Talks, not tanks, will bring us peace

[bemildred]

The chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger pictured whilst on a visit to Shield house, London

As Britain prepares to mark the seventh Holocaust Memorial Day this weekend, with dozens of events organised around the country on the theme of “Imagine ... remember, reflect, react”, Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Yona Metzger, has declared that the lesson of the Holocaust should be to prevent people from killing one another because they are of different religions. But he gave warning that this ideal will be difficult to achieve while there are extremist Muslims pursuing a goal of a global Islamic society. “We have a problem with some groups of Muslims,” he said. “The problem is not Christians as it was in the past.”

Rabbi Metzger, 54, who fought in Israel's 7th Armoured Tank Brigade and became the country's youngest Chief Rabbi when he was appointed in 2003, has visited Britain to honour the work of Young Magen David Adom, a UK fundraising arm of Magen David Adom, Israel's only medical emergency and blood bank service.

Rabbi Metzger, a charismatic and dynamic figure, has been at times a controversial Chief Rabbi. He and his supporters have complained that accusations of sexual harassment and exorbitant fees for weddings cannot be substantiated and are no more than smear campaigns organised by his enemies. Although his moral and ethical behaviour has been criticised in a report by Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz, criminal charges of bribery were dropped more than a year ago because of lack of evidence.

The rabbi made a point of personally thanking George Bush for his country's military intervention in Iraq on the President's recent visit to Israel. “I want to thank you for your support of Israel and in particular for waging a war against Iraq,” Rabbi Metzger said to Mr Bush, words which, according to The Jerusalem Post, warmed the President's heart.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3252453.ece

[subsuelo]

1. ok....

First he reminds us against killing one another, then he praises Bush for invading Iraq.

Article states he is "on par with the Dalai Lama".

Right.

Far as I'm concerned this guy can talk and talk he obviously doesn't get it

[bemildred]

2. Eh, I favor talking over tanks, in most cases.

War is vastly over-rated as a way to resolve problems.

It may well be true that he is not another Dalai Lama. But you have to consider the source.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Well, he has some good ideas and some bad ones.

'Although he is vague on precisely how it would operate, and in what way it would be more than just another talking shop, he believes it is precisely such an organisation that could help to prevent another Holocaust, whether of Jewish people or of any ethnic or religious group...

But he is relentless in his efforts to promote peace in his own way. “Our aim is to talk with tongue and not with tanks,” he says. That is why he is promoting his concept of a “United Religions Nations”, as he describes it. “Every country will send a religious ambassador and we shall meet round the table and talk, even countries that do not have diplomatic relations.”


This sounds like a very good idea. Religion causes so much strife, and more dialogue between religions may help to reduce this. I agree that 'tongues' are better than and not 'tanks'.


'The rabbi made a point of personally thanking George Bush for his country's military intervention in Iraq on the President's recent visit to Israel. “I want to thank you for your support of Israel and in particular for waging a war against Iraq,” Rabbi Metzger said to Mr Bush, words which, according to The Jerusalem Post, warmed the President's heart.'

Now that was idiotic. He probably did have to welcome Bush and thank him for 'support for Israel' just as part of the usual protocol for receiving a foreign visitor; but he did not have to explicitly endorse the war in Iraq - which is not only indescribably immoral and murderous, but has increased the very religious extremism of which he complains.

But the 'United Religious Nations' idea is still a very good one!

[bemildred]

4. Yes, To the extent he is not just "making nice" that is dumb.

The Iraq War has been a disaster, you don't know where to start.