Year End Reflections, Part II (Are The Jewish People Safe Anywhere?)

It turns out that all the member countries of the European Union are signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.  The United States and Israel are not.  While Canada, and a number of EU members have said they would enforce the arrest warrant should Netanyahu set foot in their countries, some are on the fence.  Agreeing to enforce the arrest warrant are the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Lithuania, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria and Slovenia. It appears that Germany is backing off, given what we might say is their rather blemished history vis-a-vis the Jewish people.

Josep Borrell is the EU Foreign Policy chief.  As such, he declared that every EU member is obligated to execute the arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister.  Borrell's comments took a rather nasty turn when he also said:  "I have the right to criticise the decisions of the Israeli government, be it Mr. Netanyahu or someone else, without being accused of antisemitism.  This is not acceptable.  That's enough."  There are two words that I have for Mr. Borrell, words that I do not use in the blog, unless those words are in a quote from someone else.  You know what I mean.

Why do I say that?  The ICC was a creature of the UNGA, although it is independent of that body.  But it maintains the same anti-Israel attitude as the UN.  For example, according to UN Watch, from 2015 through 2024, the UNGA has passed how many resolutions concerning Israel?  164!  And the rest of the world combined?  84.  How about the UN Human Rights Council?  Surely they must have condemned Russia and Iran and Syria more than Israel.  Nope.  From 2006 through 2024, the UNHRC passed 108 resolutions against Israel.  And the really bad actors in the world?  Venezuela, 3.  Russia, 8.  Iran, 15.  And Syria, 44.

But surely Israel's war with Hamas has resulted in far more civilian deaths than elsewhere, right?  Nope again.  The Syrian civil war, from 5/21 through 3/24, resulted in an estimated 580,000 to 617,000 deaths.  Sudan's civil war?  Over 61,000 civilian deaths.  Russia's war with Ukraine?  Estimated at 1 million by the WSJ, including fighting troops on both sides.  How about in Gaza in the latest war?  44,000 is the number frequently reported.  I would bet many of my readers are aware of the 44,000 in Gaza.  The DP-MSMC reports on it daily.  Would anybody have a clue as to the other numbers?

So, what is the explanation for this non-stop reporting of civilian casualties in Gaza?  What is the explanation for these non-stop anti-Israel resolutions at the UN?  It's antisemitism, Mr. Borrell, you #%$&@!  Unless you care to debate me as to why you believe that Israel is the worst country on the face of the earth, you sonofabitch!  (Oops.)  Mike Waltz is Trump's choice for National Security Adviser.  Said Waltz:  "You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January."  That may be the toughest language he can use before assuming his office. 

Chabad is the fastest growing branch of Judaism.  Personally, I have found the sermons given by the Chabad Rabbis to be the most inspiring and meaningful.  Chabad sends young Rabbis, known as emissaries, all over the world to minister to Jews wherever they might live.  Recently, a 28 year old Rabbi, Zvi Kogan, was kidnapped and murdered in the UAE.  His body was found in Abu Dhabi.  Israel considers it to have been a terrorist attack.  While the UAE says they have arrested the likely perpetrators, I would have preferred that they were captured by the Mossad, and dealt with accordingly.  (If it turns out that Iran had a hand in his death, I don't doubt that the Mossad will find out and then act accordingly.)  May Rabbi Kogan's memory forever be a blessing to his family.      

How are Jews faring here in America?  More of the same at Columbia University.  More pro-Hamas protests in NY and NJ.  At the University of Rochester, these pro-Hamas people put up hundreds of "wanted" posters with the names of Jewish faculty members.  At the University of Washington, the President's home and car were both vandalized with anti-Israel messages. such as "Free Palestine," and "Blood on your hands."  The inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to target Jews, was also seen. 

I am so grateful that President Trump will be back in office soon.  (See the Mike Waltz comment above.)  Also, here is what President-elect Trump had to say about all the antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere.  "My first week back in the Oval Office, my Administration will inform every college president that if you do not end antisemitic propaganda they will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support."  

And this:  "I will inform every educational institution in our land that if they permit violence, harassment, or threats against Jewish students, the schools will be held accountable for violations of the civil rights law.  Jewish Americans must have equal protection under the law.  They're going to get it."  Not sure what else to say about that other than  "Welcome back, Mr. President, and Amen." 

Year End Reflections, Part I (Are The Jewish People Safe Anywhere?)

(Note.  It may be a little bit early to start my Year End Reflections.  But we have two major stories this year.  One is the attack on Israel and on Jews everywhere.  The other, of course, is the return of Donald Trump to the White House.  There are other major stories, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine.  But the rising Jew hatred and antisemitism, along with the reelection of Donald Trump, are the major stories affecting our country.)

There are so many disturbing stories, it is difficult to know where to start.  This may be hard to believe, but while Israel has been in a fight for its survival since October 7, 2023, self-hating Jewish Senator Bernard Sanders introduced resolutions seeking to cut off military aid to Israel.  Now maybe you might think that with our close ally Israel at war for over a year (against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Syria, Iraq and Iran) and with 100,000 Israelis being displaced from their homes in the north and south, with Hamas promising another October 7 style attack "over and over and over again," with Hezbollah having fired 8000 rockets and missiles into Israel since last October 7, with Iran launching hundreds of missiles into Israel, (anyway you get the picture) that Sanders would not be able to get more than a handful of Senators to go along with his Israel-hating resolutions.  You would be wrong.

Currently, the Senate consists of 49 Republicans, 47 Democrats and 4 Independents.  As the Independents caucus with the Democrats, the Democrats control the Senate.  Not a single Republican voted for these resolutions.  But 17 Democrats and 2 Independents did.  Imagine that.  That amounts to over 37% of the Democratic caucus voting against aid to Israel.  I think it's important to name these Senators.  Independents:  Sanders (Vt), and Angus King (Maine).  The Democrats:  Durbin (Ill), Heinrich (NM), Hirono (Hawaii), Kaine (Va), Lujan (NM), Markey (Mass), Merkley (Ore), Murphy (Conn), Ossoff (Ga), Schatz (Hawaii), Shaheen (NH), Smith (Minn), Van Hollen (Md), Warnock (Ga), Warren (Mass), Welch (Vt), and Helmy (NJ).  Baldwin (Wis) voted "present.."

You may have heard about the violence in Montreal committed by a pro-Hamas crowd.  It was organized by a group called "Divest for Palestine."  This group smashed store windows, lit cars on fire, and generally engaged in antisemitic violence.  (Yes, they also opposed NATO.)  And where was Prime Minister Trudeau at the time?  Dancing at a Taylor Swift concert.  More on Trudeau in a minute. 

The Toronto Sun editorial of November 23 had this title:  "Jew hatred is now a national emergency."  The Sun:  "...some demonstrators have gone beyond calling for the destruction of Israel to advocate for the extermination of Jews in Canada and around the world."  Jews are less than 1% of the population in Canada, and .001875% of the world's population.  According to the paper, police report a skyrocketing of "hate crimes against Jews."  And this sad commentary:  "Jews have been targeted and threatened in the communities where they live, work, worship and go to school - both at the elementary and university levels."  

At a recent soccer match in Amsterdam between the Dutch team, Ajax, and the Israeli team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, things did not end peacefully.  Ajax apparently has both Arab Muslim and Jewish fans in the Netherlands.  There were claims that Maccabi fans yelled insults at the Arabs.  But there were violent attacks against Israelis at the game.  Some described it as nothing short of a pogrom against the Jews.  It was so bad that Israel sent 6 EL AL planes to rescue the Jews from Amsterdam.  What?  Jews had to be rescued from Europe?  That sounds appallingly familiar.  Yet, Jews were also attacked at a soccer game in Berlin.  

Last week, the the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.  Of course, this is all related to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas and others.  The ICC has jurisdiction over signatories to its establishment.  The US and Israel are not signatories.  And the Court made up a Palestinian state in Gaza, in order to justify the warrants.  As the Democratic Party-Mainstream Media frequently reports, the ICC asserts too many civilian deaths in Gaza and insufficient humanitarian aid/intentional starvation of the civilian population of Gaza.

But, as the Wall Street Journal has reported:  the Israeli "military may have achieved the lowest ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths in the history of urban warfare."  That's because Israel warns civilians to leave a building or an area before they attack.  But Hamas does not want them to leave.  They know that the more civilian deaths there are, the more the fools in the Western world will side with Hamas.  The Journal also says that the claim of starvation is "absurd."  "Israel has facilitated the transfer of more than 57,000 aid trucks and 1.1 million tons of aid, even though Hamas's  rampant theft means Israel is provisioning its battlefield enemy, something the law can't require."