I hardly followed the Balkan wars and simply accepted the western condemnation of Serbia for its “genocide” against the Muslims in its province, Kosovo. That is until Felix Quigley, and his friends clued me in. This was in 2006. After a year and a half of being tutored I reversed my beliefs. The Serbs were getting the same treatment as the Israelis get. Both had to contend with a campaign of lies and demonization. Do a search for “Kosovo” on Israpundit. Ted Belman
By Michael Freund, The Jerusalem Post
Tomislav Nikolic, the president of Serbia, began an official state visit to Israel Monday, marking the first time that he has traveled to Jerusalem since his election triumph last year.
Normally, the only excitement generated by a visiting head of state is some rowdier honking of Israelis’ car horns, as drivers find themselves trapped in a series of capricious and unforgiving traffic jams. But Nikolic’s three-day stopover is far more than just another diplomatic social call. Serbia is an important friend and ally of the Jewish State and the Serbian leader’s visit underlines just how close relations have become between the two countries. Israelis and world Jewry should welcome this turn of events and seek additional ways to broaden and deepen the relationship still further.
Indeed, the parallels between Israel and Serbia could not be more striking. Both are small countries in combustible regions which the international media love to criticize. Neither Serbia nor Israel gets a fair hearing at various international forums, and each is coming under relentless pressure to accede to the demands of their foes.
Much of the world has been pressing Serbia to forgo the breakaway province of Kosovo, even though it is the cradle of Serbian civilization.
And Israel of course is constantly being pressured to withdraw from Judea, Samaria and parts of Jerusalem, the heart of our ancient homeland.
But it is not only in our present predicaments that one can find such compelling similarities.
Our history and that of the Serbs are also profoundly intertwined, both in triumph and in tragedy.
In the mid-19th century, one of the founding fathers of Zionism, Rabbi Yehuda Alkalay, served as a rabbi in the Serbian town of Zemun outside Belgrade. Historians say his views were influenced greatly by the Serbian nationalism of his day, and that his writings inspired Theodor Herzl’s grandfather to embrace the Zionist cause.
In this sense, the two countries can each trace their modern-day yearnings for freedom and independence to the same period and source.
Nearly a century later in World War II, at the Jasenovac concentration camp run by Croatia’s fascist Ustashe regime, Jews and Serbs found themselves side by side as both were targeted for extermination by the Nazis and their sympathizers.
It is precisely because our historical experiences bear such a likeness to one another that Jews and Serbs share such strong bonds of friendship and understanding.
On a visit to Belgrade last week, I had the opportunity to speak to numerous Serbs, from taxi drivers to government officials, all of whom expressed admiration for Israel and its accomplishments.
And unlike in many other European capitals, I did not feel in the least bit uncomfortable roaming the streets of Belgrade with a kippa on my head. Just days before my arrival, the Conference of European Rabbis had held a large gathering in the city which brought together rabbinical leaders from across the continent.
Sure, for some Jews, the very mention of the name “Serbia” still conjures up vicious stereotypes of war criminals and racists. But that is neither fair nor accurate. This is 2013. Serbia is no longer an autocracy in conflict with its neighbors. The country has transformed itself into a vibrant model of democracy, one that has gone to great pains to put the past behind it. In an unprecedented move, Serbia extradited two former presidents, various government ministers, three army chiefs of staff and several police and army generals to stand trial in The Hague on charges related to the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
And the Serbs have done so even though the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has proven to be decidedly one-sided in its handling of various cases that have come before it. Moreover, to lump all Serbs together and label them in a derogatory manner is intellectually dishonest and even slanderous. In fact, it is because Belgrade has made such great strides over the past decade that the European Union agreed last year to make Serbia an official candidate for EU membership.
Given these changes, it is time for those who still consider Serbia to be a villain to reconsider their position. This intrepid and spirited nation, standing at the crossroads between East and West, has repeatedly seen its territory occupied, its people expelled and its good name vilified.
As Jews, we know all too well what such suffering means, which is why we should view Serbia as a natural partner and move to boost our trade, investment and tourism with the Balkan nation, whose importance in the region will only continue to grow.
So “Dobrodosli u Izrael,” (Welcome to Israel), our friend President Nikolic.
And may your visit signal the further strengthening of relations between Serbs and Jews.
“Chazak Chazak Vinitchazeik” – (At the end of the reading of each of the Five Books of Moses) “Be strong, be strong and we should strengthen ourselves.”
Bernard Ross Said:
That is such an elegant insult, I am impresed. Went to a Pow Wow today.:
yamit82 Said:
It would be nice if they used this as an excuse to seize land in the syrian golan; get closer to damascus. I think the international community would accept Israel seizing a buffer based on the terror threat, the unifil withdrawals and the Syrian loss of sovereignty in the area.
yamit82 Said:
Apparently the officer agrees with what we have been saying.
Felix Quigley Said re Yamit:
I think you are referring to felix quigley, the father of trotskyism(a dogma).
Felix Quigley Said Re yamit:
principles are not the issue here, existence is the issue. Third party dogmatists will make faux principles out of any issue to further their dogma.
Felix Quigley Said re Yamit:
You sure know how to chat foolishness. silly comments like this give you a cartoon quality, difficult to take seriously. You are behaving like a hysterical trotskyite.
Felix Quigley Said:
Please do not introduce your posterior behaviors and fixations to this forum
yamit82 Said:
Muddled Israeli-US policies on Assad set stage for Golan offensive against Israel
Assad: Israel supporting ‘terror groups’ in Syria
Syrian president hits out at Israel in interview.
Syrian President Bashar Assad accused Israel of “directly supporting terrorist groups” in Syria, referring to rebels fighting against his regime, in an exclusive interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin, which was shared with the Observer on Saturday.
“Israel is directly supporting the terrorist groups in two ways, firstly it gives them logistical support and it also tells them what sites to attack and how to attack them,” the Observer quoted him as saying, in reference to recent alleged Israeli strikes on his country.
Felix Quigley Said:
Since when for at least 6 years you have been speaking for Serbs. Why don’t you speak to how their brother Russian Slavs threw them under the proverbial bus?
Israeli official: Assad preferable to extremist rebels, The Times of London reports
According to Israeli intelligence officer quoted in report, weakened but intact Syria under President Bashar Assad is better for Israel and region than takeover by Islamist rebels.
Looks like Assad will survive and the West has taken it up their collective arses. 🙂
Honey Bee Said:
They may address me from now on as SIR!!!
Felix Quigley Said:
u Yamit to take your “mellow” and stuff it up your arse
Shame Felix Quigley, shame shame!!!!!!!!! You attempted to remove me from the Pundit because you hate smart women who make well deserved fun of your out-dated political beliefs. But you now address Yamit82 in an obscene manner. Clean up your language,Sir. Address Yamit 82 with respect he deserves as Scholar, Verteran, and a Gentleman. I also must include Max.
Felix Quigley Said:
Actually I am a tool of Marshal McLuhan and Issac Asimov..whose tool are you Mr. Trotskite lover of murdering-genocidal dictators?
A would guess a tool of the Serbians and Putin.
I do not speak for the Serbs but if I was them I would tell you Yamit to takee your “mellow” and stuff it up your arse
Max
Max just you run along and snuggle in behind Mr Clinton, Mrs Clinton and the Obamas like a good litte tool of Imperialism
Felix Quigley Said:
The only sameness in my positions is I don’t give a flying Commie about either one.
Both groups are virulently antisemitic, one gave up her Jews to the Nazis and the other would have if they could.
That said, with re: to the Serbs my positions towards them might mellow were the Serbian government supportive of Israel in all international forums. Till now they have sided against Israel and for those who would murder me.
Till now they have supported those who want to kill me and drive all other Jews into the sea.
You ask what my moral and or political position towards the Serbs are in light of how Clinton and NATO put the screws to them?
About the same as the conflict between the “Hutus and Tutsis” What was your very Trotskyite opinion on that conflict? Who did you support and why? Give links to show what your opinions were during the conflict if you have any.
Historically and in fact much of the Muslim animus towards Jews is derived to a large extent from the Coptic theological Jew Hatred that predated Islam. Copts are today every bit anti Jew and anti Israel as they were before Islam and today despite the threats and ill treatment they receive from Muslims (they) lead the Egyptian pack in their anti Israel rhetoric and political positions.
@ Felix Quigley:
There is no murdering genocidal dictator that Felix the commie doesn’t like. Trotsky’s not here Felix,, he’s gone to Mexico.
The position of Yamit towards the Serbs is the same as Yamit towards the Copts
This person does not take up political positions in the world today, he takes up positions based on dogma
He also has read the worst racist anti serb filth on the net and he regurgitates it and this person is a total enemy of the Jewish people in every way, in many ways and especially in the filth that he shoves out of his a.. towards the Serbs.
This person is incapable of taking up ONE principled position to fight the Muslim Brotherhood. Ted in defending the Serbs is in good company here and is in the company of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.
Andy Lewis Said:
And now the Romanian economy depends a lot on remittances from Romanians working construction in —- Israel.
Payback is a b*tch.
@ Eric R.:
You are correct of course. I confused Croatia with Romania. Understandable for an American who tries to care about Europe but ultimately fails. 😉
And I care less about Yurp now than ever before.
There are 2 types of world Jewry. The pro-IL and the anti-IL.yamit82 Said:
If they are pro Israel, that is enough for me to have a good relation. Friends can be counted on the fingers of one half hand.
Shy Guy Said:
The other thing about Bulgaria, which accelerates the process, is that it has had the greatest demographic implosion of any nation on the planet in the last 20 years. Its population has dropped more than 20% (from 9 million down to about 7 million) due to a combination of low fertility and youth emigration. Even here in NJ, I run into occasional Bulgarian emigres, and there are quite a few at American colleges.
@ Andy Lewis:
ALL OF YUGOSLAVIA WAS OCCUPIED BY THE NAZIS – BUT THE CROATS WENT ESPECIALLY OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP!! Where the Serbs get some credit is that they were the majority of the anti-Nazi Partisans, and the Nazis massacred more than a million Serbs in retaliation.
The irony is that the leader of the partisans and leader of Yugoslavia for 35 years after the war – Josef Brodz Tito – was not a Serb. He had a Croat father and Slovenian mother.
Even after the fall of Communism, Israel refused to recognize Croatia for almost a decade because it was led by the neo-Nazi Franjo Tudjman.
birdalone Said:
There is an already large and growing Muslim population there. These things are just a matter of time.
@ Eric R.:
But when did that happen?
Croatia didn’t need an occupation. They killed the Jews without any prompting. Big difference.
birdalone Said:
Bulgaria is better than most and did not give up their Jewish citizens to the Nazis but they did give up thousands of non Bulgarian Jews who were seeking haven from the Nazis in Bulgaria. Mixed reviews there.
Kosovo is Serbian land from early 9th century. It is stronghold of Serbian churches and it is holy land to Serbs,especially after they won against almost 4 times larger Turkish army back in 1389. Before the 1999. war Kosovo population was consisted of 60% Albanians and 35% Serbs. After the 1999 war and 2004 massacres there are 90% Albanians on Kosovo.
@ yamit82:
What? Bulgaria is chopped liver? 🙂
as for the post, am having a difficult time with Kosovo as the “cradle of Serbian civilization”. Kosovo IS the heart of Serbian identity, just wondering about giving Serbia a “cradle of civilization” legacy.
yamit82 Said:
Obviously, the point of Freund’s article is that there is exactly that – a confluence of interests. It’s just not enough to overcome the anti-Semitism.
yamit82 Said:
At least not with any European country. And honestly, that might not be a bad thing.
Eric R. Said:
If not being antisemitic were the criteria we would have relations with no country.
I can see confluence of national interests with Greece but not with Serbia.
yamit82 Said:
Even worse might be Greece, long noted for its Jew-hatred; Israel signed a defense pact last September, and two months later, Greece also voted for the Palesti-Nazi state.
Eric R. Said:
Nuff said.
Freund may mean well but is (and here I am being kind) – Naive!!
Not so fast. Serbia voted for recognizing Palestine at the UN last year; other Eastern European countries either voted no or abstained.
I agree they got a raw deal in terms of media coverage in the 90s, but that does not automatically make them an ally now.
And yes, they also have less historical baggage than Croatia when it comes to Jews, but they were hardly innocent in WW2 either. Belgrade was rapidly made Judenrein after the Nazis occupied Yugoslavia — even before Croatia was cleared of Jews by the Nazi Ustashe.
And of course, Israelis, who seem to vacation in countries historically hostile to Jews, seem to love Croatia.