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As predicted, the Jewish New Year has kicked off with a bumper crop of anti Israel activity.
All those naïve individuals who hoped that the United Nations and its associated organisations would embrace truth and spurn lies about the Jewish State should by now be wondering how once again they could be so delusional. The trouble is that no matter how many times reality hits them in the face they continue to dwell in cloud cuckoo land.
While carnage continues on a scale scarcely seen since the end of the Second World War in Aleppo and Mosul as well as Yemen and other parts of the “new” Middle East, endless hours are wasted on convening meetings and condemning the Jewish State.
Let’s make one thing clear at the very beginning. The instigators of all these slanderous accusations against Israel are none other than our continually touted “peace partner.” These malignant legacies of Oslo and those who helped bring it about demonstrate on a daily basis their real agenda. Manipulating willing facilitators such as the UN, NGO’s and their poisonous international funders they pursue their objective by crippling, emasculating, demonizing and boycotting Israel. The Palestinian Arabs and their helpers instead of working day and night for genuine peace, tolerance and co-existence devote all their energies towards fostering mythical historical lies and the elimination of any Jewish presence in our homeland.
Those countries which should know better and indeed do know better prefer to either side with the corrupt immoral majority or look the other way and abstain. That is why any resolution no matter how outrageously false has a good chance of being passed in any international forum. When the new Secretary General of the UN was elected gullible souls rejoiced because they hallucinated that the former Portuguese Prime Minister will be fairer than Ban Ki Moon. Although he may very well be a nice guy the chances that there will be any meaningful change in voting patterns or an absence of obsessive accusations against Israel are virtually nil. In fact, if anything those countries seeking to delegitimize Israel will increase their efforts having been emboldened by current successes and the obvious moral degeneracy of most democratic Governments.
Now to the UNESCO farce which graphically illustrates the cesspit of hypocrisy into which most countries have descended.
This is not the first time that attempts have been made to sever all Jewish connections with Jerusalem in general and the Temple Mount in particular. The fact that Abbas and his colleagues keep pushing this travesty should have by now set off warning bells as to the real intentions of our ludicrously touted “peace” partners. The fact that neither the international community nor some Israelis or Diaspora Jews want to acknowledge delegitimization when it is so plainly articulated proves that it is possible to fool most of the people most of the time. One would have thought that the very notion of severing the Jewish connection to a site so plainly proven to be an integral part of Jewish history and which more over predates the advent of Islam is so outrageous that no sensible group would even entertain agreeing to it. However we do not live in a world which upholds historical authenticity. That is why year after year the most blatant lies against Israel and Jews can be paraded in front of the UN and its associated agencies and passed without any shame or twinge of conscience.
Some commentators are excited because many countries abstained rather than having voted in favour. Rather than cheering such gutless behaviour we should be demanding to know why they did not have the moral fortitude to vote against a resolution which was blatantly false and reeked of age old prejudices. Our Government should also call in the representatives of those countries with whom we have diplomatic relations and lodge a vigorous protest over their acquiescence to the resolution divorcing Jews and Judaism from the Temple Mount area. As far as those countries which do not recognize the legitimacy of Israel they should at least be named and shamed at every opportunity. Silence in the face of such scandalous incitement is not a viable option.
There are two additional consequences which need to be addressed.
The first is the deafening silence of the leadership of most of the international Christian communities. Writing out Jews from the Temple Mount is in effect also delegitimizing Christianity’s connection. In a futile endeavour to placate, the motivators of the resolution stated that Jerusalem is important to Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Note that Judaism is mentioned last and Islam first which sends a not so subtle message.
Nobody should be fooled by this sleight of hand as the core intent of the resolution is to establish Islam’s supremacy. An appalling silence from Christian leaders not only shows moral cowardice in the face of Islamic bully tactics but also resonates with the malodorous whiff of past revisionist theology. Where are all the interfaith groups so often touted as harbingers of religious tolerance and mutual respect? Why is there not a concerted outcry against this travesty perpetrated at UNESCO?
The second matter is how Israel should react. Are we going to witness the usual outraged expressions of disgust which everyone dismisses as mere hot air and going through the motions? Israel has announced it is cutting off all co-operation with UNESCO. This is likely to be a short lived gesture and totally useless. We need to get serious and show that there are major consequences. How about declaring the representatives of UNESCO, UNRWA and the UN for example “persona non grata” and telling them to depart? UNESCO is mandated to appoint a representative to monitor Israel’s compliance with this resolution of delegitimization. We need to make it clear now that entry will be denied to such a person and that they should go instead to those Islamic countries which refuse to allow freedom of non Islamic religions. Close down the UN offices and send their people on an extended vacation to New York and Geneva. Shut down UNRWA and force the host Arab countries to finally resettle the refugees and release them from being held hostages to Hamas and other terror groups.
The toxic atmosphere generated by the instigators and perpetrators of the UNESCO charade has resulted in death threats to the organization’s Secretary General for condemning the farce and the removal of the German chairman who also spoke against it by a Swedish diplomat. This latter move facilitated the final confirmation process and proved, as if any further proof was needed, how terror supporting States and Islamic fundamentalist haters of Israel have hijacked international bodies.
A further example of how sick things have become is provided by the attempt to get FIFA to sanction Israel. Instigated by none other than Jibril Rajoub, a convicted terrorist and now head of the Palestinian Arab Football Association and Olympic Committee, this paragon of society is leading the campaign to have Israel sanctioned and hopefully expelled from FIFA. Having been expelled with Arafat to Tunisia and then subsequently rehabilitated by the fatally flawed Oslo agreement he now spends his time smearing Israel from Ramallah. Apparently because some soccer teams from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria participate in the national soccer league competition, they pose a deadly threat to world peace and every effort must be made to show us the red card. The fact that FIFA wastes its time discussing this instead of blowing the whistle on yet another effort at Israel delegitimization speaks volumes. True to form the UN has weighed in with its usual drivel so what can one expect?
In the last few days an award winning Palestinian Arab journalist has lifted the lid on the Palestinian Authority’s true intentions. This helps to further clarify an agenda known to all but those chronically mesmerized by politically correct mirages.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9148/fatah-war-israel
Our response to the current shameful and scandalous situation is clear. In huge numbers Israelis have flocked to the Western Wall during the intermediate days of Succot (Tabernacles). In scenes reminiscent of Biblical pilgrimages Jews are giving an emphatic answer to UNESCO and its ignorant acquiescence to historical revisionism. Concurrently thousands of international Christian supporters are marching through the streets of Jerusalem affirming their support for Israel and its eternal capital.
A more potent message that our bond to Jerusalem is firm and unbreakable would be hard to find.
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.
