Danger signals flashing

Recent developments are triggering danger signals for Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities alike.

Concerted air attacks by the US Air Force against Houthi terrorists in Yemen do not seem to have made any impression. One wonders how effective the American campaign actually might be given the almost daily missile launches against Israel in recent days.

Based on past failures in Vietnam and Afghanistan, how long will this bombing of Houthi infrastructure continue before the US throws up its hands and ceases its efforts? In the past few hours, Trump has announced a cessation of the bombing campaign because he claims that the Houthis have promised to stop targeting US shipping and have “given up.” They have not, however, promised to cease firing missiles at Israel, which means that the Americans have once again left the job half finished.

Already, isolationist voices in the Republican Party are talking about a cessation of overseas involvement. The same goes for Iran’s sprint to nuclear blackmail status. Talk of deals and understandings, which are really code words for appeasement and lack of resolve, now abounds.

The lessons of history, whereby tyrants and dictator bullies were undeterred by futile negotiations and spurious agreements, are ignored. Instead of a determined effort to defang the Mullahs of Tehran, the US, UK and the EU prefer a soft option of believing Iranian deceit and deception. Everyone knows that the Houthis are being supported by Iran, yet this inconvenient fact is swept under the Persian carpet.

This week, a missile managed to impact near Ben Gurion airport, thankfully with no serious fatalities or major damage. This blatant act of war has generated a harsh response, which in turn will bring the hypocritical wrath of the UN down upon Israel. “Disproportionate force” will again be the theme song of the international choir as it passes more condemnatory resolutions.

The time is rapidly approaching, if indeed it has not already arrived, when the charades being choreographed by the democracies will have to be replaced by meaningful actions. If we do not want to face another North Korea-type fiasco, then action must replace duplicitous diplomacy.

Our hostages are still held captive in Gaza, and the world has lost interest. How much longer can this scandalous situation be allowed to continue?

Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day) this year was celebrated in the midst of conflagrations lit by Arab arsonists. It was a coordinated campaign of deliberate destruction. This inconvenient fact was generally glossed over by the general international media. If they had been true purveyors of the truth, they would have reported the incitement that accompanied the forest fires.

Hamas posted: “burn whatever you can of groves, forests and settler homes. Youth of the West Bank, youth of Jerusalem and those inside Israel, set their cars ablaze. Let us make their night a burning day. We will not give in and will not give up until we burn every piece of stolen land.”

The Telegram Channel, Jenin News, wrote: “burn forests close to the raped lands. The Zionist entity is burning. This is an opportunity for you to increase the fires, youth of Jerusalem and the occupied interior, raise your spirits and make up your mind, their settlements, set them ablaze.”

It is important to note that, as far as these arson inciters are concerned, all of Israel is an “occupied settlement” and therefore the message conveyed is to set the whole country alight.

A few countries offered firefighting aid, but not a single UN member condemned the calls to light more fires. This should ring loud warning signals. The lessons are clear. Those causing arson and those urging on the arsonists are precisely the same people whom the international community wants to reward with Palestine recognition. If this is the face of peace, democracy and security touted by all and sundry, then we can look forward to a dark future.

Meanwhile, in Canada, Great Britain and Australia, potentially ominous developments have unfolded that have the possibility of souring relations with Israel even further and negatively impacting local Jewish communities.

In England, local council elections and a by-election in one parliamentary constituency produced earth-shattering results for the two main parties. Candidates from the Reform Party trounced Labour and Conservative nominees in what is being described as a mass protest vote. In addition, a once safe Tory constituency also fell to the Reform Party candidate.

The aftershocks of these results should flag warning signals for Britain’s Jewish Community.

The leader of the Conservative Party could be on shaky ground and who knows what her possible replacement’s policies on Israel might be.

There are already rumblings in the Labour Party, and without a doubt, the extreme left plus disgruntled Corbyn supporters are waiting to topple Starmer. If this happens a return to full blown anti Israel policies is guaranteed.

With Islam now the second-largest religion in the UK, electoral considerations are increasingly relevant. The omens do not look good given the increased toxicity of anti-Jewish/Zionist/Israel sermons in m osques as recently revealed by UK Talk TV.

Canada held a general election where the Conservatives had been projected to defeat the ruling Liberal Party. The former ran on a pro-Israel platform with pledges to combat Jew hate. The latter are paid-up members of the “two fake solution” and weak on action against incitement against Jews.

Thanks to the anti-Canadian rhetoric of President Trump, the voters preferred to stick with what they know and thus re-elected the ruling party. Once again, this result does not augur well for Canadian–Israel relations. Instead of a Prime Minister who supports Israel’s war against terror, there will be more condemnations of the corrupt UN and joining together with Macron of France in propping up Abbas.

As in the UK and Australia, Canadian Jews will find that the continual drip feed of negative rhetoric against Israel produces more waves of hate activities.

This past week’s third electoral earthquake saw the spectacular defeat of the Australian Coalition Parties, which only a short time ago had been poised to oust the ruling Labour Government.

Domestic policies and considerations were at the core of the campaign and basically these factors determined the outcome. Lurking, however, in the background for Jews was a rather stark contrast involving Israel in particular and incitement of hate in general.

It is true, as Jewish leadership spokespersons reiterate, that until fairly recently, there has been a bipartisan agreement when it comes to Australia’s policies concerning Israel. Past Coalition and Labour policies were more or less in alignment when it came to the question of Israel’s legitimacy and efforts to defend itself from terrorist acts. Voting at the UN followed a predictable pattern whereby Australia usually voted with the moral minority and refused to be associated with knee jerk Zionist hating member nations.

This all changed once the Albanese/Wong Government came into power. Adhering to a well-worn leftist script, for the first time ever, Australia joined the immoral majority and voted more often than not to condemn and sanction the Jewish State. Talk of recognising a fake Palestine is now official policy, accompanied by strictures concerning Israel’s alleged moral failings.

The fallout from all this display of double standards has been a record increase in Jew hate graffiti, attacks both physical and verbal and even arson of synagogues. Perceived weak responses by authorities, law enforcement laxity and a knee-jerk requirement to equate Islamophobia with Judeophobia all contribute to an increasing sense of anxiety. The answer of political parties to this is throwing millions of dollars to affected communities. While this may pay for cameras and added security in schools and Synagogues it does not address the fundamental problem.

The stage is set for a troubling three years now that Labour has been swept back into power with an absolute majority in the lower House of Parliament and possibly a reliance on virulent anti-Israel Greens in the Senate.

It is more than likely that rhetoric and resolutions condemning Israel will ramp up. Voting at the UN and other corrupt bodies will follow a familiar pattern. With all restraints now gone, the chorus of criticisms from Canberra will increase. Recognition of “Palestine” is bound to follow, and more money will be squandered on UNRWA and similar terror-controlled groups.

The spinoff will be increased anti-Jewish outbreaks in what was once a safe and welcoming country for Jews.

Danger signals are increasingly flashing red.

Ignoring and denying these warning signs are failed strategies.