Hasbara’s Hypocrites & Cowards: Exposing the Faux “Right”
If the recent discovery that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended missionary Hananya Naftali’s wedding wasn’t shocking enough, the silence of rightwing, religious, Jews is even more disturbing.
Chaim Malespin, an aggressive missionary who works for the infamous Aliyah Return Center, was all over Jewish social media (in Israel) several months ago. There were two reasons for this:
His attendance at a Jerusalem Aliyah conference organized by religious Jews: Malespin had the chutzpah to attend a religious pro-Aliyah conference in Jerusalem. Even more disturbing, he was granted permission to speak, despite the fact that he had already been identified.
While a few lone voices castigated him, most just sat there, as can be seen in video footage that was released of the shocking. The footage also showed Hebron’s spokesman (and also Otzma Yehudit’s!) Yishai Fleisher sitting in the background pretending (seemingly) to be busy with his phone. In other words he did nothing. (You’d have to be a fool to think that he wasn’t aware of what was happening.) Moreover, the master of ceremonies, Joshua Wander, gave Malespin permission to speak.
Reportedly, Tzvi Fishman, the primary organizer of the event, was also apprised of Malespin’s attendance during the event, yet still did nothing. Malespin should have been bounced out on his head. Many other well known Hasbara personalities on social media attended the event, although it is unclear if they were present during this incident, or if they were aware of his presence. Considering that many of these Jews are involved in some form or fashion with well known evangelical missionaries, the likelihood is that many of them recognized that Malespin was in attendance.
This unfortunate incident showed how accepted missionaries have become in Israel, and how even Torah committed Jews will do little if anything, if such a personage attends their events.
Reason #2-Malespin’s Shocking Allegation: In the aftermath of the conference a video circulated where Malespin was seen making unsubstantiated (albeit disturbing) claims that a certain politician’s wife is a messianic Jew. While this is certainly a serious claim worthy of investigation, most of the people who circulated the video footage made little if any effort to investigate and made definitive comments about its veracity. Some fools even shared an obviously photoshopped picture of the politician and his wife sporting crosses around their necks.
Well known anti-missionary activist Rabbi Tuvia Singer, and the Beynenu organization headed by Shannon Nuszen also made a mess of things when they neglected to conduct a proper investigation and ran with the story instead.
Legal problems ensued, and after an initial period of doubling down, it appears that legal threats brought by the politician’s wife made them shut their mouths. (While Malespin recanted his claim, the entire story is disturbing and it requires serious investigation. And it is certainly telling that Malespin does not appear to have been targeted by the politicians. Perhaps his recanting had something to do with this.)
In the aftermath of the second issue, Malespin became the secondary story and the initial traction gained from exposing his attendance at the Aliyah conference died a quick death.
Yet recently, Malespin the Yenta made another shocking revelation, when he posted on Facebook (see picture above) that Prime Minister Netanyahu attended missionary Hananya Naftali’s recent wedding.
It should come as no surprise in one sense, since Bibi gave Hananya a prominent media position several years ago, at the height of the latter’s controversy, when video of his YouTube proselytizing went viral.
Hiring such an individual was bad enough. But for a Prime Minister of Israel to attend his wedding shows a level of affection & friendship that few would imagine. After all, there are many people who know Bibi who don’t get the honor of him attending their semachot. Yet despite his presumably busy schedule, Bibi found time to attend the wedding.
And Malespin was delighted. He recognizes that this is a milestone as far as “believers” go. Forty years ago, many of these missionaries wouldn’t be allowed in Israel, certainly not as olim under the Law of Return. Today, the Prime Minister may even give you a job and attend your wedding.
So here is the test for all the loud mouthed social media Hasbara activists who have so much to say about nothing, yet have nothing to say on this critical issue:
If you have ever addressed Hananya Naftali or Chaim Malespin in the past, or if you ran with the latter’s unfounded allegations several months ago (because it suited your politics during election season), but have nothing to say now with this shocking revelation about Bibi, either because you have a crush on Bibi and the Likud, or if you are a coalition fanboy, you are Exhibit A of the cowardice and hypocrisy of hasbara’s armchair advocates.
To date, I haven’t seen anyone other than the anti-missionary group Abraham’s Shield address this incident. I don’t understand how this doesn’t get every good Jew’s blood boiling, regardless of political affiliation.
Bibi crossed a line when he attended a well known believer’s wedding. We know that Malespin was present as was another soul snatcher, the infamous Joel Rosenberg. Very likely many other missionaries also attended.
The cowardice and hypocrisy of those who had an awful lot to say about an unsubstantiated allegation about political figures on the left (who in my opinion are truly reprehensible for many reasons), but have nothing to say about Bibi is an egregious chillul Hashem.
A gay Knesset speaker. Silence on matters of morality. The same timid response to Arab terror. And a Prime Minister who attends a wedding by a Jew who professes belief in “that man” and who has a history of missionizing.
If this is the most rightwing coalition in history, HaShem help us. We are screwed.
It is time to call out people and organizations, because the double standard is outrageous. Not all call-outs are equal. Some will be directed to people who have done effective work at one point or another, who nevertheless, have shirked from the responsibility of one who adopts a cause that others are unwilling to fight. Most of the callouts are not of this type. They are directed to those who rarely take a principled or courageous stand on important issues. Many are habitual frauds and cowards.