The "Oldest Hatred" (Mark Steyn Looks At Mankind's Enduring Hatred Of The Jew Alert)

In Toronto, anti-Israel demonstrators yell “You are the brothers of pigs!”, and a protestor complains to his interviewer that “Hitler didn’t do a good job.”

In Fort Lauderdale, Palestinian supporters sneer at Jews, “You need a big oven, that’s what you need!”

In Paris, the state-owned TV network France-2 broadcasts film of dozens of dead Palestinians killed in an Israeli air raid on New Year’s Day. The channel subsequently admits that, in fact, the footage is not from January 1st 2009 but from 2005, and, while the corpses are certainly Palestinian, they were killed when a truck loaded with Hamas explosives detonated prematurely while leaving the Jabaliya refugee camp in another of those unfortunate work-related accidents to which Gaza is sadly prone. Conceding that the Palestinians supposedly killed by Israel were, alas, killed by Hamas, France-2 says the footage was broadcast “accidentally.”

In Toulouse, a synagogue is firebombed; in Bordeaux, two kosher butchers are attacked; at the Auber RER train station, a Jewish man is savagely assaulted by 20 youths taunting, “Palestine will kill the Jews;” in Villiers-le-Bel, a Jewish schoolgirl is brutally beaten by a gang jeering, “Jews must die.”

In Helsingborg, the congregation at a Swedish synagogue takes shelter as a window is broken and burning cloths thrown in; in Odense, principal Olav Nielsen announces that he will no longer admit Jewish children to the local school after a Dane of Lebanese extraction goes to the shopping mall and shoots two men working at the Dead Sea Products store; in Brussels, a Molotov cocktail is hurled at a Belgian synagogue; in Antwerp, lit rags are pushed through the mail flap of a Jewish home; and, across the Channel, “youths” attempt to burn the Brondesbury Park Synagogue.

In London, the police advise British Jews to review their security procedures because of potential revenge attacks. The Sun reports “fears” that “Islamic extremists” are drawing up a “hit list” of prominent Jews, including the Foreign Secretary, Amy Winehouse’s record producer, and the late Princess of Wales’s divorce lawyer. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Islamic non-extremists from the British Muslim Forum, the Islamic Foundation and other impeccably respectable “moderate” groups have warned the government that the Israelis’ “disproportionate force” in Gaza risks inflaming British Muslims, “reviving extremist groups”, and provoking “UK terrorist attacks” — not against Amy Winehouse’s record producer and other sinister members of the International Jewish Conspiracy but against targets of, ah, more general interest.

Forget, for the moment, Gaza. Forget that the Palestinian people are the most comprehensively wrecked people on the face of the earth. For the past sixty years they have been entrusted to the care of the United Nations, the Arab League, the PLO, Hamas and the “global community” — and the results are pretty much what you’d expect. You would have to be very hardhearted not to weep at the sight of dead Palestinian children, but you would also have to accord a measure of blame to the Hamas officials who choose to use grade schools as launch pads for Israeli-bound rockets, and to the UN refugee agency that turns a blind eye to it. And, even if you don’t deplore Fatah and Hamas for marinating their infants in a sick death cult in which martyrdom in the course of Jew-killing is the greatest goal to which a citizen can aspire, any fair-minded visitor to the West Bank or Gaza in the decade and a half in which the “Palestinian Authority” has exercised sovereign powers roughly equivalent to those of the nascent Irish Free State in 1922 would have to concede that the Palestinian “nationalist movement” has a profound shortage of nationalists interested in running a nation, or indeed capable of doing so. There is fault on both sides, of course, and Israel has few good long-term options. But, if this was a conventional ethno-nationalist dispute, it would have been over long ago.

So, as I said, forget Gaza. And instead ponder the reaction to Gaza in Scandinavia, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and golly, even Florida. As the delegitimization of Israel has metastasized, we are assured that criticism of the Jewish state is not the same as anti-Semitism. We are further assured that anti-Zionism is not the same as anti-Semitism, which is a wee bit more of a stretch. Only Israel attracts an intellectually respectable movement querying its very existence. For the purposes of comparison, let’s take a state that came into existence at the exact same time as the Zionist Entity, and involved far bloodier population displacements. I happen to think the creation of Pakistan was the greatest failure of post-war British imperial policy. But the fact is that Pakistan exists, and if I were to launch a movement of anti-Pakism it would get pretty short shrift.

But, even allowing for that, what has a schoolgirl in Villiers-le-Bel to do with Israeli government policy? Just last month terrorists attacked Bombay, seized hostages, tortured them, killed them, and mutilated their bodies. The police intercepts of the phone conversations between the terrorists and their controllers make for lively reading:

“Pakistan caller 1: ‘Kill all hostages, except the two Muslims. Keep your phone switched on so that we can hear the gunfire.’

“Mumbai terrorist 2: ‘We have three foreigners, including women. From Singapore and China.’

“(Voices of gunmen can be heard directing hostages to stand in a line, and telling two Muslims to stand aside. Sound of gunfire. Sound of cheering voices.)”

“Kill all hostages, except the two Muslims.” Tough for those Singaporean women. Yet no mosques in Singapore have been attacked. The large Hindu populations in London, Toronto, and Fort Lauderdale have not shouted “Muslims must die!” or firebombed Halal butchers or attacked hijab-clad schoolgirls. CAIR and other Muslim lobby groups’ eternal bleating about “Islamophobia” is in inverse proportion to any examples of it. Meanwhile, “moderate Muslims” in London warn the government: “I’m a peaceful fellow myself, but I can’t speak for my excitable friends. Nice little G7 advanced western democracy you got here. Shame if anything were to happen to it.”

But why worry about European Muslims? The European political and media class essentially shares the same view of the situation — to the point where state TV stations are broadcasting fake Israeli “war crimes.” As I always say, the “oldest hatred” didn’t get that way without an ability to adapt: Once upon a time on the Continent, Jews were hated as rootless cosmopolitan figures who owed no national allegiance. So they became a conventional nation state, and now they’re hated for that. And, if Hamas get their way and destroy the Jewish state, the few who survive will be hated for something else. So it goes.

But Jew-hating has consequences for the Jew-hater, too. A few years ago the poet Nizar Qabbani wrote an ode to the intifada:

You can just about understand why living in Gaza would teach you madness. The enthusiastic adoption of the same pathologies by mainstream Europe is even more deranged — and in the end will prove just as self-destructive.

A look from Mark Steyn at mankind's enduring hatred: anti-Semitism. Its must background reading essential to understand the kerfuffle surrounding Israel and Gaza. And whatnot with the Jews and the world.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

IMHO, the Jewish community has always been very strong in holding on to their values and not conforming to demands of whatever invading society comes in. All of their history is a struggle to retain their values and identity. When you don’t bend over and capitulate, you are made a scapegoat by whatever despot is in charge because you stand out.

The courage of their conviction has been a hard burden but is also why they are a good example for us and we should learn from them as much as possible.

To be fair, it’s understandable that so many would hate a people group that has from its inception claimed to be set apart and chosen by God to the exclusion of all others - especially in Old Testament times when this meant completely wiping out other groups in “their” land. You can’t do this and expect to be popular (even if it is in fact right).

especially in Old Testament times when this meant completely wiping out other groups in “their” land...

This was the norm among all societies at the time, even centuries and millennia after. The Jewish people had the problem(for lack of a better term) in that they documented this history instead of sweeping it away. Much civilization was based on the areas where this documentation was written, so this history of the time seems to be unique to them and held against them. Make sense?

The Jews adopted and preserved the Canaanite language and since they and their pagan neighbors spoke Hebrew, it was very difficult for them to preserve their identity. The northern kingdom of Israel couldn't do it and vanished. The southern kingdom of Judah descended from the House Of David held on to the traditions and faith and managed to preserve those even in exile. By the time the Babylonians conquered Judah and laid waste to the First Temple, Judah, the middle of the original twelve sons of David, was the only survivor. And the tough one. As they say, the rest was history...

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

In America at least, the Jews seem complicit in all this with their constant support for the left. Hollywood has told them that white Christian males are their big boogieman so they seemingly follow along.

Is this true in Europe also?

Hatred of Jews is irrational. The only way you can explain it is to read the Bible. If they are God’s chosen people then everybody who hates God will hate them, too.

Their warmest friends among Christians are those who believe what the Bible says; God will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse His people.

America is doomed if she ever stops supporting Israel.

I wouldn't say that's true of secular Jews... they are endangered. In another century, the Jewish world will look very different from what it looks like right now, assuming Israel survives. I meant to say in my last post the sons of Jacob, since all the Israelite tribes were descended from him. Be as it as it may, a single nation turned to be easier to maintain than the original confederacy of the twelve, which is what ancient Israel essentially was. However, the differences between modern Jews and their biblical forbears is insignificant. The same God is worshipped and the same language can be heard in Israel just as it was in antiquity. In contrast, every other ancient people has disappeared into the mists of time. Mankind's true miracle is the story of the survival of the Jews.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

This article is frightening. We can't look at this any more as some problem in the far-away Middle East, the Muslims have made sure of that and brought it to the West, and amazingly enough, found sympathisers in both word and deed from amongst supposedly "civilised" societies. After everything they've done and are doing, and the hatred against the Jews is spreading!!!! What is wrong in this world, everything is upside-down, black is white, evil is good.

America is doomed if she ever stops supporting Israel.

I agree. I think we are doomed at some point in the future, whether near or far, because amongst other things, we will discontinue support of Israel. It's already begun.

The Moslems hatred of the Jews is about as ancient as it could be. It started when the Jews of Medina refused to accept Mohammed as a prophet and refused to convert and become his followers. All the tribes were eventually attacked and driven from Medina, and some 750 murdered from the last remaining tribe.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=M&artid=326

The kids in the sand box in the Middle East ought to ponder the question - if and when the Pali’s destroy Israel, what country is next? Egypt? Jordan? Does anyone really think the Pali’s will suddenly become merchants, loving housewives and maids in waiting?

Great point. The “hatred” is not directed against them just for being Jews but rather the imperial sense of superiority that is perceived from their lopsided behaviour because it was not long ago that the whole world ganged up on South Africa over FAR LESS ELITIST attitudes. The old White South African government could never have gotten away with bombing the liar of their perceived enemies -even after the brutal Church Street Bombing- in the manner that Israel has & this should be cause for concern.

“To be fair, it’s understandable that so many would hate a people group ..”

So go ahead and kill them, is that your message?

Great point. The “hatred” is not directed against them just for being Jews but rather the imperial sense of superiority

Or perhaps because the standard of living and achievements in eduction, science, business, and most all fields of endeavor in Israel puts all Muslim nations to shame. Without oil wealth, the Arab/Muslim world would be little more prosperous than the world's poorest nations. Envy, and an ancient hatred that started with Mohommed, as I discussed in #12.

Some of the leading anti-communists and anti-PCers are Jewish, both in Hollywood and elsewhere. Unfortunately they face blacklisting by the reds and the liberals in the movie industry but a new movement is in formation to fight the Left and the jihadists.

The same for writers. Some of the best anti-communist and anti-jihadist writers are Jewish, both in the US and abroad (France, England).

The secular Left has tried to suppress them just like anyone else but we Jews are tough and are finally fighting back, and taking no prisoners.

I always thought most societies at the time would enslave the people they conquered (which is specifically why God had to command them not to do that, for fear it would corrupt them). It was pretty clear other societies such as the Philistines didn't consider themselves and their gods special in the same way the Jews did, and they were happy to settle for subjugating and extracting tribute from their enemies rather than wiping them out.

Israel’s case is a bit different, I would say, they are surrounded by countries who want their annihilation. Completely and totally. And what sense of superiority? The Muslims look down on them and call them pigs and worse, and regardless of what they perceive about Israel one way or another, they are dedicated to nothing less than the annihilation of Israel, and Jews world-wide if they can. And Muslim hatred and butchery isn’t confined to Jews-they hate everybody, if they ever did manage to kill all the Jews and all the “infidel”, they’d start on each other again. They act like savagery and murder are their nature. Even the so-called “moderates” won’t disown their terrorist brethren.

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