Alice In Wonderland…writes Michael Kuttner
“In wonderland, Alice knew she had but to open her eyes again and all would change to dull reality.”
Michael Kuttner
This quote from the book, exquisitely encapsulates the situation we face today as all and sundry stumble around, deliberately oblivious to the threats and dangers looming ever larger. One would have thought that by now the warning signals would be glaringly obvious yet like lemmings stampeding towards the cliff, a mob mentality of madness has taken hold. It is as though those who should be waging a battle to save civilization, have all fallen down a black hole and are living in some sort of wonderland where logic and reality have been replaced by mirages, fantasy and hallucinations.
This past week has witnessed the horrendous murder of a 13 year old girl, stabbed to death in her bed, by a teenage Palestinian Arab. Fuelled by daily doses of incitement and hate from the media, educators and those erroneously touted as “peace partners,” a generation of youth now aspire to become honoured martyrs and heroes. Lauded by political leaders, peers and parents, these murderous representatives of a sick and twisted ideology are held up as role models.
Following on the heels of this horrendous event we had the murder of the head of a Yeshiva and father of 10 children by Arabs who shot at them from a passing car. While his wife lay in critical condition in intensive care, he was buried amidst scenes of heart rending grief. The good news is that she is now making a miraculous recovery.
These two unspeakable acts of terror solicited expressions of horror and condemnation from various sources. Conspicuously absent however have been any public denunciations or demonstrative parades of solidarity with Israelis by Islamic religious and lay leaders. No doubt there may have been a few private expressions of sympathy here and there but the overwhelming silence on the part of the Moslem majority says it all. Just as bad is the apparent mute reaction from the New Zealand Government. A few weeks ago the NZ Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, when questioned at a meeting of the Jewish Community in Auckland, about terror attacks against Israelis responded: “you might call it terror, Israel might call it terror but I do not call it terror.” Given this disgustingly pathetic denial of reality it should not be surprising that a deafening silence prevails in Wellington after the latest events. This continuing refusal to acknowledge blatant ongoing terror by Palestinian Arabs and to instead place the blame on the Jewish State diminishes any chance of peace.
Hate education of children continues in Palestinian Arab schools and at summer camps. Here is the latest example of this as broadcast on Israel TV recently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM07qFvcTE8&feature=youtu.be
In the wonderland inhabited by those who refuse to call Islamic and Arab terror for what it really is, no amount of proof it seems will ever change their fantasy world.
More manifestations of the madness which abounds followed hot on the heels of the latest murders:
- Abbas refused to take any phone calls from those asking him to condemn the murders carried out by those indoctrinated and venerated by his own Palestinian Authority.
- His farcically titled Minister for “peace’ negotiations”, Saeb Erekat, railed against the Quartet nations which had the temerity to condemn ongoing Palestinian Arab incitement. According to him they should have concentrated solely on Israel’s crimes. Abbas is now calling for the UN Security Council to reject the report and wants the Quartet dismantled.
- Ban Ki Moon and the US State Department burst into life again at the prospect of Israel building more homes for its citizens in Jerusalem.
- The Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards issued this statement: “The opportunity to destroy Israel is now better than ever, because thousands of long range missiles all over the Islamic world are ready to hit Israel immediately upon receiving the order. Today, 100,000 missiles in Lebanon are ready to be fired at occupied territories” – meaning the entire State of Israel.
- Thanks to Obama, Kerry and all those who cheered and supported the fatal Iranian non deal, this terror supporting State now flush with funds provided by an international community prepared to appease and turn a blind eye to human rights abuses and development of weapons of mass destruction, can threaten a fellow member of the UN and get away with it. Those clamouring to reward Iran with billions of dollars in trade deals are complicit in financing the future murder of innocents.
- Following the death of Elie Wiesel, activists for Palestinian Arabs tweeted: “Elie Wiesel will be remembered by Palestinians for his racism and his propaganda services to their oppressors, ethnic cleansers and killers.” Hatred of Jews & the Jewish State is so endemic that it comes to the fore at every opportunity.
- What must win first prize in the mad hatter category occurred a few days ago when nine self styled Israeli peace advocates went to Ramallah (something forbidden for Israeli citizens) to partake in an Iftar meal at the end of the daily Ramadan fast. Their intention was to demonstrate tolerance and solidarity, a most praiseworthy aim but given reality on the ground a totally unrealistic objective. No sooner had they arrived than local residents attacked them with rocks and set alight one of the cars they were traveling in. They had to be rescued by Israeli forces as otherwise they could very well have ended up lynched. The lunacy of their warped logic was highlighted when in response to reporters’ questions they stated: “at no point did we feel threatened.” Alice in wonderland is tame compared to these hallucinatory astronauts.
- Rami Levy, the CEO of one of Israel’s biggest supermarket chains and an employer of Israeli and Arab workers, is building a large shopping mall in north Jerusalem, not far from Ramallah. His intention is to have Israeli and Palestinian Arab businesses and shops open there as an example of co-existence. Predictably the reaction was quick in coming. Officials from the PA, those much touted “peace” partners, threatened any Arab who dared to take part in this venture. Once again the forces of jihad and hate prevail but those living in wonderland remain oblivious.
- In a similar vein, the mayor of Efrat in Gush Etzion, ten minutes south of Jerusalem, offered nearby Arab villages the opportunity of hooking up their sewage pipes to the Efrat purification plant, thereby recycling purified waste for their benefit. The offer was refused because in the words of those standing to benefit: “it is forbidden to have Palestinian Arab sewage mixed with Jewish Israeli settler sewage.” I suppose this could be called a classic case of effluent apartheid instigated by those who always blame Israel for every conceivable crime.
These are just a few examples of daily reality which the overseas media never reports. It also demonstrates the sort of wonderland which Alice in her wildest dreams could never have imagined existed. The problem is that there are still so many who remain oblivious to the obvious and therefore cannot and will not make the connection between fact and fantasy.
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.
