Rabbi Cheered at Muhammad Ali Memorial

Rabbi Michael Lerner gave a barnburner of a memorial speech at the memorial for Muhammad Ali.

Based on the reaction shots, Bill Clinton seemed to really enjoy it, especially the part at 6:20.

Also tempts me to buy subscriptions to Tikkun for a few former students I know.

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5 Responses to Rabbi Cheered at Muhammad Ali Memorial

  1. eric says:

    your temptation is tantamount to me buying you a copy of milton friedman’s free to choose with the hopes that you become a conservative…but you probably read it

    • Michael says:

      Yup. I read it. Have you read Tikkun?

      PS. Have you read ‘Free to Choose’?

      • eric says:

        I have read free to choose, although its probably time to read it again (especially his hong kong examples), I have not read tikkun, but after listening to that speech I am not sure I would read it even out of respect for you. Palestinians, occupied territory, muslim solidarity, it was just too much appeal to emotion for my taste (and I would think yours…)

  2. I do think that as Jews we owe US Muslims our solidarity. They are discriminated against, and in ways that Jews should be peculiarly able to sympathize with.

    I also think that Israel’s west bank policy will be its undoing in the long run. Thus, there are pragmatic reasons to be for increased quality-of-life and rights (e.g. not to be shot in the back, or to have houses knocked down in collective responsibility, or not to mention regular electricity) for Palestinians even if you don’t accept that the obligations exist as matters of basic human rights or as duties of the occupying power.

    • eric says:

      Two points: (1) Key difference between you and the video is that you (correctly) limit the solidarity to US Muslims; and (2) I am not sure I know of a time where Jews were persecuted/discriminated against, because some Jews killed thousands of innocent people. Unless you want to count the fallacy of the baby killing for matzah pogroms. Jews were and are persecuted for being Jewish not for any terroristic actions. As for electricity, I am pretty sure that the PA owes Israel billions of NIS, instead of repaying its debts the PA builds terror tunnels with equipment it receives from the West and electricity it continues to receive from Israel. So in effect, you are asking Israel to continue funding its own demise. Not sure Milton Friedman would agree that its rational to do so….

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