The
corona virus is not the only virus to appear on the world scene. COVID-19 will
eventually be eradicated, but the virus of anti-Semitism, which has mutated in
various forms throughout history, has again become virulent. When
the Jews did not feel safe and were oppressed, enslaved, expelled and
massacred, it was in places and at times when there were unstable and traumatic
conditions among the populace.
Contrary to antisemitic claims, the Jews have never considered a
doctrine of supremacy and world domination. Unlike Christianity and Islam, they
do not seek converts. In every country in which they settled, they have proved
themselves to be decent, law-abiding and industrious citizens - contributing in
every way to its welfare and prosperity.
When things go badly and people cast themselves as the victims
they search for scapegoats to blame. The scapegoat of choice has long been
the Jews. It is easy to blame Jews because they are both conspicuous, and a
minority. For over one thousand years, they were the most prominent
non-Christian minority in Europe. Today, the state of Israel is the most
significant non-Muslim presence in the Middle East.
The mutation of anti-Semitism in today’s world can be
defined in many ways as anti-Zionism. It is more acceptable for people to
project their anti-Semitism sentiments onto the state of Israel, whilst
referring to themselves as anti-Zionists.
The Palestinian Arabs have forged a phony history of their own,
while using every means to erase indisputable historical facts, such as the
presence of Jews in their homeland for the last 3,000 years.
There is a growing amount of anti-Israel propaganda, not only in
Arab Palestinian textbooks, but also in high schools and universities -
including maps which delegitimize the Jewish ties to Israel. The fast-paced information arena of the digital age, has proven a
hotbed of fake news, falsified videos, and incitement,
demonizing Isael.
Since Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion made his decision, against
all odds, to proclaim the birth of a new state in 1948 - no other country in
the history of mankind has had to continually struggle in order to survive. No
other country has been in a permanent state of turmoil. No other country has
had to forfeit the fruits of victory after facing wars of aggression – not
once, but three times! To compound the injustice, no other country was required
to make concessions to its enemies after defeating them! As I wrote in a
previous blog, other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms.
But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace. Israel is called upon to
make concessions, to be generous, when no other nations has voluntarily yielded
a bare outcrop of land to others.
Anti-Semitism has little
to do with Jews, and everything to do with dysfunction in the communities that
harbour it. Blaming the Jews is not going to heal society.
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