by Isi Leibler
Even if the flag of Islam ultimately flies over Europe and most Jews assimilate or emigrate, a Jewish presence comprising principally of enclaves of ultra-Orthodox Jews is likely to prevail, especially in the main cities.
Only a few decades ago analysts were predicting that the anti-Semite was becoming an extinct species. Alas, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme and today, the future for European Jews appears increasingly bleak. The deepening anti-Semitic climate prevailing throughout the continent emanates not only from Muslim migrants but also from the indigenous masses for whom the Holocaust has become a dim memory and is frequently even inverted as an additional vehicle to demonize and delegitimize the State of Israel.
Indeed, if one weighs the impact of rampant anti-Israelism (which serves as a surrogate to traditional Jew baiting) combined with the revival of classical anti-Semitism, it is tempting to conclude that in terms of “populist anti-Semitism”, the status of Jews in Europe today is even worse than the 1930’s during the heyday of Nazi propaganda. Then, the left and liberals were highly vocal in their opposition to Jew baiting whereas today they are, at best, silent observers and frequently lead the pack in campaigns to demonize Israel and vilify the Jewish people.
The pathological anti-Semitic hatred sweeping Europe is manifested by increasing street violence against Jews, desecrations of synagogues and cemeteries and daubing of graffiti. It is especially evident in the vituperative responses that appear in media talkbacks – a good barometer of populist prejudice – whenever an Israeli or Jewish related issue is discussed.
Opinion polls demonstrate that hatred of Israel and the Jewish people is even more prevalent at the grass roots level than the more subtle approach adopted by governments.
This even extends to Germany which has a special relationship with the Jewish people and promotes intensive Holocaust educational initiatives. In a recent poll, 47.7% of German respondents endorsed the statement: “Israel is conducting a war of extermination against the Palestinians”. Needless to say, portrayal of Israel as a Nazi state morally sanctions its delegitimization and destruction.
These bleak findings from Europe are reminiscent of medieval anti-Semitic attitudes which blamed Jews for being the source of all the evils and ills of mankind, ranging from plagues to blood libels. Today the Jewish homeland is perceived as the principal source of global instability and attracts greater hostility than notorious rogue states like Iran, North Korea and, until recently, Libya.
The indigenous anti-Jewish environment is intensified by increasing physical violence directed against Jews by Moslem immigrants, many of whose European domiciled imams and media would qualify for bouquets from the Nazis for the Jew hatred they spawn. A former European Commissioner, Frits Bolkestein, recently went so far as to recommend that practicing Jews in Holland emigrate to Israel because he doubted the government’s ability to protect them from the increasing onslaughts from Islamic immigrants.
On the surface, the gravity of the situation is somewhat blurred because ironically, Jews enjoy greater social mobility than ever before. They intermarry freely and are rarely restricted or discriminated in their professional lives – as long as they remain “silent” Jews. Some also live within the confines of their own communities and their relations with non-Jews tend to be limited primarily to business or professional activities.
Thus, in many communities the Jewish leaders are in a state of denial, insisting that the levels of anti-Semitism are wildly exaggerated, arguing that the principal issue of contention is the Jewish state and that one must distinguish between the demonization and delegitimization of Israel and Jew hatred.
Yet the pending Dutch legislation designed to outlaw Shechita and its possible extension to other European countries, suggests that even traditional Jewish practices are under siege. When the animal welfare lobby, ignorant about ritual slaughter, selectively concentrates on banning Jewish tradition in this manner, this is surely grounds for concern.
In addition, many parents of children who encounter anti-Semitism at schools or universities privately concede that they are deeply despondent about the future and appreciate that in such a hostile environment, their offspring will be denied the opportunity of remaining proud Jews.
On the other hand, as a backlash to increasing Moslem extremism and violence, a growing revulsion is emerging at a grass roots level against Islamic influence even though the much decried Islamophobia is a marginal phenomenon in comparison to the hostility and violence directed against Jews.
Multiculturalism, which Jews had adopted as an ideal formula for maintaining Jewish life in the Diaspora whilst simultaneously integrating into society, is now increasingly acknowledged as a failed experiment. While the concept was and remains noble, it failed in practice when confronted with immigrant minorities seeking to undermine the open society, refusing to integrate, willing to employ violence to further their aims and even breeding indigenous second generation terrorists. It led to the multicultural formula being transformed into a Trojan horse which today undermines the very viability of democratic societies.
In this context Jews are in a quandary. By supporting the containment of multiculturalism in order to stem Islamic aggression, many fear that it may also lead to curtailment of Jewish cultural and religious autonomy.
Not surprisingly, great confusion prevails. In some cases, Jews assume liberal stances and find themselves allied with anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish elements unlikely to display appreciation for their efforts.
Jews face an additional dilemma. The traditional parties of the radical right – in some cases, including former anti-Semites and fascists like the French Front National and the British National Party – are at the vanguard of the campaign against Islamic influence and now receive considerable support from sections of the Jewish community that would normally have no truck with them. Some have even emerged as supporters of Israel, which they view as an embattled enclave resisting Islam.
Thus, Jews face an unbearable choice. Ultimately, whoever they support may entail associating themselves with obnoxious and repulsive allies.
Some Jews simply bury their heads in the sand and support vicious anti-Israeli left wing pro-Islamic elements. A few endorse the former ultra-right wing parties, especially those which now go through the motions of condemning anti-Semitism. For others, assimilation or the adoption of an anti-Israeli chic is the answer.
But for those unwilling to live like pariahs or political Marranos and for whom a desire to remain proud Jews is important, there is only one solution. They enroll their children in (police-protected) Jewish day schools, which have undergone an enormous upsurge in recent years, and prepare to emigrate – a decision frequently accelerated when they observe the hostile atmosphere at many universities. They thus represent a new reservoir for waves of future aliya.
The question is whether this European sickness will spread to North America and Australia where, until now, Jews and Israel are still well regarded. The concern is that if future generations of American leaders absorb and retain the virulent hostile approach towards Israel that currently prevails on campus, even Jews in the goldene medinamay have cause for anxiety.
ileibler@netvision.net.il
This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post
What many Jews thought, that anti semitism would disappear now that the Jewish people had it’s own country back, did not materialise. Antisemitism did NOT go away, it tries to get rid of the Jewish State and than of the Jewish people. But…ever since there exists a Jewish homeland which is in the hands of the Jewish people there is no longer such need to fight antisemitism on the spot, all over the globe. Fighting enemies is possible from a position of strength, a country. So I hope and expect the people of Israel to return to their homeland and than to take it from there. As for all those foreign parts, like any other country Israel can look after its interests there. Jewish populations in the diaspora never helped as long as they lived outside Israel. Those that stand with Israel at the moment are all those millions of christians who’s support is rooted in the Tanach/Bible.
The sons and daughters of Israel should not prolongue their existence in the diaspora.
Answer: The Root of All The Evils – What Will America Say!!!
America has become the new golden Calf of the Jews even the religious Jews, They fear America more than G-d. That means they are no better than atheists, they are worse because they wear the garb of the observant.
Thousands of Jews marched to annihilation scarcely guarded by hapless German police and ever-drunk Ukrainians. The Diaspora Jews lost not only pride and common sense, but the will to live. The Jewish establishment is bent on presenting the Jews as victims and does not allow the ugly side out: we allowed ourselves to be slaughtered like sheep, not killed like humans
The Jews all over the world are in danger: part 1
The Jews all over the world are in danger part 2
RE: # 15
Yes let them fear; indeed they must fear. The hate is a given.
rongrand says:
Forget about custom and habit, time to use the brains G-d provided you with.
Regrettably, the Jewish brain is somewhat underdeveloped in the self preservation sector.
Bill Levinson says:
What stopped Israel…?
What’s wrong with us? Are we simply cowards? Why are we vainly trying to win the approval of the world after several thousand years
of experience clearly shows that the world hates us–especially when we do well as a people and/or a country? WTF??? After the Holocaust
why haven’t we dumbass Jews learned that we have nothing to lose by blowing up the Aswan Dam and flattenuing Damascus, etc. as Bill writes?
I’m sick and tired of hearing about Jewish kids being terrorized at U of C, York, etc. and the consequent legal and other challenges mounted against
the Musloids and their supporters. Imagine what a couple of dozen kids with baseball bats could accomplish! If we stand up to these
people in a serious draconian manner both in the universities and globally we would enjoy the benefits of instilling fear in our enemies.
I used this quote before and here it is again. Why can’t we employ this wisdom which is verified by a few thousand years of history?
“Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved” Niccolò Machiavelli
Bill,
During my grad school years, I worked as a research assistant and in this capacity, did an enormous amount of research on the Holocaust. From this work, I can say that my expertise on this topic is on a par with any other Holocaust “expert”, short of those who actually went through it. I would say that I know about as much on this subject as anyone could from just academic research.
From that perspective, I can tell you that the Jews of Europe had little opportunity to “fight back”. With what?
Remember, this is Europe, where they don’t have the tradition of personal gun ownership that prevails here in the U.S. Most didn’t even have firearms of any sort. So, what were they supposed to fight back with?
The Nazis did not carry out the Holocaust all at once. They did it in stages. At each stage, short of the actual liquidation of ghettos and/or rounding up people to be sent to the camps, it was easy for the objects of these actions to rationalize that the repression that had occurred up to that point would be “as bad as it will get”. It wasn’t like the Nazis authorities were open about what they planned to do. And, lacking historical perspective, given the uprecedented nature of the crime, who at that time could bring themselves to believe that what was going to happen, would happen?
Some did see what was coming, and if they had the resources to do so, they left. But it was not easy to get out; even the U.S. strictly limited immigration during that time. And past a certain point, the Nazis wouldn’t even let anybody leave.
Others did fight back, against tremendous odds. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising was the best-known example, but there were many other smaller actions of this type.
It is easy, from the perspective of today, detached from the events of that time, to say, “I would have fought back!”, but unless you experienced this situation yourself, those brave words are empty. Just like combat, you can’t really know what you would do…unless you were really there, without the benefit of knowing the history in advance.
Today, we know better….or at least we should. Which is why I can’t understand why so many Jews here could not see Obama for what he was. But that is another subject.
“Bob”:
You bring up a very important point; there is no question but that the petrodollar pimps have an enormous impact on the media as you describe, and that is true in the U.S. as well as the UK. I keep telling the folks at Honest Reporting that they need to expose this angle of things; heck, I think Mossad needs to be putting resources towards this. It isn’t against the law; no one would go to jail over this. But reputations/credibility would be ruined, and deservedly so. Then we can start making real headway in the PR war.
But that said, we need to bear in mind that as important as the petrodollar pimp factor may be, there is also the fact of a lot of left wing types, who populate much of the media, who really buy this anti-Israel bullshit hook, line, and sinker, without even having to be bribed or paid to do so. I’ve lost friends over this…I had a very good high school buddy who I reconnected with last year, who turned out to be an ultra pro-Obama, ultra liberal-left Israel basher, and I completely cut off communication with him over this. My point here is that I’m sure there was no Saudi sheik bribing him into adopting these views; he really believed this crap!
I’m not sure what we can do about this, other than that the liberal left paradigm, this ideology, has got to be discredited. It seems to be inherently anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. This will be a long battle…but Obama is doing such an awful job as president, and given that he is the “hero” of such types, he is actually going a long way towards doing this job for us in the minds of most Americans. That’s about the only “positive” I can see with this president.
One last note: Per the article above, a member of my congregation here is a Holocaust survivor, from Hungary. At services a week ago, she was there, and I was talking with her afterwards. She was frantic. I had never seen her like this. She was telling me, in very alarmed and emotional tones, that “…it is happening all over again!!! I can see the signs right here, in this country! It has never been this bad!!!” I’ve confirmed before that from others I know from that generation, who would know, that these are indeed the most anti-Semitic times since WW2.
As far as I’m concerned, any Jew who votes for Obama this time around, has no right to even call themselves a Jew. Oh, and my Holocaust survivor friend? She hated Obama from the very first. Like me, she could not understand why anyone voted for him.
You really do get to see it in all its ugliness on the internet. Anonymity emboldens.
Herzl had his theory that where ever Jewish populations are more pronounced anti-semitism increases.
Leftist American Jews mistakenly believe that secularism is what makes Jews more accepted in a society, but if one looks at history the secular Jews went to the camps along with the religious Jews. The Nazis didn’t discriminate between religious and secular Jews so is it accurate to argue that religion was the driving factor behind the persecution? Hitler originally blamed the Jews for Germany’s loss in WWI; he didn’t blame their religion he blamed a conspiracy of Jewish bankers for Germany’s loss.
Consider “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare and its portrayal of the greedy Shylock. Never mind that throughout Europe Jews were restricted by law from participating in many professions. They were essentially forced into moneylending, shop and bookkeeping, etc. and they became good at it(what other choice did they really have?) and then they end up labeled as “greedy”. Jews just can’t seem to win. Moshe Feiglin said when Jews are on the verge of being destroyed the world waits patiently but when Jews start winning the world stops them.
If muslims were more tolerant I wouldn’t have a problem with them. Their beliefs in regard to how non muslims and women should be treated are abominable. Their hatred for al yahud is disturbing.
While I think the cohesive aspects of Jewish tribalism can be very sweet(the way they band together in times of troubles, unless you’re a leftist dog pile, that is)I also find it can be quite elitist and arrogant. Then again, maybe they view Christians as arrogant for adopting their holy book, interpreting it differently and even adding to it and then to top it off persecuting them for not accepting those interpretations or additions.
I don’t see any “Antisemitism” here. There’s as much “Antieuropeanism” (is that the “anti-Christian” counterpart of “Antisemitism”?) in Turkey as Antisemitism. I think Jews are just hung up on the issue. They like to use “antisemitism” as an excuse to hate Christians. Frankly, I don’t think anyone likes anyone else very much. If you polled American Christians, though, I think you’d find that their “antisemitism” is actually deeper against Moslem Semites than Jewish Semites. Prove otherwise, if you don’t agree.
Bob said:
I’ve noticed in the U.S. media attacks/incitements on Israel largely go unreported. When Israel retaliates that gets air time.
The big-lie works. Jews of Europe, the US, and elsewhere should never have looked to the Jewhating governments of these places for approval (i.e. the cherished ‘liberal’ label).
Any Jew that wants to called a ‘left wing liberal’ by a global political institution that thinks that people like Bergson and Begin were ‘rightwing fascists’ is bamboozled and incapable of rational thought.
Lauro-lee (trust you are not hymie)
Forget about custom and habit, time to use the brains G-d provided you with.
I also once was a democrat until I realized I was a conservative and I could not accept the liberal left garbage.
Unfortunately liberal left wing democrats will support a pile of sh*t with no questioned asked.
Sorry, I think for myself, I don’t need any jackass liberal left wing democrat calling the shots.
If someone or a group is causing pain for my family or county, forget about custom and habit.
If you are getting your impression of the UK from newspapers I can understand why you would think antisemitism is rampant in the UK. Most of our failing newspapers are constantly being bailed out by Arab oil money. i.e. Even Fox is 19% owned by Sheik Allaweed, a Saudi prince. So they are hardly going to say anything good about the Jews and Israel. This is true about other news outlets, and most journalists follow the prescribed path.
I regularly post and lurk on the EDL (English Defence League) Website, and I can honestly say that the vast majority of people on there are NOT Jew haters. The EDL is just a street protest group.
Now and again a new poster says something derogatory about Jews and is quickly shot down by the rest of the group. Israel is seen to be in the front line of Islam’s war against the rest of humanity.
However, this is not true of our media and the vast majority of our politicians, and our educators…with one or two honorable exceptions.
As for the British Jews, I have seen members of my own family tie themselves in knots trying to reconcile their liberal traditions with modern realities.
Levinson there is not one word or idea in your comment above that i agree with. Your ideas and analysis are specious, shallow, misinformed and show a total lack of understanding of the subjects you opine about.
Bill, you are somewhat correct.
I have often mentioned that over 90% of the liberal democratic strategist supporting Obama who appear on Fox News are Jewish.
Now if I were Jewish, I would tell Obama “F**k you and the white horse you rode in on” there is now way I will support you and George Soros both anti-Semites, and enemies of Israel.
I would be outraged and every Jew in America should be likewise.
Hollywood Jews need to stop telling Jewish jokes, they are not funny.
How about talking about the great accomplishments of the Jewish people.
If American Jews don’t stand tall for Israel how do you expect non-Jews to react.
Time to stand tall.