Defiling the Knesset: A Lesson in Hypocrisy

They tell a story about a Jew who, tragically, was married to a non-Jewish woman. Still, he claimed to be meticulous about certain commandments. So, whenever he sent his wife to buy wine, he would ensure the seller sealed it with a double seal, thus preserving its kosher status. Although our sages decreed against drinking wine handled by non-Jews due to intermarriage concerns, this Jew chose to overlook such nuances and the absurdity of his behavior. He heard there must be a double seal, so he followed that—blindly.

This bizarre anecdote came to mind when I read the following report from the Knesset:

"Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi caused an uproar in the Knesset after posting a photo in which he and other Arab MKs used Knesset utensils to eat non-kosher food during a Ramadan meal.

Following the publication of the photo, MKs and Knesset staff expressed outrage, claiming it was an affront to religious and kosher sensitivities in the Knesset. In response, the 'B'Tsalmo' organization appealed to the Knesset Ethics Committee, demanding a severe punishment for MK Tibi. The Knesset has opened an investigation.

Tibi responded to the claims, saying that if they are not provided food for their 'Suhoor' meal during Ramadan, they will bring their own. He added that he is unaware of any complaint and, in his view, the pastries they brought were 'tastier than kosher food.'"

Those were the disgraceful words of a well-known supporter of shahids (martyrs), and we will spare the readers from his "brilliance" in Jewish law, as he later tried to explain why the utensils weren't rendered non-kosher. Just as if Adolf Eichmann had told a joke about the laws of benefit from soap made from Jews, we would not laugh or be amused—so too, we are not impressed by the dark humor of the representative of the enemies within the Knesset.

But what truly matters here is the lesson we must learn—not to be like that foolish Jew who thought that by being strict about the laws of wine, he could permit himself to live with a non-Jewish woman.

When we bring terrorists into the Israeli Knesset and allow them to vote, legislate, participate in committees, raise motions for discussion, negotiate with other parties, and secure achievements for the enemies of Israel—the last thing that should concern us is the kosher status of the utensils they used for their treif meals.

When we let them feel comfortable and erode the Jewish state from within—while their comrades murder Jews during Ramadan—it becomes laughably absurd that we let them dine comfortably in the Knesset cafeteria during that same month, which, in Muslim folklore, has become known as a time to increase the killing of Jews. "When Ramadan enters—we increase in joy," according to Muhammad and his followers.

When we let them slaughter Jews due to the foolish compassion we suffer from and the distorted Western morality that insists we grant them citizenship and voting rights—why should we complain if they slaughter a lamb in the courtyard of the Knesset and render all the utensils in the cafeteria non-kosher?

"The Knesset has opened an investigation." Most likely, they'll sharpen the regulations and ensure that from now on, the representatives of terrorists hold their feasts using disposable dishes. That’s what matters—that we can eat safely in the cafeteria without worrying the utensils have become non-kosher, while they continue to eat us alive and laugh at our stupidity, as we allow them to use Israeli democracy to destroy us from within. As long as the dishes remain kosher.

The real problem is that our collective mind has long since been defiled due to our basic misunderstanding of what our Torah demands of us and our inability to prioritize true Torah values over the false Western culture that grants our enemies the right to sit in the Knesset and defile the entire country—not just the cafeteria.

You thought that the Jew married to a non-Jew who was careful about kosher wine was foolish? So what would you say about an entire country that lets terrorists sit in the Knesset while worrying that they don’t render our cafeteria utensils non-kosher?

— Rabbi Yehuda Epstein, Chairman of Kedushat Tzion (The Association of Haredim for Demanding Zion on the Purity of Holiness)