JUST SAY NO!!! - (to extradition)
JUST SAY NO!!! - (to extradition)
The State of Israel is preparing to hand over a Jew to a foreign entity - and no one seems to be bothered by it (Courtesy of Ha'aretz).
The Supreme Court unanimously decided Thursday to reject an appeal filed by suspected underworld figure Ze'ev Rosenstein and allow Israel to extradite him to the United States, where he is wanted for his alleged part in major drug-trafficking deals involving Ecstasy.
Many will argue that Rosenstein is a criminal, and as such, he should pay for his crimes, and if that means his being extradited to stand trial in the US, then so be it.
I agree that Rosenstein should pay for his crimes, assuming he is found guilty of them, but let him pay for them here, in a cold, dark prison cell in the Jewish State of Israel.
In attempting to justify the decision, Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy stated:
...the U.S. has the natural right to protect itself against those opposing to from overseas.
And what of the rights of the Jewish People?
Doesn't every Jew in the world have the natural right to live in the Jewish State of Israel?
Isn't the Jewish State of Israel obligated to ensure the safety and well-being of every Jew who seeks refuge and shelter under her canopy?
This would not be the first time that Israel has agreed to extradite a suspected Jewish criminal to the US. The most famous example of this being Israel's extradition of Jewish gangster, Mayer Lanksy:
In 1970, with the FBI after him for income-tax evasion, Lansky moved to Tel Aviv, spent a happy year there and applied for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, which grants citizenship to all Jews. But under pressure from the U.S. Justice Department, Golda Meir's government turned him down, as did the Israeli Supreme Court.
The only difference between Rosenstein and Lansky is that Rosenstein has always called Israel his home, while Lansky sought refuge here, fleeing from the US authorities. Both were abandoned by the Jewish State.
And, while we are on the topic of Jews who have been abandoned by the Jewish State, let us not forget Jonathan Pollard, (who should not be mistaken for the likes of Rosenstein or Lansky, but who was similarly abandoned by the Jewish State of Israel, even though the crimes he committed were in her name and defense).
The State of Israel does not only belong to certain types of "acceptable" Jews, but to every single Jew in the world, and if it is to truly be a Jewish State, it can't shirk that responsibility.
(Hat-Tip: Strong Bad)
Cross Posted at Israel Perspectives
Posted by Ze'ev Orenstein at November 30, 2005 03:27 AM
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1.
eotw
said:
Sorry to burst your bubble of zealotry (again), but if I am not mistaken, he is being extradited with the condition that IF found guilty he will be returned to Israel to serve his sentence here.
Posted by: eotw on November 30, 2005 06:05 AM
2.
BobW
said:
Shalom Ze'ev,
The State of Israel (I am not familiar with the Jewish State of Israel.) is not known for justice such as when King Solomon reigned.
John Demajanjuk was acquited in Israel. He was found not to be "Ivan the Terrible", the SS guard at Sobibor and a couple of other places.
The US system had him deported - not because he was considered just a private, innocent person who was acquited by an Israeli justice system.
The begged question is whether Israel operates a bona fide independent judiciary.
Kol tuv,
Bob
Posted by: BobW on November 30, 2005 07:20 AM
3.
Ilana Rosen
said:
Has anybody stopped to think that Ze'ev is accused of a crime, and anywhere else in the world he would stand trial? Just because he is Israeli, and a Jew does this preclude him from being subject to rule of law? A trial should take place in Israel.
Posted by: Ilana Rosen on December 1, 2005 05:27 AM
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JUST SAY NO!!! - (to extradition)
The State of Israel is preparing to hand over a Jew to a foreign entity - and no one seems to be bothered by it (Courtesy of Ha'aretz).
Many will argue that Rosenstein is a criminal, and as such, he should pay for his crimes, and if that means his being extradited to stand trial in the US, then so be it.
I agree that Rosenstein should pay for his crimes, assuming he is found guilty of them, but let him pay for them here, in a cold, dark prison cell in the Jewish State of Israel.
In attempting to justify the decision, Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy stated:
And what of the rights of the Jewish People?
Doesn't every Jew in the world have the natural right to live in the Jewish State of Israel?
Isn't the Jewish State of Israel obligated to ensure the safety and well-being of every Jew who seeks refuge and shelter under her canopy?
This would not be the first time that Israel has agreed to extradite a suspected Jewish criminal to the US. The most famous example of this being Israel's extradition of Jewish gangster, Mayer Lanksy:
The only difference between Rosenstein and Lansky is that Rosenstein has always called Israel his home, while Lansky sought refuge here, fleeing from the US authorities. Both were abandoned by the Jewish State.
And, while we are on the topic of Jews who have been abandoned by the Jewish State, let us not forget Jonathan Pollard, (who should not be mistaken for the likes of Rosenstein or Lansky, but who was similarly abandoned by the Jewish State of Israel, even though the crimes he committed were in her name and defense).
The State of Israel does not only belong to certain types of "acceptable" Jews, but to every single Jew in the world, and if it is to truly be a Jewish State, it can't shirk that responsibility.
(Hat-Tip: Strong Bad)
Cross Posted at Israel Perspectives
Posted by Ze'ev Orenstein at November 30, 2005 03:27 AM