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What Sir Thomas More Teaches Us About the World and Judaism Today
The altar area of Canterbury Cathedral in England. Photo: Peter K Burian / CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
I was always interested in history — and being from England, especially English history. One of the most significant eras there was the 16th century. After years of disastrous infighting in the Wars of the Roses, Henry 7th and then Henry 8th began to stabilize English society and lay the foundations for the empire that was to follow. As we know, Henry 8th had six wives. As the saying went, “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.”
Henry was not only a cruel tyrant, but also horrible to his counselors. The two most significant after Cardinal Wolseley were Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) and Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540), both of whom were beheaded.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) initiated the Protestant split with Rome when he pinned his 95 articles on the gates of Wittenberg Cathedral. Sir Thomas More, loyal to the Pope, wrote a fierce rebuff and encouraged Henry to write a defense of the Catholic Church for which he was given the title “ Defender of the Faith” (abbreviated in its Latin to FidDef). This is still used by English monarchs.
When Henry wanted to get rid of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, the Pope refused. Henry broke with Rome and set up the Church of England, and expected everyone else to follow him and accept him as the religious head of the Church (and thus defy the Catholic Church). To this day, the English Monarch is still head of the Church of England, which may explain why it has become such a pathetic disaster (although I think King Charles happens to be a good guy but certainly no saint).
Thomas More was a giant in English society — not just because of his political prowess and brilliance, but also because he had written a major work of English literature, Utopia, which described a mythical perfect world that was both a political satire and an aspirational dream of a perfect society. Sir Thomas was conflicted over whether to stand firm on his principles and face death or capitulate and obey his monarch. He refused to capitulate, and it cost him his life.
The unstable history of religious turmoil only ended when Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth, stabilized the country at home and survived the attempts of Catholic Spain to remove her. And by the way, there were no Jews allowed to live in England in those days, so you can’t blame them.
In 1960, the dramatist Robert Bolt produced a remarkable play called A Man for All Seasons, about Sir Thomas More as a brilliant, stable counterforce to the unpredictability of his master, King Henry, and his struggle, moral and religious. It was subsequently made into a very successful and award-winning feature film.
Much has been written about Thomas More. But in our days, he is known by most people from Hilary Mantel’s brilliant historical novel Wolf Hall, which was turned into a widely watched and praised television series that dramatizes the relationship between More and Thomas Cromwell, his pupil and then nemesis.
My interest in it is because I see so much of the present struggle between religious and political fanaticism and extremism not only in general, but also in Jewish religious life today. There are those who absolutely refuse to budge, see another point of view, and even resort to violence — although no one has been beheaded yet.
As for Martin Luther, he claimed he stood for a new open-minded version of Christianity in reaction to the corrupt Catholic authority of Rome, which only allowed the priesthood to determine what ideas and interpretations were acceptable. Luther wanted the Bible to be accessible to everyone, in a way to democratize religion. Initially he hoped the Jews would join him because we encouraged everyone to have access to our holy books. But when we politely refused, Luther turned into one of the most despicable antisemites.
That is one of the reasons why so many (not all of course) religions that sprang from us are uncomfortable with our independence, and end up being so antagonistic to Jews. Precisely because we are different and stand out in following our own paths. Most people don’t like those who disagree. There are many who die each year solely for their religion.
I wonder whether despite our technological and scientific advances, we are not as primitive, addicted to power, and as bloodthirsty as people were back then. In the end, we might say these religious upheavals laid the ground for a better world. Sadly, now it looks like we are being taken back to the Middle Ages.
The author is a rabbi based in New York.
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Netanyahu Says Israel Intends to Take Full but Temporary Control of Gaza as Hostage Families Organize Flotilla
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during ‘Christian Conference’ in Jerusalem, July 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intends to take full military control of Gaza to secure its borders until it can hand governance of the enclave over to Arab authorities, vowing to “liberate” the Palestinians of Gaza from the ruling terrorist group Hamas.
“We intend to control all of Gaza. We don’t want to keep it. We want a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern [Gaza]. We don’t want to be there as a governing body. We want to hand Gaza over to Arab forces that will govern [the territory] properly,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News.
“We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas,” the Israeli premier added. “In order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza and to pass it to civilian governance … The only way that you’re [going to] have a different future is to get rid of this neo-Nazi army. Hamas are monsters.”
Netanyahu’s comments came shortly before the Israeli security cabinet convened to discuss and likely approve the plan to expand the war.
Meanwhile, a flotilla carrying the families of Israeli hostages set sail from Ashkelon in southern Israel toward the Gaza maritime border on Thursday in a bid to pressure Israel’s government and the international community to act amid renewed fears for the 50 living and dead Israelis still held by Hamas.
The 11-vessel convoy, called “Flotilla 50,” was flanked by military and police boats, and bore yellow flags and yellow lifebuoys – which were later lowered into the sea – symbolizing the hostages’ plight.
The families said in a statement that the move was “a desperate cry” aimed at raising awareness in the international arena but also to call on the Israeli government not to take action that would endanger their loved ones.
The maritime protest came ahead of a key security cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday evening, where ministers are expected to approve an escalation of military operations in Gaza to include a possible occupation of the Strip. The move has drawn domestic backlash, with thousands expected to protest across the country on Thursday night.
Michel Illouz, father of slain hostage Guy Illouz, blasted Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but expressed his fear that pushing for him to step down would make way for the government to put a “yes-man” in his place.
“The state has deliberately sabotaged efforts from the start. This decision to conquer Gaza will send soldiers to their deaths, I’m certain,” he told the Ynet news site.
Haggai Angrest, father of kidnapped IDF soldier Matan Angrest, said he had “trust in the IDF chief of staff” Zamir but called to “put an end to this insanity.”
Israel’s military chief reportedly pushed back against Netanyahu’s plans to seize areas of Gaza it doesn’t already control during meetings earlier this week. The Israeli military says it already controls 75 percent of Gaza after nearly two years of war.
Many hostage families fear that a military expansion into the remaining areas will lead Hamas terrorists to execute the remaining hostages who are still alive.
Angrest said he would shout out to his abducted son from offshore “so he knows I’m here, so he can hold on.”
Representatives from the families broadcast the “Mayday” maritime emergency signal on a megaphone and read out the names of the 50 hostages.
Two days earlier, Ilay David, the brother of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David, addressed the United Nations in New York after a video was released by Hamas showing the severely malnourished hostage digging his own grave.
David said he and his mother could not watch the video of his brother, but his father and sister did. “Now the images haunt them,” he said.
“As my younger brother, a living skeleton, was forced to speak and dig his grave, the chubby and well-fed hand of a Hamas terrorist entered the frame,” David added. “Suddenly, Hamas confirmed what we have known for months — the terrorists have plenty of food. The only ones starving in Hamas’s tunnels are the hostages: my brother, Guy, and the [49] others.”
He added that the terrorists are behind a curtain eating plenty of food while starving his brother and the other hostages.
According to the UN’s own data, the vast majority of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is intercepted before reaching its intended civilian recipients, fueling concerns among Israeli officials and international observers about systemic aid diversion by Hamas and other armed groups in the enclave.
David blasted the UN for not discussing the humanitarian crisis of the hostages. “Not in the Security Council, and not in other UN forums. The very soul of humanity is being scarred by Hamas’s barbaric actions.”
“Your silence in the face of this monstrous cruelty is complicity,” he said.
David later told The Algemeiner that he addressed the UN because he felt he had no other choice.
“The world needs to see what we see – my little brother, Evyatar, starving in real time … his body wasting away. I couldn’t stay silent,” he said. “If it were your brother, your child, your best friend, you would want the world to listen. I spoke because I had no other choice.”
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the ongoing war on Oct. 7, 2023, with their invasion of southern Israel, where they massacred about 1,200 people, kidnapped over 250 hostages, and perpetrated widespread sexual violence.
Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages, most of whom have been freed as part of temporary ceasefires or Israeli rescue missions, and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza, which borders the Jewish state to the south.
“I know that right now the eyes of the world are on Gaza. But if you care about humanitarian suffering, then you must also demand answers about the hostages. Are they receiving food? Water? Medical care? Where is the proof?” David said.
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US Plan Sees Hezbollah Disarmed by Year-End, Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon
Men carry Hezbollah flags while riding on two wheelers, at the entrance of Beirut’s southern suburbs, in Lebanon, Nov. 27, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
The United States has presented Lebanon with a proposal for disarming Hezbollah by the end of the year, along with ending Israel’s military operations in the country and the withdrawal of its troops from five positions in south Lebanon, according to a copy of a Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters.
The plan, submitted by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, and being discussed at a Lebanese cabinet meeting on Thursday, sets out the most detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since last year‘s devastating war with Israel.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said following the cabinet meeting on Thursday that the cabinet approved only the objectives of Barrack’s plan but did not discuss it in full.
“We did not delve into the details or components of the US proposal. Our discussion and decision were limited to its objectives,” Morcos said.
The objectives of the US proposal would include phasing out the armed presence of non-state actors including Hezbollah, deploying Lebanese forces to key border and internal areas, ensuring Israel’s withdrawal from the five positions, resolving prisoner issues through indirect talks, and permanently demarcating Lebanon’s borders with Israel and Syria.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment, while the defense ministry did not immediately respond.
Hezbollah had no immediate comment on the proposal, but three political sources told Reuters that ministers from the Iran-backed group and their Muslim Shi’ite allies withdrew from Thursday’s cabinet meeting in protest at discussions of the proposal.
Israel dealt major blows to Hezbollah in an offensive last year, the climax of a conflict that began in October 2023 when the Lebanese Islamist group opened fire at Israeli positions at the frontier, declaring support for its terrorist Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.
The US proposal aims to “extend and stabilize” a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel brokered in November.
“The urgency of this proposal is underscored by the increasing number of complaints regarding Israeli violations of the current ceasefire, including airstrikes and cross-border operations, which risk triggering a collapse of the fragile status quo,” it said.
Phase 1 of the plan would require the Beirut government to issue a decree within 15 days committing to Hezbollah‘s full disarmament by Dec. 31, 2025. In this phase, Israel would also cease ground, air, and sea military operations.
Phase 2 would require Lebanon to begin implementing the disarmament plan within 60 days, with the government approving “a detailed [Lebanese army] deployment plan to support the plan to bring all arms under the authority of the state.” This plan will specify disarmament targets.
During Phase 2, Israel would begin withdrawing from positions it holds in south Lebanon and Lebanese prisoners held by Israel would be released in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
During Phase 3, within 90 days, Israel will withdraw from the final two of the five points it holds, and funding will be secured to initiate rubble removal in Lebanon and infrastructure rehabilitation in preparation for reconstruction.
In Phase 4, within 120 days, Hezbollah‘s remaining heavy weapons must be dismantled, including missiles and drones.
In Phase 4, the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar, and other states will organize an economic conference to support the Lebanese economy and reconstruction and to “implement President Trump’s vision for the return of Lebanon as a prosperous and viable country.”
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US Brings Hate Crime Charges Against Suspect in Killing of Israeli Embassy Staffers
A tribute is placed at the Capital Jewish Museum, near the site where two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead, in Washington, DC, US, May 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
The US on Wednesday brought federal hate crime charges against the suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside a museum in Washington in May, alleging he targeted them because they were Israelis, court papers showed.
The nine-count indictment returned against Elias Rodriguez, 31, accuses him of carrying out a hate crime resulting in death motivated by the “actual and perceived national origin of any person.” Rodriguez also faces charges of first-degree murder and murder of a foreign official.
The indictment also includes special findings that would make Rodriguez eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Rodriguez was accused of fatally shooting Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, who were about to be engaged to be married. They were leaving a May 21 event for young professionals and diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum and hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel, when they were killed.
Rodriguez told police at the scene: “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza,” according to a criminal complaint. Witnesses recounted hearing him chant “Free Palestine” after he was taken into custody.
He has not yet entered a plea to the prior charges, which also include causing death with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.
The killings in downtown Washington were widely condemned as an act of antisemitism and shook Jewish communities around the world. Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, said in May that the shooting would be investigated as a hate crime and the charges could carry the death penalty.
The indictment by a federal grand jury comes ahead of a scheduled court appearance in Rodriguez’s case on Friday.
It alleges Rodriguez had a history of violent rhetoric online against Israelis, including a plea to “vaporize every Israeli 18 and above.”
Before the shooting, he scheduled a social media post to publish later that night with a document arguing that perpetrators and abettors of Israel’s military actions in Gaza had “forfeited their humanity,” according to the indictment.
Rodriguez, who was born and raised in Chicago, flew to the Washington area from Chicago the day before the shooting.
He was seen pacing outside the museum, little more than a mile (1.6 km) from the White House, shortly before the shooting, police said.
Surveillance video footage showed Rodriguez firing about 20 rounds at Lischinsky and Milgrim, then leaning over them to fire several more rounds after they fell to the ground and after Milgrim tried to crawl away and sat up, according to an FBI affidavit in the criminal complaint. The gunman paused to reload, then resumed firing, it said.
He then tossed away his gun, retreated into the museum, and was arrested there after calling attention to himself as the suspect, pulling out a red Palestinian-style keffiyeh scarf and declaring that he “did it,” the affidavit said.