Repercussions and Reverberations

This has been a vintage week where predictable events have followed dramatic consequences.

The question is whether the unfolding dramas could have been prevented or thwarted. Additionally, how effective will subsequent actions prove? In fact, will there be any serious responses or will political waffling and a refusal to face reality once again be the order of the day?

We face challenging times no matter in which part of the globe we live.

For Israelis facing a continuing hostage situation and terrorists from various locations, it’s a continuation of the battle against those who plot, fund and sponsor mayhem.

For Jews living in Diaspora communities, it means increased animosity from haters on the left and right.

Whichever place we find ourselves in, the common denominator is the same.

In Israel, we face an overwhelming double standard from an international community that is focused on supporting irrational policies and folding in the face of jihadist machinations.

In the Diaspora, Jews face indifferent politicians, political opportunism of the worst kind and even outright hostility.

It is true that there are indeed some staunch friends who, despite being faced with a barrage of baseless lies and mendacious media reporting, still stand up for truth. Unfortunately, these allies are facing increased delegitimization and intimidation from an increasingly brainwashed and ignorant sector of society.

One of the earth-shaking developments this week has been the fall of the Assad dictatorship. Like all tyrannies before him, the inevitable demise of this blood-soaked regime was only a matter of time, and it is a pity that it did not occur earlier. One only needs to acknowledge which countries propped him up over all these years to realize the extent of international culpability responsible for the crimes that were committed.

Witnessing the crocodile tears now being shed for Assad’s countless victims by the UN and other such groups makes one cognizant again of the total hypocrisy that prevails. Not one word of condemnation is heard about the support provided by the likes of Iran, Russia, China and others to the Syrian regime over many decades. Years of benign neglect and lack of definitive action against Syrian torture of its own citizens and support for terror groups such as Hezbollah are conveniently whitewashed and swept under the carpet.

Instead, the focus is on Israel’s responses, which have always been aimed at thwarting terror and safeguarding its security.

Observing the euphoria now sweeping all and sundry over events in Syria one can be forewarned as to what develops next. Media exultation over a supposed new “Arab spring” deliberately ignores the reality that those now in charge are nothing more than various versions of jihadist terror groups. Rhetoric by craven European appeasers and clueless political so-called experts leads one to believe that a golden age of democracy is about to dawn. The UN is already talking about removing the Syrian jihadists from their terror listing.

Anyone with even the slightest understanding of Islamic Arab reality knows that, in actuality, one despotic regime will be replaced by yet another copy. This, of course, will not convince those who are desperate to avoid any sort of reckoning with purveyors of hate and incitement against Israel. Those who supported Assad are already pivoting to embrace the new masters in Damascus.

Turkey, a member of NATO, now sees an opportunity to increase its suppression of the Kurds, which, thanks to a gutless response by the democracies, gives a free pass to further crimes against this long-suffering ethnic minority.

The inevitable repercussions will not be long in forthcoming. It remains to be seen whether the incoming American Administration will follow a more realistic policy whereby patronage and support of terror carries dramatic negative consequences.

Terror has not been confined to the Middle East. It has spread to most parts of the globe. Whenever the responses by democratic countries have been vacillating, weak and of a double standard, you can guarantee that hate crimes and incitement against Jews will flourish.

This can be witnessed as Australia, once the lucky country for Jews, joins the ranks of those countries where it is becoming increasingly dangerous to be identified as Jewish. Outbreaks of hate have become more frequent and brazen in recent times. Those perpetrating vandalism and violent confrontations become more emboldened when the authorities enforcing the law are seen to be ineffective and inconsistent.

The recent example of an unauthorized anti-Israel demonstration outside the Sydney Great Synagogue is a perfect example. Chants of vile anti-Jewish and anti-Israel abuse attracted no police penalties. Instead, a Jewish man unfurling an Israeli flag was threatened by the police with arrest if he did not desist. The excuse given by the police that he was “provoking” the demonstrators was a classic case of targeting the victim rather than those breaking the law. If the demonstration was unauthorized, why was it not dispersed and prosecuted?

Concurrently, political gestures intended to mollify the Jewish communities are merely a transparent attempt at damage control. Providing millions of dollars for more cameras will not stop arson attacks as we have seen in Melbourne. Giving millions to the Sydney Holocaust Museum makes great PR, but it will not prevent those already infected with Jew hate from carrying out more violent acts. Though well intended, political hot air will be ignored by those intent on causing hurt. Exhortations by the Jewish establishment to avoid challenging those in authority will merely reinforce the image of a cowering community. Voting against Israel at the UN and claiming a moral equivalence with terror-supporting UN members fuels an increasingly uncontrollable domestic Australian reaction. Albanese and Wong are giving the green light for all Israel and Jew haters.

The most immediate and urgent action which should be taken is the implementation of the full force of the law. Slaps on the wrist, hand-ringing expressions of disgust, and immoral attempts to equate anti-Jew hate with Islamophobia are no longer acceptable.

Unless the Australian authorities get real, the reverberations will become more serious.

Here are two more examples of how disgusting consequences follow dubious actions.

The Vatican has never been entirely at ease with renewed Jewish sovereignty in the Promised Land. In fact, it still has a hankering for wresting control of Jerusalem away from the Jewish State. Unfortunately, however, in recent times, the Pope has demonstrated a worrying embrace of historical revisionism. There was his contention that Israel may be guilty of genocidal acts in Gaza.

His latest gesture, however, is so unacceptable that it cannot be ignored. The “Embassy of Palestine” to the Holy See has presented a nativity scene featuring baby Jesus in a manger resting on a kaffiyeh. Pope Francis visited this tableau, thus giving a Papal benediction to the lie propagated by the Palestinian Authority that Jesus was a Palestinian. Instead of refuting this historical assertion, he gave it another lease of life. Following uproar from many Christian quarters worldwide, it now seems that the Vatican may remove this offensive display. Better late than never but the damage has already been done.

In yet another mistaken gesture, the Pope will be giving an audience to Abbas, who is visiting Italy. Embracing a funder of terrorists and a professional denier of Jewish historical realities is not exactly a Christmas gesture that should be appreciated. As Abbas attempts to spread Christmas cheer and accuse Israel of crimes the media no doubt will have a field day. The Vatican should be ashamed for falling for this transparent charade.

It has been revealed that the Biden Administration has renewed a sanctions waiver that will allow Iran access to about US$10 billion in payments from Iraq. This decision to help the world’s most prominent funder of terror was made just two days after the US elections. It is mind-boggling that even at this stage, the outgoing Administration could be so clueless as to allow Iran access to this money. A more classic example of how not to counter terror is hard to find. Hopefully this asinine act of appeasement will be reversed after 20 January.

We are living at a time when the wrong decisions can result in devastating repercussions.