Broadly speaking, there are four levels of Jew-hatred – or anti-Semitism, if you prefer. Level One is the off-color Jewish remark at a dinner party where no Jews are at the table. Level Two is the same remark at a dinner party meant to be heard by Jews who are present. Level Three is reached when the man making the remarks is compelled to physically strike out at Jews. Level Four is the same as Level Three except now the Jew-hater will launch an assault even if it brings harm to himself.
Like Karl Marx’s theory of uneven development, Jew-hatred reaches different stages of development in different parts of the world. For example, here in America we’ve recently crossed over to Level Two – think Rick Sanchez, Helen Thomas, Gen. James Jones, Christopher Hitchens and Andrew Sullivan. For its part, modern Europe has advanced to Level Three, and the Mideast is a region that has sustained Level Four from at least the British Mandate to the present.
Over all, the worldwide trend is obvious. Jew-hatred is trending up, moving toward a crescendo not seen since the Second World War. Which brings us to Israel, politically the only thing new under the sun since 1776. There are some Israeli voices (read Caroline Glick right here) warning the rest of us that if the Jihad overruns Israel it will be the West’s turn next. In spite of, or in light of that, I can only advise Caroline Glick and all Israelis that they better be prepared for a very lonely battle and their top priority should be building the will and the forces to fend for themselves.
Her warning may be true; once the West feeds Israel to the crocodile the beast will turn on us. But our track record here indicates the warning will be sneered at and passed off as self-serving, and by then it’ll be too late to do Israel, or the rest of us, any good. On the other hand, I can offer a word of hope: Tikkun! If Israel vanquishes its enemies, makes them pay a price for a change, and so saves herself, it might be enough to save the rest of us from ourselves.
Dan Friedman
NYC
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Will The Urge to Destroy The Jews Undermine The West Again?................by Dan Friedman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
About one-third of all serious Nobel Prizes have been won by Jews.
Even those capable of simple humanity might, considering their intellectual contribution, rethink the wisdom of antisemitism.
I think Caroline Glick ignores a very big caveat: if the "crocodile" succeeds in destroying Israel, it will itself be completely annihilated in the process.
If Israel is destined to go down in flames, there will be thermonuclear retaliation to all of its enemies (present AND past) before Israel's demise is complete.
Perhaps the West is counting on exactly such a scenario.
hitchens is becoming more and more idiotic every day
Post a Comment