Rabbi answers questions about Israel, Middle East

As a rabbi in the Conejo Valley, I am regularly asked about a Jewish response to the situation in Israel and the Middle East.

I would like to share some of the answers to the FAQs (frequently asked questions).

Question: How is it that the Jewish people have survived so many wars and attempts at its destruction?

Through the ages, there have been persecutions and wars against our people. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans conquered all the peoples of the ancient Near East to assert their domination. The ancient Israelites, our ancestors, were among the only survivors that maintained their language, Hebrew, and their sense of peoplehood, by following the Torah (the five books of Moses), Prophets and Writings.

From a religious and historical perspective, the answer has been attributed to our belief in the one God.

When the conquering nations overtook the various countries, most of the victims believed the gods of the conquering nations were more powerful than their own, so they gave up their faith and joined the faith of their conquerors. When the Jewish people were conquered, we maintained our faith in the one God. Our being conquered did not disprove the existence of one God; it merely challenged us to be better Jews, in order to be deserving of returning to our ancient homeland.

Question: The Muslims claim that Jerusalem is their holy city. How can the Jewish people also claim Jerusalem as our holy city?

King David established Jerusalem 3,000 years ago. Jerusalem is mentioned in the Jewish Bible (dating back 2,500 years) more than 700 times. Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Jews pray toward Jerusalem. Muslims pray toward Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. There has been continuous Jewish presence in Israel and Jerusalem for 3,000 years. The Muslim religion came into being in the Sixth Century, only 1,400 years ago.

Question: Why does Israel want so much land?

Israel really doesn’t want that much land. Israel is the size of New Jersey. There is only one Jewish country in the entire world. There are only 5 million Jews in Israel. There are 22 Muslim nations and there are 1 billion Muslims.

The Muslim nations occupy a substantial part of the Asian continent. Israel wants recognizable and defensible borders but is very desirous of living in peace with her neighbors. World opinion notwithstanding, Israel is not the aggressor.

Question: Why doesn’t Israel listen to world opinion?

World opinion is not the true judge of morality. At the end of World War II world opinion was critical of the 6 million Jews who went like sheep to slaughter. Why didn’t the Jews fight back and defend themselves? The Jewish people at that time never had a standing army since they all were citizens of the various countries in which they lived. They were dehumanized by the Nuremberg laws and the Nazi enforcement of those laws.

Sixty years later, the world appears to be upset that the Jews are now defending themselves against terrorism. It appears that whether the Jews are victimized or the Jews defend themselves, they are condemned by world opinion.

When the state of Israel attacked Iraq almost 20 years ago to destroy a nuclear reactor and their nuclear arms capability, world opinion condemned Israel for invading a "sovereign nation." A few years later during the Persian Gulf War, then Defense Secretary Dick Cheney apologized to Israel for the United States’ initial criticism and thanked Israel for destroying the nuclear reactor and thereby helping the world situation.

Israel knew then that world opinion changes over time. Just as the U. S. is fighting a war against terrorism, so Israel is fighting a war against terrorism.

On Sept. 11, 2001, almost 4,000 people were killed in a coordinated act of terror against the United States. In the last 18 months Israel has lost 400 citizens to acts of terror. Those 400 lives in tiny Israel is the proportional equivalent of the loss of life of five Sept. 11s in America.

Both America and Israel are fighting an uphill battle against terrorism and against world opinion. But Israel and America know that we must not give in to terrorists. We must not negotiate with terrorists.

Thank you for your questions. If you wish to ask more questions, please contact me at my temple.

Temple Beth Haverim is in Agoura Hills.