Hours after leaving the hospital, his wounded hands wrapped in blue bandages, Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who survived the Poway synagogue shooting, steeled himself to face the national media and delivered an emotional account of the attack.
In the days following the shooting, the whole of America empathised with the Rabbi, he ticked all the right boxes: a Jew, a victim, a survivor.
The American President invited him to the White House,
CNN let him speak his mind, the
UN General Assembly offered the rabbi a platform so he could moan about the history of Jewish suffering. The Rabbi didn't miss an opportunity to
shout: "Am Yisrael Chai, the nation of Israel is alive, do not fear and do not falter, Because God is protecting us and we will survive, we will grow and get stronger and stronger..." The Rabbi was correct, the nation of Israel is alive and kicking, but his message was hardly universal or inclusive.
Comment: See also: