Verbal violence
Definition: Verbal abuse (also known as verbal aggression, verbal attack, verbal violence, verbal assault, psychic aggression, or psychic violence) is a type of psychological/mental abuse that involves the use of oral language, gestured language, and written language directed to a victim.
Michael Kuttner
No better summary of the continual cascade of condemnations, admonitions, sanctimonious sanctions and threats directed at Israel can be found. It sums up in one all-encompassing definition the type of abuse that has flowed forth from all and sundry ever since Jewish sovereignty was re-established.
At least a verbally battered spouse can usually find sanctuary in a safe house or shelter where they can hope to eventually recover and live a normal life. In the case of the Jewish State, there is no such remedy because at the end of the day it is on its own.
Recent manifestations of this abound and no doubt will mutate with every passing week. Unlike a defenceless individual, however, Israel has the ability and capacity to retaliate as well as defend itself. This no doubt accounts for the increasingly frustrated reactions of those who had become so accustomed to weak and submissive Jews over the millennia.
Whether our political leaders can summon up the will and fortitude to actually confront this tsunami of verbal abuse remains to be seen. Hot air and waffling combined with loud rhetoric may sound good but at the end of the day unless accompanied by actual action is a complete waste of time.
Meantime the barrage against Israel continues.
As usual and among the leaders of the verbal violence pack is the United Nations. We have become used to resolutions condemning us almost every Monday and Thursday and really the only thing which still grabs anyone’s attention is who voted in favour, who against and how many ran for cover by abstaining. The latest resolution on Jerusalem which again erased the Jewish connection to both the city and Judaism’s holiest site was approved with 129 nations voting in favour, 11 against and 31 abstaining. In an effort to put a positive shine on this travesty our diplomatic representative joyfully declared that this was better than the last time because the number in favour had slightly decreased. Ignored was the fact that 129 countries believe Israel and Jews have no lawful right to be sovereign in the City of David and that shamefully the Temple Mount including the Kotel has been hijacked into an Islamic holy place and forbidden especially to Jews.
Australia once again voted with the moral minority against this resolution while New Zealand shamefully preserved its 100% anti-Israel voting record by throwing in its lot with the Israel bashers of the international community. Typically, the UK trying to excuse its abstention went into convoluted convulsions by explaining that although they had abstained they really still (wink, wink) believed that the status of our Capital had yet to be determined. Our continued acquiescence to these hypocritical and non-friendly gestures merely encourages further such abuses.
Maintaining a long and disreputable record of threats and slanders, PA President for life, Abbas, was at it again. After all, if the UN can successfully accuse us of every conceivable crime then why cannot the man designated by them as our “peace partner” do the same? If he can be embraced by democracies and advocates of human rights alike then why cannot he feel emboldened to issue threats and false conspiracy theories? In the current political climate of double standards he and his cohorts know perfectly well that no matter how outrageous his accusations may be, they will always get away with it and be handed a pass by the morally degenerate majority.
Thus, on the eve of the meeting of donor countries, which continue to pour millions of your money into the PA bottomless pit, the PA Prime Minister announced: Jerusalem has Canaanite, Roman, Islamic and Christian antiquities. No one else has any traces in it.” Taken in the context of the UN resolution writing Israel & the Jews out of the Capital’s history, this is a statement unlikely to cause any ripples of protest. It indeed did not do so and therefore one has to ask why Israeli officials do not summon the diplomats of every country which voted for the UN motion and demand an explanation. Sweeping uncomfortable realities under the carpet has never succeeded in the past. All it does is embolden the liars.
Every time that the Biden Administration burbles about Jews living in Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem and the Golan, the verbal articulators of violence burst forth with renewed vigour. Therefore as soon as the US Ambassador to the corrupt UN proclaimed that “settlement building has reached a critical juncture” and Moscow revealed that it was “disappointed” with Israel’s decision to approve construction of homes for Jews, the supporting choirs of incitement were heard.
A spokesperson for President Abbas proclaimed: “all settlements are illegal (including Jerusalem) and will be removed from Palestinian land whatever the cost.” Amidst fervent expressions of support from Hamas, it was reported that the Americans were launching an initiative for the formation of a “UNITY” Government between Fatah and Hamas. Just in case there was any doubt about the moral degeneracy of those formulating current Middle East policies the European Union announced it would transfer twelve million Euros to a PA organization which “aims to strengthen Palestinian identity in East Jerusalem.”
Given all these manifestations of “friendship” how can New Zealand and all those who vote for every anti-Israel resolution claim that they are our steadfast friends? As the PA gears up to have Israel condemned, prosecuted and punished in the International Criminal Court and other international forums those who go along with these “gestures of peace” are accomplices to further outrages.
Those who enable the passing of the vilest sentiments at the UN are indeed partners of those who as a result promote terror. As soon as Jewish sovereignty is declared null and void in places where there has been a Jewish presence for millennia the revisionists, deniers and hate mongers feel they are legitimized. Indeed they are. Proof of this is loud and clear following the celebration of Chanukah in Hebron. Look at this report from PMW which is just one of innumerable examples of the sort of verbal violence tolerated by the international community: https://www.palwatch.org/page/29632
I have looked in vain for any expressions of outrage emanating from those who vote against us. Also seemingly lacking is a concerted campaign by our own elected officials to expose these daily disgusting declarations.
If we don’t get serious and instead continue to indulge in diplomatic doublespeak and polite aversion to making waves then how on earth can we expect the rest of the world to ever pull the wool from their eyes and finally stand up for truth and decency?
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.
Exactly. This is what I’ve been saying for a long, long time now. And yet still we have the same old circus, going around and around in circles – everybody ignoring the elephant in the room. Diplomacy and avoiding the facts is indeed underpinning the whole charade.
Being ‘nice’ when people don’t like you is a waste of time – always has been. Stand up to them.