The Golem Turns on his Creator

Category: Faith & Spirituality, Middle East Topics: Ariel Sharon, Judaism, Occupation Views: 6095
6095

In Jewish legend, the Golem was a man-made creature endowed with enormous strength. Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague, also known as the Maharal, created him of clay and gave him life by putting a piece of paper with the secret name of God under his tongue.

The Golem helped the Jews defend themselves against anti-Semitic rioters, but one day he turned against his creator. He sowed ruin and destruction, until, at the last moment, the rabbi succeeded in extracting the piece of paper from his mouth. The Golem turned back into a heap of clay.

Ariel Sharon is not a rabbi and the Kabbalah is a closed book to him. But he has created a Golem: the settlement movement in the occupied territories.

He was sure that the Golem would serve him. After all, the settlers owe him everything. It was he who nursed them for decades, diverted funding to them on a massive scale, put at their service all the political positions he occupied one after the other: the ministries of agriculture, defense, foreign affairs, housing, industry and trade, infrastructure, and, finally, the Prime Minister's office.

(I remember about 25 years ago, visiting Sharon at home in the preparation of a biographical essay I was writing about him. My wife and I were sitting in the kitchen with Lilly Sharon, who served us her delicacies, when I noticed that the chiefs of the settlers were sitting in the adjoining room. Sharon himself went back and forth between us, sharing his time with us equally. Even at that early stage the settlers clearly treated him as their patron.)

During all these years, ever since he served as the Commanding General of the Southern Sector in the early 70s, he preached to everybody he met, Israelis and foreigners alike, the gospel of the settlements, spreading maps in front of them (he always has maps) and demanding that they act. According to him, it was vitally important to set up settlements in order to turn all of Eretz Israel - from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, at least - into a Jewish State, to tear the Palestinian territories into ribbons and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, which would be an obstacle to the achievements of the full aims of Zionism.

Like a bulldozer without brakes, Sharon leveled all opposition. He saw to it that tens of billions of dollars were turned over to the settlements (the exact amount cannot be ascertained, being hidden in various corners of the budget), bent the laws to their benefit and enlisted the officers of the army in their service. In this way, a closely woven network of settlements and special roads came into being, with perhaps 250,000 settlers.

When he coined the slogan "unilateral disengagement", it never occurred to him that the settlers might oppose him. Don't they owe him? Are they not his pampered children? Aren't they eternally in his debt?

Sharon offered them a deal that seemed to him eminently reasonable (as it had once looked to Yossi Beilin, who invented it, and then to Ehud Barak, who tried to implement it): Give up the isolated settlements, with a few tens of thousands of settlers, in order to secure the future of the big settlement blocks, with 80% of the settlers, which will be incorporated into Israel. Sacrifice some fingers in order to save the whole body. This way not only do we save the settlement enterprise, but we also gain the better part of the West Bank.

But the Golem, once the piece of paper is under his tongue, demonstrates a logic of his own. He does not intend to give up the dozens of small settlements, especially as that is were the hard core of Messianic fanatics lives. He also understood that the evacuation of the first settlement would create a precedent that would endanger all the others. The real settlers may have nothing but contempt for the Gush Katif "settlers", who are first and foremost calculating businessmen, but they understand the crucial importance of the battle for Gush Katif.

Like the Maharal, Sharon underrated his Golem. He treated him as a servant. How could he respect a creature that he had created with his own hands? Now he is learning that it is much easier to create a Golem than to reverse the process.

In the surfeit of interviews that Sharon gave last weekend, he declared that the settlers are only a small minority of the people. And indeed, even according to the settlers themselves, they constitute less than 4% of the citizens of Israel. But the numbers do not reflect their actual power. In a democratic society, a small, fanatical and highly motivated minority can influence matters more than a big but apathetic and flabby majority.

Sharon speculated on the unpopularity of the settlers in Israel. They are violent and unruly; they speak, dress and behave differently, even their body-language is different. The ordinary Israeli sees them as a bizarre sect. Also, at long last is has dawned on the Israelis that the settlements are devouring the billions that are needed for Israel's economic and social recovery.

But in the course of the decades, the settlers have set up an extensive apparatus of control and propaganda. Patiently, they have infiltrated the army, where they now occupy the key positions once held by Kibbutzniks. Their independent media are expanding, while the Left has in the course of the years given up literally all their independent media. The settlers are in possession of huge funds, not only the money that flows to them through hundreds of channels from the state coffers, and not only the lavish donations from American Jewish multi-millionaires, but also from the plentiful resources of the American Christian evangelists.

One may well ask: what foolishness possessed Sharon, when he proposed that the Likud members, of all people, should decide on his plan? Did he not realize that this is the only arena where the settlers can command superior forces?

Why? As usual with victory-drunk generals: out of sheer arrogance and contempt for the opponent. At the pinnacle of political power, he disparaged the settlers. He did not dream of the mass home visits. He underrated their emotional appeal and their well-oiled logistic machine, that was created with the money of the state.

Most of the settlers constitute a disciplined body. Like any messianic sect, they unquestioningly obey their commanders, the "Yesha rabbis" (Yesha is the Hebrew acronym for Judea, Samaria and Gaza.) This is a totalitarian structure, in the true sense of the term: total faith, total organization, total discipline.

"My head supports the Sharon plan, but my heart supports the settlers," a Likud member confessed. That is quite natural: when a settler pair with attached baby (there is always a baby attached!) knocks at the door and asks: "Do you want to evict us from our home?" - how can he resist? After all, from the day he was born he has heard that the national aim is to possess the whole of Eretz Israel, that the settlers are the salt of the earth, that one can ignore the rest of the world - and suddenly this man, Sharon, comes and says the opposite?

Yet it must be remembered that less than 2% of the Israeli electorate voted against the Sharon plan in this party referendum. (In the last elections, the Likud received less than 30% of the votes. Less then a quarter of these are Likud members, who were entitled to take part in the referendum. Of these, less than half did actually vote, and of these, less than 60% voted against the plan. These, together with the settlers who are not Likud members, compose the Golem.)

One good thing has come from this referendum: suddenly the public has woken up and seen the Golem that has come to life in their midst. From the first moment, the writing was on the wall: the settler movement is sucking the marrow from the state, it is an obstacle to peace, it is a danger to Israeli democracy and to the future of the state itself. Now the general public, too, sees the danger represented by this rampaging Golem.

It is not too late to remove the piece of paper from beneath the Golem's tongue. Not yet!

Uri Avnery is an Israeli journalist, peace activist and a former member of the Knesset. He is also is a founding member of Gush Shalom, an Israeli peace group founded in 1993.


  Category: Faith & Spirituality, Middle East
  Topics: Ariel Sharon, Judaism, Occupation
Views: 6095

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Older Comments:
LULU-UK FROM UK said:
We need to differentiate international politics from religion. Muslims have special relation with the people of the book who are the christians and the jews. Equally Islam preaches universal peace and freedom of all religions by saying that there is no compulsion in Islam. This means no one has to force you to become muslim.

We humans need to love, care and have respect for one another with dignity. God created the whole of the universe and we are one family so there is no separation in terms of humanity.

Also I am not an expert in the Quran but I do know that the verses that are being quoted about jews and christians were refering to what was going on at the time the verses were revealed especially during the war that was going on at that time. Each verse has its history in the quran and one needs to research how that particular verse applied to the event that it was revealed for or occured at that time. Let us not forget that the Quran was revealed over 23 years and each event was different.

The people of the book have special respect, laws and relations with the muslims as laid down in the Quran. One needs to research more.

For more information regarding the people of the Book:

Union of Faiths
http://www.unionoffaiths.com/

I hope we can look at the treasures God has laid down in our collective spirit of humanity. This way we can get closer to one another and find out what treasure each person has in her/his heart and admire it with beauty.

Peace.

2004-05-21

SAMIR BOLOUS FROM USA said:
To Nat Willins
Your reference to the following passage from Kuran

"the Jews and Christians are only friends to eachother, and that they will never be happy with you until you become like them".

Asuuming your quotation is correct, it contradicts another passage
"You will find those of the Christian faith the closest to the belivers because there are among them priests & monks and they do not look down upon you"
Something here is wrong your quotation or what?

I leave it up to you to figure it out
(by the way I know my quetation is correct since I read the Quran in its native tounge, do you?)
As far as Muslim comming together I did not see any inclination toward that, why well look at Pakistan some time not long ago Pakistan & Bengaladish were one country but power strugle & corruption led them to breaking appart, so far that happened in one country. What are the prospects of different nationalities with nothing other than religion to cement them together.
The simple example in the Middle East where it is supposed to be Arab countries, look what is happening the Saudi, Kuwaities, the quararies, the Bahrainies & the rest of the Golf stste are in bed with USA & the rest are collaborators.
Ghadafi gave in to the power of the $.
There is a dire need for modernization as in self sufficiency because with out that you are dependent on the devil for you food, medicine.
When this kind of freedom is achieved then may be a unity of equals will be the result.
I bid you peace

2004-05-20

CHARLES JACKS FROM USA said:
Thanks Ahmed, but I am sure there is plenty of room for improvement.
It seems I have a problem. I have a duty to preform but have little idea how to proceed. There is no door to a church upon which to nail an announcement but alternatives could be found.
The real problem in my mind is to get people that have no concept of what I need to tell them to understand and having understood to believe.
Any suggestions?

By the way my name has an "s" on the end. Jacks
2004-05-20

SAMIR BOLOUS FROM USA said:
There is a traitor among you his name is Charles Jacks he is making a mocary of the Bible, Matthew chapter 21 verses 33 thru. 43 would be more than the allocated 2000 characters.
I don't know how & where from it came to his attention that a tribunal will charge Christians, who is bringing charges? just came to his attention was it the Pope the leader of 600 milion Chatolics.
I have attended services in quite few Chruches & I do not recall any teaching that is not consistant with the Bible, unless you watch too much tele-evanglism, but still they are a group.
Mr. Jacks is wondering if the religion became corrupt, the religion does not become corrupt because some Christian became corrupt. The Saudi (the gardians of the holy site, their claim not mine)participate & get involved in activities that are againest God teaching, would it be correct to claim that Islam at large is corrupt I believe not & I wouldn't.
Now my question who is going to enlist that is if there is any list other than the one that came to your attention, is it another Ahmed Chalabi or the CIA or the FBI my friend?
Are you suggesting that Muslims should/would correct the Christian faith looks like it.
BNow let me ask you what would be your reaction when & if some Christians suggested that Islam need a fix.
With minds & soals like yours the infedels does need to look further for reasons to do their dirty deeds.
Charls Jacks you did not fool me one single minute, you are one hell of a fanatic Muslim who can not hide his hatred for Christians.
But hay you showed your true colors.
I bid you peace
2004-05-20

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Akbar Khan

jazak Allahu khairan. The article by Mark Glenn was well worth reading. It should be an eye opener for those who are prepared to open their eyes and choose to get our of the state of perpetual self-denial.

Thank you for sharing this with us.
2004-05-20

LULU-UK said:
Islam is a universal religion and does not discriminate all races. In this day and age where we the human race should be united in solving our global problems some how are more divided. God created all mankind to bring solutions to humanity and we are all the children of Adam. I hope we can learn from one another and support each other in times of difficulties.

If we open our hearts to one another it does not take that much time to realise how much pain there is around us caused by war. Surely, we can create peace since God created us with the faculty of reason, a powerful tool when applied from the heart can work wonders.

The following hadith(sayings of the prophet Mohamed peace be upon him) sheds light on our humanity:

All God's creatures are His family; and he or she is the most beloved of God who tries to do most good to God's creatures.
*

Someone said to the Prophet, 'Pray to God against the idolators and curse them.' The Prophet replied, 'I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse.'

The url for the above hadiths:
http://www.sufism.org/society/articles/PeaceHadith.htm
2004-05-19

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Charles Jack

Did I ever tell you this? You are a "GOOD" American.
2004-05-19

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Suhayb states that it is wrong of me to say a "ggod Jew" because it is a racist remark.

Well, Suhayb brother. I really struggled with the term a few years ago but the more I read the more I believe that Jews truly believe they are a superior race chosen by God and the rest are Goyim, a derrogative term really. You should read some of the stuff that are published in their sites and by so called respected members of their communities but if you care to understand their psyche the read it from the horse's mouth here:

www.israelshamir.net

my view is further entrinched by the very fact that Sharon was elected by majority of Israelis with the same majority having no qualms about mass deportation of Palestinians. The diapora Jews similarly side with Israel in majority numbers.

So there are very small number of them who actually care for our plights - and I see nothing wrong in calling them good Jews. There are good and bad from amongst all creeds and I regret if it offends some people. They do not care about calling us fundamentalist, terrorists, extremists, and the rest of the Islamophobic terms. At least I am calling them A Good, so and so, since truly majority of them are BAD! There you have it with all respect to all the GOOD JEWS, and GOOD CHristians and GOOD Muslims.

What is the world coming to! Where the word GOOD has racist conotations!! Spare me the splitting of hair. Never been one for standing on ceremonies. Call a spade, spade.
2004-05-19

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
I have posted a quote from an article below which when u read it, will blow you away at how truthful and amazing it's writer is. This guy is an AMAZING WRITER. Read this one little part of his entire article, and then copy and paste that link into your browser to read the whole thing and share it with your friends. Amazing article.

"Even today, as the headlines are blaring out the obvious vindication of this image by virtue of the fact that the war in Iraq was fought on completely false pretenses, the average conservative Christian in America who has adopted this irrational fear of Islam has taken no note of this nor does he appear to have been affected in the least. He will though, on Pavlovian cue by his Zionist mind programmers, become apoplectic with apocalyptic fear over a letter being brought to church in which is discussed the takeover of the world by a group of swarthy, 3rd world individuals hiding in the caves of Afghanistan. In the meantime, religious fanatics who owe their allegiance to the blatantly anti-Christian Talmud and its physical manifestation in the state of Israel will plot away his freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion right under his nose, and his concern will not be roused over these attacks in the least."

http://www.themoderntribune.com/through_the_eyes_of_a_muslim_by_mark_glenn.htm
2004-05-19

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
Yes Nat Willins, thank so much for your brilliant comment. I really do appreciate it very much, because it reflects reality, the truth, and honesty. That's something very rare to find nowadays.

I wish the Ummah was united, but we have succumb to dividing up into sects over the last 300-400 years, and like Abu has said, many of us have adopted Western ways of life which in my opinion is not bad, but it becomes bad when you at the same time at adopting Western values which are within the bounds of Islam, you accept the Western values which transgress the bounds of Islam - such as forgetting about Muslims outside of the USA for example, talking a lot of hot air about the issue but doing nothing.

Groups like CAIR, make me proud of Islam. They are a shining light amongst our community and as Muslims we should follow the example they are laying down forth for us. I myself host a radio show here in Toronto as a voice for the community and to remind everyone as to how they can take part in re-recognizing the essence of Islam, and doing without that which is against it. For example, American Patriotism, as many levels if embraced by American Muslims, can leade to situations where these individuals begin to defend their nation-state before defending Islam. They support the occupation and invasion of Iraq because they believe Iraqi's are barbaric. They start to believe that American "democracy" will "liberate" Iraqi's from oppression and backwardness. My answer to that is....what a stupid approach at trying to fix a problem if you are so concerned about it. American Patriotism should not be usd to make Muslims in America forget their brothers and sister back in the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Sheeshaan, Indonesia, Thailand, Bosnia Albania, and everywhere else where Muslims are suffering at the hands of those who DESTROY and PLUNDER, DIVIDE and RULE..all the while we live with abundance and forget the Ummah dying in the thousands every day.
2004-05-19

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Nat Willins raises very good questions. The result of our weakness is because we are a divided lot and our Quran wanrns us about divisions: "Hold on to the rope of God all of you Muslims, and do not be divided"

So, contrary to whatever is said here, Muslims have never been united in any single cause. Today is even worst than ever. Our leader just get together and ramble on without any ACTION coming from a collective source. it is all talk NO ACTION. In a recent talk by Powell in jordan, I expected some of them at least to walk out, but they all sat like Zombies listening to all the usual lies Powell brags on. It nearly made me puke. Such is our lot and what can we expect when foreign powers from thousands of miles away come and dictate their will upon us whilst the poor citizen gets killed and has to put up with all the garbage talk without any real support. They should come up with an ultimatum telling America dn its cronies "to het out of Iraq by xx date or else x,y,z will happen." Then we can raise our heads and be a proud people. Otherwise the common person is the Arab world is like a slave. He eats, sleeps, goes to mosque, works but has no real economic power or any share of power in running his/her own country. Zilch.

Here is the catch: The Americans and the Zionists know this very well and that is why they can get away with murder, literally with murder. AND they will continue doing it despite what they say in Arab summits. One has only to see the new American sanctions against Syria which also gives them the right to use firepower against Syria if they do not comply. Iraq de javu! but most of us are sleep.
2004-05-19

ABU FROM UK said:
Nat Willis, i like the comment you made about Jews and Christians will never be happy with us until we become like them. you also ask why are not Muslims rising up against all the hate and oppression. the thing is i thing you answerd yourself there.

Too many Muslims nowadays have adopted the western culture which is adopted from Chritians in general so in return have become like them, ignorent/arogant to the teaching of the Quran and unity is almost non-existant. if anyone speaks aloud about uniting Muslims and rising against the terror that is being committed against them, they would be grassed up (maby by a fellow Muslim) and would be thrown in prison for being a potential TERRORIST.

So you see the problem is Muslims themselves, because people have stopped being practicle Muslims and the love for the united brotherhood of Muslims is vanishing that these people are able to commit such crimes agaisnt us.

Only by sorting out ourselves that we can unite and defend against the crimes that are being committed agaist us by these thugs.

May Allah give us strength, knowledge and guidance so we can unite to our former glory and defend ourselves, AMEEN.
2004-05-19

CHARLES JACKS FROM USA said:
In Matthew Chapter 21 verses 33 through 43, Jesus tells a parable about why the Jews were delisted (failure to preform the duties of the covenant and produce the fruits of it).

It has come to my attention that the tribunal has been asked to decide whether those that call themselves christians should be delisted as well. The answer to the question lies in whether the religion has become irreparably corrupt.

The charges against them include:
Their leadership teaches a concept of God that is incompatible with revelation.
Their leadership teaches a concept of Jesus that is incompatible with Jesus being a christ.
Their leadership promotes the path of power and lording it over humanity instead of the path of service.
Their leadership promotes the violation of commandments. To wit killing, stealing, oath breaking, coveting the property of others, et all.

To determine whether the religion has become irreparably corrupt will be decided based upon the ability of the membership of that group, as well as that of the Muslims, to correct the leadership.

It is acknowledged that delisting would be a great danger for humanity as the membership of that group contains a nation that is technologically advanced, controls vast reserves of weapons of mass destruction and no small measure of willingness to use them but that is irrelevant to the question of whether the religion is irreparable. It is hoped that this danger will increase the effort in this regard. Note that the Muslims are considered a responsible party in the effort.

Thank you
Charles Jacks
2004-05-19

NAT WILLINS FROM NETHERLANDS said:
I used to often wonder what Muslims meant when they would quote the passage from the Koran, "the Jews and Christians are only friends to eachother, and that they will never be happy with you until you become like them". If I were a Muslim leader I would make sure that I would encourage an Islamic boycott of USA and Israel. It seems no matter to what extent the Jews under Ariel Sharon carry out murder, rape and destruction of human lives and property the US is firmly behind Ariel Sharon, Israel and Jews. From that attitude and given US's blind support for Israel's global terror, one can easily infer that Israel and the US are united against Islam and Muslims with the Brtish not too far behind. I wonder to what extent insults, torture, murder, rape and humiliation are the Muslims ready to suffer before finally rising up? I ask Muslims this. Why in God's name are you quiet? Don't you see what they are doing to you? Why are you selling your oil to the US and Israel and UK? why do you still trade with these monsters? why are you not standing up and defending your religion, your honour and your dignity? Why are you NOT UNITED ?? WHY ???
2004-05-18

SUHAYB FROM CANADA said:
it is wrong to say Ury Avneri is "a good jew", smells very racist, how about he's a human being informed, realistic and moral. obviously the settlements have become kind of a problem for Israel as well. i strongly believe that this state will "implode", civil war is closer than we think. the only thing that keeps Israelis together is the zionist machine scaring them everyday with talks of destruction upon them if they don't support. however a look at the relations between Sefaradim, ashkenazim, romanians, ethopians, russians as well as born again americans says a lot...
2004-05-18

DANA WAWANDA FROM INDONESIA said:
Well in anyways it's totally very difficult to make a peace with Israellis (read the main zeonist aims) and maybe it's impossible. I respect to them who try to make a change but in reality the one who disobey the international treaty and humanity is always Israelis with so many nonsense excuses ( don't they remember the NAZI) and it's worst that we bought it!!!
2004-05-18

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
A timely article, indeed!
2004-05-18

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Uri Avnery is a good Jew who founded the Israeli Peace movement Gash Shalom. Every person with interest in Palestine/Israeli problem should join this free site or at least visit this site.

his site is Please pay him a visit. great reading.

Amazing just how Israel whilst decalring they want to remove few settlements and leave gaza, they start bombing it senselessly and ordering the demolishin of 100's of homes. This is purely criminal and against any human law/dignity. It is a known fact that every Palestinian refugee home contains at least 6 people, old, young, male,female,child. So, 100 homes mean at least 600 people made homeless. And has the UN, America, Europe who repeatedly harken that Israel has the right to defend itself, even by carrying out criminal activity, have they ever thought WHERE in the name of God these homeless people are going to sleep once their home is demolished? This is not to speak of the dead, the maimed and the berieved. Such are the deeds of Sharon, "Man of peace" as described by Bush. Truly they both share Satan's genes and do not give a darn for Christ's teachings or Judaism, let alone for Muslims.
2004-05-18