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Rabbi Menachem Froman’s Unique Perspective and Enduring Commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis
Rabbi Menachem Froman (1945-2013) was an Israeli Orthodox rabbi, social critic, and teacher of Jewish mysticism, who served as the chief rabbi of Tekoa in the West Bank.
A former paratrooper in the IDF, and a veteran of the Six-Day War, he became a founding member of Gush Emunim, the movement that spearheaded the settlement of territories that Israel inherited in that conflict. And yet, throughout his public life, he was a prominent and often provocative advocate for peace, who maintained close contact and met with Palestinian civil and religious leaders whose politics were radically different from his own.
In some ways, Froman placed faith over politics, seeking similarities between Jews and Muslims, and emphasizing their mutual belief in one God. He also acknowledged that the Arabs also have ties to the Land of Israel, and accepted the reality that they live in it — and then asked: now what? They were not going anywhere, and neither were the Jews. Instead, they would have to find a way to understand and accommodate each other, and eventually, find a path to peace through their beliefs.
Though Froman was controversial to some, others praised his approach.
Davidi Perl, former head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, said that Froman was “a huge scholar, with a great soul, who loved people and brought them closer to the Torah.”
A newly published book from Rabbi Froman called Chasidim Just Laugh (Deuteronomy Press), shows that his views on politics and the Israeli-Arab conflict emerged from a much deeper and broader system of thought.
The book contains Froman’s ideas on marriage and relationships, Israeli society, faith, doubt, joy, religion, and ritual.
Translated from the Hebrew original — and featuring a new foreword by Yossi Klein Halevi — the book presents Froman in his own words; through a series of deep reflections, thought-provoking aphorisms, and inspired teachings; along with accompanying commentary and stories about the rabbi. Extensive footnotes also allow the reader to trace the influences he cites on his thought, from classical rabbinic texts, to the Chasidic masters of Breslov and Izhbitz, to French existentialism.
As Chasidim Just Laugh makes clear, in the 11 years since his untimely death, Rabbi Froman’s ideas have become no less original, thoughtful, confrontational, radical, and especially vital in the post-October 7 world.
In the forward to the book, Klein Halevi writes, “I believe [Rabbi Froman] would have been furious at the near-total moral failure of the Muslim world to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ atrocities [on Oct. 7]. And he would have said so from every platform available to him. At the same time, he would no doubt affirm the ongoing urgency of finding Palestinian partners, since neither side is going to disappear from the land. And he would intensify his search for allies in the Muslim world, convinced that we had no choice but to find our place in the region. I imagine he would be earning frequent flier points from trips to Saudi Arabia.”
The following are some of Rabbi Froman’s profound, and at times surprising, thoughts on Israel, Judaism, living with Arab neighbors while sticking to Jewish values — and never giving up the hope for peace.
To Leap and to Dance
When I lived in the Old City of Jerusalem, there was a picture sold in all the shops that was meant to symbolize the Arabs’ national struggle: a schlepper hauling the Al-Aqsa Mosque on his back. When I saw this, I immediately understood why the Jewish people don’t unanimously support the settlement project. We took something so sweet—the mitzvah of settling of the Land of Israel — and turned it into a heavy burden. If that’s how it is, better to schlep just half the Land. Rebbe Nachman offers an alternative to schlepping—to leap, to dance! And for that, you need the spirit.
Settling in the Land to Achieve Peace
People can’t grasp the idea that a call to freedom can be a religious matter. Although our Sages teach that “No one is truly free save for the one who engages in Torah,” [M Avot 6:11] most religious Jews were taught to give up their freedom for the sake of religion.
We see this in many realms. For example, in the political sphere: Most settlers think that the settlements interfere with peace, but they prefer the settlements to peace. They are incapable of believing that the settlements can be for the sake of peace.
Likewise, between man and woman—people think that being free means being single, that getting married means giving up on your freedom for the sake of a wife, marriage, children, a home, etc.
But for me, freedom is the essence of being religious, and my wife is my freedom. It’s like the song: “With you I know, that only with you am I free.”[i]
And with this, he began to sing and cry.
The settlements are the fingers of the hand extended in peace, and are safeguarding the peace.
Here he showed, with his hand, that when people shake hands, each person’s fingers are placed in the palm of the other.
So too the settlements are placed in the heart of the Palestinian community.
There’s No Peace Without Justice
Of all the Biblical judges, Samson the Mighty doesn’t seem like much of a judge. But it is this figure specifically that so fascinated Ze’ev Jabotinsky. This is because Samson expresses the essence of Jabotinsky’s political philosophy. In the novel that Jabotinsky wrote about Samson, he describes how two people came before him seeking justice. Samson tells them, “You have complaints? Scream, fight, get everything off your chest!” Afterwards, they left him, reconciled and whole.
It is precisely when we strive for the penetrating truth that peace becomes possible. I used to always tell Palestinians that there’s no “Salaam” [peace] without “Alaam,” justice. Otherwise, your “Salaam” is just a hello, just a greeting. If we don’t address questions of justice, the most piercing disagreements — we’ll never reach peace. The Palestinian governor of Bethlehem really loves this saying.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough, and I think you’ll find it as relevant now as it ever will be.
Kylie Ora Lobell is a writer and president of KOL Digital Marketing, where she does ghostwriting, marketing, and publicity for clients like authors, brands, and influencers. She has been published in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Jewish Journal, and Aish.
The post Rabbi Menachem Froman’s Unique Perspective and Enduring Commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Says Sinwar Killing Will Ignite New Wave of ‘Resistance’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on before a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s top diplomat on Friday took to social media to mourn the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli soldiers.
“Martyrs live forever, and the cause for liberation of Palestine from occupation is more alive than ever,” wrote Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, adding that the jihadist kingpin’s death will only serve to further his cause.
Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 massacres, was killed by Israeli troops in the southern Gazan city of Rafah on Wednesday.
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With Jihadist Mass Murderer Dead, Israel Takes Another Stride Forward
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar looks on as Palestinian Hamas supporters take part in an anti-Israel rally over tension in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, in Gaza City, Oct. 1, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
JNS.org – The elimination of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s top military-terrorist and political chief and the architect of the Oct. 7 invasion—the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—marks a major turning point in the battle to degrade the Iranian-backed jihadist network surrounding Israel.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari explained on Thursday that Sinwar had been attempting to flee from house to house, moving between structures in Rafah. Hagari noted that Sinwar “was in flight,” and at one point, after the entourage protecting him had been fired upon by the IDF and split up, Sinwar fled alone into a building.
Sinwar’s death, achieved by fighters from the 450th battalion of the IDF School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders (known by its Hebrew acronym, the Bislamach Brigade) occurred in Rafah on Oct. 16.
Two tank shells directed by the force at the building where he was hiding led to Sinwar to first being injured, and then killed by the second shell. In between the two shell strikes, a squad commander with soldiers who attempted to search the building encountered grenades, retreated, and sent quadcopters inside to gather intelligence. One of the quadcopters filmed Sinwar sitting in a room, injured, hurling a plank at the drone (and missing it). The tank shell that eliminated Sinwar soon followed.
Sinwar’s attempt to flee, Hagari said, was driven by the pressure exerted by Israeli forces, who had been closing in on him in Rafah over a prolonged period. Hagari also mentioned that Sinwar had been using tunnels and the cover of civilians to avoid detection. His DNA had been found in a tunnel located a few hundred meters from the site of where Hamas murdered six Israeli hostages in late August.
The elimination significantly weakens Hamas’s operational capabilities and disrupts its leadership structure. Sinwar’s removal is not only a tactical victory but also a strategic achievement that vindicates Israel’s refusal to agree to premature withdrawals that would have allowed Hamas to regroup and rearm. This achievement moves Israel significantly closer to neutralizing the Iranian-jihadist vision of a “ring of fire” around its borders.
Since his release in the 2011 Shalit deal, Yahya Sinwar was the primary architect behind Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure and strategy in Gaza. He was the mastermind behind the genocidal attack on southern Israel a year ago, and his elimination sends the messages to terrorists and their backers throughout the Middle East that Israel will settle accounts with all who target its people.
According to Hagari, Sinwar’s was located after months of intelligence efforts by the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
“We closed in on him over a period of months, and despite not knowing his precise location at times, we continued our determined pursuit,” the admiral said.
In recent months, Hamas has ceased functioning as a centralized terror army, devolving instead into a decentralized network of guerilla terrorist cells. While the elimination of Sinwar will not entirely dismantle Hamas, it accelerates its transformation into a less coordinated and more fragmented organization, removing its ability to plan and conduct large-scale terror operations out of Gaza.
These developments send a clear message to the entire region: Israel will not tolerate a return to the status quo where Hamas is left intact to rebuild its terrorist army.
Unprecedented leverage
The death of Sinwar also provides Israel with unprecedented leverage in negotiations concerning the remaining 101 Hamas-held hostages. He was known for his hardline stance and unwillingness to compromise on his demands; his absence opens the door to possible approaches by surviving Hamas members holding the hostages.
Israel now has the opportunity to offer immunity or other deals to lower-ranking Hamas terrorists in exchange for the safe release of hostages. With their morale degraded and Israel’s determination to prevent them from retaking Gaza clearer than ever, the remaining Hamas leaders may be more willing to negotiate, offering Israel a new path to secure the return of its citizens.
While Sinwar’s elimination is a significant victory, it does not signal the end of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The goal to prevent Hamas from regrouping and reconstituting its terrorist capabilities remains.
Col. (res.) Amit Assa, a former senior member of the Shin Bet intelligence service, stated in a call organized by Media Central that eliminating terrorist leaders is crucial, especially during wartime, when it is more difficult for an organization to replace its leadership efficiently.
Assa highlighted that Sinwar had expected Iran and Hezbollah to join Hamas in the initial Oct. 7, 2023, attack but that the timing wasn’t right for the Iranian axis to join an all-out attack. This despite the fact that Hezbollah had prepared its own mass murder ground assault from Southern Lebanon, whose infrastructure is now being destroyed by the IDF.
Sinwar’s elimination will help “people in Gaza, also terrorists, know that this is the end of the Hamas. And if it’s the end of the Hamas, they have no advantage keeping the hostages,” said Assa. “I think what will happen now is as the time will go by, we will see hostages getting free and we hope every one of them.”
Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former IDF international spokesperson, highlighted the implications of Sinwar’s death, stating, “When I scan the horizon of Hamas leadership and I look at who is next in line …, they are way down, many levels down the food chain from where Yahya Sinwar was.”
He named Sinwar’s brother Muhammad as a lead candidate to replace him.
For the broader Middle East, Sinwar’s death could serve as a catalyst for change. Without Hamas’s iron grip on Gaza, there is potential for Palestinian factions and civilians to explore new possibilities for governance and cooperation.
“I think that this poses a lot of opportunities for Israel, but most importantly for Palestinians, for those who want to seize opportunity and get free of Hamas rule and oppression of Gaza and perhaps turn the page on a better future for Gaza,” said Conricus.
Ultimately, the elimination of Sinwar is more than the death of a terrorist mastermind. It is a significant milestone in Israel’s broader fight against Iranian-backed jihadist movements that seek to destroy the Jewish state and take over the Middle East.
Israel has not only weakened its enemies; it is creating new possibilities for the wider region.
The post With Jihadist Mass Murderer Dead, Israel Takes Another Stride Forward first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran: Sinwar’s Death Bolsters ‘Spirit of Resistance’ in Muslim World
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 2, 2022. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
JNS.org – The killing of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar will strengthen the “spirit of resistance” in the Islamic world, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Thursday.
“When Muslims look up to martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield—in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy—the spirit of resistance will be strengthened. He will become a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine,” the mission tweeted.
“As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration,” it added.
Sinwar’s predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran in July.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Hamas pleaded with Iran to join its Oct. 7, 2023, attack months in advance, citing documents seized by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza back in January.
According to the report, the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, informed Mohammed Said Izadi, head of the Palestinian Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, of the plot in July 2023, in Lebanon.
Although the Iranians denied any involvement in the Oct. 7 invasion, Hamas leadership meetings, obtained in transcribed form and verified by the Times, reveal that al-Hayya asked Izadi to strike sensitive sites in Israel in “the first hour” of the attack.
The documents further reveal that Hamas also intended to convene with Hezbollah’s then-leader Hassan Nasrallah, but that the meeting was postponed. It was not clear whether a later meeting was held in person.
According to the recordings, Izadi said that Iran and Hezbollah sanctioned the attack in principle, but that more time was needed “to prepare the environment.”
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