I am
well aware that there is no use beating a dead horse and that the subject of
the Holocaust is already in the minds of most of the world's population truly a
dead horse. Last week the United Nations and over fifty countries commemorated
the seventieth anniversary of the expulsion of the Germans from the Auschwitz
death camp in Poland. This commemoration was marked by the usual plethora of
high-sounding words and empty pledges regarding the fact that this type of
genocide against Jews should never again be allowed. However, to my ancient and
hoary ears it all sounded hollow and almost meaningless in face of the actual
realities and facts that comprise the current state of world affairs. This
anniversary, occurring so many decades after the event, took place with the
presence of the backdrop of most of Europe engaged in its favorite hobby of
anti-Semitism and blaming all of its evils on the Jews. Throughout Europe, from
Berlin to Paris to London, in Madrid, Rome and Athens, the cry of “Death to the
Jews” can be heard often and loud. It is difficult to believe in “never again”
when so many millions are shouting “let us do it again.” Anti-Semitism is
apparently an incurable disease that has rotted the soul of Europe for almost
two millennia. Europe has never learned the lesson of the disaster that
anti-Semitism brings upon it. It will take more than formal commemorations,
museums, monuments and reassuring speeches to eradicate the scourge that has
infested so much of the civilized world. Therefore the outlook for “never
again” is fairly bleak.
In a
powerful article written by Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post last
week, he pointed out that the Islamic terrorists made an error in attacking the
offices of Charlie Hebo. Had they contented themselves simply with killing Jews
in the Paris kosher supermarket there would have been no demonstrations of
millions of people in the streets of Paris objecting to the Islamic terrorist
atrocities. No world leaders would have left their comfortable offices to march
against terror if only Jews were the victims of that terror. Jewish children
were slaughtered in Toulouse a few years ago and the world hardly noticed. Jews
were killed in Brussels and after the usual official cluckings of regret
everything went back to its previous state. Jews in Antwerp are very nervous
walking on the streets of the city where they have lived as its citizens for
many centuries. The Belgian government, like almost all of its counterparts in
Europe, trumpets the cause of the Palestinians and condemns Israel at every
opportunity. Overwhelmed with the flood of Moslem immigrants into its countries
and unable to cope with the radicalization of so many of them, Europe has
surrendered itself to institutional, diplomatic and economic anti-Semitism. There
were no mass demonstrations against Auschwitz while it was occurring. The
Jewish world then in denial and fear of the canard of “dual loyalty” remained mostly
publicly silent while its brothers and sisters were being systematically
annihilated. Sadly, it is apparent that there will be no mass demonstrations
against new forms of Auschwitz if God forbid it repeats itself again. So the
Jewish people and especially the state of Israel find themselves in a very
difficult, problematic and dangerous situation. In effect, the only defense
against anti-Semitism today is the strength of the state of Israel and yet we
are constantly reminded by the world's media and diplomats that such a defense
is unseemly and in fact somehow counterproductive to Jewish interests. In the
woolly world that George Orwell foresaw and that we live in, this type of
reasoning is constantly advanced and fostered. So currently “never again” is
humbug!”
Iran
is currently at war with Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. It uses its
surrogates – Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, etc. – to wage constant war
against Israel and its citizens and Jews everywhere, from Argentina to Mumbai.
It is driving steadily and speedily towards achieving its goal of having
nuclear weapons and the means to deliver those awesome weapons anywhere in the
world. It openly threatens Israel with extinction. While the West and the
United States dithers and puts its hopes in negotiations that even if
successful will not guarantee that Iran will be devoid of nuclear weapons,
Israel and the Jewish world finds itself at war with itself. The elections in
Israel could not occur at a worse time then now and tragically are being
conducted in a very disheartening and shameful manner and fashion. No matter
who wins, we have already lost. Once again, the Lord has painted us into a very
narrow corner. We must do all in our power to extricate ourselves from the
siege that surrounds us and from the inner malaise that so weakens us. A
realistic view of the true situation in which we find ourselves can serve as
the beginning of policies that will enable us to say with some confidence
“never again.”
