Der Sohn von Rabbi Alfred Jospe aus Berlin
_To: Professor Roman Herzog
To: DMP
Dear Professor Herzog,
Like many Jews and Israelis, and as the son of a family who experienced the Holocaust (my father, Rabbi Alfred Jospe, was rabbi of the Neue Oranienburgerstrasse Synagogue in Berlin from 1936 until March 1939 when my parents and sister were able to leave), I was saddened to learn that you, whose distinguished career has included serving as the President of Germany, have agreed to participate in the awarding of the Deutscher Medienpreis to Mitri Raheb.
We live in a generation of increasing dialogue, understanding and reconciliation between Jews and Christians in general, and specifically between Jews and Germans. There are also many voices calling for understanding and, hopefully, a peaceful accommodation between Palestinians and Israel.
Mitri Raheb, unfortunately, is not one of these voices. To the contrary, his so-called “Palestinian theology” is a reversion to the kind of supersessionism so many Christians today justly repudiate. Worse, he denies the legitimacy of the State of Israel. And worst of all, he employs a racist mentality which claims that Palestinians have the DNA of David and Jesus, while asserting that the Jews of today have no connection with their Israelite ancestors.
To award such a man a prize in the name of humanity and peace brings no honor to Raheb, but dishonors those who wish to give him the award, and dishonors those worthy people who previously received the award. As Martin Buber pointed out, the ends cannot sanctify the means, but the means can defile the ends. If you and the sponsors of the award are unaware of Raheb’s shameful record, you need to reconsider; if the sponsors are aware of his record and still plan to honor him, they bring shame upon themselves and disgrace the award.
I urge the sponsors to reconsider the award, and you personally to reconsider your participation.
Shalom.
Dr. Raphael Jospe,
Professor of Jewish Philosophy
Jerusalem
Raphi Jospe רפי ישפה
To: DMP
Dear Professor Herzog,
Like many Jews and Israelis, and as the son of a family who experienced the Holocaust (my father, Rabbi Alfred Jospe, was rabbi of the Neue Oranienburgerstrasse Synagogue in Berlin from 1936 until March 1939 when my parents and sister were able to leave), I was saddened to learn that you, whose distinguished career has included serving as the President of Germany, have agreed to participate in the awarding of the Deutscher Medienpreis to Mitri Raheb.
We live in a generation of increasing dialogue, understanding and reconciliation between Jews and Christians in general, and specifically between Jews and Germans. There are also many voices calling for understanding and, hopefully, a peaceful accommodation between Palestinians and Israel.
Mitri Raheb, unfortunately, is not one of these voices. To the contrary, his so-called “Palestinian theology” is a reversion to the kind of supersessionism so many Christians today justly repudiate. Worse, he denies the legitimacy of the State of Israel. And worst of all, he employs a racist mentality which claims that Palestinians have the DNA of David and Jesus, while asserting that the Jews of today have no connection with their Israelite ancestors.
To award such a man a prize in the name of humanity and peace brings no honor to Raheb, but dishonors those who wish to give him the award, and dishonors those worthy people who previously received the award. As Martin Buber pointed out, the ends cannot sanctify the means, but the means can defile the ends. If you and the sponsors of the award are unaware of Raheb’s shameful record, you need to reconsider; if the sponsors are aware of his record and still plan to honor him, they bring shame upon themselves and disgrace the award.
I urge the sponsors to reconsider the award, and you personally to reconsider your participation.
Shalom.
Dr. Raphael Jospe,
Professor of Jewish Philosophy
Jerusalem
Raphi Jospe רפי ישפה