Martin, I've tried to stay out of this, but I think some things need to be said. Please compare these two statements:

"We are committed to a vision of the State of Israel that promotes full civil, human and religious rights for all its inhabitants and that strives for a lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors."

--Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of American Rabbis (now the Union for Reform Judaism), 1999


"Actualy, hair breath Guest, I really do not support Bush for everything as you so stupidly claim. You obviously are making futile stabs at knowing me, which you, ahem, fucking don't. But I do support his backing of Israel, you fuck faced coward with no name, and I do hope he gives them enough money to completely destroy Hamas.
What do you think, everything the UN has done is wrong? You have shit for brains, oh cowardly Guest.
Long live Israel. Death to Hamas. Whatever it takes to rid the middle east of terrorists."

--Martin Gibson, 2004

I am a Jew, Conservative by upbringing and practice, Progressive by inclination and philosophy. I support the State of Israel and its right to exist. However, I think that many of the Israeli government's policies are and were wrong, just as I think many of the US government's policies are and were wrong. I am anti-Sharon, but that does not make me anti-Israel, just as being anti-Bush does not make me anti-American, no matter what Rush Limbaugh says.

Martin, I appreciate your posting the URJ principles, but you do not speak for all Jews, let alone all American Jews, or even all Reform Jews (of which I am not one). I'm sure you can be a pleasant person, and are probably a better guitarist than I am. You and I may even agree on some political or religious points. But your style is offensive, and I wish you would calm down and stop acting like you are the only one who knows anything and anybody who disagrees with you is a moron. It's almost enough to make me into an anti-semite. (And if you take this as a "Jewish anti-semitic remark", then you're not as smart as I thought you were.)

Shalom,
Mark