Truth is stranger than fiction…writes Michael Kuttner
Very often, especially in this part of the world, actual events, either in the past or currently, indeed seem stranger than fiction.
Michael Kuttner
Given the propensity for overblown and widely inaccurate claims by those seeking to distort and rewrite Jewish history, it is difficult at times to discern actual truth but with a little bit of common sense and effort it is not that difficult. Mind you, witnessing the asinine and misinformed antics and listening to the mindless prattling of politicians from London, Washington right through to Stockholm, it is not hard to see that common sense and efforts to recognize the truth are in very short supply.
To illustrate how truth can be stranger than fiction, the following historic event should suffice to show how often overlooked incidents can be moments of glorious missed opportunities which subsequently are overtaken by fictitious fables and malevolent maliciousness, the very situation we find ourselves facing today.
In January 1919, King Faisal of Greater Syria/Iraq and Dr. Chaim Weizmann the President of the World Zionist Organization, produced the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement for Arab – Jewish co-operation. King Faisal endorsed the following statement:
“We Arabs look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement. We will wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home. I look forward and my people with me look forward to a future in which we will help you and you will help us, so that the countries in which we are mutually interested may once again take their places in the community of the civilized peoples of the world.”
Given subsequent developments is this statement of intent not a revolutionary document? Does it not sound stranger than fiction? Imagine for a moment if these sentiments had been actually realized. Would we not be living in a totally different environment?
This unique opportunity was unfortunately lost because not long afterwards, the Arab world descended into the abyss of Jew hatred and denial of Jewish rights to a re-established Jewish homeland. A combination of hypocritical political double-dealing on the part of a British Government which reneged on previously agreed promises (Balfour Declaration and San Remo Agreement) and a sickening appeasement of Arab violence, soon put paid to any prospect of Arab/Jewish co-operation. The glitter of oil combined with an inbred antipathy to Jews ensured that the groundwork was laid for future conflict and mayhem.
It has been all down hill since then. The growth and spread of Islamic fanatical hatred of Jews and Israel can be traced from that point in time, through to the Mufti of Jerusalem’s embrace of Nazi ideology, his involvement with pogroms, lies and massacres in mandated Palestine, his sojourn in Berlin where he planned a holocaust of all Jews once the Germans had conquered Palestine, his return after the war, unpunished by the British and subsequent bequeathing of this poisonous programme to his heirs and successors. The inevitable consequences threaten all of us today, not only in Israel but also in every western democracy.
The same pathetic lack of political backbone which plagued the world after World War 1 is on full display today and just as the fascist fanatics took advantage of this so today the Islamic fanatics follow the same well trodden path.
It seems that as far as the US State Dept. is concerned as well as Foreign Ministries in most other countries, Islamic terror against Israeli citizens is an entirely different thing than Islamic terror against citizens of any other country. Steps taken by Israel to defeat terror are disproportionate and it therefore behooves us to copy the totally ineffective and weak gestures of the rest of the world.
Thus, when Israel preempts a major terror assault by Hamas terrorists it is condemned. When a 3 month old baby is murdered by a Hamas terrorist in Jerusalem the UN remains mute and the US State Dept. admonishes us to show restraint and maintain calm. Hamas lauds the murderer, Fatah the other half of the terrorist authority glorifies the terrorist and the poisonous incitement ramps up another notch. In the face of all this, the international community remains silent and will only spring to life when Israel takes firm action.
Meantime the US led campaign against Islamic State sputters on with several weapon airlifts to the Kurds landing in IS territory. Jihadists of various nationalities become increasingly radicalized and their actions can be witnessed on the streets of Canada, Australia, UK and other countries. Without a doubt this plague will spread to the rest of Europe & the USA so long as half-hearted measures are employed and the core problems are avoided.
The most logical course of action for those wishing to ignore Islamic terror is to blame the Jewish State, something Jews have experienced for millennia. Thus issuing forth from the Parliaments of certain countries and also from sources in the US Administration are the assertions that there would be no Islamic terror if only Israel would agree to sign its own death warrant and gracefully commit suicide. It has been claimed that the absence of peace causes Moslems to feel humiliated and that IS and all the problems associated with Islamic terror would fade into oblivion if only we rolled over and surrendered our national destiny. Naturally none of these politicians want to explain how Sunnis killing Shiites and Islamic fanatics murdering Kurds and Christians has any relevance to the murderous intentions of our misnamed peace partners and their refusal to make peace with Israel.
The malodorous malevolence polluting the international community today makes a stark contrast to what could have been if only the Faisal Weizmann declaration had succeeded.
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
