Sunday, January 8, 2017

Avi Shafran ...one of the "meraglim"!

Avi Shafran
"Rabbi" Avi Shafran , the Agudah blogger, has outraged the frum Jewish community with his naive, stupid, and arrogant column in Hamodia. 
I decided not to write about the anti-Jewish Satmar "editorials" that appeared in Der Yid and Der Blatt, because the writers have been poisoned by their irrelevant leader and founder of their Chassidus.... 
In their sick editorials they praised Obama's refusal to veto the UN Resolution against Israel, and they lauded John Kerry's  lies in his anti-Semitic rant explaining the US abstention vote in the UN! 
Every rational Jew knows that Obama hates Satmar Chassidim with the same fervent hatred that he has for the State of Israel! He would just as soon see Kiryas Yoel burned down to the ground as he would the State of Israel,..... In the eyes of Obama ...the two feuding Satmar Brothers are equal to Bibi Natanyahu!
But these Satmar fools who are great  in making Chicken soup Shmaltz Herring, and throwing towels on their shamash on Chanukah, have no clue about World politics and are only concerned with their overwhelming hatred of their fellow Jews living in Israel, and have teamed up with J Street and Reform Jewry to backstab Jews in Israel!
Avi Shafran is whole different animal, who comes across as a knowledgable representative of the Agudah, but is really pandering and tuchislekking the stupid Romanian gypsies. 
In his latest column on his blog and printed in Hamodia he babbles that Obama and Kerry love Jews and backs the US abstention of the UN resolution!
Below is his crazed naive post loaded with lies that Al Jazzira promotes .....he ends his lies with that his readers should 
"hatznea leches and hakaras hatov, not snubbing, sneering or insults."
Yet any person with a pulse sees that his rant is not "hatnea leches" and has no "hakaras hatov" ....

True or False?
  • The U.S. abstention to the recent U.N. resolution was the first time an American administration declined to veto a Security Council resolution critical of Israel and opposed by her.
  • The resolution is groundbreaking, and pledges the territory captured by Israel in 1967 to a Palestinian state.
  • It would remove Yerushalayim and the Kosel Maaravi from Israeli sovereignty.
  • It is one-sided, placing the blame for the stagnated peace process squarely on Israel.
  • President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have sold Israel out.
The first four are demonstrably false.  The fifth, too.
Please don’t read further if you are not willing to consider a perspective different from the one you expect from this rightly respected newspaper and other “pro-Israel” news sources and organizations, including the wonderful one that employs me, Agudath Israel of America, which, like many other Jewish groups, condemned the U.S. abstention.  I am resolutely pro-Israel but not necessarily in agreement with every Israeli administration’s positions.  And, as I have pointed out on several occasions, while I proudly represent Agudath Israel, and convey its stances to the public and media, I exist as an individual too, and I write in these pages and in others from my own personal perspective.
Still here?  Good.
Since the Six-Day War in 1967, there have been 42 U.S. vetoes of Israel-critical resolutions – but, over the course of eight U.S. administrations, including the Reagan and George W. Bush years, more than 70 “yes” votes or abstentions. The recent Security Council abstention was noteworthy, though: it was the Obama administration’s first non-veto of a critical-of-Israel resolution in its eight years, the lowest count of any president since 1967.
The recent resolution has no practical effect and takes no position that has not already been taken by the Security Council (and most of the world’s governments).  It does not determine borders; it only reiterates the tired truism that Yehudah and Shomron are “occupied” territory.  Technically, that is not entirely accurate, since the land was not under any state’s legitimate sovereignty before its capture, but it is true that, of all the captured territory, only Yerushalayim was annexed by Israel.
And Yerushalayim’s status, although not recognized at present by the U.N., will not change in negotiations, should the peace process ever resume.  As Secretary of State Kerry said in his detailed post-vote speech, there must be “freedom of access to the holy sites consistent with the established status quo.” He reiterated that point, too, a moment later, declaring that “the established status quo” at religious sites must be “maintained.”
U.N. resolutions concerning Israel have long been consistently, notoriously and laughably one-sided.  This one, though, as it happens, while calling on Israel to stop building in settlements, calls too on Palestinians to take “immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror” and to “to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism.”  That, at least for the U.N., is in fact groundbreaking.
As to Messrs. Obama and Kerry, consider a thought experiment.  Imagine – just as a theoretical possibility – that they both actually care deeply about Israel.  In fact, over his nearly 30 years in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Kerry was a reliable, stalwart and unapologetic defender of Israel.  Pretend that Mr. Obama is of similar mindset.  (Which he is, but if you’re convinced otherwise, just pretend.)  And that they both believe, honestly and deeply, that (whatever you or I may hold to be true) only a two-state solution can ensure Israel’s security and integrity, and that continued settlement-building gives the Palestinians an excuse (unjustified, but still) to not engage in peace negotiations.
What would the two men then rightly do, with only days left for their administration, if a resolution reiterating the world’s objection to that building activity and calling for negotiations were put on the Security Council table?  Veto it, against their convictions about Israel’s wellbeing?  Or try to send a message, as they prepare to leave the world stage, about what they feel is best for Israel?
They might be entirely wrong about that (although they might be right).  And, yes, the overwhelming blame for the lack of peace is unarguably on the Palestinian leadership and populace.  And yes, all of Eretz Yisrael is bequeathed to the Jewish People.
Still and all, the American leaders’ determination to issue a final, passive call for what they believe is in Israel’s best interest does not bespeak disdain for Israel, but precisely the opposite.
Which is why all the shouts of “betrayal!” and “traitors!” and “complicit!” are so very wrong and so very sad.  This is an administration that has stood by Israel time and time again for eight years, and that mere months ago forged a 10-year, $38 billion military aid package for Israel, the largest for any U.S. ally ever.
One can consider Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry (and most Israelis, as it happens, because a clear majority are in favor of a negotiated two-state resolution) misguided, if one must.  But one cannot slander them as Israel-betrayers.  Must everyone be either “with us” or “against us,” “friend” or “enemy”?  Can no one be with us and a friend but with a different perspective than our own?
What the outgoing U.S. administration wants from Israel isn’t capitulation to her enemies.  What it has always sought is a sign of willingness on the current Israeli government’s part to simply act decisively on its declared commitment to a peace process aimed at a two-state solution.  To be sure, even a restarted peace process is far from assured of success; there are many issues that could prove intractable.  And yes, there have been moratoriums on “disputed territories” building in the past, to no avail.  But an acceptance of yet another one, instead of a continuation of the recently accelerated pace of building, will put the ball again in the Palestinian court, and offer something to an angry world.
Yes, that world is unreasonable, obnoxious and ugly.  Not to mention ridiculously hyper-focused on Israel, when so many truly unspeakable true human tragedies exist elsewhere, ignored.
So why, so many ask, should its opinion matter to us?  That sentiment is what Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressed when he said, in the wake of the Security Council vote, that “Israelis do not need to be lectured of the importance of peace by foreign leaders” and that “Israel is a country with national pride, and we don’t turn the other cheek” and that he has had “enough of this exile mentality.”
And it is what he expressed, too, by summoning ambassadors of countries who voted for the resolution, and the American ambassador as well, to reprimand them, on the day that Christians consider the holiest on their calendar.  “What would they have said in Jerusalem,” an unnamed Western diplomat later fumed, “if we summoned the Israeli ambassador on Yom Kippur?” Think hard about that.
It may feel gratifying to snub one’s nose at real or perceived enemies. Personally, though, I am atalmid, so to speak, of Rav Elchonon Wasserman and Rav Reuvein Grozovsky, zecher tzaddikim liv’racha, not of Reb Bibi Netanyahu.  I believe that we are indeed in exile, in galus; that “secular Jewish nationalism” is wrong and dangerous; and that a modicum of modesty is demanded of all Jews, especially those who claim to represent other Jews.  I believe that humility, not arrogance (and certainly not “kochi v’otzem yadi”) should be the operative principle of Klal Yisrael, and of anyone who deigns to lead a “Jewish state.”
Maybe, with the help of the Trump administration, Israel will be able to cow the 2.8 million Palestinians in “the territories” into submission.  And maybe Hamas will not be able to seize whatever peace-seeking Palestinian hearts and minds are left.  Maybe all will be well, Israelis will sleep safely and the fears of the Obama administration will prove to have been without warrant.
Maybe.
But whatever may happen in the future, what the present requires of us, al pi mesoraseinu, I believe, is hatznea leches and hakaras hatov, not snubbing, sneering or insults.
© Hamodia 2017

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you actually reply to shafran?
He makes a good casexanpme with facts to back it up.
If you can't reply just keep quier no need for embarrasing name calling

Anonymous said...

DIN,have you forgoten, when this same criminally insane MESHUGENER claimed that he had more respect for Bernie Maddoff
than for the hero pilot Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger,who landed his crippled plane in the Hudson saving over 150 lives,this guy belongs in an insane asylum together with his Satmar Romanian gypsy pals
CHAIM

AishKodesh said...

Please nobody add to this lashon hara!

Dusiznies said...

4:20
Are you insane? Did you actually read what he wrote? Any idiot reading his BS knows his lies ....there is no need to answer this trash ...but if my readers keep asking that I do ...I will be happy to take this menuval apart!

AishKodesh .... I didn't see your comment on the Menuval Shafran's blog ... why didn't you write him to stop talking like the מרגל'ם ....I never saw you write a letter to Der Yid and to Der Blatt to stop their לשון הרע ?
You hypocrite!

Anonymous said...

4,20%%%

He criticizes Bibi for his reprimand of them on their Christian holiday, but doesn't write that Obama and the UN slammed Israel erev Chanukah, so that's ok because after all we're in golus.He writes that this resolution has no real effects which is baloney, because if adds fuel to the BDS and gives it more legitimacy and big businesses doing trade with Israel will slow down.Then he writes that secular nationalism is wrong and dangerous. How about religious nationalism that so many religious live in the territories al haTorah and Avodah. Does he wish to remove them back to the 67 lines?Then he writes that this administration stood by Israel time and again. How? It's true they gave 36 million dollars, so thanks for that, but at the same time funded Palestinian Hamas and their rockets. How about the Iran deal and recognizing Morsi in Egypt and helping this anti-Semite gain power? You forgot that he sent Kerry to Europe 2 years ago and ithere he held a press conference warning that Israel will become apartheid nation.He insulted Bibi and his diplomats 6 years ago in the White House when he abruptly walked out on him and told him to ring him upstairs when he and his staff have something to say.He never called Israel's enemies by name and only gave out statements when terrorist attacks happened. Rabbi Shafran insults our intelligence in every way.
When they need something from the US government they go down and lobby and golus be damned. Hakoras hatov for what. For calling the Kotel occupied territory? This resolution makes it easier to pass stronger resolutions and there's a conference coming up on the 15th. Rabbi Shafran doea't speak for the majority of Jews who appreciate Israel and the role of G-D in Israel since 1948.
There's no commandment anywhere that jews can't speak out forcefully in golus, especially when millions live now in Israel and their safety is concerned, are they supposed to be nerds about it? Soon Rabbi Shafran will have to pack up and leave, so where is he going to go, New Zealand? Don't trust Trump to stop illegals and Arabs to move into our neighborhoods, it's going to happen soon.

Satmar Watch said...

Shafran and his Satmar fellow travelers are deceiving the Jews if they claim "The recent resolution has no practical effect". Prior to this latest UN resolution, UN Resolution 242 recognized the right of Israel to "peace within secure and recognized boundaries", without defining those boundaries. Now Israel cannot even claim a right to the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall in negotiations.

Anonymous said...

Rabbi Schafran should know that millions of Christians have also condemned the resolution as evil and disgusting and stand by Israel. They openly sent proclamations and letters, these can be seen if you do a Google search. So we shouldn't say anything and stand for our rights as Jews? The golus mentality is old. Your golus is of your own making,neither Hillary nor Trump is the Messiah.

Anonymous said...

according to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the U.N. Security Council should concentrate on bringing the Palestinians togther to meet with the Israelis so that they would come to an agreement – rather than condemning and punishing Israel.

"This one-sided anti-Israel resolution damages the cause of peace,” ZOA contended. “The resolution was prepared by the Palestinian Authority to avoid entering into direct peace negotiations with Israel. The resolution would require uprooting 700,000 Jews from their homes, schools, farms, businesses and synagogues, which would be anti-Semitic and a humanitarian disaster."

Is Rabbi Shafran prepared to sit in haztneh leches when they want to throw Jews out of Shomron and Judea?

Anonymous said...

The Times of Israel
This is just an example from New Zealand, but it happened in the US also.
Dozens of Christian supporters of Israel protested outside the New Zealand parliament over the country’s sponsorship of a UN resolution criticizing Israeli settlements.


The 71 protesters traveled 13 hours to the capital Wellington from the city of Hastings in reaction to New Zealand sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which passed last Friday.


Prior to the demonstration, the Flaxmere Christian Fellowship Church Hastings and 11,685 supporters signed a petition to parliament entitled “For the Protection of Zion.”

The petition called on New Zealand’s government to cease pressuring Israel to give up its “rightful and God-given land and to recognize Israel’s right to sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel.”


The Jewish state “should pay no attention to this anti- Semitic, anti-Israel, unjust and evil resolution,” Pastor Nigel Woodley said. Neither New Zealand nor the international community, he added, has the right “to impose on Israel restrictions as to where they can and cannot live within their historical homeland.”

In a scathing attack, he accused the New Zealand government of having “bloodied its hands regarding this Judas operation” and of “shamefully [betraying] a traditional ally and friend for the spotlight on the world stage.”

Some 240 local people from the Wellington Jewish Community and other friends of Israel groups and individuals joined the rally. Parliament is not in session in New Zealand, however, due to the country’s summer holidays.
If non_jews stand up for our G-D given land, why can't we? It's insane.

Anonymous said...

What kind of hakoras hatov? Under eight years of Obama the PA refused to negotiate because they saw Obama as a Muslim sympathizer.So they terrorized and refused to recognize any inch f Israel. For this we should give hakoras hatov. All of a sudden they're ok with direct negotiations because Trump won. Their negotiater Erkat would like to talk to Bibi directly.

Anonymous said...

If you're proud of what thousands of Christians say and you're tired from the mentality of galus why don't you just take one more step to convert altogether to your favorite Christianity? And btw you're scum is definitely too old time to retire

Anonymous said...

8,37 %%%, so btw after a fast and aveinu malkeinus you tzadikel are here on the hatuma Internet giving advice when your rebbi isn't looking.

Anonymous said...

Living proof not all the crazies are part of the satmar cult.
There are a $$holes in other communities as well.
Baltimore has an overload of BT's geirum and other disgusting creatures.

AishKodesh said...

DIN, please give me his blog address!

Dusiznies said...

9:29
I Linked It ....just press the word "blog" that's in blue

Unknown said...

Hamodia English edition is always apologetic to Satmar & Co.

Anonymous said...

Shafran has always been publicly posturing with crazed defenses of molesters. This is because he came into the Agudah under Shmuel "Boom Boom" Bloom & Moishe Sherer. All 3 are Ner Yisroel talmidim who are ashamed of the disproportionate number of molesters who were prepped by that yeshiva. And Sherer gave orders to Shafran & Bloom to always be in denial that molesting even exists among Yidden because Sherer's cousin Mike Tress was arrested several times for molesting but released after intervention by Senators & others. Tress was even molesting inside the Agudah Williamsburg building!

One askan who quit the Agudah out of disgust wrote that he would never let Kolko babysit his kids & Shafran is nuts if he allows Kolko near his own kids. Shafran fired back with a nasty email to the askan that of course he would Kolko to babysit his own kids but would not let his kids near the askan! Shafran whined like a baby when the askan publicized the email. Shafran kept using guilt trips until the askan removed the email from the internet.

Agudah Fresser said...

You should have seen Shafran's childish column lashing out against victims & advocates after the anti-molester gadol UOJ published Shafran's home address & unlisted telephone #! You can bet Shafran was getting a lot of angry mail & calls from victims. Shafran smeared them as making up "tawdry tales".

AishKodesh said...

DIN, I checked it out, but how do you comment?

Anonymous said...

Just another Baltimore Putz who thinks he's someone special. One of the big Tzaddikim in town protecting the "frum" molesters

Anonymous said...

The mesader kiddushin for Shafran's parents was notorious molester Ephraim Shapiro, father of 3 molester sons.

Anonymous said...

No wonder he's such a filthy bastard

AishKodesh said...

Enough of this! If you have a problem, bring it to him (politely...)!!

Dusiznies said...

AishKodesh
Your'e sounding more and more deranged ..... "bring it to him politely?"
He went public in an article published in Homodia .....we did the same .....
he wrote a bunch of lies and he should be called out on it .....
how does a frum Jew, a shomer Torah Umitzvos have an opinion that Obama and Kerry support Jews when they clearly stabbed Jews living in Israel in the back ....
What does that fool Shafran suggest? That we go back to 1967 borders? That would be national suicide!
This is the purpose of this blog .... to call out fools and liars .... to refute the irrelevant SHIT'ah of Satmar! To let Jews know that there are Gedoilim that support the State of Israel .....
if you find that this blog is "loshon Hara" yet see nothing wrong with the "loshon hara" of Avi Shafran...then you are a hypocrite ....

Spot on said...

http://theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2017/01/when-avi-shafran-speaks-jew-haters.html

The 2 most sensible blogs are DIN & UOJ

AishKodesh said...

I see plenty wrong with his lashon hara as well!! I just couldn't find where to comment on his blog.... Yet....

Anonymous said...

KUDOS
DIN

AishKodesh said...

4:23, Totally untrue! UOJ is essentially forbidden to go to!

Anonymous said...

uoj has this woman rabbi attacking jewish rituals, saying they're repetitious and meaningless. Somebody should tell her _ so make them meaningful. It's liberal garbage but she's a good talker and she can influence people , so I agree with AishKodesh about that site. This guy Mendelson has is it for orthodox, so he bashes anyway he can. These type of ex-orthodoxes are a dime a dozen, they're full of anger and obsess over orthodoxy.

DIN gets results said...

http://nypost.com/2017/01/10/obama-may-get-rejected-from-golf-club-over-israel-policies/