28 Tishrei 5780
The US President as Judge, Jury and Executioner: How Can That Be Right?
Most immediately on my mind is this leading headline on every website: Confirmed - ISIS Terror Chief Baghdadi is Dead at the Hands of US Special Forces.
Has any government or world leader spoken out against the targeted assassinations being carried out around the world by the United States?
Who defines who is a terrorist and who decides who is guilty of terrorism and who determines that they should die and who gave them the right to do so???
What makes certain populations fair game? Locality? Religious beliefs? Competing economic interests?
If you are a Torah Jew, you can't just pile on the congratulatory band-wagon, you have to ask yourself if this is even legal according to Torah law. The nations are bound by Sheva Mitzvot to set up courts of justice. And contrary to what they've been doing for the last 20 odd years, that justice must be extended even to those who do not live under the protections of the US Constitution!
Make no mistake. Mashiach, and those who follow him, could potentially be labeled a terrorist, too, on the basis of whatever criteria they are using. They've already done it with the "hilltop youth."
Holding the Jewish State Hostage to an Anti-Torah Agenda
And on the homefront, there is an unconfirmed report that Gantz has made Netanyahu an offer: a unity government with Netanyahu on first rotation as PM on condition that chareidim are left out of the government coalition, along with full support for all anti-religious legislation introduced. The chareidim may be let into the coalition at a later date, after such legislation has been passed, as long as they commit not to try to reverse any of it.
So, essentially, they intend to hold the entire public that wants a right-wing government with religious representation hostage to their anti-Torah agenda.
The Netanahu-Gantz deal was one of my theories, so that Netanyahu would have an excuse not to keep some of his promises. And thus we Israelis would have made the same excuse over again (and again) expecting different results.
ReplyDeleteסיכום בחירות מדינת ישראל / Israeli Elections Wrap-up
Big balagan - especially since this https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/09/13/cyber-dirty-bomb-terrorist-threat-is-real-warns-us-cyber-general/#42ba1af4679f
ReplyDeleteHe blew himself up. They would have captured him and put him on trial.
ReplyDeleteLike they did with bin Laden?
DeleteI am shocked that you have a problem with the USA killing Baghdadi. He was the ruthless, brutal, merciless, and despicable operational leader of ISIS and took pleasure in the videotaping of the cruel murders of innocents, including Jewish journalists. He put a captured Jordanian pilot in a cage and set him on fire. He gleefully published his death videos for all to see hoping to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies. It was a mitzvah to kill him, thereby preventing the future murders of thousands more. Baghdadi commited suicide by detonating his own suicide vest, killing his three children as well. I believe you owe President Trump an apology.
ReplyDeleteYou have not answered any of my questions.
DeleteBLOWBACK: HOW ISIS WAS CREATED BY THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ
ReplyDeleteHere is my question put another way. The US invaded the Middle East with its culture (long before 9/11) and it caused a backlash from those who wanted to retain their own native culture (and religion). The US then began to use military force (accompanied by missionaries) to ensure the native population's "right to choose" US culture over native culture. ISIS was one of many native groups fighting that trend by whatever means they had at hand. Why don't the natives have the right to meet military strength with armed opposition? What gives the US the right to wipe them out... and then celebrate it? According to Jewish sources, the Islamic monotheists are superior to the Christian idolaters.
In case you did not know, the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane and his son Binyamin and his wife were also American hit jobs. Mashiach ben Yosef fights Eisav and Mashiach ben David fights Yishmael. But, it's Mashiach ben Yosef we are told to pray that he does not die in this war with Eisav.
I understand your point, and agree with you that the U.S. should keep out of other countries and restrain themselves from forcing U.S. culture and religion on the citizens of other countries. However, there are a few points here.
ReplyDeleteFirst, if a group or nation violently attacks you or your people, you are effectively at war with that group and there is no need to bring each of the attackers to court. As long as your court (in this case apparently the U.S. cabinet) proclaims that group as guilty of murder, they are required to kill each and every one of the people that took part in those murders. Thus fulfilling the requirement by Torah.
Second, if the only reason that group attacked in the first place was because of self defense because they themselves were attacked first...well then in this case the U.S. would be at fault for invading another nation.
Third, if on the other hand the U.S. was invited into that country by that country's rightful leaders, then it would be an invasion. In which case the attacking group would be at fault.
Fourth, I think you can see where I'm going with this. We can't possibly know all of the various aspects of these kinds of altercations. Especially when we KNOW that the media constantly lies and puts out false information to justify their own means.
All we can do is learn and know the laws so that WE can implement them as needed. Leave the rest to judges who actually may have all of the REAL information needed, or up to Hashem ultimately since we have NO way to know the truth of these matters, and it wouldn't matter even if we did..
- The originaly me
This is all I ask. That Jews should ask the questions and try to find the answers and not just take everything at face value. And most certainly - NOT TO TAKE SIDES! Neither one of them is acting correctly. We don't stand with either Eisav or Yishmael. We stand alone with HKB"H.
DeletePS: Who did what first is a matter of public historical record...
DeleteIRAN, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN
Yeah, and how exactly would you wanted to send a warrant and try to arrest a Bagdadi - I'm sure he'll just show up in court for a trial??!
ReplyDeleteThey caught Saddam Hussein didn't they? But, you've still missed the point. Who is responsible for making these decisions? Right now, to the best of my knowledge, it's one person - the US President. Other people weigh in, but ultimately only one person is the Judge, the Jury and the Executioner. That violates all judicial norms and that's why these actions are called extra-judicial. It's illegal.
DeletePeople are also ignoring how such power could be (and is being) abused.
Delete