Our Real Enemies
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on her way to Israel and will be the first non-President/king to speak in the Knesset- in German. Her proposed German speech has ingited protests from numerous quarters and five MKs plan to boycott it. A surprising threat to boycott the Tuesday afternoon session has come from left-wing MK Shelly Yechimovitch (Labor), daughter of Holocaust survivors.
"I will not be present when Merkel speaks." Yechimovitch said. "A speech in German from the Knesset podium, when it is not an absolute must, is very insensitive towards the Holocaust survivors, for whom German is the language of their torturers."
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union), as well as Likud MKs Limor Livnat, Yisrael Katz, and MK Yitzchak Levy (National Union) also plan to boycott the event.
This seems pretty pety and pointless. Merkel is very supportive of Israel, at least for a European. I am in no way trying to demean or minimize the Holocaust and yet, these boycotts do nothing but endanger the good relations between Israel and Germany. 60 years since the Holocaust, most of the criminals who killed Jews, as well as practically the entire shameful generation that supported Hitler and Nazism, are either dead or very old. Why should it offend these MKs if a German chancellor, repentant and regretful for the Holocaust, and supportive of Israel, speaks before the Knesset in German?
It seems like the Jewish people are stuck in the past and while this has often been one of our great strengths, today it seems to be a weakness. Today, there exist large groups and organizations devoted to our destruction, to bringing about a Second Holocaust with suicide bombings, hatchets, machine guns and terror attacks. The hatred of the Arabs, of Hamas and of Hizbullah, towards the Jews is no less than that of the Nazis. It is time for us not to forget about the Holocaust, but to concentrate on preventing it from happening again. If these MKs are upset about Merkel speaking before the Knesset in German, why do they not react when:
- Israel's first Muslim Arab government member - Minister of Science, Culture and Sports Raleb Majadle - refuses to sing Israel's national anthem, HaTikvah?
- No Arab member of the Knesset has condemned the massacre in the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva on Rosh Chodesh Adar? (Incidentally, the Nazis often waited for Jewish holy days to murder Jews.)
- Founder of the Balad Party (National Democratic Assembly) Azmi Bishara fled to Syria for supporting Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War?
- Balad leader, Jamal Zahalka, said, "Anyone who chooses to volunteer to the National Service will be considered (by the Israeli Arab society) a leper and the Arab society will have nothing to do with them." ?
Knesset members, instead of boycotting the speech of a foreign leader who in no way participated in the Holocaust, should demand the expulsion of Arab members of Knesset, many of whom have made statements against the Israel, incited Arabs to murder and shown quite clearly where their loyalties lie. We cannot bring the 6 million who perished in the Holocaust back but the best tribute to their memories would be to prevent more Jews from being murdered and by prosecuting those who encourage anti-Jewish attacks. No Arab member of Knesset has denounced the slaying of teenagers studying Torah in Mercaz HaRav. Such damning silence should ring loug and clear and prove without a shadow of a doubt that the Arab MKs are not loyal to the state and are instruments of terror and jihad. Merkel is no Nazi and it is really disgraceful to prevent her from speaking in her native tongue, despite any unpleasant mental associations. (I freely admit that the sound of spoken German sets my skin on fire.) Israel has permitted Arab leaders and permits Arab MKs to speak in Arabic, the language that thousands of Jews heard being screamed at them, Allah being praised, before being machine-gunned to death or blown up. Arabic is one of the official languages of Israel!
As I write this, Rabbi Yechezkel Greenwald, father of four, is in Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital after being stabbed in the neck by an Arab terrorist near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday morning. There are also warnings of attacks during the Purim holidays by Hizbullah since it coincides with the close of the 40-day Muslim mourning period for the Hizbullah terror organization’s second-in-command, Imad Mughniyeh. Mughniyeh was assassinated in Syria. The 40-day mark is a favorite among terrorists for carrying out revenge attacks.
Ban Arabic from the Knesset. Do not let any non-Jew serve in Israel's government and expel the Arab fifth-column from the State. While the Holocaust is still very painful for us, we must destroy the new Nazis, those who danced and gave out sweets after hearing of the "glorious martyrdom operation" in Jerusalem. Let these MKs stop protesting symbols and save their outrage for our real enemies. "Never Again" does not just mean never again in Germany; "Never Again" means never again will we allow Jews to be murdered because they are Jews, for us to be demonized and dehumanized, for Jewish blood to be cheap. Let us recognize our foes: the modern day Nazis are the Islamofascist terror groups. They are the ones we should reserve our fury for.
4 comments:
Should Sarkozy be allowed the speak French in the Knesset since the Vichy regime were collaborators?
Should Russian be allowed since the Czar, plus the Soviets, were certainly no friends to the Jews?
What about Spanish? The Inquistion was one of the worst disasters against the Jewish people ever.
There is no nation that has not harmed or hated us. However, the Germans of today should not be responsible for the crimes of their grandparents. There is no way to atone for the Holocaust and yet I cannot but feel that it is wrong to blame modern day Germans. Do not think that it is easy for me. Right after Pesach, I will be going on a two week March of the Living to Poland, to see the detah camps, and then to Israel. The sound of German makes me nervous. I honestly cannot understand how someone can live in Germany proudly. And still, the Germans of today are prisoners of their shameful fast. If the German gov't has apologized numerous times, and "compensated" Holocaust survivors, what more can we ask for? We should hate the modern day countries of Eastern Europe based on their present anti-semitism. The Poles are not regretful, and neither are the Lithuanians as many others. But the Germans have apologized again and again and built many monuments. I am not forgiving them. I just think that the protest is a waste of energy.
PS Did Rabbi Kahane mention the ban in one of his writings? If it online?
I agree with you, BK. The German govt of today is not the threat to us that Iran is. Israel faces tremendous danger from all sides, including those in our own govt...
Merkel has been very sensitive and has made a great effort to build a bridge between Germany and Israel.
This isn't the first time a German head of state has addressed the Knesset in German. The opposition is not a new, since there were some opponents when, in 2000, the then President of Germany, Johannes Rau, spoke in German when he became the first German head of state to address the Knesset, delivering an impassioned appeal for "forgiveness for what Germans have done". Several Knesset members boycotted that address and another similar one five years later by the present President Horst Koehler.
It is time to focus our energy toward the enemies that pose a clear and present danger to Israel.
BK,
What an awesome post! While cognizant of the horrible crimes perpetrated by German citizens during Hitler's reign, whether SS or silent citizens, I applaud Merkel for her personal and national repentance as Germany's leader. People like Merkel, leaders of major countries, don't make public overtures of repentance toward the Jewish people for her country's previous crimes unless it is truly heart-felt. If I were Israeli, I would appreciate every true friend of Israel who means to support and protect the rights of Israel and Jewish peoples within the boarders of their nations wherever they currently reside.
G-d bless you! I hope all is well with you!
Shalom,
Deborah
P.S. I just finished reading Elie Weisel's book, "Night". Oh, my goodness, what an awesome story... and written so well! Mr. Weisil may come speak at our fund-raiser for Assaf Harofeh hospital - ttp://ahmc.netguide.co.il/
Kahaneloyalist is absolutely right. I support the MK's who will ban the Knesset session in which Merkel is allowed to speak German at the Knesset podium because the German language will ALWAYS be synonimous with Hitler's(mach shmo ve'zichro) speeches and with the Holocaust. I think we, as a people, should forgive the Germans for their deeds because of their government's continual support of Israel and the fight on terrorism but we should never, ever forget and allowing anyone to speak German at the Knesset podium is a lot worse, in my mind than allowing an Arab MK to speak in Arabic as the likes of Ahmad Tibi have made a practice of doing.
To be sure, I don't think any language save for Hebrew and English should be allowed to be spoken from the Knesset podium and any MK who wishes to do otherwise should be banned from the Knesset.
Deborah: I love your little diatrides and ahh by the way I wonder what your real name is...Pretending to be someone you're not;-)
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