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Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, known
primarily for his books about
Judaism's teachings on romantic rela-
tionships, particularly the best seller
Kosher Sex, accompanied Rev.
Sharpton on his trip. Rabbi Boteach
said that to focus on one meeting was
unfair, saying that Rev. Sharpton was
visibly moved after spending time at
the Ethiopian center.
"For an African American leader to
see that Israel will extend phenomenal
resources and military sophistication
to help those who are part of our
ancient nation, irrespective of skin
color," discredits conferences like
Durban that say Israel is a racist coun-
try, said Rabbi Boteach, referring to
the recent U.N. World Conference
Against Racism.
But, for some, the meeting with
Arafat undermined the stated goal of
Rev. Sharpton's visit — to understand
how Israelis live under the constant
threat of terror.
Rev. Sharpton announced his desire to
travel to Israel in the wake of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Abraham Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League, called
it "offensive" for Rev. Sharpton to
"play diplomacy, to grandstand, rather
than making the visit one of educa-
tion and reconciliation."
Jews have been angered by Rev.
Sharpton's role in the 1991 Crown
Heights riots, when some say he
whipped up black antagonism against
Jews.
In addition, some people say that a
1995 speech Rev. Sharpton made incit-
ed rioters to burn down Freddie's, a
Jewish-owned clothing store in Harlem.
Making matters worse, critics say, is
the fact that Rev. Sharpton's meeting
with Arafat came at the expense of a
visit with Israeli survivors of the June
1 terror bombing at the Tel Aviv
Dolphinarium. Rabbi Boteach did
not participate in the meeting with
Arafat, and distanced himself from it.
But he noted that Rev. Sharpton
did meet with several terror victims,
including relatives of Nachshon
Waxman, an Israeli soldier killed by
Hamas kidnappers in 1994, and sev-
eral others who are recuperating in
Israeli hospitals.
Rabbi Boteach also defended Rev.
Sharpton's overall visit.
"We in the Jewish community have
to be gracious when a man comes all
the way at a very dangerous time,
when Israel needs friends and interna-
tional understanding, and meets with
civilians and victims of terror," Rabbi
Boteach said.

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