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OTHER VIEWS

May the New Year bring to all
our friends and family health, joy,
prosperity and everything good in life.

A Year To Combat
Hatred Around Us

A

Heidi and Jeff Budaj
The Budaj and Fischgrund Children

May the coming year be filled with
health and happiness for all our family and friends.
L'Shanah Tovah!

— Honora Lipson —

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May the coming year be filled with
health and happiness for all our family and friends.
L'Shanah Tovah!

— Ken, Nancy, Aaron & David Lipson —

May the coming year be filled with
health and happiness for all our family and friends.
L'Shanah Tovah!

Dahlia & Harvey Klein
Amy, Josh, Jodie and Ian Deshmukh

4111,NMERAL,

32

September 28 2006

4

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round the
est of spreading radical Islam
world, using the
throughout the world.
print, broad-
Imagine a Jewish student
cast and electronic news
wearing a shirt that simply
media, Jews fight against
said, "Protect Israeli Citizens:'
moral equivalency: the
while an Arab American stu-
inevitable association
dent wore one with the slogan
between Israel and the
proclaiming, "Kill the Infidels!"
Rabbi Reuven
terrorist regimes who
Those are precisely the mottos
Spolter
attack her. After all, claim
of the Israel Defense Forces
Community
many, if the two sides in
(IDF) and Hezbollah, respec-
View
the Arab-Israeli conflict
tively.
kill each other, each must
Before Selichot services on
have a point. But involved Jews know
Sept. 16, I had the opportunity to view
that nothing can be further from the
the movie Obsession, an honestreport-
truth.
ing.com documentary that highlights
There can never be any legitimate
the murderous and hate-filled agenda
comparison between terrorists who
of the worldwide radical Islamic move-
aim to kill, maim and injure civil-
ment. This movement includes groups
ians and the army of Israel that tries
such as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas
to stop them. In fact, our own Jewish
and the ruling party of the government
Community Council of Metropolitan
of Iran.
Detroit's talking points on Israel state
To be honest, watching thousands of
emphatically:
people chant, "Death to Israel! Death to
the Jews! Death to America!" for over
"There is no cycle of violence
an hour, and then seeing the terrible
between Palestinians and Israelis.
results of that hatred in graphic terms
There is only Palestinian terrorism,
and Israel's efforts to combat the terror in the form of terrorist attacks, killings
and prevent attacks on its citizens. It is
and bombings around the world, gets
important to distinguish between the
to you. These groups spew hatred, and
one who initiates violence and the one
our unwillingness to speak out against
who responds."
them only strengthens their cause.
Still, despite all those efforts, we
While Israel's and America's enemies
pray for — and try to carry out — our
often still don't understand what con-
death and destruction, what do we
fronts us. In a Detroit Free Press article
pray for? Avinu Malkeinu, "Our Father,
on Sept. 17 ("District Monitors Kids to
Ease Tensions"), a well-meaning Jewish our King, seal the mouths of our adver-
high school student — who spent time saries and accusers." Avinu Malkeinu,
"Our Father, our King, nullify the
in Israel during the Israeli-Hezbollah
thoughts of those who hate us."
war this past summer — describes
Judaism does not shrink from the
how he would display sensitivity
reality that there are people who hate
towards Arab students at school. He
our way of life: our freedom in America
said he is in favor of some limitations
and our belief in the principles and
to school dress, noting that he would
practice of Judaism. As we enter a new
not wear an Israeli military shirt for
year, one in which we find ourselves
fear of insulting some students and
worried about this growing threat to
he would not want to see a Hezbollah
peace in the world, we must fervently
shirt "because that would be insulting
pray that God silence those who pro-
to me:'
mote hatred and murder. But we must
I laud this student's sensitivity to
also dedicate ourselves to working
his fellow students. But in that kindli-
to fight against moral equivalency
ness, he equates his wearing of a shirt
between those that threaten peace and
in support of the military of Israel, a
the soldiers trying to defend it.
strong ally of the United States and
Even if all that means is wearing an
the only democracy in the Middle
IDF
T-shirt to school. L_
East, with another student wearing a
shirt that would promote the values
Reuven Spolter is rabbi at Young Israel of
of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization
Oak Park.
that promotes killing Israelis, Jews
and regular Americans in the inter-