A Mondo reader has alerted us to this appalling use of “jewish values” to promote war mongering with Iran. From the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s call to Help End the Iranian Threat: Ask Congress to Allow States to Divest“:
The Iranian government is problematic for many reasons, including continued human rights abuse, its stated opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, denial of the Holocaust, sponsorship of terrorist organizations, and enrichment of uranium in defiance of international inspectors. Judaism demands that we “search for peace and pursue it” (Psalms 34:15) and Jewish rules on warfare eschew weapons that would kill indiscriminately and create sustained and lasting damage to the environment. As we pursue diplomatic efforts to change Iran’s behavior, it is time to support targeted economic sanctions and divestment to increase leverage in our effort to achieve credible assurances that the government of Iran has ceased all efforts to develop nuclear weapons capability and is cooperating with international inspectors.
So now “weapons that would kill indiscriminately” are against Jewish rules on warfare? It didn’t seem to come up when Israel was covering Gaza in white phosphorus. You can find the Union for Reform Judaism’s resource page on the war in Gaza here. Sadly, they were shamefully silent on Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on schools and other civilian locations. Instead they responded with the infamous statement, “We note, with sadness, the predictable chorus of those in the international community who call for Israeli “restraint.”
If they want to defend Israeli war crimes and prime the pump for war that’s their business, I just wish they would leave my religion out of it.
