Jerusalem Day Speech – Newton Commons
Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan was honored to be the Emcee of Christians and Jews United for Israel‘s Jerusalem Day in Newton MA. He was so moved by the speech given by Charles Jacobs that he chose to publish it word for word in the August, 2014 print edition. Here is Dr. Jacobs’ speech.
We, Christians and Jews United for Israel, are here today in Newton, Massachusetts to celebrate the repossession of Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest city. It’s a very special day.
Forty-seven years ago in early June, 1967, Jerusalem was reunited under Jewish sovereignty during the 6 Day War. We should never forget that it was a genocidal war: the attacking Arab armies swore they would wipe the Jews of Israel off the map.
Yet governments around the world, including our very own, withhold recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and are calling for its re-division – based in great part on the claims of the Arabs that Jerusalem is their “holy city,” which we, the Jews, stole.
But that’s a lie.
Jerusalem has been, since time immemorial, Judaism’s holiest city. It is mentioned more than 600 times in the Torah. From ancient times, Jews end every Passover Seder and Yom Kippur service with the age-old affirmation, ‘Next year in Jerusalem.’
Jerusalem was the capital of the Biblical Jewish kingdoms and the site of three thousand years of Jewish habitation. We didn’t steal Jerusalem. It is ours. But then there are these lies.
Holy to the Muslims? When did that happen? Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Quran. It is not the direction in which Muslims turn to pray (as do Jews). It has never served as a Muslim or Arab capital.
So the claim that Jews stole Jerusalem is like all the other representations hurled against the Jewish state every day – on the college campuses, in the mainstream media, in the liberal churches, and even in our high schools. It is a lie. And we had better start calling these things lies — not just “misreporting,” not just “the point of view of The Other,” not just “inaccuracies.”
Because lying about Jews is a deadly game. It’s been around for a long time. In the middle Ages, we poisoned the wells and made matzoh with the blood of gentile children. Later, it was said that we controlled the banks and, behind the scenes, the governments of nations. Rabbi Abraham Heschel put it most clearly: “The Holocaust did not begin with the construction of the crematoria,” he said, “but with the defamation of the Jews.”
So we have to call these things lies, and we have to call the people who spout them – “liars.”
Lies about Israel, and liars who defame Israel pose the greatest threat to Jewish life today. Look at what’s happening to the Jews of Europe.
Right here in Boston, lies about Israel swirl around us daily. When the editors at the Boston Globe consistently portray Israel as among the cruelest of nations, they are telling dangerous lies.
When so called human rights movements claim to be moved by justice, but are selectively outraged by Jews, they are hypocrites and are telling lies.
When Professor Denis Sullivan at Northeastern University tells students that there is nothing wrong with Hamas, he is a liar.
When Students for Justice in Palestine, and other radicals on campus, say they are moved by justice, but methodically ignore the real human rights violations in the Middle East, where Christians are being thrown from their homes, raped, crucified, and murdered, these radicals are not seekers of justice. They are liars.
And when high school curricula in a certain city not far from this spot — teach public school students that Jews murder Arab women in Israeli jails, they are teaching lies. You should read about it. Pretty close to home.
These things must be said. It is very late in the day.
Finally, when leftist Jews who take money from anti-Semites to form an organization that blames only Israel for the lack of peace, and yet have the nerve to call themselves, “Pro Israel,” they too are liars.
So to end… my friends… One day, Arab/Jewish peace may come about. We, all of us, hope and pray for that day. But real peace must be based on truth, not lies. And the truth is that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people. And the truth is that we here, Christians and Jews, will stand together with Israel in these challenging times… no matter what. ..Am Yisroel Chai.!
Charles Jacobs Is president of Americans for Peace and Tolerance.