Thoughts On The Anniversary of Kristallnacht

The more things don’t change, the more they stay the same. Just ask Germany. This week marks the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass,” when the Nazi regime began its mass effort at purging Germany of its Jews. From the destruction of Jewish property and houses of worship, to the deportation of tens of thousands of Jews to concentration camps, Kristallnacht is a nightmare that continues to haunt Jewish consciousness. So how did Germans mark the anniversary? By bedecking the walls of a new Dresden synagogue with swastikas.

A study for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs states:

“There are no effective, large-scale activities against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and the majority of Germans would not support them. Although certain individuals and organizations try to put the problem on the agenda, this is much more cosmetics than a successful strategy.

“...resolutions by the German parliament to reject anti-Semitism…are ineffective actions…presented to the world as a strong defense against the charge of anti-Semitism."

The more things don't change, the more they stay the same.

In the wake of the issuing of the Goldstone report, and the collective fallout of Operation Cast Lead, we have heard much about human rights…for Arabs. We have heard virtually nothing from the world community regarding the human rights of Jews. I have argued here that the reason for this is obvious…our people in exile have always been “other.” With the redemption of our nation’s homeland Israel is not seen as the historic sovereign homeland of the Jewish people, it is the country bestowed upon the people of “other.” We are scorned and hated in exile. We are hated for asserting our sovereignty in our land. We are hated for defending ourselves. We are hated for doggedly refusing to die.

When idiotic Americans, Jews among them, march in the streets with signs saying “Smash the Jewish state,” and “Globalize the Intifada,” without so much as a word of condemnation from the illuminati of the human rights community, it is quite clear where Jews stand…not quite close enough to the edge of the death pit for the world’s liking.

Now we are forced to endure a man in the White House who openly advocates a racist policy against us in our own land, condemning Jewish construction, while condoning illegal Arab construction. In his defense, the only difference between Marack and previous presidents is that they kept their Jew hate behind closed doors, while promulgating racist policies that prevent an American Jew born in Jerusalem from declaring they are born in Israel, this in addition to not even having our capital recognized by our supposed dear friend, America. The White House has, and continues to value the oil and money of our enemies over the blood of Jews. The State of Israel should act accordingly.

Like Shylock in The Merchant of Venice I have to ask my own questions: If we find love shall we not marry? If we marry, shall we not have children? If we have children, shall we not build homes for them? Shall we not build schools for them? If our enemies move against us, shall we not kill them first? If our enemies, with whom we are expected to negotiate, have openly declared they seek our death, shall we not eradicate them?

Over the bloody course of our history, how many Jewish mothers and fathers have been forced to watch their children die at the hands of their enemies? How many Jewish children have been made orphans?

When the world stands by silently while Jews are incinerated in buses, markets, restaurants, discothèques, shot at, and rocketed; when there is no outcry when swastikas appear on the walls of synagogues the week of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when the world community lines up to condemn Israel for the most basic right of any sovereign nation, that of self-defense, it is quite clear that the world does not care about the answers to those questions. In spite of this, we continue to serve the world. Whether it is Latet, Shevet Achim, Magen David Adom, or any other of the great number of altruistic, life saving organizations created, run, and administered by Jews, by Israelis, we continue to bring healing and help to those in need, even as the world resents our existence, and attempts to deny us the most basic human freedoms.

If the world cared more about supporting the human rights of Jews than it does attempting to strip them from us, there would be no rockets falling on Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Be’er Sheva. There would not be yet another generation of Israeli youth being raised on running to bomb shelters, another generation of Israelis growing up in a society of collective post traumatic stress.

And so, when the world once again sits on its hands as our enemies come to kill us, or tries to twist our arms behind our backs to force us to give up our land to our enemies, I respectfully extend my middle finger at the world and say, “Go to hell.”