Israel’s year under fire

AS I look back on 2010, it’s clear that it’s been open season on Israel. At times it seems that the whole world is against the Jewish State.

You open the newspaper and read that Paul McGeough won a Walkley for his skewed report on the Gaza flotilla, or about a warped Alice-in-Wonderland UN “investigation” into the Gaza War, or that Israel is “trigger happy” in the words of an AUJS president, or that Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions should be imposed on Israel according to the Australian Jewish Democratic Society and the NSW Greens, or a Latin American declaration recognising a Palestinian state outside of a the framework of an agreement with Israel.

You scan the blogs and Facebook and are overwhelmed by the vicious vilification of Israel.

Israel’s perennial critics, in the Jewish community and outside, have forgotten that there are two sides to every story. They simply follow the pack because almost everyone else does. They prefer to ignore corrupt, authoritarian, terror-financing states and movements, rather than support a liberal, western democracy.

The trend now is to paint Israel as the world’s greatest evil and as a threat to world peace. The script almost always goes something like this: if you want peace in the Middle East, Israel must simply give up land. In a region of fanatical regimes spewing genocidal hatred and oppressing their citizens, it’s Israel who is singled out for censure. Out of 200 states, it is only Israel that is treated like a pariah and is viewed with contempt.

Yes, Israel is an anomaly in the Mid-East. It is the only democracy and the only country that is not recognised by the Arab world, with two exceptions.

Sure, Israel is not perfect. Yet, it is only Israel who is rebuked for its actions and held responsible for the actions of others and for everything that goes wrong in the Middle East

Recall that if it hadn’t been for Israel, American and Australian forces would have faced nuclear bombs. Still the world condemned Israel for destroying Iraq’s nuclear reactor. And recall that the Gaza blockade ensures that weapons do not reach Hamas, prevents the terrorist organisation from launching a war in the West Bank and denies Iran a port on the Mediterranean.

Consider the diplomatic assault. Hilary Clinton publicly chewed out Netanyahu for constructing 1,600 apartments in an east Jerusalem neighbourhood, but then sent a birthday greeting through tweeter to the president of Iran. This strategy reminds me of a quote by Winston Churchill, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile in the futile hope that it will eat him last.”

There are a few who support Israel, but they hardly rate a mention. I’m thinking of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper who a few weeks ago stated, “Not because it is the right thing to do, but because history shows us, and the ideology of the anti-Israel mob tells us all too well, that those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are in the longer term a threat to all of us.”

Standing up for Israel is hard work. Listen to Forward magazine columnist Jay Michaelson who writes in “How I’m Losing My Love For Israel”: “I admit that my exhaustion is exacerbated because, in my social circles, supporting Israel is like supporting segregation, apartheid or worse. I know this is a sign of weakness of will on my part… I don’t think advocates of Israel understand exactly how bad the situation is on college campuses, in Europe, and in liberal or leftist social-political circles. Supporting Israel in these contexts is like supporting repression, or the war in Iraq, or George W. Bush. It’s gotten so bad, I don’t mention Israel in certain conversations anymore, and no longer defend it when it’s lumped in with South Africa and China by my friends. This is wrong of me, I know, but I’ve been defending Israel for years, and it’s gotten harder and harder to do so.”

The staggering deterioration in sympathy for Israel is closely linked to a startling lack of basic knowledge. And a dose of naïveté. Israel’s story is just not understood. The generation of today lack context and crucial historical memories – that Israel is a small and threatened country that has been surrounded by forces intent on its destruction since she was created. They refuse to accept that for terrorists and dictators an open-handed offer is a sign of weakness, not generosity.

Young people rarely pause to ask: what would the Australian government do if Melbourne and Sydney were under constant attack from rocket fire? The should reflect on the unbelievable resilience and strength shown by the people of  Sderot as well as the residents of the North who were bombarded by Hezbollah rockets. They should know that Israelis are resolute that Jews will never again be driven from their homes by thug mobs. Israel stands as the ultimate guarantor, the last refuge for Jews the world over. It absorbed millions of Jews in the aftermath of the birth of the State of Israel and saved Jews from South America to Russia to Ethiopia.

Events do not interpret themselves. “If you fail to make your case,” Netanyahu has noted, “others will make it for you”. Maybe it’s time to stop apologising and to start beating the drum of truth.

Sounds like a good New Year resolution.