Bloopers

Way back in the dim and distant past, there used to be a popular programme on New Zealand television called “Bloopers.”

It portrayed individuals and groups in a less-than-flattering light as they articulated outrageous views or found themselves in embarrassing situations.

Some synonyms of “bloopers” according to Wikipedia are “blunders, howlers, mistakes, inaccuracies, miscues and goofs.”

These examples just about cover the field as recent such events reveal, especially when it comes to coverage of Israel and Jews. It is difficult to prioritize the level of insanity we face in recent times. Ranging from malicious media reporting to deliberate acts of uninformed and often unhinged behaviour, the unending litany of “howlers” just keeps coming.

If there was an Oscar prize for the most disgusting and depraved performance of the year it must surely be awarded to Hamas and their fellow travellers. Dante’s “inferno” which describes a journey through hell has nothing on the spectacle enacted in Gaza. The few live remaining Israeli hostages, two of whom had been held for a decade, were forced to endure an excruciating “ceremony” as props in a farce from hell.

Even more depraved was the tragedy of the return of the two Bibas children and their mother. Israeli media refused to show images of this barbaric farce but the foreign media had no such qualms. In scenes reminiscent of mobs witnessing Roman pagan circuses, the coffins were paraded in front of a cheering and baying mob of Gazans, which included women and children. Complicit in this orgiastic ritual were representatives of the International Red Cross, who, for years, had done nothing to visit the hostages and demand their release.

Some overseas media outlets reported that the Bibas children and mother had died in captivity, which is as great a blooper as one can get. They were murdered in cold blood by jihadist groups, but this fact is obviously too close to the truth to be reported by some news sites. What makes this event even more revolting are the crocodile tears shed by political leaders who urge Israel to gift these despicable specimens of humanity a terror state “living in peace and security.”

Anything more delusional would be hard to imagine, yet this is the chorus issuing forth from Canberra, Wellington and other capitals and, of course, the corrupt UN.

There are amazingly still some lost souls who try to make a differentiation between the Islamic jihadists and the mythical “moderates” of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Arab Authority. Presided over by a President who hasn’t faced an election since 2005, this “dove of democracy” is touted as a guardian of religious tolerance and guarantor of peace. Despite all evidence to the contrary, this pernicious platitude continues to be the infallible gospel.

Fatah, the ruling party of the PA, of which Abbas is the head, has clarified its “peaceful” agenda. It has revealed that it is preparing to integrate the terrorist murderers released in the hostage deal, into the movement and national framework. In case this message is not clear enough, it issued this declaration: “we are committed to supporting the families of martyrs, prisoners and injured individuals. They are heroes of freedom who deserve top priority in terms of protection and care.”  

How much clearer do their intentions need to be?

Unfortunately, given the past and current track record, no amount of dead Jews will suffice to induce any sort of logical conclusion.

Proof of this is provided by this week’s expressions of “grave concern” by the UN Secretary-General and the International Red Cross over Israel’s campaign against terror and talk of the annexation of Judea and Samaria. Heaven forbid that Jews should be allowed to fight back against murderers and claim territory that was sovereign parts of a nation three thousand years ago.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, President Putin expressed his thanks to Hamas for their “goodwill” in releasing an Israeli hostage with dual nationality. In the absence of any Russian outrage over the mass kidnapping of Israelis and their continuing support of Abbas and his corrupt authority, this cringe-worthy expression of appreciation is yet another example of political hypocrisy at its worst.

As though international adoration of terror supporters is not sufficiently nauseating the reported visit of the World Jewish Congress President to Abbas scrapes the bottom of the barrel. At a time when Israelis are being targeted for murder, Ronald Lauder feels it imperative to have an audience with one of the chief architects of violence. To make matters worse the PA news agency triumphantly proclaimed after the meeting that Lauder supports the “two State solution.”

Making this “blooper” even worse was a report that a PA spokesperson demanded that Israel should be “flooded” with Gaza refugees. Remember that the 7 October Hamas pogrom was called the Al Aqsa flood. It therefore does not need a genius to work out exactly where the aspiring Palestinian State is headed.

Senator Graham of the USA declared that “if negotiations fail, Hamas should be destroyed as we destroyed the Germans and the Japanese.” What he omitted to point out was that no negotiations took place with these terror nations. In the words of Churchill and Roosevelt it was a matter of “unconditional surrender.” What followed was a period of re-education and a complete pivot to democratic values.

Faced with an Islamic Jihadist mindset which denies any valid Jewish sovereignty and a religious fanaticism which views all non Muslims as “unbelievers” the chances of a mass conversion to tolerant and democratic values are zero. There are indeed pockets of enlightenment, but unfortunately, the vast majority is irredeemably subverted in an endless nightmare of violence and intolerance.

The Taliban authorities have complained that Pakistan was carrying out a mass expulsion of Afghan refugees. Has anyone, by some remote chance, noticed any demonstrations on the streets and universities over this violation of human rights? How many urgent meetings of the UN, Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court at The Hague have been convened? This shameful display of double standards and selective outrage must be exposed and paraded for all to witness.

The new regime in Syria has resulted in a torrent of expectations. Presumably, anything other than the despotic Assad dictatorship should be an improvement, but it is important to realise exactly who these new groups actually represent. They are not, as many starry-eyed optimists would have us believe, heralds of a dawning age of tolerance. Their dire need for international legitimacy may temper initial urges to enact extreme policies but that will not last too long.

As a report in the Jewish Chronicle noted, new Syrian school textbooks issued by the authorities are filled with antisemitism and praise for terrorists. The outlook for any sort of peace is bleak if this is how the next generation of Syrian students is going to be educated about Jews and Israel.

Despite these clear indications, there are amazingly still some Jews who are dazzled by the mirage being promoted. A delegation of former Syrian Jews now residing in the USA made a pilgrimage back to the “old country.” Reportedly welcomed by a few ex-neighbours, they visited the old Jewish quarter and marvelled at the ruins of the Synagogues. No mention was made, of course, of how they had been hounded from Syria in the first place and how their properties had been confiscated.

A news headline trumpeted, “Excited Jews are coming back. US Jewish group receives warm welcome in Syria.” In a letter written to the Syrian leader, the former Rabbi of the community in Syria congratulated the new regime. It then went on to say that ”despite decades of exile the Syrian Jewish community continues to cherish its deep rooted connection to Syria – its motherland.”

I had to reread this several times to make sure that it was not some sort of hoax. This so-called “motherland” ethnically cleansed its Jewish citizens and, after a series of pogroms, drove them from the country. Instead of yearning for Zion it seems that they still hanker for the “fleshpots of Damascus.”

This genetic disposition to return to the scene of past crimes is, it seems a common trait which has haunted us ever since the Exodus from Egyptian slavery.

In the face of a concerted campaign to deny a Jewish historical claim to the Land of Israel, it is timely to remember the stirring words of Winston Churchill uttered in 1922.

“Jews have returned to Palestine (as it was called then). Canaan is their inheritance and has served as their sanctuary for nearly four thousand years in a world which largely despises them. Palestine is the name given by the Roman Emperor Hadrian who was trying to sever Judea from the Jews. They have returned as of right and not by sufferance and this is based on their ancient historical connections.”

Would it not be refreshing if today’s political leaders articulated a similar truth instead of the mealy-mouthed, distorted and twisted versions of history we hear today?