From: Jerusalem Post
Dubai's chief of police has warned of an "international plot" to overthrow the governments of Gulf Arab countries, saying the region needs to be prepared to counter any threat from Islamist dissidents as well as Syria and Iran.
The comments by Dahi Khalfan, one of the most outspoken security officials in the United Arab Emirates, follow the detention in the UAE since April of at least 20 dissidents, according to relatives of the detainees and activists.
"There's an international plot against Gulf states in particular and Arab countries in general...This is preplanned to take over our fortunes," Khalfan told reporters at a gathering late on Wednesday marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"The bigger our sovereign wealth funds and the more money we put in the banks of Western countries, the bigger the plot to take over our countries...The brothers and their governments in Damascus and North Africa have to know that the Gulf is a red line, not only for Iran but also for the Brothers as well."
Most of the detainees since April are Islamists, targeted by an official clampdown amid concern they may be emboldened by the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in other Arab countries such as Egypt.
UAE Interior Ministry officials have not been available to comment on the arrests. Last week, UAE officials announced that authorities were investigating a foreign-linked group planning "crimes against the security of the state".
"I had no idea that there is this large number of Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf states. We have to be alert and on guard because the wider these groups become, the higher probability there is for trouble," Khalfan said on Wednesday.
"We are aware that there are groups plotting to overthrow Gulf governments in the long term."
Showing posts with label Jerusalem Post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jerusalem Post. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2012
Palestinian Authority Thanks IOC For Refusing Moment of Silence for Munich Olympics Massacre
From: Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority has thanked the International Olympic Committee for refusing to hold a minute of silence at Friday’s opening ceremony in London to mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of 11 Israeli sportsmen at the 1972 Munich Games.
Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Federation, sent a letter to IOC chairman Jacques Rogge thanking him for his position, the PA’s official news agency, Wafa, reported.
“Sports is a bridge for love, connection and relaying peace between peoples.
It should not be a factor for separation and spreading racism between peoples,” Rajoub, a former PA security commander, wrote in his letter.
Wafa said that he sent the letter to the IOC chairman on Tuesday.
A senior PA official in Ramallah confirmed that Rajoub had sent the letter and said that the Palestinians were opposed to “Israel’s attempts to exploit the Olympic Games for propaganda purposes.”
A senior government official responded to the Palestinian letter by saying that “if the leadership of the PA is not willing to disassociate itself from its terrorist past, and is unwilling to see the Munich massacre as a brutal act of terrorism, then in Israeli eyes there will be big questions regarding their true commitment to peace and reconciliation.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon condemned the PA for terming as “racist” a moment of silence for the Israeli victims.
“No, the murder of Israelis because they are Israelis is racist, not the request to dignify and honor them,” Ayalon wrote on Facebook. “On the other hand, Palestinian Authority media refer to Munich terrorists as ‘stars’ whose path should be followed.”
“Now, more than ever, there needs to be a minute silence, not just to honor the eleven slain Israeli athletes but also to demonstrate opposition to those who laud murderers as heroes and call on others to follow suit.”
The Palestinian Authority has thanked the International Olympic Committee for refusing to hold a minute of silence at Friday’s opening ceremony in London to mark the 40th anniversary of the murder of 11 Israeli sportsmen at the 1972 Munich Games.
Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Federation, sent a letter to IOC chairman Jacques Rogge thanking him for his position, the PA’s official news agency, Wafa, reported.
“Sports is a bridge for love, connection and relaying peace between peoples.
It should not be a factor for separation and spreading racism between peoples,” Rajoub, a former PA security commander, wrote in his letter.
Wafa said that he sent the letter to the IOC chairman on Tuesday.
A senior PA official in Ramallah confirmed that Rajoub had sent the letter and said that the Palestinians were opposed to “Israel’s attempts to exploit the Olympic Games for propaganda purposes.”
A senior government official responded to the Palestinian letter by saying that “if the leadership of the PA is not willing to disassociate itself from its terrorist past, and is unwilling to see the Munich massacre as a brutal act of terrorism, then in Israeli eyes there will be big questions regarding their true commitment to peace and reconciliation.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon condemned the PA for terming as “racist” a moment of silence for the Israeli victims.
“No, the murder of Israelis because they are Israelis is racist, not the request to dignify and honor them,” Ayalon wrote on Facebook. “On the other hand, Palestinian Authority media refer to Munich terrorists as ‘stars’ whose path should be followed.”
“Now, more than ever, there needs to be a minute silence, not just to honor the eleven slain Israeli athletes but also to demonstrate opposition to those who laud murderers as heroes and call on others to follow suit.”
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
EU: Hezbollah Is Not A Terrorist Group
From: Jerusalem Post
Despite last week’s terrorist attack in Bulgaria that Israel blamed squarely on Hezbollah, the EU Tuesday rejected Israeli calls to place the Lebanese organization on its terrorist blacklist.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou- Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said at a press conference in Brussels with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman that there is “no consensus among the EU member states for putting Hezbollah on the terrorist list of the organization.”
Such a move, she said, required unanimity from the EU’s 27 member states.
Liberman, who met Tuesday with his EU colleagues as part of the annual EU-Israel Association Council meeting, had called on the body to put Hezbollah on its terrorist list. Doing so would make illegal any financial transfer from the EU to Hezbollah or to any member of that organization. Liberman said such a move would send a powerful message both to the international community and the Israeli public.
“From ouour point of view it is unacceptable that Hezbollah terrorists meet and talk with Western diplomats in Beirut on one hand, and they pursue their terrorist activity on European soil on the other hand,” he said at the press conference.
Kozakou-Marcoullis, speaking for the EU, plainly refused the request.
“The Lebanese Hezbollah is an organization that comprises a political party [and a] social services network, as well as an armed wing,” she said. “Hezbollah is active in Lebanese politics, including the parliament and the government, and plays a specific role with regard to the status quo in Lebanon.”
Taking this and other aspects into account, she said, there is “no consensus among the EU member states for putting Hezbollah on the terrorist list of the organization. Should there be tangible evidence of Hezbollah engaging in acts of terrorism, the EU would consider listing the organization.”
Cyprus is currently holding a suspect who according to Israeli officials, has admitted under interrogation to being a Hezbollah operative. He was arrested there late last month while allegedly planning an attack on Israeli tourists.
Despite last week’s terrorist attack in Bulgaria that Israel blamed squarely on Hezbollah, the EU Tuesday rejected Israeli calls to place the Lebanese organization on its terrorist blacklist.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou- Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said at a press conference in Brussels with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman that there is “no consensus among the EU member states for putting Hezbollah on the terrorist list of the organization.”
Such a move, she said, required unanimity from the EU’s 27 member states.
Liberman, who met Tuesday with his EU colleagues as part of the annual EU-Israel Association Council meeting, had called on the body to put Hezbollah on its terrorist list. Doing so would make illegal any financial transfer from the EU to Hezbollah or to any member of that organization. Liberman said such a move would send a powerful message both to the international community and the Israeli public.
“From ouour point of view it is unacceptable that Hezbollah terrorists meet and talk with Western diplomats in Beirut on one hand, and they pursue their terrorist activity on European soil on the other hand,” he said at the press conference.
Kozakou-Marcoullis, speaking for the EU, plainly refused the request.
“The Lebanese Hezbollah is an organization that comprises a political party [and a] social services network, as well as an armed wing,” she said. “Hezbollah is active in Lebanese politics, including the parliament and the government, and plays a specific role with regard to the status quo in Lebanon.”
Taking this and other aspects into account, she said, there is “no consensus among the EU member states for putting Hezbollah on the terrorist list of the organization. Should there be tangible evidence of Hezbollah engaging in acts of terrorism, the EU would consider listing the organization.”
Cyprus is currently holding a suspect who according to Israeli officials, has admitted under interrogation to being a Hezbollah operative. He was arrested there late last month while allegedly planning an attack on Israeli tourists.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Son of Hamas: 'Time to Expose Muhammad'
From: Jerusalem Post
Mosab Hassan Yousef stepped out of the airport terminal in a dark suit and tie, looking every inch the Hollywood darling. It’s perhaps not surprising then, that his close friend and the man who accompanied him on his trip to Israel this month, is producer and actor Sam Feuer. Feuer played the role of Yousef Romano in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, a movie about the aftermath of the Black September. Full of intrigue, spies, and clandestine operations—not to mention terror attacks on Israeli citizens—the plot of Spielberg’s cloak-and-dagger movie is not unlike Mosab’s own life as a secret agent.
Most people know the story by now, so I’ll be brief: In 1978, Mosab is born to the son of one of Hamas’ seven founders, Sheikh Hassan Yousef. Prepped to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a terrorist, Mosab starts asking questions until gradually, over the years, he becomes convinced that the ways of Hamas cannot be the truth. He subsequently converts to Christianity. He becomes an agent for Shin Bet. The intelligence he provides prevents terror attacks and leads to the incarceration of Hamas terrorists. In 2007, he leaves the West Bank in favor of the west coast. He gains political asylum in the US and remains there before coming back to Israel for a surprise visit last month.
Something about his life story—and indeed, certain aspects of his personality, including the fearless chutzpah with which he deceived Hamas—is distinctly reminiscent of Frank Abagnale, the real-life protagonist of yet another of Spielberg’s classics, Catch Me If You Can. But unlike the notorious confidence trickster, the former Shin Bet agent did not do what he did to advance his own interests (and neither did he forge millions of dollars worth of checks.) In his own words, Mosab Yousef did what he did in order “to save lives.”
Upon first meeting Yousef, there were a number of things I was curious to discover about his personality. Is he naïve or a realist? Is he extraordinarily foolish or extraordinarily brave? Has playing with fire become a way of life for him or does he take risks out of a sense of moral duty? More than once I was asked by other people, “Is he normal?” Considering the mind-boggling events that have shaped the life of Hamas’ prodigal son, the question is forgivable.
Normal or not, one thing about Mosab Yousef is that he is no politician. When asked whether he has any political aspirations, Yousef answers with a categorical “no.” Given his personality, his answer is hardly surprising. Yousef doesn’t seem to have a single trait that is conducive to being a politician. He has no sense of political correctness, and even though he is polite and refined, he lacks the diplomatic airs and graces of successful politicians. With utmost sincerity and an almost child-like earnestness, Yousef simply states the truth as he sees it.
When one considers that his upbringing was entrenched in a black-and-white value system (Israel is evil, destroying the Jewish State and its citizens is a divinely righteous pursuit, and so on), Yousef’s 180 degree turnaround seems rather miraculous. But then again, perhaps it is precisely because of his black-and-white upbringing that Yousef is now able to view things in such an uncomplicated manner, untainted by the confusion and ideals that so often color Western sensibilities.
Devoid of underlying messages or double entendre, he states his opinions eloquently. “I love Israel because Israel is a democratic country,” he has said on more than one occasion. Attending a panel on Israel’s future borders at the President’s conference last month in Jerusalem, Yousef loudly applauded the following statement from one of the panelists: “The issue is not whether the world can accept the Jews’ right to this land. The issue is whether Jews will accept their right to this land.” Regarding sovereignty, Yousef maintains an unequivocal party line: “All I can say is that the Israeli historic right to this land is obvious and clear to any person who can read.”
At a press conference a few days prior, Yousef caused a flurry with his explosive comments. “Islam is not a religion of peace, it is a religion of war,” he said. “If people don’t see the truth we will keep spinning an empty cycle of violence.”
But he balances his bombastic remarks by adding that Muslims themselves are a peaceful people. The problem, according to Yousef, is that most Muslims are not educated enough about their religion. “Out of 1.6 billion Muslims, perhaps only 300 million actually understand the language of the Koran,” he said. This is because for most Muslims, Islam is far more than a religion – “it is an identity and culture, it is everything they know.” He further posited that a full understanding of the text and of Mohammed’s life necessarily leads Muslims towards extremism and terrorism. According to Yousef, anyone who studies the life and the behavior of the prophet will arrive at the conclusion that Islam is a religion of war.
Yousef declares, “It is time to expose the life of Muhammed.”
Mosab Hassan Yousef stepped out of the airport terminal in a dark suit and tie, looking every inch the Hollywood darling. It’s perhaps not surprising then, that his close friend and the man who accompanied him on his trip to Israel this month, is producer and actor Sam Feuer. Feuer played the role of Yousef Romano in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, a movie about the aftermath of the Black September. Full of intrigue, spies, and clandestine operations—not to mention terror attacks on Israeli citizens—the plot of Spielberg’s cloak-and-dagger movie is not unlike Mosab’s own life as a secret agent.
Most people know the story by now, so I’ll be brief: In 1978, Mosab is born to the son of one of Hamas’ seven founders, Sheikh Hassan Yousef. Prepped to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a terrorist, Mosab starts asking questions until gradually, over the years, he becomes convinced that the ways of Hamas cannot be the truth. He subsequently converts to Christianity. He becomes an agent for Shin Bet. The intelligence he provides prevents terror attacks and leads to the incarceration of Hamas terrorists. In 2007, he leaves the West Bank in favor of the west coast. He gains political asylum in the US and remains there before coming back to Israel for a surprise visit last month.
Something about his life story—and indeed, certain aspects of his personality, including the fearless chutzpah with which he deceived Hamas—is distinctly reminiscent of Frank Abagnale, the real-life protagonist of yet another of Spielberg’s classics, Catch Me If You Can. But unlike the notorious confidence trickster, the former Shin Bet agent did not do what he did to advance his own interests (and neither did he forge millions of dollars worth of checks.) In his own words, Mosab Yousef did what he did in order “to save lives.”
Upon first meeting Yousef, there were a number of things I was curious to discover about his personality. Is he naïve or a realist? Is he extraordinarily foolish or extraordinarily brave? Has playing with fire become a way of life for him or does he take risks out of a sense of moral duty? More than once I was asked by other people, “Is he normal?” Considering the mind-boggling events that have shaped the life of Hamas’ prodigal son, the question is forgivable.
Normal or not, one thing about Mosab Yousef is that he is no politician. When asked whether he has any political aspirations, Yousef answers with a categorical “no.” Given his personality, his answer is hardly surprising. Yousef doesn’t seem to have a single trait that is conducive to being a politician. He has no sense of political correctness, and even though he is polite and refined, he lacks the diplomatic airs and graces of successful politicians. With utmost sincerity and an almost child-like earnestness, Yousef simply states the truth as he sees it.
When one considers that his upbringing was entrenched in a black-and-white value system (Israel is evil, destroying the Jewish State and its citizens is a divinely righteous pursuit, and so on), Yousef’s 180 degree turnaround seems rather miraculous. But then again, perhaps it is precisely because of his black-and-white upbringing that Yousef is now able to view things in such an uncomplicated manner, untainted by the confusion and ideals that so often color Western sensibilities.
Devoid of underlying messages or double entendre, he states his opinions eloquently. “I love Israel because Israel is a democratic country,” he has said on more than one occasion. Attending a panel on Israel’s future borders at the President’s conference last month in Jerusalem, Yousef loudly applauded the following statement from one of the panelists: “The issue is not whether the world can accept the Jews’ right to this land. The issue is whether Jews will accept their right to this land.” Regarding sovereignty, Yousef maintains an unequivocal party line: “All I can say is that the Israeli historic right to this land is obvious and clear to any person who can read.”
At a press conference a few days prior, Yousef caused a flurry with his explosive comments. “Islam is not a religion of peace, it is a religion of war,” he said. “If people don’t see the truth we will keep spinning an empty cycle of violence.”
But he balances his bombastic remarks by adding that Muslims themselves are a peaceful people. The problem, according to Yousef, is that most Muslims are not educated enough about their religion. “Out of 1.6 billion Muslims, perhaps only 300 million actually understand the language of the Koran,” he said. This is because for most Muslims, Islam is far more than a religion – “it is an identity and culture, it is everything they know.” He further posited that a full understanding of the text and of Mohammed’s life necessarily leads Muslims towards extremism and terrorism. According to Yousef, anyone who studies the life and the behavior of the prophet will arrive at the conclusion that Islam is a religion of war.
Yousef declares, “It is time to expose the life of Muhammed.”
Monday, July 09, 2012
Church of England weighs link to anti-Israel Group
From: Jerusalem Post
Jewish and Christian community leaders have expressed widespread concern that the Church of England, the country's officially established Christian church, is next week set to discuss formally deepening links with a politicized anti-Israel group.
On Tuesday, the General Synod in York, the Church's national assembly and highest legislative body, will vote on a motion that seeks to formally adopt the Church's links with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
The motion encourages parishioners to take part in the program - which brings internationals to the West Bank to experience "life under occupation," according to its website - and urges churches to make use of the experiences of returning participants.
However EAPPI - founded by the World Council of Churches and supported in the UK by Christian Aid and the Quakers - are considered to be a controversial group and stand accused of being anti-Israel advocates whose work "runs the risk of leading to anti-Jewish sentiment." "EAPPI is a one-sided advocacy group promoting the Durban strategy of boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, supporting the Palestinian claim of a 'right of return,' which is code for ending Israeli sovereignty, and systematically ignoring continuous Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli civilians - each one a war crime," Yitzhak Santis, chief programs officer at the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, told The Jerusalem Post.
The decision to discuss the motion has led to an outcry in the Jewish community, with British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Board of Deputies of British Jews leading protests.
Alarmed that it could raise the group's profile and legitimacy, the Board of Deputies has sent a letter to all synod participants outlining their concerns.
"The Board naturally commends those who want to protect the rights of the Palestinians living in the West Bank. As a result we support any organization which encourages reconciliation, but it appears to us that EAPPI does not promote this," wrote board president Vivian Wineman. "I fear the negative impact which the passing of this motion could have on that work and on relations between the two communities." Warning that the motion could do "serious damage" to relations between Christians and Jews, Sacks said it presents a one-sided narrative on a complex and difficult issue.
"I am deeply concerned about the private members motion being debated. Were it to be passed it would do serious damage to Jewish-Christian relations in Britain, which have been so positive in recent decades. But that is not my only concern.
"The work of EAPPI does not provide its participants with a full reflection of the conflict. It presents a one-sided narrative on a complex and difficult issue. It thus fails the test of natural justice: 'Audi alteram partem - Listen to the other side.' By minimizing Israel's well-founded fears, it will not advance the cause of peace or an end to the conflict," the chief rabbi added.
EAPPI takes about 20 "Ecumenical Accompaniers" to the region every year, where they volunteer in Hebron, Jayyous or Yanoun to accompany Palestinians through checkpoints, while monitoring any perceived abuses.
They have no contact with mainstream Israelis and on their return are expected to fulfill 10 speaking events, with most doing many more.
The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ), the UK's oldest interfaith organization, said its members have been at EAPPI meetings in which accompaniers who have returned from the Palestinian territories have given talks.
"Unfortunately the speeches and presentations can appear to be anti-Israel and run the risk of leading to anti-Jewish sentiment. This is a worrying situation for those of us dedicated to Jewish-Christian relations and the fight against anti-Semitism," the CCJ told the Post.
The Board of Deputies said the volunteers receive two weeks of residential training beforehand, with just two hours dedicated to the Israeli perspective. All of the Israeli groups they come into contact with are of the fringe Left or Right.
Jewish and Christian community leaders have expressed widespread concern that the Church of England, the country's officially established Christian church, is next week set to discuss formally deepening links with a politicized anti-Israel group.
On Tuesday, the General Synod in York, the Church's national assembly and highest legislative body, will vote on a motion that seeks to formally adopt the Church's links with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
The motion encourages parishioners to take part in the program - which brings internationals to the West Bank to experience "life under occupation," according to its website - and urges churches to make use of the experiences of returning participants.
However EAPPI - founded by the World Council of Churches and supported in the UK by Christian Aid and the Quakers - are considered to be a controversial group and stand accused of being anti-Israel advocates whose work "runs the risk of leading to anti-Jewish sentiment." "EAPPI is a one-sided advocacy group promoting the Durban strategy of boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, supporting the Palestinian claim of a 'right of return,' which is code for ending Israeli sovereignty, and systematically ignoring continuous Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli civilians - each one a war crime," Yitzhak Santis, chief programs officer at the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, told The Jerusalem Post.
The decision to discuss the motion has led to an outcry in the Jewish community, with British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Board of Deputies of British Jews leading protests.
Alarmed that it could raise the group's profile and legitimacy, the Board of Deputies has sent a letter to all synod participants outlining their concerns.
"The Board naturally commends those who want to protect the rights of the Palestinians living in the West Bank. As a result we support any organization which encourages reconciliation, but it appears to us that EAPPI does not promote this," wrote board president Vivian Wineman. "I fear the negative impact which the passing of this motion could have on that work and on relations between the two communities." Warning that the motion could do "serious damage" to relations between Christians and Jews, Sacks said it presents a one-sided narrative on a complex and difficult issue.
"I am deeply concerned about the private members motion being debated. Were it to be passed it would do serious damage to Jewish-Christian relations in Britain, which have been so positive in recent decades. But that is not my only concern.
"The work of EAPPI does not provide its participants with a full reflection of the conflict. It presents a one-sided narrative on a complex and difficult issue. It thus fails the test of natural justice: 'Audi alteram partem - Listen to the other side.' By minimizing Israel's well-founded fears, it will not advance the cause of peace or an end to the conflict," the chief rabbi added.
EAPPI takes about 20 "Ecumenical Accompaniers" to the region every year, where they volunteer in Hebron, Jayyous or Yanoun to accompany Palestinians through checkpoints, while monitoring any perceived abuses.
They have no contact with mainstream Israelis and on their return are expected to fulfill 10 speaking events, with most doing many more.
The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ), the UK's oldest interfaith organization, said its members have been at EAPPI meetings in which accompaniers who have returned from the Palestinian territories have given talks.
"Unfortunately the speeches and presentations can appear to be anti-Israel and run the risk of leading to anti-Jewish sentiment. This is a worrying situation for those of us dedicated to Jewish-Christian relations and the fight against anti-Semitism," the CCJ told the Post.
The Board of Deputies said the volunteers receive two weeks of residential training beforehand, with just two hours dedicated to the Israeli perspective. All of the Israeli groups they come into contact with are of the fringe Left or Right.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Déjà Jew???
From: Jerusalem Post
The term déjà vu brings to mind the English expression, been there, done that. The odd sensation of reliving something for the second time unnerves us precisely because it’s so convincingly familiar.
Over the course of 2 months, I visited Jewish communities in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK and interviewed dozens of Jewish leaders as well as “laymen” – both Jews and non-Jews. While attempting to determine the seriousness of contemporary European Anti-Semitism, I experienced what I would term “déjà Jew” - the peculiar sense that we, the members of Jewish people, are reliving an experience from the past; that we have somehow time-traveled and are now re-experiencing occurrences that are all too familiar.
From the mid-1930s to early 1940s, Jews who recognized that they were no longer safe in Europe anxiously sought refuge abroad. Sylvain Zenouda, the co-founder and current vice president of the Bureau National de Vigilance Contre l"Antisèmitism—an organization which monitors and documents anti-Semitism in France—told me that educated young Jews in France with the financial means to do so have either fled the country or are making plans to flee. Again?
80 years ago, our people were being verbally abused and brutally assaulted in public places. And now it seems to be happening all over again. Viviane Teitelbaum, a minister in the Brussels Regional Parliament, related an incident that occurred this past November involving a 13-year old Jewish girl in Brussels. The girl was brutally assaulted at her school, resulting in her hospitalization for multiple injuries including a concussion. The attackers were not members of the Third Reich’s SS, but a group of female Muslim students at the same school. The ringleader pronounced her to be a “filthy Jew!” Apparently, in the weeks prior to the attack, the girl’s father had approached the authorities and the school with complaints that there had been threats made by fellow classmates against his daughter. Upon hearing that his concerns were simply brushed aside, I immediately thought of Yogi Berra’s famous gaff: “This is like déjà vu all over again!”
2 generations ago, some Jews sought to protect themselves by masquerading as Aryans. In an interview conducted in November, a Parisian mother related how the fear of being physically attacked by Muslim extremist thugs means that it is “not rare at all today” for French Jewish students to attempt to pass themselves off as Muslim - with some even going as far as to fast on Ramadan. One case in point was a Jewish girl of North African descent who for years was successful in this deception, until finally she was “exposed” when Muslim girls caught her eating matzah in the bathroom during Pesah. After her classmates beat her viciously, they invited their male Muslim friends to their school to participate in a gang rape.
Wait…didn’t this happen to us already?
In a perverse twist, historically such horrific violence against Jews has often been blamed on the alleged “crimes” of the victims themselves. This was particularly true of the pre and post-Holocaust era. Yet the remarks of the current US Ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, seems to indicate that not much has changed in that regard. Gutman explains away the irrational hatred of Jews by Muslims in Europe as an outcome of Israeli policies towards Palestinians. Yes, Gutman is the child of a survivor; and yes, he too sought to “balance” his statement by acknowledging that terrorist attacks against Israel are, and I quote, “also not helpful.”
But Gutman’s remarks did not stem so much from malice as naïveté. Like the administration he represents, Gutman sadly suffers from another disorder, not déjà vu this time, but its opposite - jamais vu, or the illusion of the familiar being encountered for the first time. It is when that which should be familiar – in this case long standing Muslim hostility towards Jews and a Jewish State – is thought to be a novel development created only after June 1967. Such memory impairment and historical “misfacts”—especially when applied to areas like foreign policy—constitutes an extremely dangerous disorder that can have dire repercussions.
In the precursory period to the Holocaust, no one knew how bad things might get; the eternal hope was that things couldn’t possibly get worse. While enabling some with the strength to endure, such wishful yearnings ultimately proved tragically fatal. Likewise, in Europe today, to borrow Al Jolson’s words, we just “ain’t seen nothing yet.” In another interview with the president of France-Israel Association, Gilles-William Goldnadel asserted that if there will be a new provocation by the Arabs against Israel, with Israel subsequently defending itself, not only will huge demonstrations in Paris and other European capitals be inevitable, they will also likely be accompanied by en masse “organized physical violence.”
Joël Rubinfeld, the well-liked former-president of the Comité de Coordination des Organisations Juives de Belgique, echoes the above sentiment and suspects that in Belgium too “there is definitely a potential of physical violence coming against Jews.” He recalls an anti-Israel demonstration in Antwerp in April 2002 that was organized by the European-Arab League in which the throngs were shouting “Death to the Jews.” Rubinfeld describes how, immediately after the rally, “demonstrators walked in the direction of the Jewish neighborhood and broke diamond shop windows.” 2 months later at another anti-Israel rally, the crowd burned the effigy of a religious Jew.
Yet, just as there existed righteous gentiles during the Nazi era whose courage and moral decency led them to risk their lives in the battle against anti-Semitism, so too do there exist equally brave non-Jewish individuals today. One such person is Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris who, when asked on a televised debate to publicly acknowledge the reality of a "Palestinian Holocaust," responded by saying: "It is surely the strangest holocaust in human history when, during the so-called period of ‘genocide,’ the population of a people so dramatically increases." As a result of his steadfast defense of Israel, Millière is perpetually the recipient of death threats. As well as being denounced as "a filthy Jew," a bookstore in Paris that was carrying his latest book discovered that all its copies had been defaced with a swastika emblazoned on the front pages.
It is critical to keep in mind that in the end, déjà-vu is a delusion of the mind and as such the events that we are living through today are not synonymous with what went on before, during, and after the Holocaust. Yet, that being said, some things have not changed: anti-Semitism in the world is as real now as it was in the 30s and 40s; the lust for Jewish blood by our enemies is as ravenous today as it has ever been; even “passive” Europeans are, once again, the silent collaborators. However, today we thankfully have a State of Israel in which Jews from the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Sweden, the UK and elsewhere will always be welcomed. Perhaps then, it’s time to say goodbye to “déjà-Jew.”
The term déjà vu brings to mind the English expression, been there, done that. The odd sensation of reliving something for the second time unnerves us precisely because it’s so convincingly familiar.
Over the course of 2 months, I visited Jewish communities in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK and interviewed dozens of Jewish leaders as well as “laymen” – both Jews and non-Jews. While attempting to determine the seriousness of contemporary European Anti-Semitism, I experienced what I would term “déjà Jew” - the peculiar sense that we, the members of Jewish people, are reliving an experience from the past; that we have somehow time-traveled and are now re-experiencing occurrences that are all too familiar.
From the mid-1930s to early 1940s, Jews who recognized that they were no longer safe in Europe anxiously sought refuge abroad. Sylvain Zenouda, the co-founder and current vice president of the Bureau National de Vigilance Contre l"Antisèmitism—an organization which monitors and documents anti-Semitism in France—told me that educated young Jews in France with the financial means to do so have either fled the country or are making plans to flee. Again?
80 years ago, our people were being verbally abused and brutally assaulted in public places. And now it seems to be happening all over again. Viviane Teitelbaum, a minister in the Brussels Regional Parliament, related an incident that occurred this past November involving a 13-year old Jewish girl in Brussels. The girl was brutally assaulted at her school, resulting in her hospitalization for multiple injuries including a concussion. The attackers were not members of the Third Reich’s SS, but a group of female Muslim students at the same school. The ringleader pronounced her to be a “filthy Jew!” Apparently, in the weeks prior to the attack, the girl’s father had approached the authorities and the school with complaints that there had been threats made by fellow classmates against his daughter. Upon hearing that his concerns were simply brushed aside, I immediately thought of Yogi Berra’s famous gaff: “This is like déjà vu all over again!”
2 generations ago, some Jews sought to protect themselves by masquerading as Aryans. In an interview conducted in November, a Parisian mother related how the fear of being physically attacked by Muslim extremist thugs means that it is “not rare at all today” for French Jewish students to attempt to pass themselves off as Muslim - with some even going as far as to fast on Ramadan. One case in point was a Jewish girl of North African descent who for years was successful in this deception, until finally she was “exposed” when Muslim girls caught her eating matzah in the bathroom during Pesah. After her classmates beat her viciously, they invited their male Muslim friends to their school to participate in a gang rape.
Wait…didn’t this happen to us already?
In a perverse twist, historically such horrific violence against Jews has often been blamed on the alleged “crimes” of the victims themselves. This was particularly true of the pre and post-Holocaust era. Yet the remarks of the current US Ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, seems to indicate that not much has changed in that regard. Gutman explains away the irrational hatred of Jews by Muslims in Europe as an outcome of Israeli policies towards Palestinians. Yes, Gutman is the child of a survivor; and yes, he too sought to “balance” his statement by acknowledging that terrorist attacks against Israel are, and I quote, “also not helpful.”
But Gutman’s remarks did not stem so much from malice as naïveté. Like the administration he represents, Gutman sadly suffers from another disorder, not déjà vu this time, but its opposite - jamais vu, or the illusion of the familiar being encountered for the first time. It is when that which should be familiar – in this case long standing Muslim hostility towards Jews and a Jewish State – is thought to be a novel development created only after June 1967. Such memory impairment and historical “misfacts”—especially when applied to areas like foreign policy—constitutes an extremely dangerous disorder that can have dire repercussions.
In the precursory period to the Holocaust, no one knew how bad things might get; the eternal hope was that things couldn’t possibly get worse. While enabling some with the strength to endure, such wishful yearnings ultimately proved tragically fatal. Likewise, in Europe today, to borrow Al Jolson’s words, we just “ain’t seen nothing yet.” In another interview with the president of France-Israel Association, Gilles-William Goldnadel asserted that if there will be a new provocation by the Arabs against Israel, with Israel subsequently defending itself, not only will huge demonstrations in Paris and other European capitals be inevitable, they will also likely be accompanied by en masse “organized physical violence.”
Joël Rubinfeld, the well-liked former-president of the Comité de Coordination des Organisations Juives de Belgique, echoes the above sentiment and suspects that in Belgium too “there is definitely a potential of physical violence coming against Jews.” He recalls an anti-Israel demonstration in Antwerp in April 2002 that was organized by the European-Arab League in which the throngs were shouting “Death to the Jews.” Rubinfeld describes how, immediately after the rally, “demonstrators walked in the direction of the Jewish neighborhood and broke diamond shop windows.” 2 months later at another anti-Israel rally, the crowd burned the effigy of a religious Jew.
Yet, just as there existed righteous gentiles during the Nazi era whose courage and moral decency led them to risk their lives in the battle against anti-Semitism, so too do there exist equally brave non-Jewish individuals today. One such person is Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris who, when asked on a televised debate to publicly acknowledge the reality of a "Palestinian Holocaust," responded by saying: "It is surely the strangest holocaust in human history when, during the so-called period of ‘genocide,’ the population of a people so dramatically increases." As a result of his steadfast defense of Israel, Millière is perpetually the recipient of death threats. As well as being denounced as "a filthy Jew," a bookstore in Paris that was carrying his latest book discovered that all its copies had been defaced with a swastika emblazoned on the front pages.
It is critical to keep in mind that in the end, déjà-vu is a delusion of the mind and as such the events that we are living through today are not synonymous with what went on before, during, and after the Holocaust. Yet, that being said, some things have not changed: anti-Semitism in the world is as real now as it was in the 30s and 40s; the lust for Jewish blood by our enemies is as ravenous today as it has ever been; even “passive” Europeans are, once again, the silent collaborators. However, today we thankfully have a State of Israel in which Jews from the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Sweden, the UK and elsewhere will always be welcomed. Perhaps then, it’s time to say goodbye to “déjà-Jew.”
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