The Talmud (Avoda Zara 18a) teaches that some individuals acquire their share in the World-to-Come in one moment. I, for one, have no doubt Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Ten.) is on this list. He was accosted by a pro-Hamas activist on the Hill and told her:
Congressman Andy Ogles
What a completely corrupt, disgusting individual #AIPAC pic.twitter.com/3KuC6KZpxD— Mark ?? ⚖ (@markthanosright) February 21, 2024
Here’s the Congressman’s version of his feat:
Motto:
Do the right thing, for the right reasons, then stand in the gap. #neverbackdown pic.twitter.com/leX72ubrly— Congressman Andy Ogles (@AndyOgles) February 22, 2024
And now, the reactions:
The American Muslim Advisory Council denounced Congressman Ogles “unequivocally,” and suggested he advocated “the extermination of the Palestinian people.”
“Such rhetoric is not only abhorrent but also antithetical to our values as a state. It is such rhetoric that has continued to foster a political climate where extremist ideologies flourish, empowering neo-Nazis to openly parade through our streets and allowing genocidal sentiments to go unchallenged. This cannot be tolerated any longer. As citizens of Tennessee, we deserve better representation from those elected to office,” the AMAC stated.
Jewish Voice for Peace Action tweeted: “Congresswoman Andy Ogles just said ‘I think we should kill them all’ when asked about Palestinian children in Gaza. Not a peep from Congressional leadership in response to this murderous statement and open support for genocide.”
Of course, the Congressman was clearly talking about killing the Hamas murderers and not killing children in Gaza, but leftist Jews don’t worry about subtle differences. To them, a Hamas murderer is like a child.
One digression: the late Abba Eban said that Ariel Sharon possessed all the qualities of a child, except for charm and grace. But I’m not comparing Sharon to Hamas.
An Indian publication called The Muslim Mirror, whose slogan is “Journalism of truth,” struck a surprisingly sober note in the wake of Rep. Ogles’ controversy:
“The incident underscores the importance of responsible and informed dialogue surrounding complex geopolitical conflicts and the need for leaders to exercise restraint and empathy in their public statements. It also highlights the ongoing challenges in finding a peaceful and just resolution to the Israel- Palestine conflict, which remains one of the most intractable and volatile issues in international relations.”
There’s a bunch of Muslims I would gladly invite for Shabbat dinner, except I wouldn’t know what to serve them during kiddush.
