Political Insomnia
The South African Minister of International Relations was reported in the Israel media this week as confessing to having sleepless nights over the fact that houses were being built for Jews in what she considers Palestinian Arab “occupied” territory.
Michael Kuttner
As a result of her political insomnia, South Africa has ceased sending any Government officials to Israel and has scaled back contacts with the “Jerusalem regime” (her words).
I am not a doctor but to me this sounds more like political amnesia of the worst kind which afflicts politicians whose knowledge and understanding of the real facts are so deficient that they succumb very easily to Israel phobia. In this particular outbreak of political amnesia one would think that given the horrendous problems facing the South African Government sleepless nights induced by violence, economic woes, aids and other diseases would be the topics that keep the Minister concerned awake at night. However, like all those who need to divert the population from domestic failures and a breakdown in law and order, the most convenient bogey man to latch on to is of course Israel. It is guaranteed to win international plaudits and congratulations from not only the Arab & Moslem world but also from that bunch of human rights champions such as North Korea, Venezuela and friends.
It is highly doubtful that the Minister of International Relations will read this op-ed but nevertheless here are some tips on what should really be keeping her awake at night in so far as her portfolio is concerned.
High on the list of insomnia inducing nightmares is the disgusting spectacle of Israel releasing convicted terrorists, responsible for the most horrendous acts of brutal murder against men, women & children and their rapturous reception by President Abbas and our misnamed peace partners. Not only are these murderers welcomed back into the bosom of Palestinian Arab society as heroes and heroines but they also have schools, squares and summer camps named after them. That’s not all however. The additional scandal which seems to have escaped the attention of the SA Minister is the payment by the Palestinian Arab Authority to each and every one of these terrorists. The PAA is paying them a lump sum of considerable proportions as compensation/reward for their deeds and at the same time granting them a monthly payment/salary. In other words these miserable specimens of humanity are being remunerated for having killed Jews.
Where, one can well ask, given the almost daily litany of wailing about the economic and parlous state of the Palestinian Arab economy, are the funds coming from to pay for all these released individuals? The answer my friends is that the money is coming from all those donor nations who continue to pour millions into the bottomless coffers of the PAA. You guessed it – the taxpayers of the EU, US and other countries are helping to fund these payments. Instead of every dollar being used to improve the living conditions of those mired in never ending poverty and misery and educating for peace and tolerance, international aid is instead being diverted to reward murderers of the worst kind and promoting a toxic climate of hate and conflict.
Does the release of these terrorists by Israel and their elevation to sainthood together with the rewards they receive cause the SA Minister or any other politician for that matter, to have sleepless nights? Hardly likely and therein resides the hypocrisy of the international community.
Another under reported event which should be causing insomnia is the arrest and flogging of Christians in Iran for using sacramental wine during a communion service. This flagrant display of religious intolerance on the part of the Islamic Republic of Iran is only the latest in a continuing campaign and one which raises hardly a ripple in the corridors of foreign ministries. The fact that non Islamic religions are banned from Saudi Arabia, Christians and the Churches are being burned in Africa and other Islamic majority countries certainly does not cause any insomnia in South Africa or elsewhere.
Presumably there was no sleep deprivation by any South African Minister as thousands of Syrians were gassed by their own Government. How does one explain that? What about the daily suicide bombings in Iraq or the rockets launched by the terrorist regime of Hamastan, otherwise known as Gaza?
Has the discovery of tunnels built from Gaza to Israeli kibbutzim with the intended purpose of causing murder and kidnapping of civilians, elicited any outraged response from the same SA Minister? Only a yawn of indifference it seems and that was not as a result of insomnia but more like disinterest.
Her lack of sleep it seems results only and simply from the fact that Jews are building homes, schools and health clinics on territory which was originally allocated as part of a Jewish homeland, was never the sovereign territory of any legal Palestinian Arab entity and was in fact illegally occupied until 1967 by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Her sleep troubles are therefore highly selective and tell us a lot about her real phobias.
Hatred at what Jews manage to achieve is a long running disease which has and continues to afflict large swathes of the international community. My fervent prayer is that we will continue to build and perhaps one day in the distant future this sickening moral bankruptcy by the international community will end. In the meantime we must at every opportunity stand firm and not hesitate to defy political correctness of the worst kind.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel where he is J-Wire’s correspondent.
This is the same minister who last Thursday greeted the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif in Pretoria and praised the Islamic Republic’s human rights record…..Ha Ha Ha…
Richard,
With all this going on, what I would like to know is, was there a peep from the Israeli Ambassador or Consul General in South Africa?
Forget about a total rebuke, they’re not capable of that, but did they utter a word in the face of this nonsense?
Michael,
Stories like this are there day in day out and as you admit in your post:
“It is highly doubtful that the Minister of International Relations will read this op-ed.”
It is all well and good we bring this to light but the one people who should be PUBLICLY attacking the never ending propaganda are the representatives of Israel, from the Foreign Affairs Dept to Ambassadors and its representatives at the UN.
They at least have a hope of attracting the international media to what is in fact going on. But no, The Israeli Govt. stays shtum along with its representatives.
From what I can see, with Tsipi Livni in charge of the foreign affairs portfolio, Israel has no hope in hell of implementing an effective Hasbara campaign. So it will sit there like a fool of a nation with its mouth forever shut. In short, Israel has no idea, no concept of mounting an effective Hasbara campaign to turn the tide of lies and propaganda around.
The very concept of putting Livni in charge of the so called “peace” talks with the Palestinians is insane. Netanyahu is gambling on the fact that when these talks break down he can blame the Palestinians by saying “well they couldn’t make peace with the most left wing idealogue I could put in charge.” This won’t get him anywhere. The world will still blame Israel until it knows how to make it’s case public. All that will happen is that Livni’s absurd offers and compromises this time round will be the starting point at the next round of “peace” talks a few years hence, putting Israel at a greater disadvantage that it is now.
No doubt this insanity will go on and on. Before long Michael you will no doubt report similar comments by other international figures. You can use the same article and just change the names.