Jews in Israel sentenced for neo-Nazi attacks

Now this is beyond redemption; and no, the title is not a misprint.

A court in Israel has sentenced eight teenagers to sentences from one to seven years in jail for neo-Nazist attacks against religious Jews, homosexuals, and drug addicts -- as well as an attack on a synagogue. The crazy thing about it: The gang consisted of Jews, immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Or are they really Jewish? Only if one stretches the definition to the extreme. Under the Law of Return -- part of Israel's constitution -- anyone who can prove a link to at least one Jewish grandparent can claim automatic citizenship in Israel the moment they get off the plane in Tel Aviv. The "Jewishness" of these thugs is very debatable and even if genuine a complete disgrace to Judaism in general. It's certainly not in keeping with Judaism as I understand it.

This is really scary in a way. The airport in Tel Aviv is well known to have the best security of any on the planet with a port of control at the airport's exterior, no curbside check-in and racial profiling at baggage handling -- in addition to the x-ray machines we usually expect. Yet the immigration department can't be bothered to vet people who are coming in to the country, whether as visitors or immigrants?

A security fence isn't going to stop people who actually make it into Israel proper and then do stuff. And it's not just radical "Islamists" attacking Jews, but the other way around as well. Does anyone remember the name Baruch Goldstein? Hate cuts in many directions, and only God will be able to sort out the mess that is the Middle East.

Much as we should pray for peace in that region of the world as well as for peaceful co-existence among all who live in the Holy Land, I just don't see it happening even during a second Obama Administration, and we haven't even gotten to the first yet.

Vote for this post at Progressive Bloggers.