| Antisemitism and Attacks on Israel |
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| Written by Richard Mather | |
| Thursday, 05 February 2009 | |
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In recent weeks, the protests over Israel's campaign in Gaza have all been marked by virulent language regarding the world's only Jewish state. Chants such as "5,6,7,8 - Israel is a terrorist state" (the irony!), as well as placards and websites equating Israel with Nazi Germany are now common currency. While actual violence at Gaza rallies and demos in the UK has been limited and sporadic, the use of hateful words and slogans as a form of attack is on the increase. Moreover, there has been an explosion of graffiti around the world which calls for the death of Israel and the Jews. Last month, the Jerusalem Post reported that the words 'Jew dog assassins' and 'terrorist' and a swastika-defaced Star of David had appeared in spray paint in Caracas, Venezuela. It is an observed phenomenon that anti-Semitism starts with words and ends with extreme violence. Paul Johnson, writing in the 'History of the Jews', states that "one of the principal lessons in Jewish history has been [that] repeated verbal slanders are sooner or later followed by violent physical deeds". We have already seen a spate of attacks on Jews and places of worship around the world. In Belgium, for example, molotov cocktails have been hurled at synagogues. In France, two 16-year-old Jews were beaten in front of a kosher restaurant by a gang that shouted "Palestine will win, dirty Jews!" One of the victims suffered head injuries, and the other was hit in the back. According to the Global Forum Against Anti-Semitism, global anti-Jewish attacks during Israel's three-week operation in Gaza increased by more than 300 per cent compared with same period last year. Even more worrying is the growing belief among Muslims around the world that the Holocaust is a myth invented by Jews to make people more sympathetic towards Israel, although if this is the case then it is clearly not working! In a recent speech, Israel's envoy to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, tackled the growing problem of Holocaust denial, correctly asserting that the Holocaust began with words. She continued: "To remain silent and indifferent to the horrors of the Holocaust is probably the greatest sin of all, let alone denying it." It is time for the 'I-hate-Israel' brigade to lower their rhetoric. Extreme thoughts and words can lead to extreme deeds. As President Clinton commented in the 1990s after the Oklahoma bombing: "Bitter words can have consequences ... they leave the impression that violence is acceptable." |
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