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From: samet@sfmag.UUCP (A.I.Samet)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: "Sabotage of Humanitarian Efforts by Political Opportunists"
Message-ID: <490@sfmag.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-Feb-85 03:44:12 EST
Article-I.D.: sfmag.490
Posted: Sun Feb 17 03:44:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Feb-85 08:28:50 EST
References: <21577@lanl.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit, NJ
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Early arrivals from Ethiopia, and their leaders, consented to the
quiet  proposal by Harav Ovadia Yosef and other major poskim that
they immerse in a mikveh, lechumra, i.e., to remove any lingering
uncertainties   concerning  their  halachic  status.  The  clear,
overriding benefit was to assure permanent  universal  acceptance
by  all Jews.  No racism was intended, and stigma would have been
avoided if the mission  had  been  completed quietly.  The  early
arrivals  complied,  and  a quiet  "giyur" of thousands proceeded
without  anyone  taking offense.  The  approach was sensitive and
humanitarian. The "sin" was that is was being accomplished by the
Orthodox.

Opportunists can't bear to stay out of the news. First  Operation
Moses  was  jeopardized  by leaks. In the same foolish fashion, a
hue  and  cry  was  raised  by  Shulamit  Aloni,   Yossi   Sarid,
Conservatives,  and  other  would-be humanitarians, with familiar
anti-Torah polemics, gaining what political  mileage  they  could
with their traditional incantations against "religious coercion".

These fools have caused great harm, undermining what  could  have
been   a  straightforward  dignified absorbtion process. They can
congratulate  themselves   for   causing   the   new   immigrants
embarassment and confusion, and for dividing the Jewish people at
a time when economic and military problems are at crisis level.

				Yitzchok Samet