How, though, we can ask, does Torah values actually look at this mocking? It would seem to me clear that Torah values would look upon Charlie Hebdo's mocking of Judaism negatively. The question is actually not how Torah would view the mocking of Islam in a vacuum but, rather, how to view it within the context of living within the Western world. This explains my approach with the UWI blog but the full position is actually much more complex

Rabbi Ben Hecht

United with Israel: The Islamic State Video

While I continue to question myself whether I should have done so or not, I saw the ISIS video showing the execution of the Jordanian pilot. It affected me and I voiced my comments in my latest blog post on United with Israel, "The Islamic State Video". It can be seen at http://unitedwithisrael.org/the-islamic-state-video/ and also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unitedwithisrael/posts/913681078664868 where it has 2,229 likes, 1025 shares and 183 comments (including one of my own). Feel free to comment here or there.