The Assassination of a Head of State

Yesterday, a listener called the show and advocated the assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel. My first reaction was shock and outrage, it was my gut reaction to a preposterous suggestion on live open air radio. Even more infuriating at the time was the fact that I felt Rabbi Shlomo Mahn, my long suffering co-host, did not say enough to distance himself from the suggestion.

After listening to a tape of the show this morning, I may have been too harsh on Rabbi Mahn. While I feel he may have been clearer in his initial reaction to the caller, I also feel that this prevailing sense of hopelessness felt by a majority of diaspora Jews (especially those not deluded by the hatred expressed by groups such as the Netury Karta and Peace Now, who are hellbent on destroying the State of Israel) that Prime Minister Olmert is selling out the country. If I was too harsh on my good friend, the Rabbi, I apologize.

We have a responsibility as talk show hosts to choose our words and reactions to words carefully. We have specific responsibilities to the government who grants us our license and we have a fundamental responsibility to the listeners who invest hours of their lives listening to our show. While sometimes, sitting in a small room with a couple of microphones makes you kick back and relax, the truth of the matter is that radio and words could be dangerous if we are not careful what's said.

When the caller first suggested that someone in Israel get caught in friendly crossfire, I initially laughed, I honestly thought he was joking. But when he emphasized that he thought that Olmert should get shot, that's where I took issue.

I was working as a newspaper columnist when then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. I remember clearly the vilification of the religious and right wing, repercussions still felt today. I remember The Montreal Gazette's front page story quoting a fringe rabbi saying that Orthodox Jews have blood on their hands. I remember the furor that erupted when my column was published condemning The Gazette for such blatant hateful and not overly accurate ramblings.

To attempt to build up the same furor that preceded, but not necessarily resulted in the unfortunate murder of Yitzhak Rabin is unacceptable discourse both on my radio show and in society as a whole. The caller should be ashamed of himself.

Have a great Shabbos
Howie