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    PRINCIPLED OPPOSITION: THE BRISKER ROV’S REJECTION OF A NAZI-MUFTI ALLIANCE

    The Mufti, Haj Amin
    ימח שמו Husseini-al
    וזכרו, was a
    Palestinian Arab
    nationalist and
    Islamic leader who
    collaborated with Nazi Germany during
    World War II and vehemently opposed the
    establishment of the Jewish state. He once
    approached the Brisker Rov with a
    partnership offer. Given the Brisker Rov’s
    firm stance against the establishment of
    the Jewish state, the Mufti sought to join
    an alliance with him. The rabbi, looking at
    him with contempt, dismissed the request,
    deeming it utterly foolish. He clarified
    that his fight against Zionism stemmed
    from an entirely different motivation
    compared to the Mufti’s. The Mufti
    opposed Zionism out of hatred to the
    Jewish people, while the rabbi opposed it
    out of deep love for them, wanting to
    guide them away from what he believed
    was a misguided path. Therefore, he could
    not align himself with a Nazi sympathizer
    like the Mufti, given the stark differences
    in their motivations.

    A similar account is said to have occurred
    with the “Tzaddik of Yerushalayim” the
    great R’ Aryeh Levine, who was
    approached by one of the leading generals
    in charge of what was then the British
    Mandate of Palestine, to join forces in
    quelling partisan activities for the
    establishment of a Jewish State. R’ Levine
    dismissed his request stating that the
    general opposed because of the Jew in the
    partisans, whereas R’ Levine opposed
    because of the Goi in them. Consequently,
    they could not join forces due to their
    conflicting objectives.
    When Yaakov Avinu receives the news
    that Esav is approaching with an army of
    300 men, he prays to Hashem, asking for
    protection from his brother, Esav. The Bet
    Halevi raises a question about Yaakov’s
    use of the phrase “my brother Esav”
    instead of simply “my brother.” The
    answer, says the Bet Halevi, lies in
    Yaakov’s dual prayer. First, he seeks
    deliverance from the malevolent Esav,
    who poses a threat. Second, he prays for
    protection from the distorted nature of his
    brotherly love, recognizing that Esav’s

    affection can be as detrimental, if not
    more so, than his hostility.
    Indeed, initially, Esav intends to harm
    Yaakov, but his agenda shifts, and he
    invites Yaakov to join him. Yaakov could
    have been deceived by this apparent
    change, leading to one of two potentially
    unfavorable scenarios. In the first, he
    might fall into a “Little Red Riding Hood”
    scenario, where the initial display of love
    and respect conceals a hidden threat, akin
    to the wolf’s deceit in the famous tale.
    The second, more perilous scenario,
    involves Yaakov getting too close to
    Esav’s way of life, risking the compromise
    of his own righteousness by adopting
    undesirable practices and beliefs.
    Therefore, Yaakov declines Esav’s
    invitation to join him. He offers excuses
    cleverly crafted to conceal his true
    intentions, ensuring that Esav remains
    unaware of his underlying motives—all in
    an effort to avoid any connection with
    him.
    Every Jew around the globe understands
    the significance of standing with the
    Jewish state in these crucial times and
    condemning anti-Semitism on a global
    scale. This commitment extends beyond
    Israel being the homeland for the
    majority of our nation; it’s also because
    Israel serves as the frontline defense for
    every Jew in the Diaspora. The struggle

    of Israel mirrors the fight against anti-
    Semitism that we encounter in Brooklyn,

    London, Montreal, and everywhere
    else—it’s a unified battle against hatred
    toward the Jewish people. Still it appears
    that there are some “Jewish” groups
    who, perplexingly, find it acceptable to
    align with their anti-Jewish Muslim
    counterparts in oppressing the Jewish
    people. Take for example the Neturei
    Karta which is a small Jewish group that
    opposes Zionism and the formation of
    the State of Israel. They assert that the
    true Israel can only be restored with the
    advent of the Mashiah. Although the
    Anti-Defamation League estimates that
    fewer than 100 members of the
    community engage in anti-Israel
    activism, the images of Jewish people
    standing hand in hand with individuals
    promoting violence against Jews create
    a profoundly negative image worldwide.
    Another group, Jewish Voice for Peace,
    which included around 500 protesters,
    took over the base of the Statue of
    Liberty in New York Harbor on Monday
    , November 6th. This week, on Sunday,

    November 26, they protested alongside
    pro-Palestinian Muslims, blocking the
    Manhattan Bridge while chanting against
    Israel. Prominent figures, including artists
    and activists, were among them,
    advocating for a ceasefire in the Gaza
    Strip. This implies, in other words,
    acknowledging the presence of volatile
    Muslim groups in Gaza that may pose a
    threat again sooner or later.
    The Bet Halevi elaborates on the
    prophecy, based on Chazal’s teachings,
    that whatever occurred to the patriarchs
    would be duplicated to their descendants
    מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, ראה בראשית רבה מח,ז)
    interaction the Since .) ורמב״ן בראשית יב,ו
    between Yaakov and Esav involved
    conflict, the prophecy suggests that in the
    future, Esav’s descendants will persecute
    Yaakov’s children. This historical pattern
    has manifested itself throughout time,
    with Esav’s descendants initially
    prosecuting the Jewish people and later
    attempting to eliminate them by
    pretending friendship and love, as seen in
    our generation.
    But today we witness a third technique,
    not mastered by Esav, but attributed to
    Ishmael. This technique involves
    instigating internal strife among the
    Jewish people, causing some to fight
    against their own brothers.
    Individuals within the Jewish community,
    who engage in meetings with the
    leadership of Iran, expressing respect for
    their agenda of ethical cleansing of all
    Jews in the Holy Land, and participating
    in demonstrations alongside Hamas
    sympathizers, may not fully comprehend
    that these actions align with groups whose
    ultimate goals include harming and even
    killing them, along with other Jews.
    We may also pray the prayer of Yaakov,
    entreating Hashem to save us from the
    wickedness of Esav and his deceptive
    friendliness, as well as from Ishmael and
    those captivated in his trap.