https://arab.news/mrwga
One famous account in the Talmud, a text of commentary and interpretation that holds a special place in Jewish religious tradition second only to the Bible, tells of a gentile who wished to convert to Judaism. The only condition this prospective convert faced for acceptance was for a Jewish sage to teach him the entire Torah in the length of time that he could stand on one foot. He first went to Shammai, who was known as a strict rabbi. Shammai felt insulted by this ridiculous request and unceremoniously told him to leave his house. The man did not give up and went to another great sage named Hillel. This gentle sage was not deterred by the challenge, and said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this — go and study it.”
I was reminded of this story when I heard the recent racist, bigoted remarks by the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said: “If Saudi Arabia tells us ‘normalization in exchange for a Palestinian state,’ friends — no thank you. Keep riding camels in the desert in Saudi Arabia, and we will continue to develop with the economy, society and state, and the great things that we know how to do.” Obviously, Smotrich has never bothered to educate himself about the Kingdom. However, beyond demonstrating his ignorance — and not for the first time — he has become a blemish on Judaism. This abhorrent Jewish supremacist approach has taken hold of some quarters of the settler movement, which has Smotrich as one of its more prominent, though detestable, representatives.
