After much soul searching and political pressure, Israel has decided not to cut off electricity to Gaza in response to kassam attacks. Yet again Israel’s attempt to thwart the peace process didn’t work (Or as the BBC would say ‘Attacks won’t get in the way of the peace process).

The idea of supplying the enemy with electricity to power their bomb factories reminds me of a piece from Tomer Devorah, which I hope to blog about tomorrow (if I am awake enough).

Another interesting quote from Yossi Beilin, who claims that cutting off the electricity would have been “un-Jewish”. From the Jerusalem Post

In response, Meretz Chairman Yossi Beilin claimed that cutting off electricity and fuel was not the best way to halt rocket attacks from the Strip.

“Former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s biggest mistake was to allow Hamas participation in the Palestinian elections. We must arrive – via indirect means – at a cease-fire agreement with Hamas,” he said. “They approached us, but we weren’t interested.”

“Cutting off electricity and water is an inhuman and un-Jewish act,” he added.

So, Mr Beilin, this is called ‘un-Jewish’ huh? Well, I went online to see what Mr Beilin does consider to be Jewish.

(which is important to know, since Jewish education is one of his top priorities. Every Jew a chance to learn about their Jewish heritage:

… Another question is what causes should we dedicate Jewish resources to? I think that we should dedicate them to Jewish education and to visits of young Jews to Israel. Without Jewish education and with no Jewish culture, there will be no Jewish people, neither religious nor secular. Our roots and history are what unite us, Jews who are not familiar with their roots, will not stay Jewish

Of course intermarriage is an important part of his Judaism (not to mention other issurei biah)

As Minister of Justice, Yossi Beilin prepared a bill for a Domestic Partnership (“Couplehood”) Registration. According to the bill, every man and woman who wishes so, may register as a couple. This status will serve as an alternative to religious marriage, yet without amounting to a civil marriage. In particular, it will enable groups who are at present prevented from getting married according to religious law enforced in Israel, to be recognized as a couple. These groups include: Mamzerim, Agunot, Inter-Religious Marriage.

Secular conversion? (After all, why should religion be decided only by those religious people!)

Another question is what causes should we dedicate Jewish resources to? I think that we should dedicate them to Jewish education and to visits of young Jews to Israel. Without Jewish education and with no Jewish culture, there will be no Jewish people, neither religious nor secular. Our roots and history are what unite us, Jews who are not familiar with their roots, will not stay Jewish

or to put it another way, Judaism is really like a country club:

We must give these people, those who wish to be identified as Jews, the right to join the Jewish people on the basis of their own self-definition. I envision a situation where a non-Jew – who does not claim membership in another religion – turns to the local Jewish community and asks to be registered as a community member. The community would ask for references from two Jewish community members, as is customary upon joining certain movements or clubs.

Cremation – another ‘Jewish’ idea for Beilin

Yossi Beilin, head of the liberal Meretz party revealed yesterday his body is to be cremated, as requested in his will.

He accused Shas of “driving Israel towards dark days in which citizens will not even be allowed to choose what happens to their corpses when they die.”

So, to summarise, stopping the missiles and protecting Israeli citizens is “un-Jewish”. But intermarriage, secular conversion and cremation are all ‘Jewish’ (at least in his ‘country club’ version of the term’). In that case I’m going to have to start adding a new bracha in the morning, thanking G-d for not making me ‘Jewish’ according to Beilin.

I suppose the only good thing that can be said about him is at least he isn’t a member of Neturei Karta.

All quotes from Beilins’ website: www.beilin.org.il except for the last one which is from the Scotsman newspaper