Dateline Jerusalem — “Hasbara” means explanation, and in a time of negative media efforts to de-legitimize Israel and blame the world's ills on Jews, my weekly essays are my attempts at hasbara. I try to explain and promote Israeli accomplishments in technology, science and medicine, Israel's unique character, its history and politics, its people, and all aspects of daily life here. Unfortunately, this week my focus is on terror in Europe, France in particular, and how it is imperiling the world. It is beyond rational thought that Israel is blamed for the Islamic terror throughout the world, or that the targeting of Jews is a direct result of the “Palestinian” conflict. It is imperative to look at world history. Anti-Semitic violence and Islamic terror did not blossom overnight.
When the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain boasted “Peace in our time” after signing the Munich Agreement of 1938 during “peace talks” with Hitler, y'mach shemo — may his name be obliterated — the appeasement resulted in the Holocaust and World War II. As Winston Churchill stated to the British House of Commons at the time, “England has been offered a choice between war and shame. She has chosen shame and will get war.” History repeats itself. Europe and the E.U. have gone out of their way to demonize Israel and appease terrorists. The terror across Europe results from misguided nations appeasing terrorists.
In France, appeasement of Islamic terror led to the recent murders of French citizens during the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket massacres. It is not surprising that France invited Abbas — aka Abu Mazan of the Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes — who is a master of terror, to attend the anti-terror rally and march in Paris. It is not surprising that France did not want Israel's Netanyahu, leader of the only democracy in the Middle East, to attend the march. It is not surprising that France claimed Netanyahu's presence would be “divisive.” Obviously if France is trying to appease terrorists, it could only be divisive when an advocate of anti-terror wants to march against terror. It is not surprising that they snubbed him by trying to keep him from riding on the main bus with other world leaders and keeping him in the second row. Interesting to note that Abbas was slated for the first row. I felt pride at seeing Bibi Netanyahu's chutzpah when he inched his way onto the first bus and into the first row. I am pleased to see a world leader act like a leader.
But what was the “Palestinian” and Islamic connection when France burned the Talmud in 1242? Where were the “Palestinians” when Jews were expelled from France in 1182, 1322 and 1394? Where were the “Palestinians” during the injustice of the Alfred Dreyfus trial in the 1890s? France's hatred of Jews has nothing to do with the “Palestinian” and Israeli conflict. The recent terror in France may have been committed by Islamic extremists, but France has done nothing to curb the unrest. Muslim gangs run wild in France, attacking schools, synagogues, and kidnapping, raping, and murdering French Jews. Why is it that French aliyah (immigration to Israel) set a record in 2014 and is expected to double in 2015? Could it have anything to do with France appeasing Islamic terrorists, allowing them to target, kill and maim France's Jewish citizens? There were no marches against terror in France until non-Jews at Charlie Hebdo were slaughtered. I doubt that France or other nations would have done anything if it were just the murder of Jews at the kosher supermarket.
Expulsion Was Common
These incidents are not unique to France. Just months ago at a Jewish museum in Belgium, four Jews were murdered by ISIS. Then again, Jews were expelled from Belgium in 1370. Europe has a rich history of not protecting its Jews, persecuting them, expelling them. Throughout history, European countries have terrorized and persecuted their Jewish citizens. In the 11th century German Emperor Henry II expelled Jews from Mainz. In 1306, thousands of Jews were massacred in 146 localities. Any connection to “Palestinians?” Of course not. In Bohemia, Spain in 1421 Jews were massacred. In the 14th and 15th centuries the Church joined forces with Spain to persecute Jews. In 1483 during the Inquisition in Spain, Jews were burned at the stake, leading to their expulsion from Spain in 1492. In Portugal, 4000 “conversos” (Jews who converted to Catholicism) were murdered in 1506. In 1516, Venice, Italy became the first Jewish ghetto. “Ghetto” is an Italian word. In 1648, Ukrainian Cossacks massacred 100,000 Jews and in 1881 pogroms began in Russia. “Pogrom” is a Russian word. European expulsions of Jews occurred in Hungary, Slovakia, Netherlands, Austria, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Italy, Prussia, Bohemia and a myriad of other countries. Nazis could not have murdered 6 million Jews during the Holocaust without the help of European anti-Semitism. There was no “Palestinian”-Israeli conflict to blame when all these events occurred.
This summer, 95 percent of London's hate crimes were directed at Jews. Should anyone be surprised? Britain's anti-Israel biased media, such as the BBC, the Guardian, Daily Mail, and even their Lancet medical journal link the hatred of Jews to “Palestinian suffering at Jewish hands.” Where were the “Palestinians” in 1240 when England became the first European country to require Jews to wear a “marking badge”?
Why the Jews Were ‘Needed’
Hitler's requirement for Jews to wear yellow Stars of David was not unique. Jews wearing special yellow clothing originated in Islam in 1012. Where were the “Palestinians” in 1290 when King Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England, banishing every Jew for almost 400 years, only allowing them to return when England needed money? Where were they when the Crusaders from England massacred the Jews of the Rhineland? Why is it that no one from the royal family has ever visited Israel (except the Queen's husband, and he only did so to see his mother's grave), but they have travelled on official visits throughout the Middle East? Why is it that in a recent survey almost half of Britain's Jews see no future there? A friend who was a police officer in London told me that there are areas in England police officers are afraid to enter.
Perhaps now European countries may realize that no one is safe with Islamic terror and extremism. European nations should have acted when their Jewish citizens were targeted by terrorists. If they could have only got beyond their innate hatred of Jews, they might have nipped it in the bud. It is so much easier to blame Israel in the “Palestinian” conflict, because it is a Jewish country, even though it is Israel that has been victimized by Palestinian rockets, missiles, and terror. Hopefully now Europe will wake up and realize that “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people,” a phrase used by Islamists when describing the order in which they will conquer the world, is a very scary reality.
L'hitraot. Shachar
