For the sake of historical accuracy, it is Palestine, not Falestine

Anyone can and should have the privilege to choose the name they wish to be known as. That entitlement needs to be respected.

However, and it is a BIG however, if the choice of name is made for the mere intention of establishing proof of legitimacy, then the onerous task of forming such validation rests entirely on the party that elected to be called by that name.

This principle is, especially, important in the negotiation of historical facts. For the sake of posterity, historical facts cannot and should not be tempered with to win one propaganda battle or another. When they are, they become narratives of the worst, twisted kind.

Accuracy, particularly when it comes to the middle east conflict, is of utmost importance regardless of which side of the conflict one supports.

The recent Gaza war, in my view, not only reinforces this notion, but it also brings to light, yet again, the demand of its dwellers to have a state of their own. Regardless of whether their claim to statehood is right or wrong, I wish to address their designated name for that political entity if and when it is founded.

Those who call themselves “Palestinians,” which, as I stated above, have every right to call themselves by whatever name they wish, did that with unequivocal tendentiousness. The sole intention of adopting that name in 1967, was to “educate” the world that they were here first, before the United Nations General Assembly voted to create the Jewish state, in 1947. It was a means of the well-oiled Arab propaganda machine to start the process of delegitimization of the only Jewish state, Yisrael.

For those who are not familiar with the history of the region, let me give you a bird’s eye view of it.

In the year 135 C.E., a Roman emperor by the name of Hadrian, out of sheer hatred to the Jewish nation, which was exiled out of their home in Eretz Yisrael, decided to arbitrarily change the name of the land to “Palestine,” or more precisely, “Palaestina.” The purpose of such a move was to sever any connection between the Jews and their Homeland.

The name “Palestine” was selected by the Romans in a deliberate effort to add insult to injury to the already beaten, broken and exiled Jewish nation. The Romans named the area after the Philistines, one of the worst enemies of Am Yisrael. The Philistines were heathen sea faring people who, as the meaning of their names suggests, invaded (the root of the word Philistine is “to invade”) the Levant region in the 12^th century B.C.E.

Are you still with me?

In 1920, when the League of Nations voted to establish a National Jewish Home in Eretz Yisrael, Britain was granted a Mandate over the area and was entrusted with the task of preparing the ground for such an eventuality. At that time, the original name “Eretz Yisrael” was officially added and became synonymous with “Palestine,” as the acronym in the parenthesis on both the coin and the stamp below suggests.

 

Since the letter “P” does not exist in the Arabic language, the language of those who elected to call themselves “Palestinians,” they had no choice but to pronounce the original name as “Falestine” and call themselves “Falestinians.” Quite a distortion of the name, wouldn’t you say so, especially when one wishes to establish themselves as the rightful inheritors and owners of a place called “Palestine?”

This leaves inquiring minds such as mine with two questions.

The first is, if anyone wishes to claim legitimate ownership over a territory, why of all names do they choose to be called after invaders, the Philistines, which are recorded as such in the annals of history? Strange, isn’t it?

The second question I have is, if one cannot pronounce the name which one opts to embrace, for the mere purpose of establishing legality of ownership over a territory or any other entity, why use that name? It defeats their goal, does it not?

Again, I have no problem with the right of anyone to be called by the name of their choice. It should be respected. Likewise, though, no one should be denied the right to ask what sounds like valid questions, albeit uncomfortable, questions that are begging to be asked. That, too, should be respected. 

ישראל, כשמו כן הוא

מציעה לאוייבי ישראל ואולי אפילו לחלק מבני עמנו הלוקים בחסר בנקודה זו, לשנן את הפסוק המצויין למטה, הלקוח מבראשית לב, כט.

כט וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי, אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל:  כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָל.

 .לקשי ההבנה מביניהם, הרי הוא מתורגם לשפה פשוטה

 היושבים בציון, אוייבים יקרים, כבר אינם יעקב, אותם שהלכו בעקבותיכם (ע,ק,ב) אלפיים שנים, אותם שעשיתם בהם כרצונכם.

 .לא בכדי בחרו מנהיגי המדינה ומייסדיה בשם ישראל

כיום אנו ישראל, אותו עם קשה עורף הממשיך עדיין להאבק, מדי פעם, עם אלוהים כאשר מדובר בקיום עקרונות המוסר (וכאחת שאינה יהודיה שומרת מצוות, אינני מתכוונת לפאן הדתי, אלא המוסרי בלבד), אשר הקנה לנו

לצערי, אנו גם נאלצים להמשיך להלחם כנגד כל העומדים עלינו לכלותינו, ומי כמונו יודע זאת, על מנת להגן על היקר לנו

 ".אולם, אולם, חברים, וזה לדעתי החלק החשוב ביותר בפסוק, " ותוכל

 חברים, ידידים ושונאים יקרים, עם הנצח יצא וימשיך לצאת מכל מאבק על קיומו ועל עתידו, כאשר ידו על העליונה, כפי שמציין הפסוק

ואם, עדיין, אינכם משוכנעים, אז כל שעליכם לעשות הוא ללכת לספריה במורד הרחוב מכם, לקרוא ולהשכיל בנושא ההיסטוריה היהודית.

 וכאשר סוף כל סוף תבינו שמאמציכם החוזרים ונשנים להכחיד אותנו הינם חסרי תכלית, אולי אז, תתחילו להשקיע בעתיד עמכם, ילדיכם, צאצאיהם ובעתיד האנושות 

ולסיכום, בהיותכם בסיפריה, נסו למצוא, בבקשה, עוד עם הנושא שם כה עוצמתי ונבואתי המכיל בתוכו, עבר והווה,  המהולים בפאר, גדולה והדר מחד, וספוגי יגון ודם, לצערי, מאידך  ובעת ובעונה אחת עטור בהבטחה לעתיד מזהיר ומבטיח כגון השם

 

                      י ש ר א ל     

                                                       . 

חג שמח, רגוע ושקט עמי היקר, העם העומד בראש מעייני, העם אשר נתברכתי להיות חלק ממנו. 

 

The Eighth Day

 

                                                                 “And it came to pass on the eight day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel…”

This week’s Parashah (Torah portion) is called “Shmini” (The Eight), Leviticus 9:1 through 11:47. It addresses various topics. Among them, it relates the tragedy that befell Aharon’s two sons.

 The issue I wish to address in this article is the one concerning the consecration of the Mishkan (God’s dwelling place).

The seven days in which Moshe performed all the necessary tasks preparing for the consecration of the Mishkan are over. On the eighth day, he summons Aharon and his two sons to, officially, pass on to them the scepter of priesthood.

I want to share with you, dear readers, a different perspective on this subject, one that the titular name evoked in me.

Years ago, I saw a French movie called “The Eighth Day.” It unfolds the story of a professional man, named Harry who becomes a workaholic. The money he earns affords him the pursuit of many materialistic gratifications. Harry drives a nice car. He buys a spacious and beautiful house full of precious items. Unfortunately, it is devoid of warmth or inviolability. It is just a house, not a home.  His family nucleus begins to disintegrate. His wife leaves him taking their two daughters and he becomes a recluse and very unhappy.

It is at one of his most difficult moments that Harry meets and befriends Georges, a young down syndrome man. Georges becomes his spiritual director. He guides Harry through a healing process. He helps him slow down and teaches him the importance of appreciating the natural world around us. Eventually, Harry reunites with his family and they live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, as is the case with most down syndrome victims, Georges dies at a young age. As the angels are carrying his soul to heaven, the narrator recounts the story of the creation in Genesis day by day. “And on the Sabbath, G-d rested,” he tells us, “looked at his world and thought ‘what is missing in my world?’ So,” the narrator concludes, “on the eight day, He created Georges.”

The eighth day, mentioned in this Parashah, derives its name, “Shmini,” from the very first verse which states: “And it came to pass on the eight day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel…” On this day, The Mishkan is consecrated.

Unlike the narrative presented in the movie that I mentioned above, on the Seventh Day of creation, when G-d rested, he had already known what was missing in His world. He had already known what had to occur on the Eight Day. For six days He had been working on creating a world for us, humans, a perfect dwelling place, a world to satisfy our physical needs and existence. G-d, in his wisdom, did not want us to end up like Harry in the story above. He knew that the physical universe He had created was just a house. It needed to become a Home, a place that would include a spiritual dimension, righteousness and morality, a place where we, its dwellers, would be blessed with an appreciation for the gifts of life bestowed upon us by Him.

What was, therefore, needed to be formed on “The Eight Day” was a dwelling place for G-d, among us. It would have been the missing piece, the one that would make His creation complete.

 Naturally, some may argue that G-d, the omnipotent, could have, himself, created “the Eight Day” merely by speaking, just as he had done on the previous six days. Why, then, didn’t He?

In order to answer this question, let me take you back to the Book of Shemot (Exodus), more specifically Chapter 25 verse 8, where G-d tells Moses, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” The task of building a dwelling place for G-d, not only amidst them but in them, in their heart, is upon Am Yisrael. ( I refer you to an article I wrote on the subject last year: https://wingnsonawildflight.blogspot.com/2020/02/terumah-building-tabernacle-within-us.html)
Only then would the world be the Home that G-d had intended it to become for us and through us, for humanity.

"The Eight Day" in G-d’s plan, therefore, is the day on which the Tabernacle, which Bezalel, who was blessed with the wisdom of the heart designed and which Am Yisrael together contributed to and jointly built. It is the day in which the spiritual universe, which G-d had planned for us to built for ourselves, bonded and merged into one with the physical world that He had set up in Genesis.

 It is our duty to ensure that the Eighth Day and what it stands for remains an inseparable part of the rest of the week. We need to preserve it as G-d had intended it to be, not just a “house” but a “home,” as well. It is the only means to heal and restore that which has become, in the words of the late Lord Rabbi Sacks, “a fractured world.”

Shavua tov

The Art of Asking Questions

 

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” – Thomas Berger
“A Wise man’s question contains half the answer.” – Solomon Ibn Gabirol

Last night was the first night of Pesach when Jews commemorate and celebrate our ancestors’ "Exodus" from Egypt, and the liberation from slavery. The “Seder,” is the festive meal that opens this especially important Holy Day, recalling, reminding, and educating our younger generation about the significant chain of events which preceded that momentous outcome. It is chronicled in the “Haggadah,” the book we read during that occasion.

I remember my childhood “Seders.” Being a curious child, I wanted to know everything about it. I sought to learn why the Seder plate had certain foods on it or why the table was arranged the way it was. I also wanted to know why we eat "Matzah," "Charoset," and other kinds of food which are consumed only on this night and this Holy Day. I was curious about some of the terms and the logic behind some of the customs. I was eager to learn why this night was different than any other night. In short, I had many questions.

“What a great question,” I remember my father commenting on some of my queries. “And another good one,” he would remark on others as he was caressing me with his soft eyes. “Don’t ever stop asking,” he kept encouraging me, “we learn about our world and our life by asking questions.”

As I grew older and delved deeper into the content of the “Haggadah,” I realized that it was not my wisdom or dexterity that prompted me to ask all those “good questions” which made my father so proud of me. Rather, it was the ingenuity of those who, so prudently, crafted the art of asking questions - the essence, and the fabric of the “Haggadah.” The way they outlined the “Seder” (order in Hebrew), sparked my strong sense of curiosity, and led me to ask those questions.

A bird’s eye view of the “Haggadah” will reveal to us that it is laced with distinctive symbolic acts and food. It is not happenstance. They were deliberately created and aimed at raising curiosity, interest and stimulating inquisitiveness.

The directive to tell and retell the story of the “Exodus” is mentioned in the Torah. Moreover, it is provided in the form of a commandment weaving a hypothetical conversation between parent and child: “If your son asks you in time to come . . . you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and G-d took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.’”  D’varim (Deuturonomy) 6:20-21. The wise rabbis understood that the telling over of the story of the “Exodus” is meant and should be in a question-and-answer format.

These sages, obviously, recognized that at the core of asking questions is the desire to know, learn and understand. Questions are the fuel of growth and the best way to gain deeper acumens. Asking questions is, in itself, a creative activity, perhaps the epitome of human creativity. The skill of asking questions is, according to Jerome Brunner, the ability to go “beyond given information.” It grants us the opportunity to examine issues from a different angle. The greatest inventors and scientists in human history, people such as Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and many others asked fundamental questions which eventually led to their marvelous breakthroughs.  Philosophers and thinkers devote their whole lives to asking questions about the meaning of life, morality, truth, human behaviour and the divinity of G-d.

Realizing the significance and developmental benefits of asking questions and since the “Seder” is all about provoking questions, the sages have also instituted a few unique rituals to be performed at the Seder table for the mere purpose of arousing curiosity among children, teaching and triggering them to probe for answers. The very fact that we are doing something different, they discerned, will lend itself to an additional question, answer, and further growth.

What a great legacy and what a blessing it is to be part of it.
Happy and meaningful Pesach.

One Difference of Opinion that I Refuse to Dignify

 

“The test of faith is whether I can make room for difference.” – Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, “The Dignity of Difference.”

There is not a single person who could attest to me being someone who lacks faith. In fact, I believe that I am one of the most optimistic people I know. I am willing to accept and embrace the other (sometimes too quickly!). I am open to listen to their constructive criticism and comments, acknowledge dignify them and respond graciously.

However, there are some red lines that I refuse to cross.

I realize that not everyone is a warrior who is ready to risk that which they consider important to them, be it their family, their job, or their own safety. I also understand that to ask anyone to sacrifice that which is dear to them at the expense of adhering to integrity and truth, is, perhaps, unfair.

But when they ask me, in return, to dignify their approach and their opinion and accept their stand, they use the occasion to reprove me, label me with their own made-up titles and mock me. And why? Because I refuse to let go of my belief and become their “yes” person.  

Let me be specific. Anyone who has known me, even for a short while, is aware of how staunchly I support Trump and fight obstinately against the injustice and evil that was committed against him. I am, especially, referring to the results of the latest U.S. elections.

I doubt that there are many who will disagree that these elections were rigged. And no, I am not suggesting that there is overwhelming proof that Trump received more votes that Biden. What I am saying, though, is that there is enough proof of irregularities that occurred which, in my view, deems revisiting the subject for the sake of transparency and respect to every single voter. Neither do I demand, nor do I think that everyone who supported and voted for President Trump in the past should continue to exercise loyalty to the person who has been good to many of us, Americans first, and to the rest of the world, as I do. Likewise, I would never expect anyone not to capitulate to political and social pressure and stand by the side of the man, who has been wronged by so many, during his hard times, as they did during his good days.

In that respect, yes, I do dignify their right to hold a different opinion. Freedom of choice and expression are central pillars of the U.S. Democratic Republic. 

My question, rather, my dilemma, though, has nothing to do with my loyalty to one candidate or another. It has everything to do with upholding and dignifying the ethical principles and moral compass upon which this country was founded.

In other words, the rigged election results, the fraudulent manners in which some were obtained and the certification of the electorate, despite the abundant evidence which was not even granted a court hearing, is, in my view, a slap and a spit in the face of the Constitution of “We the People.” This is what, I believe, every decent, law abiding American citizen should also have an issue with.

Instead, I witness nonchalance among some of my fellow Americans who, even upon being presented with evidence of the deceit and the lies employed to produce the fraudulent election results, merely shrug their shoulders, click their tongues, blindly accepted such antics, and move on with their lives as if everything is normal.

They are, of course, entitled to their stance which is light years away from mine. However, to expect me to dignify their difference on this matter is to ask me to embrace lies, fraud, evil and lawlessness. That, I will never do. That, I could never do.

Crossing that red line would go not only against my Jewish upbringing. It would also amount to a violation of the oath of allegiance “to support and defend the American Constitution,” an oath I proudly took when I became a naturalized citizen of this great country, the United States of America.

?משרד החינוך או המשרד להינדוס תודעה

 

אזהרה, הכתבה הבאה מכילה חומר אשר עלול לפגוע ברגשותיהם של אנשים. עימכם הסליחה.

שלא כדרכי בקודש, החלטתי לערוך את הכתבה הבאה בעיברית.

הפעם, קהל היעד שלי הוא בני עמנו הגרים בציון. כוונתי לאנשים כמוך, כמוני ואחרים. חלקם קשי יום, אחרים עסוקים במלחמת הקיום היומיומית שלהם מבלי דעת כיצד מערכת החינוך במדינתנו מעצבת, או נכון יותר, לדעתי, עלולה, חלילה, לעוות את מוחותיהם של ילדיהם, הלך מחשבתם וסולם ערכיהם.

מעשה שהיה, כך היה.

באחד הימים קבלתי הודעה מחברה בפייסבוק. ההודעה לא הרבתה במילים, אולם התמונה

:אשר צורפה אליה אמרה רבות. הרי היא לפניכם

: לכל אותם אשר אינם מכירים את דמותה של שושקה, הרי מידע נוסף אודותיה

  : https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%A7%D7%94

כמורה אשר לימדה בני נוער בגילאי חטיבת ביניים ותיכון, במדינת ישראל, טבעי שאתהה אודות מהות הפעילות הנ"ל בתיכון "גלילי," ומטרתה. בנוסף לכך,כאם וכאזרחית המשתתפת במימון תוכניות חינוכיות, הנני רשאית לדעת מדוע נבחרה דמות זו המכסה טפח ומגלה טפחיים, החושפת את חלקי גופה האינטימיים ביותר של אשה, לפעילות במוסד חינוכי ומדוע דווקא קהל  היעד המורכב מתלמידי תיכון הנמצאים בגיל ההתבגרות עם כל התופעות ההורמונליות המתלוות איליו

לשם כך פניתי למנהלת הית הספר תיכון "גלילי" בכפר סבא, הגברת יעל מטלון. הנ"ל הפנתה אותי למחלקת החינוך בעירייה. מחלקת החינוך הפנתה אותי לדוברת העיריה, הגברת ליעד בראל גיל.

בתאריך  5.12.2020, פניתי לגברת בראל גיל:

שלום רב לך, גברת  בראל גיל,

שמי בת ציון סוסקינד-סאקס. אני מורה בישראל. כמו כן, הנני עיתונאית בסקטור האקדמי ובלוגרית ב

    ובעלת בלוג פרטי. Times of Israel ו-JPost

פנייתי אליך אינה אך ורק בהקשר לעיסוקי הנ"ל. פנייתי נובעת מתוך רצון להבין את הנימוקים העומדים מאחורי צעד שבו נקטה עיריית כפר סבא

 כפי שמצויין בעלון הפרסום המצ"ב, בתאריך 30.11.20, נערכה בבית ספר תיכון "גלילי" פעילות לתלמידי התיכון בו השתתף/ השתתפה שושקה

צר היה לי ללמוד שבחרתם דווקא בדמות זאת להשתתף באירוע המופיע תחת השם : "אמנות ואקטיביזם עם  שושקה

האם זו הדמות היחידה אשר עמדה לבחירתכם כאשר תכננתם אירוע זה?

האם זו, לדעתכם, הדמות הטובה ביותר לחיקוי עבור בני נוער במדינת ישראל

אשמח לדעת מה היו שיקוליכם בעת קבלת החלטה זו.

בברכת חג אורים שמח

בת ציון

:באותו יום הגיבה לי הגברת בראל גיל

,שלום בת ציון

מדובר בתוכנית של משרד החינוך בנושא אומנות מחאה. במקרה זה נבחרה דמות הפועלת נגד גזענות ושנאה.

כעירייה, איננו מתערבים בתכנים חינוכיים וסומכים על מערכת החינוך הנפלאה שלנו שיודעת להנגיש לתלמידים תכנים שונים ופלורליסטים, המרחיבים את הדעת ומעודדים חשיבה, חקר וידע.

אני מאחלת לך חג שמח ובריאות איתנה,

 תגובתה של דוברת העירייה, לא סיפקה אותי. האם חינוך כנגד גזענות ושנאה חייב להיעשות תוך כדי חשיפת חמוקיה ואבריה הפרטיים ביותר של אשה? האם פעילות שכזו מכבדת כל אשה באשר היא? כיצד אמורה מורה בישראל להרגיש כאשר הינה עומדת בפני תלמידים אשר אך זמן קצר לפני השיעור נחשפו לתחפושת המציגה את בת מינה במערומיה?

מאחר שהגברת בראל גיל תארה את מערכת החינוך כ"נפלאה," החלטתי להפנות את שאלתי לאותו אחד העומד בראשה, מר יואב גלנט.

שתי פניותי למשרדו של מר גלנט, האחת במסר ישיר, השניה במדור התלונות של משרד החינוך, לא נענו.

חברה יקרה הציעה להציג בפני את מר  אריאל בראון, חבר מפלגת הליכוד וסגן ראש מועצת כפר תבור בתקווה שהוא יוכל להעביר את פנייתי ישירות לשר גלנט.

למרות שהנני מכירה תודה למאמציו של מר בראון אשר לטענתו הראשונה השר היה בבידוד והשניה "השר עסוק בבחירות," לא הסכמתי לתשובה שקיבלתי.

זו הבעיה, חברים, כל אחד "עסוק" במשהו בעת שילדינו נחשפים לפעילויות חינוכיות אשר אינני יודעת את משמעותן ומטרתן האמיתית. כמו כן, ברצוני לדעת אם ההורים אכן היו מודעים למהותן ואם הן היו לחלוטין מקובלות עליהם, על מורים ואזרחים מן השורה במדינת ישראל.

בהמשך למאמצי ודרישותי לקבל מענה, מסר לי מר בראון את שמו של מר שחר כץ העובד במשרד החינוך בהבטחה שהנ"ל יטפל בשאלתי.

שחר כץ הפנה אותי למר דביר אמסלם אשר העביר אלי את כתובת האי מייל שלו.  בתאריך   7.1.2021 שלחתי למר אמסלם אימייל ובו גוללתי בפניו את השתלשלות העיניינים.

באותו יום חזר אלי האחרון והפנה אותי למיכל "דוברת משרד החינוך" בהבטחה שאוכל לפנות אליה "לקבלת מענה."

כאשר יצרתי קשר עם מיכל, טענה הנ"ל כי אינה מכירה אדם בשם דביר אמסלם העובד במשרד החינוך וכי אינה יודעת במה מדובר. כמובן שמיד יצרתי קשר עם מר אמסלם והנ"ל הדגיש כי מיכל אכן אמורה לדעת לגבי הנושא וכי הוא שלח לה הודעה באי מייל "שתבדוק את האי-מייל שלה," הוסיף האחרון. למיותר לציין שהגברת מיכל לא חזרה אלי.

מאידך, מר אמסלם, וכאן עלי לציין את האיש לשבח, אכן עושה עבודתו נאמנה ועשה ככל שביכולתי לקדם את הטיפול בנושא, הגיב לי באותו יום. וזו לשון תגובתו:

כמובן, שלא היססתי ומיד פניתי "בצורה מסודרת" לדוברות.בתאריך ה-8.1.2021 קבלתי הודעה מבחורה בשם מיטל, העובדת במשרד החינוך. זו לשון ההודעה:

בשיחת טלפון עם מיטל, הבהרתי לה את מטרת החקירה וכי בכוונתי לערוך כתבה ולפרסמה באחד מהבלוגים שלי.

בתאריך ה-5.2.2021 פניתי שוב למיטל במטרה לברר אם יש בידה תשובה.

תגובתה:

:כאשר בקשתי לדעת מתי אוכל לצפות לתגובה, השיבה הנ"ל

חזרתי והדגשתי שאני בשיג ושיח (דרך מר בראון) עם משרד החינוך בנושא זה כבר מחודש דצמבר וכי זכותי לקבל תשובה. וזו הייתה תגובתה של מיטל

     הבהרתי לגברת שאין בכוונתי להמתין עוד זמן רב. כמו כן הוספתי שעל פי השתלשלות הארועים, אני מאוכזבת מאוד מאופן התנהלות משרד החינוך בנושא וכי כתבתי תביע זאת

בתאריך 24.2.2021 בעת ביקור בארה"ב לרגל הולדת נכדי הבכור, שלחתי הודעה נוספת למיטל. לצערי, וללא כוונה זדונית שכחתי את הפרשי השעות בין ארה"ב לישראל ושלחתי את ההודעה בשעות הקטנות של הלילה.
למחרת, פניתי למיטל לוודא שאכן קבלה את ההודעה. זו הייתה תגובתה:

הבהרתי שאני בחו"ל ושאכן שלחתי את ההודעה מאוחר אולם, הייתי מצפה שאכן תהיה תשובה לאחר זמן כה ממושך של טיפול בנושא(מתחילת חודש צדמבר). בקשתה של מיטל "שנמשיך רק באמצאות הדואר האלקטרוני, כמקובל" הפתיעה אותי מאחר שכל ההתקשרויות עימי ממשרד החינוך, כולל זו שלה, היו מלכתחילה באמצעות הוואטסאפ.

הודעתי לכל הגורמים אשר עימהם הייתי במגע שיש בכוונתי לפרסם את הכתבה בציון שמותיהם של כל המעורבים בנושא והשתלשלות הארועים אשר הביאו אותי לנקוט בצעד זה.

לצערי, עד לרגע זה לא קבלתי תשובה ממשרד החינוך וזאת לאחר שהבאתי את הנושא לתשומת ליבם של  אותם אשר אליהם הופניתי, בזה אחר זה, כאשר נאמר לי שהם אחראים והם אלה אשר יוכלו לספק לי מענה

!כמה עצוב

The Impeachment of Reason

 

Impeachment has become a household word, nowadays. We hear and read that the Legislative branch (yes, the very same one that was created as part of the “checks and balances”) of the U.S. government is planning to impeach former President, Donald J. Trump. We witness many discussions and debates, by various analysts, mostly media people and unfortunately, even some U.S. politicians who are clueless about their own U.S. Constitution, in general and on the Articles of Impeachment, in particular.

Since I am an American, some turn to me to ask my view on this issue, seeking some clarification.

I always suggest that we start by defining terms.

“Impeachment” according to the Cambridge Dictionary is “to make a formal statement saying that a public official is guilty of a serious offence in connection with their job, especially in the US:” This teaches us that impeachment can only apply to a person who holds an official public office.

Next, let us see what the U.S Constitution states regarding impeachment. A basic Google search has produced, among others, an article by the NYTimes. In it, the writer states in plain everyday language that: “The Constitution permits Congress to remove presidents before their term is up if enough lawmakers vote to say that they committed “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” I have no reason to doubt the NYTimes on the accuracy of this statement.

What we learn from these two sources then is that:

A. Only a person who is a public official, not a private citizen, can be impeached.

B. The process can be done only while they, in this case, presidents, are still in office.

C. The penalty for an impeached official, upon conviction, is their removal from office. 

As far as I am concerned this is clear, simple, and straightforward. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to be able to grasp the concept. All one needs is a healthy logic and sound reason.

At least that is what I thought until this afternoon.

A friend, a fellow Trump supporter, one who I hold in high esteem, called, and asked me to explain to her what the “impeachment” entailed. I shared her with the above information. She sounded confused.

I decided to simplify it for her by providing an example. “Let’s say,“ I started, “that a lawyer who had been working for a certain law firm for a number of years, decided to leave his job, move to another town and start a clothing business.” So far so good. “Now,” I resumed, “suppose that after he had left his firm, one of his colleagues who resented him, decided to get him fired. Can he do that? Can you fire someone from any place of work where he is no longer employed?” I asked.

“Of course not, “answered my friend without hesitation.

“Great,” I thought to myself. That should be easy. “Now,” I moved on, “let us pretend that the lawyer who left the office, moved to another town, and opened a clothing business, is President Trump…” A long silence on the other side of the telephone line prompted me to ask, “hello, are you still there?”
“Yes,” she responded hesitantly, “but the media keeps telling us that he is still going to be tried. Let us hope you are right, let us……”

“Wait a minute,” I interrupted her. “Do you believe that Donald J. Trump is still in office?” I probed her. “No, of course not,” she answered very confidently. “Biden is the President. The media shows him sitting in the White House signing executive orders……He is the sitting president.”

“Then,” I persisted, “in that case, since Donald J. Trump is not the President, he is now a private citizen like you and I, correct?”

“yes…..”

“Therefore, according to the U.S. Constitution, he cannot be impeached. Unless, of course, there are two presidents or there is something that you and I and many others do not know…..,” I added.

“No,  it is clear that Trump has conceded. He is no longer in the White House,” I heard her assuring answer. I decided to leave my disagreement with her regarding Trump's "conceding" to another occasion. One step at a time.

Just as I was about to heave a big sigh of relief, I heard her say, “But in the news….well,” she added realizing her predicament, “as I said, I hope you are right….”

Unfortunately, she is not the only one who views this unequivocal issue in such a bewildered manner. Many people that I consider intelligent and perceptive seem to have difficulty grasping such a very straightforward issue.

I fear that my friend, along with many others, have lost their ability to think independently. Their judgmental faculties have been assailed and are in danger of being removed from them. They, themselves, it seems, have become subject to an impeachment. In their case, it is the impeachment of reason