The ultimate insult
Over the last year Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has had a number of choice comments directed towards Israel and the Jewish People. Among the more exciting ones have been:
* "Israel must be wiped off the map"
* "If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe - like in Germany, Austria or other countries - to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.
To be totally honest comments such as there don't get me too excited, and the reason for that is, is that anyone who doesn't realize that Ahmadinejad is merely saying what every Arab leader in the world thinks (along with many European ones as well - as far as Israel being wiped out is concerned) was living in a fantasy world.
What troubled me about these comments was the lack of action taken by the world, short of fiery condemnations. In the year 2006, a mere 60 years after the Holocaust ended, the Jewish People and State are being threatened with (nuclear) annihilation and no one in the world seems to care. The world today relates to Israel as the modern day equivalent of Czechoslovakia in the wake of World War II, with Ahmadinejad playing the role of Hitler, and Iran that of Nazi Germany.
But, this past Thursday, Ahmadinejad, on a two-day visit to Syria, finally went too far. In echoing his earlier call for Europe to allow a Jewish State to be established on its soil (in place of the one that currently exists in Israel), he added that that no Jew would continue living in Israel 'if the doors of Europe were opened to them.'
Does he really believe that the vast majority of Jews in Israel would pick up leave for greener pastures the moment they were provided with a Green Card or European passport? Does he really believe that Zionism has become so empty of Jewish ideals and values that Jews in Israel are looking to hop on the 1st plane out of here? Does he really believe that there are no proud Jews left in Israel?
I can live with the threat of annihilation or the pie in the sky calls for Jews to return to Europe - but I can't live with someone intimating that the Jewish State is full of a bunch of sell-outs.
That one really hurt!
I mean, he's wrong, isn't he?
Israel
Zionism
Judaism
posted by Ze'ev @ Sunday, January 22, 2006
6 comments
6 Comments:
I wouldn't go back to Europe even if they offered me a free flight and double the absorbion basket I got to come to Israel. Israel is my home no matter where else with have me, and I would like to think most people here would agree with me.
By
ifyouwillit..., at
Sun Jan 22, 03:44:00 PM GMT+2
Israel is my home! Though I had a very good life in the United States, I will only visit there to see my sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren; my brother, sister-in-law and nephew; and other family and friends. While there, I will take advantage of the cultural opportunities and shopping.
But, I will not live there. My home is in Israel!
By
Anonymous, at
Sun Jan 22, 03:53:00 PM GMT+2
My home is in Israel!!!
Although I had a very good life in the United States, I will go there to see my sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren; my brother,
sister-in-law and nephew; other family and friends. While there I will take advantage of the cultural opportunities and shopping.
But I will not live in the U.S. My home is in Israel!!!
By
Anonymous, at
Sun Jan 22, 03:59:00 PM GMT+2
I can't disagree with anything you wrote, but the Holocaust ended 60 years ago,not 40!
By
Soccer Dad, at
Sun Jan 22, 04:20:00 PM GMT+2
Though I and most of the people reading this blog will share your point of view, I think that there're Jews in Israel who would love to love Israel from afar. The population of Israelis outside Israel (Toronto, Miami, NY, LA) proves that.
Even though Ahmadinejad's rhetoric about Jews going to Europe reminds of Hitler's rhetoric of moving all Jews to Madagascar, his statement about Jewish yerida from Israel does have a point as did Hitler's point of Jews scarring humanity with a cut on a body and on the conscience.
By
Critically Observant Jew, at
Sun Jan 22, 06:48:00 PM GMT+2
I think a lot of Muslims look at secular Israeli Jews who wish they were somewhere else, on the one hand, and then at the claims about inalienable biblical rights to the land and fulfilment of prophecies and such, and don't think they gel too well. These people came in, displaced Arabs, embarrassed the whole Muslim world, set up an independent state ... only to recreate America there? What for? There's already an America (/EU)! I'd say Ahmadinejad is just about right, except that there are many Jews who have held on to their heritage and mission (even if they are fewer and less visible and influential), and we say that even those Jews who haven't are fulfilling a different role, and the whole enterprise isn't and never was supposed to be justified solely on their merit.
Now I just hope the Jews who are still in Iran will get out before the real trouble starts. Mr A. mamash seems like Haman himself come back down from the gallows, but I guess he hasn't scared the Jews quite enough yet.
By
Anonymous, at
Sun Jan 22, 09:31:00 PM GMT+2
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