ONE OF A KIND LOVE AFFAIR

Is it possible that Zalman Kastel, a Brooklyn born Orthodox rabbi is a disciple of the Gospel Matthew? “You have heard it said: Love your neighbor but hate your enemy, but I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Rabbi Kastel, together Pastor Brad Chilcott, national director of Welcome to Australia, is heading a campaign that is aimed at bringing Islamic jihadists around to love Christians and Jews.
Perhaps it would do well for Rabbi Kastel to realize that now is not the time. But then again, had this been 70 years ago, perhaps Rabbi Kastel would have launched a campaign aimed at bringing Germans around to love Jews. The time to bring Muslims, let alone Islamic jihadists around to loving Christians and Jews is after the cessation of hostilities. And it may very well happen, that that day may never come, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Perhaps Rabbi Kastel might take a moment to ponder why no Imam outside of the Middle East, has ever spoken out against the crimes against humanity that his fellow clergy are committing, as they urge their adherents to wage war against the infidels and slaughter the Jews, or at the very least why no Imam outside the Middle East has ever come to any Rabbi in friendship?
Perhaps Rabbi Kastel might wish to recall that Judaism is a religion that promotes personal responsibility. Yet, responsibility does not seem to be part of Arab culture. If Arab leaders were truly responsible to their people, then their people would not be living in squalor. If Hamas were truly responsible to their people, even if Hamas were still consumed with their irrational desire to obliterate Israel along with all the Jews in it, then instead of using the concrete given to them by other countries to build tunnels, Hamas would have used that same concrete to build bomb shelters to protect their people.
If Rabbi Kastel truly believes in the efficacy of love, then perhaps he might urge, or better yet suggest that Imams send condolence letters and care packages to the families who have sustained losses, thanks to Hamas putting them in harm’s way by using them as human shields.
Perhaps Rabbi Kastel may one day come to the sane realization, that while he expends his energies in the hope of love conquering all, Hamas will be expending its energies in conquering and obliterating the Zionist state that has no right to exist.