Kul HaKavod to Occasional Violence

Neturei Karta mascot gets socked, and as Ezzie Holy Hyrax says, he deserved it!

Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, chairman of ZAKA and former operations officer for the Ultra-Orthodox community, hit the Jewish man who kissed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it was reported on Monday.

The violent incident occurred last Friday in Poland during a mass visit of Orthodox Jews to the country in order to honor Hassidic Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk.

When the visitors arrived at Lizhensk on Friday morning, they heard that Moshe Arye Freedman, a member of the fanatic anti-Israel group Neturei Karta, was present as well. Freedman recently made headlines when he was photographed kissing Ahmadinejad during the Holocaust denial conference in Teheran three months ago.

Meshi-Zahav, along with another ZAKA member, quickly located Freedman and set upon him, punching the man, kicking him and breaking his glasses.

The fight was dispersed when local police arrived at the scene.

As an act of appreciation, Meshi-Zahav was called up to read the Torah in synagogue. (Jerusalem Post)

Already there are those around the j-blogsphere who "don't condone violence" (said in a very self-important voice) and condemn the brutality of breaking a guy's glasses. Sheesh, when did the j-blogsphere become so politically correct? And how can any feeling Jew say with certainty that they wouldn't react the same way? If someone spit at your mother, would you not strike back? If someone defiled the name of someone dear to you, would your emotions not cloud your otherwise civil and diplomatic response? Moshe Aryeh Freidman is the lowest of the low, a bastard in every sense of the word, and a personal enemy of any person who loves the Jews. Of course hitting a guy is a barbaric way to disagree with his politics, but nevertheless, it's refreshing, because it means somebody cares. It's good to know that some peoples are more than talking heads who spew opinions and agendas without the honesty and bravery that it takes to act on it.

This story is a classic example of a kanai (zealot). I can picture the scenario in my mind: Meshi-Zahav heard that the scumbag was in town and his blood started to boil. He didn't organize a protest, he didn't issue a press release condemning NK, he just found the man and pounded him. What can I say, it makes me smile. For the record, I am the opposite of a violent or physical person--I couldn't even watch a boxing match if you paid me. But I still smile.

That the shul would give him an aliyah in appreciation is indeed funny, but if you think about it, the Torah named an entire parsha in appreciation of Pinchas. We all know Judaism isn't violent, but it also isn't pacifist, and sometimes it's necessary to do things the old fashioned way. You beat a guy who doesn't give his wife a get, for example. Somebody try and tell me that's too harsh! When confronted with absolute rishus, as is the case with NK, we have no obligation to be civilized. When I hear that someone out there is strong enough to act on his feelings of love for the Jews and hate for its true enemies, I think 'kul hakavod'.