Every year, Lubavitch chassidim in Israel fan out across the country giving away free kosher donuts to Israel's soldiers who are forced to spend the holiday on their bases. It is a small gesture, but it shows with what honour these soldiers are held in Israeli society. Donuts have become a traditional food for Chanukah, and in this way, a little piece of holiday spirit is brought to these soldiers.
Well, this year, the Meretz party and the more extreme members of the Labour party's left-wing complained that these gestures should not be allowed. Lubavitch, they claimed, is a political movement and not a religious one.
Any sane Jew will recognize the contributions that Lubavitch has made to the religious life of the Jewish nation. But it seems that the Israeli left is still smarting over their loss in this year's elections, some credit for which must go to Lubavitch.
In fact, Yossi Sarid is so angry at Lubavitch for making his side lose the elections and depriving him of the opportunity to further destroy Israel that he wouldn't let the matter rest. When Lubavitch messengers showed up at the Knesset to offer their donuts to the leaders of the country, he responded by saying that "Chabad has handed out so much poison over the past years, especially prior to the national elections, who knows if some did not spill over into these donuts."
This is pure childishness. Sarid is upset that he lost the election against people who were better suited to lead the Jewish State. He blames Chabad for this, instead of blaming the pure anti-semitism of his own party. And he further has the audacity to accuse Lubavitch of poisoning the donuts?
Yossi Sarid leads the Meretz party. This is the party that supports the import and production of non-kosher meat in Israel. This is the party that actively supports eating pork on Yom Kippur. Yet he of all people accuses Lubavitch of offering improper foods.
It appears, that Lubavitch has become politicized in the eyes of these left-wing extremists, and is therefore no longer a legitimate movement. Sarid blames Lubavitch for the loss of the left in the last elections. Lubavitch did take an active part in the campaign -- as did just about every other Jewish person and group in Israel and abroad. The Reform movement supported the left, and the National Religious movement supported the right. Are these also no longer religious movements?
And what about the army? Everyone from Yitchak Rabin right on down has admitted over the past two or three years that the Israeli army has become politicized and that this is a dangerous trend for Israel. Does anyone hear Yossi Sarid claiming that the army is no longer a valid institution? Of course not. It is to the benefit of only Sarid's ideology that the army is politicized.
It is high time that Yossi Sarid and the rest of his extremist comrades on the left stop trying to de-Judaize Israel. It is time that they stop trying to divide Israeli society against itself and its heritage. Since it appears that Sarid is not prepared to stop this of his own volition, perhaps it is time to force Sarid and his ilk from positions of influence. Their anti-Jewish attitudes are a disgrace to the nation they claim to represent, and their childishness can only continue to damage any group or institution with which they are affiliated.
Copyright 1996. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission only.
