When the “Disney Channel” changes the Jewish tradition

In a short film about the Jewish Passover, he falsified Disney Channel Unofficially the end of the Haggadah so you don’t have to talk about Jerusalem.

Jewish organizations and commentators criticize the Walt Disney Group’s US TV channel Disney Channel: You feel offended in a short film, then Disney Channel Aired on the occasion of the Jewish Passover.

In it, the desire, well known to all Jews (and also to many non-Jews), became “next year in Jerusalem”, spoken at the end of the cedar meal, “next year in the Holy Land.” Modified. Cut with Jewish tradition and insult in a contribution that must actually satisfy the Jews. This begs the question of what this is.

Easter is one of the most important feasts for the Jews. They celebrate the miraculous liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The festival, which falls on the fourteenth of Nisan from the Jewish calendar, begins in the evening with a festive meal, the Sidr meal, which is also celebrated by many non-religious Jews.

The liturgy is presented through the Easter Haggadah, an illustrated booklet that sometimes contains the program and instructions for the evening of the seder, retelling of the written event, songs and prayers. The Haggadah – the oldest surviving version of it, and Vogelkopf Hagada, Created around the year 1300 – and ends with the hoped-for wish: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

The Jewish organizations are upset

Disney Channel But he decided to change a 2,000-year-old Jewish tradition in a short special show on Passover. After the children objectively presented the essence of Easter, one of them said:

I like the sentence that ends Sidr. It is a wish that our journey ends and that we find a home: That’s why we say, “Next year in the Holy Land.”

This was also shown in large font at this point. Since then, as anyone can easily verify, only No This is what the Jews say at the end of the seder, it is a false statement of truth presented to the children who watch.

Bennai Braith International Draw attention to it first. Via her Twitter account Mutual The traditional Jewish system on March 30th with:

“We are very horrified that #disneychannel is showing # Easter clips in which the traditional choir” Next Year in Jerusalem “has been replaced by” Next year in the Holy Land. “

This is a “deliberate denial of Jerusalem as the eternal Jewish capital.” Benny Braith Student Disney Channel “To honestly depict this sacred Jewish custom in relation to our holiest city.”

Todd Richman from the organization The democratic majority of Israel Wrote Addressed to Disney on Twitter:

2000 years ago the Jews used to say on Passover: “Next year in Jerusalem! “And now you’ve decided to change it after a few thousand years? Are you sure about that?”

Akiva van Koningsfeld is an international website writer Reports are honestWho regularly write about anti-Semitism and biased media reports against Israel, Commented:

The Jews had been yearning to return to Jerusalem for 2,000 years. When Jews pray three times a day, they still look toward the city to this day. As the Jewish state is revived today, the Israeli government views Jerusalem as its capital, a claim that many countries have recognized, including the United States, the country where the Disney Channel is located.

In addition, the historic capital of Israel is mentioned not only on Easter, but in every prayer, every holiday, wedding, and even after dinner. Why does the Disney Channel seem to be hiding this fact? “

Well-known Australian commentator on the Middle East, Dave Lange, spoke of “a disdain for Jewish traditions” by Disney and She expressed On his blog Yrill Cole Assuming that there are political considerations behind it. talk about Political Correction He added:

“They do not want to admit that we have longed to return to Jerusalem for thousands of years (and fortunately many of us have succeeded!).

No opinion from Disney

Walt Disney has yet to release a statement on the issue. At the request of Mina Watch The group did not respond. Also the large American Jewish magazine Allgeminer mentionedThat his request to Disney went unanswered.

The operation vaguely reminds us of the travesty of the White House press department in 2016. When then-US President Barack Obama delivered a funeral address to the late Israeli President Shimon Peres at the cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on September 30, 2016, the White House published a press release containing text Obama speech. It read: “Herzl Berg, Jerusalem, Israel.”

Shortly thereafter sender The White House “Corrected Version”: It has the word Israel cross off.

Walt Disney’s case is somehow more disturbing. The report on the Disney Channel for Children was not about diplomacy. The Mickey Mouse Group should not pursue global politics or answer questions of international law. It was all about honestly telling the kids what Jews traditionally say at the end of a cedar meal. This is not a political question, or at least it should not be.

Denying the Jewish link to Jerusalem

One can imagine that perhaps there was originally a copy of the article that was correctly cited from the phrase “Next Year in Jerusalem” (Why replace facts with lies?). Maybe someone at Disney saw the sentence exploding: After all, the Palestinian Authority denies any connection between Jews and Jerusalem.

Does Walt Disney receive orders from Ramallah? No, but in the end there is a lot of money. According to the Walt Disney Company Show The company’s business relies heavily on smooth cooperation with governments and authorities around the world.

“Trading restrictions”, “restrictions on how content is licensed and distributed”, “acquisition restrictions”, “exchange controls”, “film and television program content requirements”, “investment obligations and quotas” – these are all risks that Walt Disney claims to be exposed to. Changes to the rules of the game, which Disney must act upon, may happen suddenly and are often unpredictable, according to the risk report (10 K.) Deposited by Walt Disney with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

One does not want to mess with anti-Israel governments around the world (which are in the majority compared to governments friendly to Israel, as voices in the United Nations General Assembly repeatedly appear).

Then there is the screaming Those Who want to destroy the State of Israel by boycott. “Damage to our reputation or brands can have a negative impact on our business in various sectors and regions,” Disney writes.

The group was only last year criticismBecause his feature film credits were filmed in the People’s Republic of China Mulan Thanks to the security authorities in Xinjiang, western China It includesWho are notorious for violating the human rights of the Muslim Uyghur minority.

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators Wrote In a letter to Walt Disney:

“The decision to photograph parts of Mulan, Xinjiang in cooperation with local security and propaganda agencies gives tacit approval to these perpetrators of what may be called genocide.”

Apparently, Disney did not consider the proximity to this system detrimental to its reputation. But naming the Jews and Jerusalem at the same time – that would be too risky.