RSS
Rabbi on Hunger Strike Has Message for the World: Stop Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Until Red Cross Visits Hostages
Canadian-Israeli Rabbi Avidan Freedman, left, on a hunger strike urging Israel’s government to refuse to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza until the hostages held by Hamas receive a humanitarian visit by the Red Cross. Photo: Courtesy of Avidan Freedman
In a dramatic act of protest, a Canadian-Israeli rabbi launched a hunger strike last Friday urging Israel’s government to refuse to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza until the 239 hostages held by Hamas receive a humanitarian visit by the Red Cross.
Rabbi Avidan Freedman, who immigrated to Israel 13 years ago from Montreal, said that while international “law and basic morality” call for the release of the hostages, the bare minimum is allowing a humanitarian visit.
About “240 people were abducted from their homes in the midst of their families being butchered before their eyes and the world has forgotten them, has forgotten that they still have human rights,” Freedman told The Algemeiner, referring to the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel.
According to Freedman, the onus is on the government of Israel to stop a scenario of “selective humanitarian aid,” in which Gazan civilians receive aid while the civilians in captivity are denied those basic human rights.
“We’re not interested in revenge or in hurting any of the citizens in Gaza. But the fact that the world is happy with certain human beings getting their rights and is very happy for six weeks to completely ignore the rights of all of the human beings who were taken captive, that is something Israel as a sovereign state responsible for its citizens cannot allow,” Freedman said.
“Stopping humanitarian aid is a terrible thing and is something that Israel shouldn’t have to do. But as long as Hamas manipulates morality for its purposes, that’s not something that moral actors should allow,” he added.
The Algemeiner spoke to Freedman on the seventh day of his hunger strike. Initially, the rabbi and activist left his wife and five children in his hometown of Efrat and drew a circle around himself in a Tel Aviv plaza that has become known as Hostage Square. He vowed not to leave the circle until a Red Cross visit transpired — Hamas has thus far not permitted such a visit.
Canadian-Israeli Rabbi Avidan Freedman on a hunger strike. Photo: Courtesy of Avidan Freedman
Freedman drew inspiration for his idea from Honi Hameagel, a first-century Jewish sage who drew a circle around himself and called on God to provide rain, saying he would not leave the circle until his demand was met.
However, unlike the Mishnaic scholar whose act of protest worked, a humanitarian visit to the hostages has yet to take place, and in the meantime, Freedman has exited the circle.
Freedman’s comments came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that one of the hostages gave birth while in the captivity of Hamas, which abducted over 240 people and brought them back to the Palestinian enclave of Gaza during its Oct. 7 invasion of the Jewish state. Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during its onslaught across southern Israeli communities.
The Red Cross in Jerusalem, through spokesperson Alyona Synenko, told Israeli media last week that diplomatic solutions were needed in order for the organization to gain access to the hostages. “We cannot force ourselves through the bullets and through the bombs unless this access is given to us,” Synenko told Ynet earlier this week.
Beyond his current protest, Rabbi Freedman has been a vocal figure in criticizing the judicial overhaul pushed by Netanyahu’s government. He is also the head of Yanshoof, an organization demanding an end to Israeli arms sales to countries violating human rights.
When there had been no change in the hostages’ situation by Thursday, Freedman made the decision to leave the circle and allow another activist to take his place. “At first I came in with the mindset of: I want this to be over as fast as possible and I don’t want to really even think about what happens if this carries on.”
But it did carry on, despite persistent rumors of an imminent release. “Almost every day somebody came up to the [protest] tent and said, ‘They’re coming tomorrow,’” he said.
Qatar, in coordination with the US, has been seeking to negotiate a deal between Hamas and Israel that includes the release of dozens of those being held captive. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers have been fighting Hamas in Gaza, seeking to wipe out the Palestinian terror group. Israel has said it would not agree to a ceasefire unless all the hostages were released.
Freedman admitted to harboring a “savior complex” when he first launched the protest. “I wanted to do it all by myself,” he said, before recognizing the greater value in collaborating with others.
As long as a humanitarian visit remains elusive, Freedman’s circle in Hostage Square will never be empty, he said. His hope, he continued, is that other people around the world will be inspired to start circles of their own — at least 239 of them. “The idea is to create more and more circles with a constant presence. We’re going to lift this up together.”
Freedman, whose efforts are being supervised by a medical doctor who is also an expert on hunger strikes, said he was surprised by how well he was faring physically a week on, saying that he was feeling “a lot of strength.”
“The only way I have to explain it is that God has given me strength through the Jewish people that I’m meeting and speaking to every day all day,” Freedman said.
“I didn’t think I could hold on for more than three days with just water. And unfortunately I’ve held up for seven days of literally almost non-stop talking.”
He went on to say: “Every moment that passes that they haven’t received this visit is a travesty.”
“We cannot continue to allow Hamas to manipulate morality for the purposes of evil,” he concluded.
The post Rabbi on Hunger Strike Has Message for the World: Stop Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Until Red Cross Visits Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really?
JNS.org – If I asked you to name the most famous line in the Bible, what would you answer? While Shema Yisrael (“Hear O’Israel”) might get many votes, I imagine that the winning line would be “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). Some religions refer to it as the Golden Rule, but all would agree that it is fundamental to any moral lifestyle. And it appears this week in our Torah reading, Kedoshim.
This is quite a tall order. Can we be expected to love other people as much as we love ourselves? Surely, this is an idealistic expectation. And yet, the Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. How can His Torah be so unrealistic?
The biblical commentaries offer a variety of explanations. Some, like Rambam (Maimonides), say that the focus should be on our behavior, rather than our feelings. We are expected to try our best or to treat others “as if” we genuinely love them.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, in his classic text called the Tanya, argues that the actual feelings of love are, in fact, achievable provided that we focus on a person’s spirituality rather than how they present themselves physically. If we can put the soul over the body, we can do it.
Allow me to share the interpretation of the Ramban (Nachmanides), a 13th-century Torah scholar from Spain. His interpretation of the verses preceding love thy neighbor is classic and powerful, yet simple and straightforward.
“Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall rebuke him, but do not bear a sin because of him” by embarrassing him in public. “Do not take revenge, and do not bear a grudge against your people. You shall love your fellow as yourself, I am God” (Leviticus 19:17-18).
What is the connection between these verses? Why is revenge and grudge-bearing in the same paragraph as love your fellow as yourself?
A careful reading shows that within these two verses are no less than six biblical commandments. But what is their sequence all about, and what is the connection between them?
The Ramban explains it beautifully, showing how the sequence of verses is deliberate and highlighting the Torah’s profound yet practical advice on how to maintain healthy relationships.
Someone wronged you? Don’t hate him in your heart. Speak to him. Don’t let it fester until it bursts, and makes you bitter and sick.
Instead, talk it out. Confront the person. Of course, do it respectfully. Don’t embarrass anyone in public, so that you don’t bear a sin because of them. But don’t let your hurt eat you up. Communicate!
If you approach the person who wronged you—not with hate in your heart but with respectful reproof—one of two things will happen. Either he or she will apologize and explain their perspective on the matter. Or that it was a misunderstanding and will get sorted out between you. Either way, you will feel happier and healthier.
Then you will not feel the need to take revenge or even to bear a grudge.
Here, says the Ramban, is the connection between these two verses. And if you follow this advice, only then will you be able to observe the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. If you never tell him why you are upset, another may be completely unaware of his or her wrongdoing, and it will remain as a wound inside you and may never go away.
To sum up: Honest communication is the key to loving people.
Now, tell me the truth. Did you know that not taking revenge is a biblical commandment? In some cultures in Africa, revenge is a mitzvah! I’ve heard radio talk-show hosts invite listeners to share how they took “sweet revenge” on someone, as if it’s some kind of accomplishment.
Furthermore, did you know that bearing a grudge is forbidden by biblical law?
Here in South Africa, people refer to a grudge by its Yiddish name, a faribel. In other countries, people call it a broiges. Whatever the terminology, the Torah states explicitly: “Thou shalt not bear a grudge!” Do not keep a faribel, a broiges or resentment of any kind toward someone you believe wronged you. Talk to that person. Share your feelings honestly. If you do it respectfully and do not demean the other’s dignity, then it can be resolved. Only then will you be able to love your fellow as yourself.
May all our grudges and feelings of resentment toward others be dealt with honestly and respectfully. May all our grudges be resolved as soon as possible. Then we will all be in a much better position to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The post Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during the day he visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday dismissed as nonsensical the report that President Donald Trump would endorse Palestinian statehood during his tour to the Persian Gulf this week.
“This report is nonsense,” Huckabee harrumphed on his X account, blasting the Jerusalem Post as needing better sourced reporting. “Israel doesn’t have a better friend than the president of the United States.”
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The leader’s first trip overseas since he took office comes as Trump seeks the Gulf countries’ support in regional conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and curbing Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
However, reports citing administration insiders claimed that Trump has also set his sights on the ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords. These agreements, initially signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The accords are widely held to be among the most important achievements of the first Trump administration.
The post ‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Unless significant progress is registered in Sunday’s round of nuclear talks with Iran, the US will consider putting the military option back on the table, sources close to US envoy Steve Witkoff told i24NEWS.
American and Iranian representatives voiced optimism after the previous talks that took place in Oman and Rome, saying there was a friendly atmosphere despite the two countries’ decades of enmity.
However the two sides are not believed to have thrashed out the all-important technical details, and basic questions remain.
The source has also underscored the significance of the administration’s choice of Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director, as the lead representative in the nuclear talks’ technical phases.
Anton is “an Iran expert and someone who knows how to cut a deal with Iran,” the source said, saying that the choice reflected Trump’s desire to secure the deal.
The post US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login