Here we go again!…writes Michael Kuttner
The year has launched off with a flying start of outrageous terror, political hypocrisy and ramped up rhetoric.
Michael Kuttner
This week was international Holocaust Memorial Day which provided a platform for politicians to prattle their annual quota of platitudes, deplore the rising wave of Judeophobia, memorialize the victims of the Holocaust and generally to appear as though they are taking concrete steps to confront daily hate. Of course, a closer look at exactly what concrete actions to combat the above are actually enforced and how effective they may be reveals an entirely different picture to that portrayed.
Ignoring and denying the common thread which runs through all recent terror attacks, politicians and media alike only ensure that the root causes remain intact and that future disasters will inevitably follow. The past few days have once again demonstrated that when it comes to Israel and Jews there is a huge gap between high-sounding proclamations and actual reality.
Some choice selections:
The United Nations General Assembly held an “informal” meeting to discuss the rising tide of Judeophobia. An indication that this particular topic is not really top of the international agenda, despite loud noises in certain quarters, was evidenced by the fact that the conference, according to press reports, was attended by only half of the 193 members. I have not been able to ascertain whether any representatives from Australia and New Zealand were present. If they were their attendance should be applauded. If they were not, one needs to ask why not. As it was an informal meeting no resolutions of any use could be passed so this gives you an immediate sense of how worthless the whole exercise was.
This farce was exemplified by the fact that the Saudi Arabian delegate, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Countries, took the opportunity to engage in Orwellian doublespeak. Those innocent souls who rejoiced at the fact that Islamic countries had sent a delegate, should have been jolted into reality as soon as he opened his mouth. He condemned all discrimination including that based on religious beliefs and then proceeded to claim that “colonisation and occupation fuels antisemitism. Occupation is an act of antisemitism, and it threatens human rights and human kind”, he thundered. Coming from the representative of a country which bans all religious practices other than Islam, treats women like third class citizens and is as far from a democracy as you can get, this hypocritical rubbish personifies exactly what is rotten with the UN. By turning a meeting on Jew hatred into a hate fest against Israel the representative of Islamic countries demonstrates that cynical manipulation and downright lies can be spouted with impunity. As French philosopher, Bernard-Henri Levy stated, “even if Israel was a nation of angels and gave the Arabs everything they demanded, Jew hatred would not decrease one iota.”
Reinforcing this perception of hypocrisy are the actions of the US Administration. Listening to the torrents of unadulterated tripe pouring forth following the death of the Saudi Arabian monarch, watching Mr. Obama rush to Riyadh when he couldn’t be bothered to march in Paris against jihadist terror and then hearing his admission that while in Saudi Arabia he would not be raising any subjects connected with human rights and certainly not uttering the forbidden phrase, Islamic terror, those of us awake to reality should once again realise that meaningless rhetoric is just that.
Meanwhile back in the UK, the Government instructed flags to be flown at half mast for the demise of an absolute monarch. Oil trumps truth once again.
The 70th. Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz provided fertile ground for more unbelievable outbursts. Seeking to punish Putin the organisers did not invite him to the ceremony. Seeing that it was Russian troops which liberated the concentration camp the boycott of Russia on this occasion can only be described as bizarre.
The Turkish Government used the occasion to bash Israel again and equate its actions against Hamas rockets from Gaza with the Holocaust.
Sections of the media displayed their uncontrollable bias.
The BBC posed the question, “is the time coming to lay the Holocaust to rest?”
The UK Guardian in an editorial stated, “Arabs cannot be blamed for feeling that Europe’s blood debt to the Jews was paid with what they see as their territory.”
Adam Bolton on Sky News told the Chief Rabbi that Israel is to blame for the rise in antisemitism.
Eastern European countries have another agenda again. Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff, warned that they try to minimise the Holocaust and equate it with Communist “genocide.”
Let us also not forget those who equate Israel with latter-day Nazis.
This week also witnessed another Greek tragedy in the making. Elected to power was an extreme left party which sees Israel as the embodiment of everything evil. Lo and behold they have formed a coalition with an extreme right-wing party, one of whose leading lights has been appointed Defence Minister and who is on record as stating last month that Greek Jews paid fewer taxes than other citizens and were given preferential treatment. Thus, we see the loony left and the resurgent fascists joining hands, both of them having a common agenda which is a hatred of the Jewish State and Jews. All this during a week in which we were led to believe that the international community really is serious about combating hatred & terror.
To round off a week to forget, there was a report that the New Zealand Foreign Minister was to visit Jordan to discuss Syria and ISIS. In a statement issued from Wellington, Mr. McCully said, “As a non permanent member of the Security Council New Zealand is committed to listen to all States on matters which come before the Council.” Very laudable indeed. The question now needs to be asked as to why Israel which is on the top of the list as a target for Syrian terror groups and ISIS is not to be graced with a similar visit by the Minister? After all it is only a half hour flight from Amman to Tel Aviv. Any guesses?
Talk is very cheap and in plentiful supply. Double talk is even cheaper and available in abundant quantities. Is it any wonder that an increasing number of people resent being taken for fools? Jewish history is replete with examples of warning signals being ignored. We must not, dare not go down that path again.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.
What all the Western appeasers, liars and sycophants don’t seem to realise, or maybe they just don’t care, is that their escalating misconduct will so further embolden the forces of evil that a cataclysmic war will become inevitable.
What benefits will they reap from that?
So impotent are they in the face of this evil, that, instead of truly grappling with it, they attempt to divert their people’s attention by scapegoating Israel and the Jews.