Palestine Think Tank

Surgeon David Halpin is one of those people that I've admired from afar for quite a few years. He is a tireless activist for human rights. Together with his wonderful wife, a nurse, they established the Dove and Dolphin Charity, an organisation that seeks to bring healthcare, attention and tangible change to suffering people. I've had the privilege of taking some of his free time away from him and he sent me a letter that he wrote to the Chief Rabbi (actually meant for the BBC). Since they didn't publish it, and I think it is very worthy of attention, I print it here. It is a response to a radio transmission given by the Chief Rabbi of the UK, Sir Jonathan Sacks http://www.chiefrabbi.org/. First, the broadcast, then the letter:

Thought for the Day, 12 December 2008

Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks

Amidst all the encircling gloom, I've found myself lifted by some extraordinary moments with Britain's children these past few days. On Wednesday there were the Children of Courage awards, recognising some of the young heroes of today. The seven year old who cares for his mother with multiple sclerosis. The ten year old who raises money to send gifts to British soldiers in the Middle East. Two girls who supported their sister in her battle with leukemia. They had a marvelous day, meeting the prime minister and television stars and receiving their award in Westminster Abbey from Prince Harry.

On Wednesday afternoon the Archbishop of Canterbury and I met some of the schoolchildren with whom we'd been on a visit to Auschwitz a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to hear what they felt after they'd had time to reflect. And I was moved by the depth of their commitment to fight prejudice and hate. Earlier this week I met with a twelve year old girl just coming up to her bat mitzvah, our Jewish coming of age ceremony, who'd asked all her family and friends not to give her presents but to send the money to a charity instead, something I'm encountering more and more in our community.

And as we search for renewable sources of energy I wonder if we haven't missed the one closest to hand: the energy generated by high ideals, especially among the young.

Children grow to fill the space we create for them, and if it's big, they grow tall. But if we turn them into mini consumers, we rob them of the chance of greatness, and I've not yet met a child not capable of greatness if given the opportunity and encouragement.

I do a lot of public speaking, and people sometimes ask me who taught me. The answer is simple. I went to a Christian school with a lot of Jewish pupils but no Jewish teachers. So we had to run the Jewish assembly ourselves, and that's how I learned as a teenager how to speak in public, because somebody gave me the chance. It was best piece of education I ever had.

My earliest memories are of putting the bells on the Torah scroll in the synagogue, asking the Passover questions, lighting the chanukah candles. Judaism stayed young because it made heroes of the young. The best present we can give our children is the chance to do something great. It's a gift that will last a lifetime and transform their lives.

David Halpin Writes:

Dear Chief Rabbi,

I listened to your 'thought for the day' on Today today.

I go along with your message except I do not look for eventual greatness in children but the warmth and light of humanity in them.

I know that you give support to Israel but I have not heard you chastising its leaders.  You say 'Judaism is a child-centred religion'.  And so it should be but how does that belief and practice sit with these words of Ms Livni who competes with Netanyahu in racism and blood curdling?  The other day she was wishing an invasion of Gaza.

"My solution for maintaining a Jewish and democratic state of Israel is to have two distinct national entities," she told a group of secondary school students in Tel Aviv in remarks broadcast by army radio.

"And among other things I will also be able to approach the Palestinian residents of Israel, those whom we call Arab Israelis, and tell them: 'your national aspirations lie elsewhere.'" Livni.

How does this love for the child fit with the Warsaw ghetto that is Gaza, except there are 1.5 million Palestinians (or Arabs as they are called in Israel) whereas there were 400,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto?

After a good deal of preliminary communication, 16 doctors and other health workers presented themselves at the Erez gate on 18 November.  We were to spend 3 days there, teaching and learning under the auspices of the charity I founded  http://www.doveanddolphin.co.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=166  (a case picked out).  The IOF deemed that our purposes were 'not directly humanitarian' and we were refused entry.  An unlawful occupation army is the arbiter of humanitarian purpose.  60% of the population of Gaza are children ie 18 and below.  We were not allowed as humans to help any of those children  'grow to fill the space'.  Instead the entity which you support has deliberately and cruelly imprisoned them and caused their stunting – for many, literally.

I am sure you are a good man Rabbi Sacks beneath the words.  Please speak and act for ALL CHILDREN.

For truth, reason and justice

David Halpin MB BS FRCS
http://dhalpin.infoaction.org.uk/

Sir Jonathan Henry Sacks (born 8 March 1948, London) is the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. His official title is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.  Spiritual head of the United Synagogue.  Sacks was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2005 'for services to the Community and to Inter-faith Relations'.

Heard most Fridays on Today (the State Broadcaster's flagship propaganda platform) in Thought for the Day – a two minute homily.  He lionises Israel.  He fails to demonstrate a universal approach and gives no consideration to the Palestinian people whom Israel has cruelly displaced.  

(Rabbi Bezalel Rakow, accused Sacks of heresy against the tradition of Orthodox Judaism in his book "The Dignity of Difference,"  Other difficulties, but American rabbis say this is typical of infighting within British Jewry.)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2697509.ece   some insight.