Jewish silence in the face of torture
I know I’m sounding like a broken record on this, but where is the Jewish outrage over the sanctioned use of torture — “harsh interrogation techniques” is the favored term in the media – by U.S. intelligence and military forces in the war on terror?
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It’s not that Jewish groups haven’t spoken up; a handful have. In 2007 the American Jewish Committee said “waterboarding—an interrogation practice associated with the Spanish Inquisition and prosecuted under U.S. law as torture as much as a century ago—is unquestionably torture.”
But aside from Rabbis for Human Rights and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which recently applauded the release of memos from the Department of Justice and the Office of Legal Council sanctioning “severe interrogation techniques on suspects, including methods of torture,” I haven’t heard a peep as the issue exploded in the media and on Capitol Hill in recent days.
Is it that Jewish agencies don’t believe the use of torture by U.S. forces is a problem, as long as it falls under the rubric of the “war on terrorism?” If that’s true, where would they draw the line? Is any interrogation technique justifiable, as long as some official says it is producing good results and thereby safeguarding the nation? If a CIA official said pulling out fingernails or racking detainees was okay, would Jewish groups remain quiet?
Is it that they are afraid of being labeled soft in the anti-terror, so they swallow their misgivings about the implications of allowing torture? Are they afraid of antagonizing pro-Israel Republicans?
And don’t our religious leaders see a conflict here between Jewish values and simulated drowning, something the Spanish Inquisition used against Jews and others, as the AJC pointed out two years ago? Aside from the RAC and Rabbis for Human Rights, the moral voice of the Jewish community has been stunningly quiet.
If you have any answers, I’d like to hear them (comment box below).
Tags: detainees, Rabbis for Human Rights, Religious Action Center, torture
April 25th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Only an idiot would compare the Spanish Inquisition with the “War on Terrorism”. In the case of the former it was a misguided attempt to make everyone conform to the teachings of one church. The only killings of the inquisition was of innocent people.
The “War on Terror” seeks to defend innocent people. The inquisition was a war on innocent people. The war on terror is a war on criminals.These people will kill everyone who disagrees with them. No one is safe.
The inquisition saved the life on no one. The waterboarding probably saved the lives of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of people. Criminals love to see defenders of the masses handcuffed by a misguided moralist.
Look on the internet where you can see a Imam call for Muslims to carry anthrax powder into the United States and spread it over the entire country. He tells his eager listeners they will kill 300,00 in every area they can attack. Remember they will then be rewarded by their God. This heretofore evil has to be fought in ways never before contemplated.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Why exactly should Jews be defending people who want to kills us, from the US investigators who want to stop them from killing us?
Next thing you’ll argue that we should be throwing a birthday party for Demajanuk.
You may weep when the types of jolly fellows who beheaded Daniel Pearl get water poured on them, I don’t. I guess it’s because I care more about Jews and my fellow Americans, than about the homicidal hate filled fanatics who want to kill us.