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Rabbis' Letter of Protest to King Abdullah II
October 24, 2005
His Royal Highness Abdullah II
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Amman, Jordan
Your Majesty:
We were among the rabbis who had the privilege of meeting with you at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., last month, and hearing your moving words of peace and brotherhood.
Rare is the leader who has the courage to speak the way you did. Your impassioned condemnation of terrorists as "violent and ignorant extremists" sent a powerful message to the enemies of peace. Your stirring call to Muslims and Jews to "honor our common heritage" filled us with hope of a better future for all our children, Muslim and Jewish alike.
It is precisely because of our concern for the future of our children that we are writing to express our surprise and dismay at the news that the Al-Mamnou television channel in Jordan has begun airing the 29-part series "Al-Shatat." This hate-filled series, which in recent years was broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar Television and on Iranian Television, portrays Jews conspiring to assassinate world leaders, cause stock market crashes, and provoke world wars, as part of a plan to conquer the world, based on the notorious antisemitic forgery, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." One episode depicts Jews murdering a Christian child in order to use his blood for Passover matzos. Another episode shows Jewish leaders helping the Nazis slaughter Europe's Jews, in order to win world sympathy for Zionism.
We fear that these horrifying libels could incite viewers to hatred and even violence. Jordanian citizens, especially young people, should not be inculcated with such messages and images, which undermine your noble efforts to promote peace.
We believe that Jordanian television should be a vehicle to facilitate the goals of interfaith conciliation and understanding that you articulated at our meeting. Television programs about the Jewish people should reflect a sense of responsibility and maturity. Programs concerning the Holocaust should exhibit sensitivity and teach viewers important lessons about moral choices, such as those contained in the movie "Schindler's List."
Your Majesty, the words you spoke at our meeting last month gave us hope. Please do not allow Al-Mamnou to shatter that hope by broadcasting incitement to hatred.
Sincerely,
Rabbi William Altshul
Headmaster
Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy
Rockville, MD
Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld
Young Israel of St. Louis
St. Lous, MI
Rabbi Marcus Burstein
Temple Rodef Shalom
Falls Church, VA
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
Bethesda, MD
Rabbi Ronne Friedman
Senior Rabbi
Temple Israel, Boston, MA
Rabbi Dr. Gershon C. Gewirtz
Young Israel of Brookline
Brookline, MA
Rabbi Steven M. Glazer
Congregation Beth Emeth
Herndon, VA
Rabbi Leonard Gordon
Germantown Jewish Centre
Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Mark Gottlieb
Yeshiva University High School for Boys
New York, NY
Rabbi Susan Grossman
Beth Shalom Congregation
Columbia, MD
Rabbi Joshua Gutoff
The William Davidson School of Jewish Education
New York City
Rabbi Joshua O. Haberman
Washington Hebrew Congregation
Washington, DC
Rabbi Ari Israel
University of Maryland Hillel
College Park, MD
Rabbi Marc D. Israel
Director of Education and Congregational Programming
Ohr Kodesh Congregation
Chevy Chase, MD
Rabbi Bruce E. Kahn
Executive Director
Equal Rights Center
Washington, DC
Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff
Vice President
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Rabbi Bernard H. Mehlman
Senior Scholar
Temple Israel, Boston, MA
Rabbi Avis D. Miller
Adas Israel Congregation
Washington, DC
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Washington, DC
Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz
Temple B'nai Sholom
Rockville Centre, NY
Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Founder & President
PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values
Rockville, MD
Rabbi Ethan Seidel
Tifereth Israel Congregation
Washington, DC
Rabbi Joel Tessler
Beth Sholom Congregation
Potomac, MD
Rabbi Yakov Travis
Siegal College of Jewish Studies
Cleveland, OH
Rabbi Moshe Waldoks
Temple Beth Zion
Brookline, MA
Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt
Congregation B'nai Tzedek
Potomac, MD
Rabbi Avi Weinstein
Director of Jewish Studies
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Upper School
Rockville, MD
Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlberg
Senior Rabbi, Adas Israel Congregation
Washington, DC
Rabbi Jeremiah Wohlberg
Congregation Ohav Sholom
Merrick, NY
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg
Beth Tfiloh Congregation
Baltimore, MD
(In addition, Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel sent a separate letter to King Abdullah II.)
(Institutions listed for identification purposes only.)
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