On Jew-Hatred in Europe

(This is a translation of the full version of an article previously posted in a shorter form.)

Originally published in Corriere della Sera. Translation by Chris and Paola Newman.

I find it shameful that in Italy there should be a procession of individuals dressed as suicide bombers who spew vile abuse at Israel, hold up photographs of Israeli leaders on whose foreheads they have drawn the swastika, incite people to hate the Jews. And who, in order to see Jews once again in the extermination camps, in the gas chambers, in the ovens of Dachau and Mauthausen and Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen et cetera, would sell their own mother to a harem.

I find it shameful that the Catholic Church should permit a bishop, one with lodgings in the Vatican no less, a saintly man who was found in Jerusalem with an arsenal of arms and explosives hidden in the secret compartments of his sacred Mercedes, to participate in that procession and plant himself in front of a microphone to thank in the name of God the suicide bombers who massacre the Jews in pizzerias and supermarkets. To call them “martyrs who go to their deaths as to a party.”

I find it shameful that in France, the France of Liberty-Equality-Fraternity, they burn synagogues, terrorize Jews, profane their cemeteries. I find it shameful that the youth of Holland and Germany and Denmark flaunt the kaffiah just as Mussolini’s avant garde used to flaunt the club and the fascist badge. I find it shameful that in nearly all the universities of Europe Palestinian students sponsor and nurture anti-semitism. That in Sweden they asked that the Nobel Peace Prize given to Shimon Peres in 1994 be taken back and conferred on the dove with the olive branch in his mouth, that is on Arafat. I find it shameful that the distinguished members of the Committee, a Committee that (it would appear) rewards political color rather than merit, should take this request into consideration and even respond to it. In hell the Nobel Prize honors he who does not receive it.

I find it shameful (we’re back in Italy) that state-run television stations contribute to the resurgent antisemitism, crying only over Palestinian deaths while playing down Israeli deaths, glossing over them in unwilling tones. I find it shameful that in their debates they host with much deference the scoundrels with turban or kaffiah who yesterday sang hymns to the slaughter at New York and today sing hymns to the slaughters at Jerusalem, at Haifa, at Netanya, at Tel Aviv. I find it shameful that the press does the same, that it is indignant because Israeli tanks surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, that it is not indignant because inside that same church two hundred Palestinian terrorists well armed with machine guns and munitions and explosives (among them are various leaders of Hamas and Al-Aqsa) are not unwelcome guests of the monks (who then accept bottles of mineral water and jars of honey from the soldiers of those tanks). I find it shameful that, in giving the number of Israelis killed since the beginning of the Second Intifada (four hundred twelve), a noted daily newspaper found it appropriate to underline in capital letters that more people are killed in their traffic accidents. (Six hundred a year).

I find it shameful that the Roman Observer, the newspaper of the Pope--a Pope who not long ago left in the Wailing Wall a letter of apology for the Jews--accuses of extermination a people who were exterminated in the millions by Christians. By Europeans. I find it shameful that this newspaper denies to the survivors of that people (survivors who still have numbers tattooed on their arms) the right to react, to defend themselves, to not be exterminated again. I find it shameful that in the name of Jesus Christ (a Jew without whom they would all be unemployed), the priests of our parishes or Social Centers or whatever they are flirt with the assassins of those in Jerusalem who cannot go to eat a pizza or buy some eggs without being blown up. I find it shameful that they are on the side of the very ones who inaugurated terrorism, killing us on airplanes, in airports, at the Olympics, and who today entertain themselves by killing western journalists. By shooting them, abducting them, cutting their throats, decapitating them. (There’s someone in Italy who, since the appearance of Anger and Pride, would like to do the same to me. Citing verses of the Koran he exorts his “brothers” in the mosques and the Islamic Community to chastise me in the name of Allah. To kill me. Or rather to die with me. Since he’s someone who speaks English well, I’ll respond to him in English: “F*** you.”)

I find it shameful that almost all of the left, the left that twenty years ago permitted one of its union processionals to deposit a coffin (as a mafioso warning) in front of the synagogue of Rome, forgets the contribution made by the Jews to the fight against fascism. Made by Carlo and Nello Rossini, for example, by Leone Ginzburg, by Umberto Terracini, by Leo Valiani, by Emilio Sereni, by women like my friend Anna Maria Enriques Agnoletti who was shot at Florence on June 12, 1944, by seventy-five of the three-hundred-thirty-five people killed at the Fosse Ardeatine, by the infinite others killed under torture or in combat or before firing squads. (The companions, the teachers, of my infancy and my youth.) I find it shameful that in part through the fault of the left--or rather, primarily through the fault of the left (think of the left that inaugurates its congresses applauding the representative of the PLO, leader in Italy of the Palestinians who want the destruction of Israel)--Jews in Italian cities are once again afraid. And in French cities and Dutch cities and Danish cities and German cities, it is the same. I find it shameful that Jews tremble at the passage of the scoundrels dressed like suicide bombers just as they trembled during Krystallnacht, the night in which Hitler gave free rein to the Hunt of the Jews.

I find it shameful that in obedience to the stupid, vile, dishonest, and for them extremely advantageous fashion of Political Correctness the usual opportunists--or better the usual parasites--exploit the word Peace. That in the name of the word Peace, by now more debauched than the words Love and Humanity, they absolve one side alone of its hate and bestiality. That in the name of a pacifism (read conformism) delegated to the singing crickets and buffoons who used to lick Pol Pot’s feet they incite people who are confused or ingenuous or intimidated. Trick them, corrupt them, carry them back a half century to the time of the yellow star on the coat. These charlatans who care about the Palestinans as much as I care about the charlatans. That is not at all.

I find it shameful that many Italians and many Europeans have chosen as their standard-bearer the gentleman (or so it is polite to say) Arafat. This nonentity who thanks to the money of the Saudi Royal Family plays the Mussolini ad perpetuum and in his megalomania believes he will pass into History as the George Washington of Palestine. This ungrammatical wretch who when I interviewed him was unable even to put together a complete sentence, to make articulate conversation. So that to put it all together, write it, publish it, cost me a tremendous effort and I concluded that compared to him even Ghaddafi sounds like Leonardo da Vinci. This false warrior who always goes around in uniform like Pinochet, never putting on civilian garb, and yet despite this has never participated in a battle. War is something he sends, has always sent, others to do for him. That is, the poor souls who believe in him. This pompous incompetent who playing the part of Head of State caused the failure of the Camp David negotiations, Clinton’s mediation. No-no-I-want-Jerusalem-all-to-myself. This eternal liar who has a flash of sincerity only when (in private) he denies Israel’s right to exist, and who as I say in my book contradicts himself every five minutes. He always plays the double-cross, lies even if you ask him what time it is, so that you can never trust him. Never! With him you will always wind up systematically betrayed. This eternal terrorist who knows only how to be a terrorist (while keeping himself safe) and who during the Seventies, that is when I interviewed him, even trained the terrorists of Baader-Meinhof. With them, children ten years of age. Poor children. (Now he trains them to become suicide bombers. A hundred baby suicide bombers are in the works: a hundred!). This weathercock who keeps his wife at Paris, served and revered like a queen, and keeps his people down in the sh**. He takes them out of the sh** only to send them to die, to kill and to die, like the eighteen year old girls who in order to earn equality with men have to strap on explosives and disintegrate with their victims. And yet many Italians love him, yes. Just like they loved Mussolini. And many other Europeans do the same.

I find it shameful and see in all this the rise of a new fascism, a new nazism. A fascism, a nazism, that much more grim and revolting because it is conducted and nourished by those who hypocritically pose as do-gooders, progressives, communists, pacifists, Catholics or rather Christians, and who have the gall to label a warmonger anyone like me who screams the truth.

I see it, yes, and I say the following. I have never been tender with the tragic and Shakespearean figure Sharon. (“I know you’ve come to add another scalp to your necklace,” he murmured almost with sadness when I went to interview him in 1982.) I have often had disagreements with the Israelis, ugly ones, and in the past I have defended the Palestinians a great deal. Maybe more than they deserved. But I stand with Israel, I stand with the Jews. I stand just as I stood as a young girl during the time when I fought with them, and when the Anna Marias were shot. I defend their right to exist, to defend themselves, to not let themselves be exterminated a second time. And disgusted by the antisemitism of many Italians, of many Europeans, I am ashamed of this shame that dishonors my Country and Europe. At best, it is not a community of States, but a pit of Pontius Pilates. And even if all the inhabitants of this planet were to think otherwise, I would continue to think so.

So many Jews just can't find it in their hearts to repudiate the left

Not even on FR. Notice how every thread about antisemites in Europe or America run up 50, 75, 100 or more replies in no time? But nobody wants to talk about communist antisemites. Few of those so very , very concerned about antisemitism showed up on these two threads. 14 and 9 replies respectively:

Castro s Anti-Semitism and the PLO

Why Do Jewish Organizations Ignore Cuba s Hatred of Israel?

Sure leads credence to the theory that those concerned about antisemitism are not concerned about it at all but rather are pushing a political agenda. Much as the NAACP uses racism to push socialism.

I have yet to find a Jew at FR that is as moderate as I am (sakic seems to have departed). Most seem to be quite conservative on almost all issues. A couple even toy with nativism. Maybe we read different threads.

I've seen the ADL, Clinton crook Rahm Emmanuel, the ACLU and a Jewish Ladies group which sued to stop "Choose Life" license plates because they "advance Christian fundamentalism" defended on FR. And the Catholic Church (wrongly) bashed for being involved in the Holocaust. Those posters are not what I would call conservatives.

OK, so a minority of Jewish posters find Christian fundamentalism more of a threat than you do. A majority don't. I don't agree with much of the Chritian fundamentalist agenda myself, but I don't consider them a threat. In any event, I would try to maintain some reasonable perspective. Try to focus on each individual on each issue. Just a suggestion.

Both of your statememts in post six are flat lies. If you want a history lesson I'll give you one. Hell..I'll even go as far back as Abraham and give you a lesson from ancient to modern times just to prove your lousy bigoted self wrong. Oh wait...you never answer my posts. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway. Anyone who has even the tiniest amount of knowledge of history can figure out that you have no clue.

I don't know where the anger is coming from. You might believe me or not, but you are misjudging a large group of people. There are good and bad Jews, as there are good and bads in any other culture. Attacking any ethnic group is just really silly.

If I were to decide that say larger government was a good thing, and that we should spend more, and more on education, and unleash the trial lawyers, and that guns should not be held by private citizens because they are not in a militia, and that racial quotas were essential for the American experiment to succeed, and that the US military adventures starting with the Tripoli through Afghanistan were all evil, and all fueled by the iron triangle of defense contractors, the military, and whomever that third guy was, and well whatever, what I would do is post a closely reasoned essay, with lots of facts, and package it in the most soothing and friendly language possible. Maybe I would last, and maybe I wouldn't. Hit and miss without any facts and dense reasoning would doom me I suspect, or would if I didn't have a track record. As it is, I would probably get some concerned freep mail inquiring as to my mental well being.

I find it shameful that this writer vilifies the Europeans for the anti-semitic acts of the Islamic squatters infesting said homelands from within- and implies that the Europeans themselves are the perpetrators of the acts in question!

I find it shameful that Sharon can bomb the crap out of Palestinians and then get the American media to focus on the few (by comparison) women and children killed by the "homocide-bombers."

From what I've read and believed, Sharon and the IDF are making a sincere effort to avoid civilian casualties as they weed out the Palestinian terrorists -- not an easy thing to do when the terrorists have no reservations about hiding behind women and children.

In contrast, the Palestinian militants are terrorists who target civilians intentionally.

What kind of Conservative are you? Links to Saul Alinksky, attacks on other Conservatives here all day long. Whine whine whine. Did you see the recent Gallup poll? The GOP is pro-Israel. Go join the Reform Party, Mr. Lied.

It is hard for me to explain to you in a short period of time how the power structure works. No one man or ethnic group can control the media. The people who really do the controling are the stockholders. Since they are hungry for more and more money and bigger and bigger profits, they forced the media to start broadcasting lies and sexual content.
I really don't know if you can believe me, or if you can even try, but it is not the Jews or any other ethnic group, it is simple: money. Caesar once said, money doesn't smell. The media guys took this literally.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.