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Sir, - The Torah's view of the hoopoe is entirely positive. As Maimonides wrote in Guide to the Perplexed (III, 47) - supported by the late, renowned anthropologist Mary Douglas in her book on Leviticus - the category of "unclean" or "defilement" (tum'a) applied to an o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Jerusalem post
Main Authors Clapsaddle, Carol, Murray-White, James, Gilbert, Natalie, Newman, Aryeh, Raphael, Zeev, Sullum, Arnold, Riskin, Shlomo, Tenembaum, Baruch
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Jerusalem The Jerusalem Post Ltd 02.06.2008
Subjects
Hagee, Pastor John
Kimche, David
Lapid, Tommy
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Summary:Sir, - The Torah's view of the hoopoe is entirely positive. As Maimonides wrote in Guide to the Perplexed (III, 47) - supported by the late, renowned anthropologist Mary Douglas in her book on Leviticus - the category of "unclean" or "defilement" (tum'a) applied to an object by the Torah is not necessarily negative, but an abstract concept intended to separate us from that object. Sir, - David Kimche writes: "Twenty years ago, even the most dovish Israelis did not dare to declare support for a Palestinian state" ("A choice between Geneva and Hamas," May 29). In fact, a call for a "Palestinian state" appeared in your newspaper 27 years ago: "The Government of Israel expresses its readiness to accept the principle of self-determination for the Palestinian people, on condition of a reciprocal PLO declaration that it recognizes the legitimacy of the State of Israel. Israel is prepared to withdraw to the pre-June 1967 borders, with minor adjustments. Israel agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip" ("Call for an Israeli peace offensive," November 8, 1981).