Inside the anti-Israel network planning a sweeping DNC protest

Nearly 100 organizations planning to protest against Israel next week in Chicago outside the Democratic National Convention are under the spotlight in a new report by a watchdog group.

The report, authored by NGO Monitor, highlights how left-wing activist hubs sympathizing with Hamas after its Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel are aiming to pressure Democrats to adopt anti-Israel policies. The forthcoming protest, which was dealt a blow this week after a federal judge rejected a request from activists for more space to demonstrate, comes as Republicans raise concerns over whether Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, will be tough on Hamas.

The Biden-Harris administration has called for de-escalation in the Middle East as Iran and its terrorist proxies attack Israel.

“The same NGO network that orchestrated and funded the mobs chanting ‘intifada now’ on university campuses and in major cities will be harassing and intimidating DNC delegates and participants in Chicago,” Gerald Steinberg, the founder and president of NGO Monitor, said in a statement.

Groups planning to protest outside the DNC between Aug. 19 and 22 include CODEPINK, Palestinian Feminist Collective, Students for Justice in Palestine Chicago, American Muslims for Palestine Chicago, and other pro-Palestinian groups active across the United States, NGO Monitor said in the report. One group, the ANSWER Coalition, was recently behind a violent protest in Washington, D.C.

Another, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, is an Israeli-designated terrorist group housed under a charity in Arizona, the Washington Examiner reported.

The anti-Israel coalition published a joint statement upon President Joe Biden deciding he would not run for reelection, accusing his administration of committing genocide in supporting Israel. NGO Monitor highlighted in the report how the DNC march coalition has “non-transparent” funding and is fundraising on the Action Network platform.

However, as the Washington Examiner has reported, many entities linked to anti-Israel protests, including the forthcoming one, are bankrolled by influential progressive dark money groups. The dark money groups, such as the Tides Center and its affiliated Tides Foundation, as well as the WESPAC Foundation, are fueled by Democratic megadonors such as George Soros and Bill Gates.

“The question is whether leaders of the Democratic party, including Vice President Harris, will stand firm against the antisemitic hatred and violence, in contrast to the university administrators,” Steinberg added in the statement.

NGO Monitor’s report highlights an investigative series by the Washington Examiner on Alliance for Global Justice, the Samidoun-linked group, and its ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The report noted that payment processors, including PayPal, Stripe, Salsa Labs, and Deluxe, cut ties with AFGJ over its terrorism ties.

The anti-Israel coalition has a wide variety of demands for Democrats, according to NGO Monitor. Those include ending U.S. aid to Israel, “community control of the police,” and others.

“We condemn the Democratic Party for promoting wars in Palestine, Ukraine, and countries all over the world, and for strangling dozens of countries with illegal sanctions that affect over 2 billion people,” the anti-Israel coalition said. “U.S. economic and military interests are behind the genocide in Gaza, and are threatening war on China. The US military puts the entire world in danger of war and targets people’s movements like in the Philippines and Colombia.”

Inside Israel. Threats to Jewish lives which stem from the lethal policies of the Palestinian Authority

The Jewish national fast day was observed this year on the Jewish calendar date of the 9th of Av, which this year fell on August 13, 2024. The date marks centuries of the remorseless murder of Jews.

This year, the existential threat to Jews again come into focus, following the crimes of Oct.7, 2023 — a day that witnessed the wholesale murder, rape and kidnapping of Jews, endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, funded by 135 nations.

This Tisha B’av, Jews reflect on  threats to Jewish lives which stem from the lethal policies of the Palestinian Authority:

Pay-for-Slay Legislation

The PA has enacted an unprecedented law to pay a salary for life for anyone who murders a Jew, or a stipend for the family of anyone killed while murdering a Jew.The PA now runs a cottage industry which employs hundreds of Palestinians who process automatic payments for those who murder Jews. A whopping 7% of the $19 billion PA budget is now allocated to remunerate killers of Jews, including fees to the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre.The head of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, Yassar Arafat’s successor, assumes direct responsibility for running this system of award for murder.

Yet, no one objects. Not one nation calls for the repeal of Palestinian Pay-for-Slay legislation.

The media is silent as Jews are butchered and people are paid to carry out this crime. That is the message of Tisha B’av — the isolation of the Jews as they are slaughtered.

PA Schools of War

The PA operates a new curriculum to incite a new generation to wage war on Jews.

PA schools do not acknowledge the right of Jews to live anywhere in Israel. PA school maps replace the names of every Jewish community with Arabic names. The PA even features a textbook which sanctifies the legacy of Dalal Al Mugrabi, an Arab woman who commandeered a bus on the coastal highway in 1978, murdering more than 30 Jews, including 13 children.

Yet, no one objects.PSF – Palestinian Security Forces

Initially trained by IDF, the PSF turned on the Jewish state, openly taking part in terror attacks on Jews throughout the country.

Yet, no one objects.

UNRWA

UNRWA , which oversees 6.7 million descendants of Arab refugees and heir descendants from the 1948 war, festering in in 59 refugee camps, funded by 67 nations to dwell under the premise and promise of “The Right of Return by Force of Arms”, without any plan or pretense to replace “temporary” refugee camps with communities that would be dedicated to UN ideals of peace and reconciliation.

Yet, not a single UNRWA donor nation calls for UNRWA policy change.

The solution?

Over the past month, Israel has been credited with the execution of two Palestinian Arab leaders who assumed responsibility for multiple murders of Jews: Muhammad Deif and Ismayel Hania. Perhaps this is the time for Israel to train its sights on the head of the snake, Abu Mazen, who calls the shots.

THE WORLD WILL UNDERSTAND

Article is missing a lot of important information regarding Ilan Goldberg’s views on Israel.

What does the Secretary-General feel about the UN investigation’s findings on the UNRWA employees involved in the October 7th massacre?

UN Watch Executive Director tells Albanese govt to ‘stop lying for UNRWA’ after nine employees linked to Hamas Oct 7 attacks

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer has called on the Albanese government to “stop lying for UNRWA” after nine of the agency’s employees were linked to the October 7 attacks.

Findings from an investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into shocking allegations at least a dozen employees had links to the terror incident.

Mr Neuer accused a senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) official several months ago of lying to the Senate about claims the Australian government was taking allegations of links between UNRWA and Hamas seriously.

When asked about UNRWA’s links to Hamas at Senate Estimates in February, DFAT First Assistant Secretary Marc Innes-Brown admitted the allegations had been raised “for years” before disparaging groups critical of the United Nations body like UN Watch.

“I think it’s generally known that there are at least several organisations that, their agenda is to focus on misconduct by UN,” Mr Innes-Brown said.

Speaking to Sky News host Gabriella Power on Thursday, Mr Neuer slammed the Albanese government for “lying for UNRWA” and attacking UN Watch reports linking UNRWA with Hamas “without any basis”.

Mr Neuer went on to mention several UNRWA employees who actively promote anti-Semitism or have links to Hamas.

“Teachers like Elham Mansour of Lebanon, who works for UNRWA as a teacher at UNRWA, who openly says, in the name of Allah, we need to slaughter the Jews,” he said.

“The head of the teachers’ union in Lebanon is Fathi al-Sharif. He is a senior Hamas official. Doesn’t hide it on his Facebook page, UNRWA knows that they refused to fire him.”

He said an individual called Suhail al-Hindi, who was head of the UNRWA teachers’ union in Gaza for many years, is now on the Hamas Politburo (Political Bureau) with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ newly appointed political chief.

“The Australian government needs to stop fronting for this agency that is corrupted by terrorists,” Mr Neuer said.

“There are many other options if you want to help Palestinians, and sadly, Australia is embracing a group, UNRWA, that is only promising further education for generations of resentment, grievance and war.”

Despite temporarily halting its funding to UNRWA during the investigation, the Albanese government restored the funding only two months later despite the probe into the claims not having been completed.

The move came despite Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in February calling for Labor not to restart the funding after the possibility was floated by the Foreign Minister.

The government is now being hit with condemnation for reinstating funding when the probe was not yet complete, with Coalition figures calling for Labor to reconsider its involvement with UNRWA.

Mr Dutton criticised the government’s “bad judgement” on Tuesday, saying it “has a lot to answer to”.

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer has called on the Albanese government to “stop lying for UNRWA” after nine of the agency’s employees were linked to the October 7 attacks.

Findings from an investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into shocking allegations at least a dozen employees had links to the terror incident.

Mr Neuer accused a senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) official several months ago of lying to the Senate about claims the Australian government was taking allegations of links between UNRWA and Hamas seriously.

When asked about UNRWA’s links to Hamas at Senate Estimates in February, DFAT First Assistant Secretary Marc Innes-Brown admitted the allegations had been raised “for years” before disparaging groups critical of the United Nations body like UN Watch.

“I think it’s generally known that there are at least several organisations that, their agenda is to focus on misconduct by UN,” Mr Innes-Brown said.

Speaking to Sky News host Gabriella Power on Thursday, Mr Neuer slammed the Albanese government for “lying for UNRWA” and attacking UN Watch reports linking UNRWA with Hamas “without any basis”.

The Albanese government has come under fire for restoring funding to UNRWA before an investigation was concluded. Picture: NewsWire / David Beach.

The Albanese government has come under fire for restoring funding to UNRWA before an investigation was concluded. Picture: NewsWire / David Beach.

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Mr Neuer went on to mention several UNRWA employees who actively promote anti-Semitism or have links to Hamas.

“Teachers like Elham Mansour of Lebanon, who works for UNRWA as a teacher at UNRWA, who openly says, in the name of Allah, we need to slaughter the Jews,” he said.

“The head of the teachers’ union in Lebanon is Fathi al-Sharif. He is a senior Hamas official. Doesn’t hide it on his Facebook page, UNRWA knows that they refused to fire him.”

He said an individual called Suhail al-Hindi, who was head of the UNRWA teachers’ union in Gaza for many years, is now on the Hamas Politburo (Political Bureau) with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ newly appointed political chief.

“The Australian government needs to stop fronting for this agency that is corrupted by terrorists,” Mr Neuer said.

Hillel Neuer, UN Watch Executive Director, accused the Albanese government of "fronting" for UNRWA following an investigation linking nine of its employees with the Oct 7 attacks.

Hillel Neuer, UN Watch Executive Director, accused the Albanese government of “fronting” for UNRWA following an investigation linking nine of its employees with the Oct 7 attacks.

“There are many other options if you want to help Palestinians, and sadly, Australia is embracing a group, UNRWA, that is only promising further education for generations of resentment, grievance and war.”

Despite temporarily halting its funding to UNRWA during the investigation, the Albanese government restored the funding only two months later despite the probe into the claims not having been completed.

The move came despite Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in February calling for Labor not to restart the funding after the possibility was floated by the Foreign Minister.

The government is now being hit with condemnation for reinstating funding when the probe was not yet complete, with Coalition figures calling for Labor to reconsider its involvement with UNRWA.

Mr Dutton criticised the government’s “bad judgement” on Tuesday, saying it “has a lot to answer to”.

Peter Dutton has called on the government to reconsider UNRWA funding in light of the investigation's findings. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman.

Peter Dutton has called on the government to reconsider UNRWA funding in light of the investigation’s findings. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman.

“It’s completely and utterly unacceptable that a UN agency would have employees involved in, or alleged to have been involved in, the October 7 tragedy,” he told Sky News Australia.

“It’d like to see more information, I think as most Australians would, because Australian taxpayers’ dollars are being given to these organisations with an understanding that they’re going to provide aid and support to people who are in need.

“And if that turns out not to be the case, then really think the government has a lot to answer to here.”

UNRWA had received more than AU$2 billion in 2023 from government partners including the United States, European Union and Australia.

Eulogies

The accepted protocol when speaking at a funeral is to praise the deceased’s achievements and overlook any negative traits.

However, what should one do when the deeds of the deceased are so horrendous that there are no redeeming features that can honestly be recounted?

Additionally, when faced with delivering a political “eulogy” on the retirement or resignation of a politician and political leader, can one honestly extol the virtues of the individual when everyone knows that his/her accomplishments have been disastrous?

What are we to make of eulogies recited for the Jewish People collectively over the millennia and right up to this current time?

These questions take on an added significance as we survey the unfolding dramas from near and far and as we prepare to face the latest machinations of today’s Jew/Israel/Zionist haters.

When the late Iranian President was killed in a helicopter crash, the eulogies flowed thick and fast. One could safely ignore the tributes emanating from fellow terror allies as standard hypocritical utterances. It was the tear-jerking sycophantic expressions of grief from the likes of the EU and representatives of democratic countries that gained first prize for double standards.

Here was a politician responsible for carrying out the worst crimes on behalf of his glorious leader, being eulogized as though he was some sort of saint.

It naturally followed therefore that when his successor was “elected” or should we say “anointed” the world media and the same international hypocrites would once again break into hymns of praise. Describing the new President as a “moderate” when he clearly endorsed the genocidal aims of his spiritual superior is the height of absurdity. The fact that most of the international community can willingly endorse this farce shows how low matters have fallen.

The EU sent a representative to the swearing-in ceremony in Tehran. No doubt he issued expressions of admiration as he hobnobbed with representatives of such enlightened human rights champions as Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Palestinian Authority, Russia, China and North Korea. Trying to escape obvious embarrassment, the EU issued a statement saying that its representation was not political but only diplomatic. This pathetic distinction only fooled those gullible enough to be oblivious of reality.

Once again, the Irish managed to prove that they are the gold medal winners of stupidity. The Irish President forwarded a gushing letter to the new Iranian President praising Iran’s role in the “struggle for peace.” Where he got this piece of fiction from is anyone’s guess but perhaps after a few bottles of Guinness his faculties became befuddled.

The big news, of course, was the dispatch of Hamas’s leader to martyrs’ heaven, where virgins await. Speculation will percolate for a long time as to how this was achieved and exactly by whom. Various theories abound, and no doubt, one day, all might be revealed in either a biographical revelation or a blockbuster movie.

Anyone associated with the murder and kidnapping of Israeli men, women, children and babies is guaranteed to have an early expiry date. It should, therefore, not have come as a surprise that a premature retirement occurred. The real embarrassment for the Iranians is that it happened while they hosted this arch-terrorist and just after he paid his respects to the new President and the “Supreme leader.”

Adding to this early exit was the news that other top terrorists, including the second in command of Hezbollah, were likewise eliminated in Beirut.

What followed was entirely predictable.

Eulogies for the deceased terror masterminds poured forth in tsunami-like torrents. The usual suspects excelled in their rhetoric concerning the saint-like attributes of the departed. No surprises about that. The media excelled in reporting the “pragmatic” and “moderate” qualities of individuals whose hands were tainted with the blood of murdered Israeli civilians and who plotted every hour of their miserable lives on how to murder even more.

Equally nauseous have been the forked tongue pronouncements of representatives from democratic nations.

The Guardian reported that Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, stated that “the Australian Government is increasingly alarmed at Israel’s troubling pattern of behaviour.”  Meanwhile, Biden is upset that removing terror instigators complicates his “peace” efforts. His ambassador to Qatar praised its “role in maintaining peace and security.” It was reported by JNS that a Qatari official told the Arab League, “Jewish People are slayers of prophets and Judaism only accepts one thing – killing.” Qatar is the safe haven for Hamas as is Turkey.

Joe Biden’s decision to “retire” has unleashed “eulogies” from Israeli leaders and media.

President Herzog described Biden as the symbol of the unbreakable bond between the USA and Israel and the best friend Israel ever had.

PM Netanyahu embraced him as an “Irish Zionist.”

The Jerusalem Post editorialized that Biden is a Zionist at heart and that his support of Israel will never be forgotten.

Denying Israel weapons and telling our PM not to speak “bullshit” is not exactly a sign of friendship and solidarity. According to news reports, the US Administration has warned Israel that the (non-existent) coalition demands that any response to an Iranian missile barrage be limited in scope. In their words “don’t push it.”  In plain English this clearly means that the USA has no intention of tackling Iranian genocidal ambitions and will not back Israel when it retaliates.

Are these manifestations of a best friend?

I wish that we had another Menachem Begin who in 1972 responded to Senator Biden when he threatened to cut off aid to Israel.

“Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. When necessary we will die for them again, with or without your aid.”

 Biden banged on the table with his fist. Begin retorted:

“This desk is designed for writing not fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. We are grateful for the assistance we have received but we are not to be threatened.”

 Instead of sycophantic eulogies we could do with some honest rhetoric instead.         

The Iranian Ambassador to Australia revealed his country’s true agenda in a tweet in which he proclaimed: “wipe out the Zionists from Palestinian holy lands. I am looking forward to such a heavenly and divine promise.”  The Australian Government’s response was to call in the ambassador for a reprimand with a slap on the wrist with a wet rag. Penny Wong said that his remarks “do not represent Australia.” Of course they don’t – they represent Iran’s ambitions. How about sending the ambassador packing or is that too provocative?

Over the long and tortuous course of Jewish history, there have been many occasions when the rest of the world has issued eulogies for murdered Jews. In fact, eulogizing dead Jews has become a fashionable pastime. It followed the destruction of both Temples and exile after inquisitions, pogroms, expulsions, exclusions, theological revisionist denials of Judaism’s authenticity and, of course, the Shoah. In each situation, Jews as a people and faith were written off as eternal victims, unworthy of being saved and beyond redemption. In more recent times those who could have prevented tragedy and didn’t, assuage their guilty feelings by engaging in eulogies at ceremonial gatherings.

As we currently face another existential threat to our existence, there are some who are already preparing to eulogize us. Instead of helping to crush those planning another round of genocidal terror, Jew haters and self loathers alike are busy undermining Israel.

Haman of ancient Persia tried this once before. He and his supporters were dispatched before they could carry out their nefarious plans.

The same fate awaits today’s plotters.

The time is long overdue when politically correct apologetics are replaced by forthright articulation of truths.

TIME Cover: Exclusive Interview – Bibi at War

In an exclusive interview with TIME, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explains how he sees the Gaza war and mounting regional threats.

For the cover story, TIME’s Eric Cortellessa—who interviewed Netanyahu for 66 minutes in his Kaplan Street offices on August 4, 2024—writes: “Through a combination of electoral vicissitudes, sweeping regional changes, and his own political gifts, his almost 17-year cumulative tenure is longer than that of anyone else who has led Israel, a country only two years older than he is. Over that span, Netanyahu’s political endurance has been built around one consistent argument: that he’s the only leader who can ensure Israel’s safety.”

 

Cortellessa continues: “But in the wake of the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, with more than 40,000 Gazans dead in the ensuing conflict, Israel under Netanyahu is not blessed with peace but besieged by war. As we speak, the country is on edge for an expected aerial attack from Iran, the second in four months…The fighting is ongoing in Gaza, with more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas. Much to the frustration of the Biden Administration, Netanyahu still has not articulated a credible plan to end the war or a vision for how the Israelis and the Palestinians can peacefully coexist.”

– Credit: Photograph by Paolo Pellegrin—Magnum Photos for TIME

– Read the full cover story: here

– Read the full transcript of TIME’s interview with Benjamin Netanyahu: here

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TIME’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BENJAMIN NETANYAHU:

On whether he would make an apology for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu tells TIME: “Apologize?…Of course, of course. I am sorry, deeply, that something like this happened. And you always look back and you say, Could we have done things that would have prevented it?”

On how he’s bracing for escalating conflict on even more fronts: “We’re facing not merely Hamas…We’re facing a full-fledged Iranian axis, and we understand that we have to organize ourselves for broader defense.”

On how his approval of Qatari cash infusions was humanitarian: “We wanted to make sure that Gaza has a functioning civilian administration to avoid humanitarian collapse.”

On how he claims the money didn’t form the basis of Hamas’ eventual threat to Israel and his primary mistake, he says, was acceding to his security committee’s reluctance to wage full-on war: “The main issue was the transfer of weapons and ammunition from the Sinai into Gaza…Oct. 7 showed that those who said that Hamas was deterred were wrong…If anything, I didn’t challenge enough the assumption that was common to all the security agencies.”

 

On how a visit intended to showcase solidarity with Israel’s most essential ally instead deepened what was for Israel a growing and dangerous partisan divide: “I don’t think that the much reported erosion of support among some quarters of the American public is related to Israel…It’s more related to America.”

 

On how once Hamas is out of power, he wants to recruit Arab countries to help install a civilian Palestinian governing entity that wouldn’t pose a threat to Israel: “I’d like to see a civilian administration run by Gazans, perhaps with the support of regional partners…Demilitarization by Israel, civilian administration by Gaza.”

On how his vision of allowing only limited pockets of autonomy in Palestinian areas where Israel maintains overriding security control: “That’s a detraction of sovereign powers…There’s no question about it…I agree we should maintain a Jewish majority, but I think we should do it in democratic means…That’s why I don’t want to incorporate the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria as citizens of Israel [referring to the biblical name of the West Bank] It means that they should run their own lives. They should vote for their own institutions. They should have their own self-governance. But they should not have the power to threaten us.”

On Zionism surviving the war: “It will, if we win…And if we don’t, our future will be in great jeopardy.”

 

On whether he intends to remain Prime Minister: “I will stay in office as long as I believe I can help lead Israel to a future of security, enduring security and prosperity.”

On whether he would say an opposition leader who presided over Israel’s worst security failure should stay in power: “It depends what they do…What do they do? Are they capable of leading the country in war? Can they lead it to victory? Can they assure that the postwar situation will be one of peace and security? If the answer is yes, they should stay in power. In any case…that’s the decision of the people.”

The cover story also features conversations with Israeli officials, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak who tells TIME:

On how Netanyahu is in his psychological elements: “He genuinely believes that he’s saving Israel…Not that he’s responsible for one of the worst events in its history.”

 

On the claim that Netanyahu is drawing out the Gaza campaign for personal political reasons: “Netanyahu is focused on his longevity in power more than the interests of the Israeli people or the State of Israel…It will take half a generation to repair the damage that Netanyahu has caused in the last year.”

On Netanyahu deepening divisions between Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza: “He saw Hamas as an asset and the [West Bank–based] Palestinian Authority as a liability…As long as he can hold Hamas alive and kicking and being a threat to Israel, he can easily protect himself against demands from America and from the rest of the world who argued that Israel should look for a way to achieve a breakthrough with the Palestinians.”

SWC Statement on the City of Nagasaki’s Decision to Selectively Not Invite Israel to Anniversary of Atomic Bombing

July 31, 2024

 

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director for Global Social Action of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, issued the following statement on a recent decision by the City of Nagasaki to selectively not invite Israel to its ceremony commemorating the dropping of the Atomic bomb in 1945.

“The Nagasaki Mayor’s immoral decision not to invite Israel to the Atomic-bomb Memorial debases the memory of innocent Japanese who perished that day and insults the memory of 1,200 Israelis mass murdered on Oct 7th by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists—the largest single-day killing of Jews since the Nazi Holocaust. Adding insult to injury the local mayor did invite a Palestinian representative to attend, a decision that will only embolden terrorists everywhere to conclude that mass violence works to advance their agendas.”

 Rabbi Cooper also noted that “the Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki finally ended World War II, a war which saw Japan allied with Nazi Germany.  For decades, people of goodwill in Japan, the US, and among world Jewry have labored to forge new trusts, friendships, and alliances as we all struggled to absorb difficult lessons from the past.  While the mayor of Hiroshima did invite the Israelis to attend, the mayor of Nagasaki’s insulting refusal has harmed that trust.”


For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).

‘”Gog” and “Agag”, and the Pale of Settlement – A Morphological Comparison and Contemporary Example’ (Short Excerpt), by Awal Akhar – January 2024.

I am a former graduate and have an interest in theology, history and anthropology, with a particular interest in the diverse biblical identities that were said to have populated the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions, and their tribal dynamics and migrations.

I have written a paper on the above subject matter, which is a textual comparative analysis that explores the theological, historical and ethnographic parallels, which existed between these tribal identities, that had once resided on either side of the Caucasus.  Thus, please find my paper attached as an article submission, for your kind attention, in ‘TXT’ format.

Furthermore, this essay is an excerpt from the revised version of a study paper, which I originally wrote a year ago titled, ‘The Semantics, Phonetics and Etymology of the Terms, Indigenous, Native and Aboriginal, Re-Examined and Placed into Historical Context’.  Recently, I found cause to review and enhance much of its contents, and thus I felt it was a good time to promote it again, as a valued piece of academic research. 


‘Gog’ and ‘Agag’, and the Pale of Settlement – A Morphological Comparison and Contemporary Example’ (Short Excerpt), by Awal Akhar – January 2024.

AWAL AKHAR, BSc (Hons)
JANUARY 2024
29.01.2024; Ver 1
Copyright © 2024, Awal Akhar

“GOG” AND “AGAG” – A MORPHOLOGICAL COMPARISON

In this respect, it is incredibly ironic and uncanny, how the historical geographical maps, which depict the ancient migration routes of the Hittite-Amorite hordes, that ‘snaked’ its way from the Nordic peninsula (proto-Scandinavian) and Baltic Sea (“Mare Suevicum”) towards the Black Sea (“Pontus Euxinus”), in the early-2nd millennium BCE, exactly matches the geographical maps that pictorialized the Pale of Settlement, in Eastern Europe, during the 18th to 20th centuries CE.  This important observation may not be a mere coincidence, but may instead prove to be of a great significance.  Puzzlingly, recent translations and commentaries of biblical texts have marked out the people of this particular region through a tit-for-tat, inescapable association, with the religious stories that narrate the, “grudge of Cain”, “drudgery of Ham”, and “trial of Job”!  If that wasn’t enough to condemn an entire population, this same setting around the Pale of Settlement has also been conveniently associated with a later biblical identity, that of the infamous people of “Gog and Magog”!
However, in the earlier story line of scriptural events, this particular biblical identity has not been described as having any negative characteristics, but instead belongs to the genealogy of the sons of Noah, i.e. Shem, Ham and Japheth (Gen. x. 2-5, I Chron. i. 5-7).  This is in total contrast to later theological literature!  So why was the variant term “Gog” later paired up with “Magog”?  Further, why was this term, “Gog and Magog”, subsequently demonized in later literature?  The first unique term, “Gog”, is found very sparsely in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), and only in two places as, “Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezek. xxxviii. 2-3, 14, 16, 18, ib. xxxix. 1, 6, 11, 15; ‘G-V-G’, “גּוֹג”), and “Gog”, a son of Joel a Reubenite (I Chron. v. 4; ‘G-V-G’, “גּוֹג”).  Here, a serious consideration must be given by the conscientious reader, that this particular biblical identity may have been conflated for geopolitical purposes, with a more sinister, biblical identity, which has been repeatedly warned against, in a number of places in biblical scripture.  At first glance, this has been crudely done to deliberately conflate the biblical identity ‘Magog’, with a conflicting identity associated with ‘Amalek’, ‘Agag’, ‘Agagites’ and ‘Haman’.  Here, there seems to be a chronological mistake in relation to this setting (anachronism), together with a subtle difference in the spelling of these proper nouns (orthographical error).  However, even this unfriendly identity, as found in biblical scripture, to begin with was rather middle-of-the-road, having neutral associations with neighbouring tribal groups, such as the ‘Hivites’ (Shechem, son of Hamor), ‘Ammonites’, ‘Moabites’, ‘Hittites’, ‘Mount Ephraim’, ‘Horites’, and even the ‘Edomites’.  Later, the Amalekites are mentioned in the Book of Exodus, battling against the Israelites in the desert (Ex. xvii. 8-16).  A further reference is made in relation to the Israelites encounter with Balak and Balaam, the son of Beor, after they had confronted the Amalekites, in the Book of Numbers (Num. xxiv. 7, “מֵאֲגַג”).  They are then mentioned again in the Books of Samuel, during another battle with the Israelites, where their king was mentioned as, “Agag” (I Sam. xv. 8-9, 20, 32-33).  Their last appearance occurs in the Book of Esther during the exile of the Israelites, and the episode with ‘Haman the Agagite’ (Est. iii. 1, 10, ib. viii. 3, 5, ib. ix. 24).
Furthermore, this incorrect association has somehow crept into the extra-scriptural texts of neighbouring religious books, namely the Qur’an, and has been reinforced in its writings, in both the translations and commentaries, i.e. ‘The Cave’ [Al-Kahf] 18:95, and ‘The Prophet’ [AL-ANBIYA’] 21:97.  For example, some of the groups mentioned above, have been oddly associated with the generations of Ham by some commentators, presumably for self-serving purposes, which are based on personal interests and political bias.  However, when analysing the orthography of these identities, through a comparison between the Hebrew and Arabic textual sources, this confusion can be explained and possibly reconciled with the original meaning, e.g. as mentioned above in, Num. xxiv. 1-25.  Obviously, this confusion was allowed to perpetuate itself through an ignorance to Near and Middle Eastern languages, and thus the inability to critically reappraise the text within biblical translations of the Hebrew Bible, e.g. ‘The Septuagint’ (3rd-2nd cent. BCE, Alexandria), ‘Targum Onḳelos’ (1st cent. CE, ‘Aḳylas’, Aquila), and Vulgate (4th cent. CE, St. Jerome).
Pointedly, the above description plainly contradicts an implied biblical reference to it made in ‘Mic. v. 5’, where it states that, “seven shepherds”, arose against the Assyrians.  The “seven shepherds” are commonly associated with the seven “sons of Japheth”, as mentioned in ‘Gen. x. 2’ and ‘I Chron. i. 5’, which included, “Gomer, … Magog, … Madai, … Javan, … Tubal, … Meshech, and Tiras”.  Here, the biblical proper nouns, ‘Madai’ and ‘Javan’, are usually, phonetically associated, with the ancient ‘Medes’ and ‘Ionians’, respectively.  Importantly, these verses clearly define the lineage of ancient ‘Magog’ (‘M-G-V-G’, “מָגוֹג”), as originating from ‘Japheth’, rather than ‘Shem’ or ‘Ham’.  What’s more, some linguists are of the opinion that the proper noun, “Gomer” (“גֹּמֶר”), contains an orthographic error, in respect of its middle character (grapheme)!  This can be appreciated by comparing the Hebrew letters, ‘MEM’ (“מ”, in Hebrew), and, ‘SAMEKH’ (“ס”, in Hebrew), which both have very similar geometric shapes.  Thus, the ethnonym, “Gomer”, may have an alternative spelling, “Göçer” (“גֹּסר”).  Furthermore, some historical academics have gone as far as attempting to link this tribal identity with the ‘Göktürks’ of Central Asia (“Gök” + “türks”).  Apart from being mentioned twice, in both the Books of Genesis and Chronicles, amongst the ‘Table of Nations’, Gomer is mentioned in two other places, once in the Book of Ezekiel (Ezek. xxxviii. 6), and once in the Book of Hosea (Hos. i. 3), but here as, “the daughter of Diblaim”!
Similarly, another example that clearly illustrates this common muddling-up of Hebrew letters, in repeatedly used words (proper nouns), can be observed from a set of two, identical, biblical verses, found in the Books of Genesis and Chronicles.  Surprisingly, these verses also describe the early genealogy of this very same branch of Noah, i.e. the sons of Japheth.  Here it can be seen that the beginning Hebrew letter(s) of two separate, proper names (ethnonyms, toponyms), have been transcribed and spelled differently for a son of Gomer as, “Riphath” (“רִיפַת”; Gen. 10. 3), or as, “Diphath” (“דִיפַת”; I Chron. 1. 6), and for a son of Javan as, “Dodanim” (“דֹדָנִים”; Gen. 10. 4), or as, “Rodanim” (“רוֹדָנִים”; I Chron. 1. 7), using either a, ‘RESH’ (“ר”), or a, ‘DALET’ (“ד”), which again have very similar shapes.  Maybe something is being hinted at or emphasized here!  Otherwise, both of these examples serve to illustrate that orthographical errors (spelling mistakes) do occur in Hebrew words that have similarly shaped character symbols, contained within biblical scripture, which may have crept in during the transcription stage.
As a comparison, the classical, Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus (c. 37 – 100 CE, ‘Antiquities of the Jews’), described the loose, historical link, that existed between ancient ‘Gomer’ and the recent inhabitants of ‘Galatia’, in the quote, “For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians (‘Galls’ or ‘Gallograeci’), but were then called Gomerites”.  However, in this particular example, this historical reference can easily be taken to mean, that at that time this toponym was simply a past eponym derived from ‘Gomer’, rather than an existing ethnonym.  Crucially, the misinterpretation of this ‘quote’, could serve the purpose to alter the historical record, with regards to past military alliances, that had fought together during the Trojan Wars (1260 – 1180 BCE), and many centuries later, during the Battle of Nineveh (612 BCE).  This example, may help to explain why some contemporary historians have attempted to promote the “Cimmerii” (8th-7th cent. BCE), as the rightful descendants of the biblical identity, “Gomer”.  However, this arguable assertion could be interpreted as a classic example of sycophancy or self-aggrandizement by members of the ‘pro-Galatian’ camp, which was promoted only recently, after WWI.
Furthermore, in some theological discussions, these ethnic groups have been mistakenly associated with the noble, historical, tribal identity, known as the, ‘Scythians’, and their correlated tribe the, ‘Sakas’, that once resided in the northern regions of the Black and Caspian Seas, in the Eurasian Steppes (comp. Jer. iv. 5-31, vi. 23).  These people had a rich and legendary past history, having a Shamanistic, animistic belief system, leading both a nomadic and pastoral, agrarian and transhumant lifestyle, herding oxen, goats, sheep, and other ruminants, living in “tepee” style tents (“wigwam”), and having kurgan style burials.  They were said to have been correlated to a later mentioned and well-known, historical, tribal identity, named as the, ‘Goths’, i.e. ‘Visigoths’, ‘Ostrogoths’.  Surprisingly, this latter identity may be found in the ‘Table of Nations’ in the Book of Genesis, which unexpectedly places it within the genealogy of Shem.  Moreover, the remnants of these particular, historical identities, are sometimes associated with later, renowned, historical groups, e.g. the Parthians, other Turanians, and certain Altaic or Sino-Tibetan groups.  Consequently, it is not surprising that some questionable, contemporary, religious groups, and their suspect sponsors, have laid a false claim to this historical identity, for the sole purpose of making a dishonest, personal gain, from its ‘glorious past’ (comp. Getae, Thraco-Phrygians; Hittites, Cimmerians, Galatians).
Likewise, this questionable translation, and resulting interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, has deliberately allowed a further, flagrant misrepresentation, of the scriptural narrative to perpetuate itself, in subsequent biblical texts, i.e. in the Book of Galatians (NT; ‘Gal. iii-iv’), compare Colossiums (NT; ‘Col. iii’)!  Here, a comparative example has been provided in relation to the Galatians, in letter form (epistle), through a biblical reference to “Hagar” (Gen. 16. 3; comp. ‘Hagarites’), the second wife of “Abram” (Abraham), the handmaid of his first wife, “Sarai” (Sarah), who had given birth to “Ishmael”, the patriarch of the Ishmaelites.  This has been done within a narrative that discusses the status of Jerusalem, and thus the ‘City of David’ (“Zion”, II Sam. v. 7), which was once the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, prior to the Assyrian and Babylonian Exiles (comp. ‘King Pul of Assyria’, I Chron. v. 26).  Obviously, this biblical translation may have served a geopolitical agenda, that provided theological, or biblical justification, to stir up restless, ‘mercenary’ groups, that had daring ambitions and were ready to take off on campaign, to plunder and pillage the rich lands of the Middle East (Crusades, 11th – 13th century CE).  However, one can’t help but ponder, that in recent centuries, this was taken to new levels of conquest, assimilation and annihilation, when comparing the ABO and Rh blood group distribution maps of the O-type and Rh-negative gene frequencies, with the historical record from the past 450 years of colonialism (Age of Discovery, 15th – 19th century CE; Bay of Biscay, Conquistadors, Jesuits).
These hordes of mercenaries were said to have originated from the fabled lands of perpetual darkness, beyond the ‘Underworld’ (comp. Hades and Tartarus), that once echoed from prehistory, “… Cimmeria … Cimmeria” (comp. “Ultima Thule”, Lapland, Laptev Sea; falling, “lapsus”, fall, “labi”, in Latin; flank, “lapara”, in Greek).  This region was described as the ‘cursed’ lands of the north (north, northwards, “צָפֹנָה”, in Hebrew; comp. “The Tree of Zaqqūm”, ‘The Lines’ [As-Sāffāt] 37:63-75), where the ground was frozen so hard, that it was harder than horn (“keras”, in Greek; “קֶרֶן”, in Hebrew), and where only hard-nosed hunter-gatherers could survive!  Here, there is a natural linguistic continuity that can be observed between the ethnonyms “[K]Hatti” and “Cimme[r]ii” (ref.: Hittites of Hattusa; “חִתִּי”, in Hebrew).  This can be readily observed from a simple phonetic transition of the Hebrew letter (phoneme), ‘TAV’ (“תּ”), to, ‘TET’ (“ט”), and then to the similar, shaped, geometric letter (grapheme), ‘MEM’ (“ם”), which may have occurred through an orthographical error, possibly during transcription.
Furthermore, this reference to the “Cimmerii” (ref.: Herodotus, ‘Histories’; Homer, ‘Iliad’, ‘Odyssey’, 8th century BCE; comp. Hittites, Cimmerians, Galatians), could also include their neighouring tribes, the “Suevi” (~”Suebi”) from the Baltic Sea (“Mar Suevecum”, in Latin), and the “Cimbri” from the Jutland Peninsula (Jylland, Sjælland, Kattegat Straits [Denmark], Baltic Sea; comp. “Cymru” of Wales), i.e. Norse and Gael tribes (comp. berserker, galloglass; wiccan, witches, häxan; familiars, minions).  Curiously, with reference to the “Cymru” of Wales, history academics from neighbouring countries in Western Europe, have provided a further description, that oddly compares them to “chimera” (comp. ‘Chimera’, in Greek mythology)!  This may well be a tongue-in-cheek response to what they view is an overly pretentious, religious fervor, exhibited by the Welsh (‘foreigner’, “Wealh”, in Old English)!  Thus, in mockery, this may be a suggestion to the biblical allusion (or interpretation) regarding the ‘vision’ of Abraham and the division of the heifer, she-goat, ram, turtle-dove, and pigeon (Gen. xv. 9-10; i.e. ‘hybrid vigor’, ‘heterosis’).  Furthermore, this particular ethnic group has been infamously known for holding gatherings, where they psych themselves up into a frenzy of passions, leading up to a crescendo of melodic voices!  Some have suggested, that this is their personal attempt to re-create the ‘illusion’, which is described in biblical scripture, where David and the Israelites brought the “Arch of the Lord” into “Zion”, with great effort (City of David; II Sam. vi. 1-17, I Chron. xiii. 5-14, xv. 25-28, xvi. 1-2).  What is more, this is a classic example of a cultural trait, or restless tendency, within the documented ethnography, typical of the Norse and Gael people, exhibited over many centuries.

THE PALE OF SETTLEMENT – A CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLE

On a more serious note, this ‘sinister’ propaganda may have been promoted to cruelly justify the pogroms that occurred in the Pale of Settlement, during the last century (1859, 1871, 1881, and 1886), and particularly the “Shoah” during WWII.  Coincidently, this is the very same location where many diverse and diligent farming communities had settled down, over the past centuries.  During this era of industrial and technological revolution, many scientific advancements were made, through a systematic and methodical approach in the research and development of new inventions, which allowed complex machines and engines to be manufactured.  These complex machines then gradually replaced the menial and manual tasks that had once been performed by lesser groups in society (comp. II Chron. xxvi. 15, Eccl. vii. 25-29).  Supposedly, these lesser groups were freed up from the burden of their hard physical labour to pursue more refined, cultured and educated tasks in society.  In spite of this, bigotry still pervaded the fabric of society, no doubt due to misplaced superstitious beliefs and religious dogmatism, which then fell prey to the schemings of charismatic and dark influences.  The bigoted tribal behaviour displayed during this period, seems to be in total contradiction to what one would have expected was the innate objective and intended outcome of rolling out this industrial model (machines, engines), and the benefits that it was meant to have provided to society as a whole, as opposed to the mass disenfranchisement of these lesser groups!
It is possible that through biblical eisegesis, and even scriptural interpolation, that theological justification was obtained, to orchestrate the mass genocide of these non-aligned groups, that no longer ‘belonged’ to humanity … as if a part of a wider conspiracy!  In the short term, most of these groups, had become redundant due to the relentless march towards industrialization of all parts of society, particularly in the rural, farming communities.  Thus, there was a problem and need to manage this now unwanted, or less valuable, part of society.  In the long term, this would have meant that an intelligent process was needed to manage the demographics of these populations by implementing political policies to ‘sift’ these sands of humanity, that were from the lower classes of society.  Obviously, if that didn’t work, a ‘final solution’ could have necessitated the declaration of “war”, and thereby the chattelling of these unwanted groups, into the meat grinder of the industrialized war machine!  Thus, in these circumstances, mass migration may have been the only choice of survival left, for many of these groups.
As a background, the Pale of Settlement was formed in 1791 by the Russian Imperial powers of that time.  It was a vast area in Eastern Europe, stretching northwestward, from the northwestern coast of the Black Sea (Odessa), to the central-southern shore of the Baltic Sea (Kaliningrad).  Historically, this area was well known as arable land, which was very suitable for agriculture.  At its height it was home to many different, Eastern European, ethnic groups, which included Slavic, Germanic, Tataric, Turkic, Armenian, Jewish, and Roma communities.  At that time, the Jewish population in the Pale of Settlement numbered 5 million people, which represented the largest group of this kind in the world.  However, during the end of the 19th century, many families were compelled to leave this place, as there were rising intercommunal tensions, caused by ruthless and competitive interests, which made life to become very hard, impoverished and oppressive, for other, more peaceable groups.  Thus there was a huge exodus of many people groupings from the Pale of Settlement after 1880, during WWI, the Russian Revolution (1917), and the Russian Civil War (1918 – 1922), prior to the mass murders of WWII, that had been orchestrated by bands of thugs affiliated to the Nazis.
In this respect, it may be important to remember that serfdom had continued in many parts of Europe, well beyond the 15th century CE, including in France, Germany and Switzerland.  In France alone, it is estimated that there were well over 700,000 serfs, whose serfdom was derived from tenure, in the regions of Burgundy and Franche-Comté, during 1789 CE.  It was only abolished in the aftermath of the French Revolution (1789 – 99 CE), which saw the ‘Emancipation of the Serfs’, and the gradual end of feudal society, with the violent end of the two hundred year old Bourbon-Capetian dynasty of Navarre (1589 – 1793 CE).  Notably, it was only thereafter, that the ‘Abolition of Slavery’ in the British Territories occurred, with the ending of the slave trade, in 1807.  This was finalised by the ending of slavery in 1833, through the dedicated campaigning of such individuals as William Wilberforce.  Later, the United States would follow suit, and emancipate their slaves with the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ in 1863, which was ratified in 1885.
Similarly, the Russian Emperor, Tsar Alexander II, decided to set the serfs free in the ‘Pale of Settlement’, as part of a modernization plan, to bring the Russian Empire into line with Western powers, in 1856.  This decision had been precipitated by failures during the Crimean War (1853 – 1856 CE), and by social unrest that had accompanied this period.  Thus, the abolition of serfdom had become a priority for the Russian Tsar, and a committee was formed for its emancipation, in 1857.  Eventually, the ‘Emancipation Manifesto’ (Edict and Acts) was finalised, in 1861.  However, this was a tenuous comprise between the self-interests of the nobility, government bureaucrats, merchant classes, and landed gentry, with the peasants being passive onlookers, during this whole deliberation!  The emancipation edict, along with its legislative acts, granted the serfs, who made up ~38% of the population, the freedoms and liberties of a citizen.  This would include the right to land and property, and the right to trade in goods and services, assisted by government loans and gradual land redistribution, through a ‘right-to-buy’ agreement with their landlords.  By 1881, 85% of the peasant population had become small landowners, but were still hugely burdened by redemption payments.  It was only after the Revolution of 1905, that all overdue redemptive payments were eventually nullified.
This occurrence coincided with the Industrial Revolution, which was a period of great economic and social change, in which methods of production underwent a massive overhaul, from small-scale manual-labour, to large-scale manufacturing, using machinery, centred around the production of coal, iron, steel, and textiles.  The Industrial Revolution started in Britain (1760 – 1830 CE), and its ideas were soon exported to Flanders, France, Germany, the North Americas, Japan and Russia, during the latter 18th to 19th centuries.  However, many agrarian occupations became redundant as a direct result of industrialisation, which freed up manual-labour resources, causing a mass exodus of the peasantry from rural communities to the mining communities, or the sweatshops of the growing urban centres.  This led to a rapid growth of populations in cities, due to mass urbanization, and the creation of new socio-political systems and powerful corporate structures, and thereby an increasingly fervent nationalistic consciousness.
However, these various groups from the Pale of Settlement, were later vilified as the so called ‘Red Hordes’ (Freemasons, Marxists, Communists and Socialists), through media propaganda, during the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939 CE; Falangists vs. Republic).  Thereafter, the Spanish Blue Division (“División Azul”), which was made up of Spanish volunteers (conscripts), would fight for the Nazi-German army on the Eastern Front, in the Pale of Settlement.  Notably, they included men from the Portuguese Legion and Portuguese Estado Novo, who had gained previous military experience whilst fighting under the Spanish flag, during the Spanish Civil War.
Notably, it was Portugal that had initiated the European slave trade, when Prince Henry the Navigator sent a trading expedition to Africa, in 1441 CE.  By 1444 CE, they had brought back 235 African slaves to Lagos, in Portugal, and by 1460 CE, Portuguese plantations off the west coast of Africa, had created the demand for more slaves.  This led to the establishment of Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast (now Ghana), the first slave fort of the Portuguese slave trade, in 1481 CE.  By the 17th century CE, Portugal was a major trader in African slaves, and was now supplying the newly created Spanish plantation colonies of the emerging Spanish Empire.  It is estimated that the Portuguese trafficked in excess of 4.5 million slaves in total, during this time.
Importantly, this subject matter is relevant when reflecting upon the past 450 to 550 years of recent human history, and the great upheavals that have taken place during that time.  That is to say, the cause and effect of industrialization and urbanization upon ‘rural’ populations, and all the major world conflicts that followed, which also included mass genocides.  There is no doubt, that this occurred as a direct consequence of the mechanization of all means of production, distribution, manufacture, and trade, which came hand in hand with (un)conventional warfare, and the industrialized war machine (comp. essentialism, causality, teleology).  With that most recent point in mind, one is always naturally moved to a deep place of emotional anguish and grief for all of the victims, and their families, that had experienced the trauma of uninhibited cruelty, gratuitous violence, and premeditated mass murder, which had been directed against them, as unarmed civilian populations.  One also naturally wonders, what were the reasons provided in justification for such inhuman, cold-blooded, and brutal acts of violence.  Was the mass slaughter of innocent civilian lives justified, simply on the basis of racial intolerance due to ethnic and tribal differences, or was it due to revenge and a past vendetta, or was there a geo-political reason, or even a theological justification, for such outright cruelty and violence?  No doubt, these events were also hugely motivated by greed and the frantic ‘land grab’ that characterized those times.

CLOSING

Having observed news stories from the recent past, within newspaper articles, documentaries, and a plethora of essays on history, one is left greatly bewildered as to how tragic events in human history were allowed to have occurred.  But the fact of the matter is, that they did occur, in spite of all the advances that had been made, up to those moments in time.  Moreover, these were not a set of historical events that could have been simply brushed aside, as if they were a natural disaster, but can be wholly defined as manmade in character.
These closing words may seem somewhat simplistic, but if we strive to cultivate a love for the natural world, and attempt to understand the fundamentals of existence, and thus learn to appreciate its diversity, we may be able to arrive at a better understanding of our own lives.  Thereby, we can learn to be more fair-minded and just in accepting, respecting and valuing, all the other ethnicities, languages, cultures and religions, that exist on our planet, in this emerging global village with its various people groupings.