The Paris Massacre - Part II

This past Sunday, 44 world leaders joined 1.5 million French citizens in a march through Paris in support of free speech and against the Islamic terrorists. Another 1.5 million French citizens were said to have marched in other cities throughout France. It was quite an impressive showing. But the leader of the free world? He could not make it.

We've heard all the excuses. It takes a lot of planning for the President to travel somewhere. There are security concerns, and so on. And I am sure he did not want to miss the NFL divisional playoffs. Democrat strategist Doug Schoen was so upset by Obama's absence, that he said that Obama "morally abdicated his place as the leader of the free world." So, really, why didn't Obama just go? Let's start at the very beginning - a very good place to start.

Recall Obama's father was a Muslim who hated the European colonial powers. Obama's first call from the White House in 2009 - to Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority. His first speech? To the Muslim world from Cairo, after inviting the then-banned Muslim Brotherhood to attend. Remember Obama bowing to the Saudi King?

Obama has banned the use of the words "radical Islam," "Islamic terror" and so on from use in his Administration. When a radical Islamic soldier murdered 13 people and wounded dozens of others at Fort Hood in 2009, remember what Obama called it? An act of "workplace violence." And one of my favorites among the many Obama lies: "ISIL (aka ISIS) is not Islamic." And notice he is full steam ahead in releasing the terrorists held at Guantanamo.

Still not convinced about where Obama has his allegiances? Here is what he said at the UN General Assembly in September, 2012: "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam." And what did Charlie Hebdo do? Make fun of the prophet of Islam. Anyone think Obama would stand up and defend that? You think some notion of "free speech" is more important to him than his ideology? Then you are dreaming.

So, what's to be done about the threat of radical Islam? It is a two-pronged approach. One approach must come from within Islam, and was recently expressed by none other than Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "It's inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire umma (Muslim world) to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world...Is it possible that 1.6 billion (Muslims) should want to kill the rest of the world's inhabitants - that is 7 billion - so that they themselves may live?" Obama is no fan of al-Sisi, as he overthrew the radical terror group that had been elected to lead Egypt - the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Sisi went on to say that Islam needed a "religious revolution." Important words; and let's hope we hear more of the same from other Muslim leaders.

What else should be done? I think Retired Colonel Ralph Peters, a Fox News commentator, got this part right. He said that we need to kill radical Islamic extremists everywhere around the world. Of course, no such action will be taken by this President. Rather, this President has the US in retreat. Retreat from Iraq, retreat from Afghanistan, closing Guantanamo, reducing the size and strength of our military. The result is that ISIS, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and Boko Haram and the like, are taking over ever growing swaths of land. This is land from which they will train terrorists to be able to go to Western countries - including the US - and carry out further attacks.

Some of my liberal Jewish friends, having voted for Obama, are now sick of him. But how will they vote next time? Will gay marriage, abortion, immigration and the environment carry the day over self-survival? Because we need to be honest. While there is no guarantee that a Republican President will restore our military and do what is needed to go on the offensive and defeat radical Islam, we do know that no Democrat (Hillary or any other) is up to the task.

One last point. Is it time? Is it time for the Jews of France, in particular, and of Europe in general, to leave? This is a difficult subject. But at what point did some Jews in Germany see the proverbial handwriting on the wall - and leave to save their families. Yes, there are differences. No country is engaging in genocide as Germany did during the Holocaust. The Times of Israel reported that 45% of Jews in Britain fear they have no future in that country; and 58% are concerned there is no long-term future for the Jews anywhere in Europe. In a related poll, it was found that 45% of Britains held at least one anti-Semitic view. (Poll results from the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism.)

Was Netanyahu right in calling for Jews to come home to Israel? Please let me hear from you.