Disbelieving

There have been far too many times in the long and convoluted history of the Jewish People when stark reality has been denied.

It is a normal human reaction to try to avoid unpleasant situations, but our experiences over the millennia should have trained us by now to read the early warning signs and act accordingly.

Yet, here we are eighty years after the end of the worst genocide against Jews since the times of the Crusades and Medieval pogroms, facing an undeniable revival of all the old libels and accusations.

Whether it is the collective sins of the world’s sole Jewish sovereign country or the communal guilt of Diaspora communities and individuals, the end results are the same. The evidence is crystal clear, yet amazingly, there are still Jews who prefer to pretend that it’s all overblown and over hyped.

Others prefer to fantasise that if Israel were to surrender and, better still, disappear, the hate and incitement would miraculously abate.

A common refrain heard by those who try to communicate the dangers currently arising is that they are alarmists who delight in promoting a sense of negativity. Isn’t it preferable, the deniers chorus, to concentrate on the “good news” instead of harping on about apocalyptic predictions?

The trouble is that “apocalyptic” predictions have a nasty habit of hitting us head-on if we do not take preventative action in good time. Ignoring warning signs has proven deadly for most Jews in the past and is certainly not an option today.

A brief summary of the latest looming challenges should serve as a wake-up call to all those who prefer to bury their heads in the sand.

Thanks to a long-term bombardment of revisionist ideology, the notion that the latter-day Palestinians are entitled to statehood has been accepted as holy writ. Despite irrefutable evidence that these latter-day terrorist enablers are in no position to govern such an entity, the international community insists that they be given the legitimacy to proceed. Contrary to all historical facts and agreements, Jewish deniers of reality have also jumped on the “two state solution” illusion bandwagon. They embrace something which will never eventuate. That is, a “reformed” PA which promotes democratic values, human rights and an acknowledgement that Jews have indigenous rights.

If the evidence to the contrary was not so glaringly obvious, one could even understand the deniers for conveniently overlooking reality.

A report issued by IMPACT-se recently examined 290 textbooks and teaching booklets used in Grades 1-12 in PA schools, including UNRWA educational institutions.

The findings show that the materials continue to encourage hatred, anti-Semitism and political violence. Jews are portrayed as liars, corrupt, devil’s helpers or bloodthirsty monsters. The texts promote the complete dehumanisation of Israelis. Jihad and being rewarded in paradise are mentioned.

Israel is not mentioned at all. Its names disappear from maps, its borders are not marked and cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa are removed. Instead, “Greater Palestine” from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea is taught.

The report notes that even after years of pressure from the EU, no substantive reform of the contents has been implemented. New books for 2025-2026 continue to replicate the same inciting material including books produced after 7 October massacre.

If this evidence is not sufficient to disqualify the Ramallah-based kleptocracy from statehood, take a look at the following survey of the PA-controlled media.

A new study issued by the Jewish People Policy Institute reveals that one fifth of the opinion columns in the official PA newspaper “Al-Hayat Al –Jadida contain antisemitic content.

 

Denying Zionism was a common theme. This includes the denial of the very existence of the “Jewish People,” claims of Jewish control over the global economy and American elites as well as comparisons between Israel and Nazism, Crusaders and various colonial entities.

Zionism is almost always presented as a colonial movement and the source of “Palestinian” suffering.

Given these clear and unambiguous PA-sponsored realities, one can only marvel at the continued advocacy by the majority of UN members, including Australia and New Zealand, for any sort of independent terror-promoting entity in the heartland of Israel.

The plain and unvarnished truth is that the days of partitioning what is left of the original land set aside by international agreement is well and truly gone. Rewarding those who in 1947 rejected the very idea of independence and who preferred to destroy Jewish sovereignty since then is a non-starter. Their continued flirtation with a denial of Jewish legitimacy disqualifies them entirely.

Meanwhile, on the Gaza and Lebanese fronts, cold, hard facts keep popping up. The dawn of an era of peace on earth and goodwill to all has evaporated like the mirages of the desert, contrary to the overly euphoric expectations of certain politicians.

A leading member of Hamas has declared that “we will not disarm, give up control of Gaza or accept international oversight.” Undeterred by this clear declaration of intent, Washington trumpets its plan to establish a “peace board” to rule Gaza. The chances of this leading to Hamas’s demise are close to zero, but the “disbelievers” of reality continue to hallucinate.

The Lebanese Government has admitted that Hezbollah will not disarm without agreement from Iran. We all should know that the likelihood of this occurring is nil.

An international security report this week advised that Hamas will attack Europe in the next six months. Europe is already semi-conquered by the forces of Jihadist ideology, and its ability to forestall the inevitable is fast vanishing. The lessons for the continent’s remaining Jewish communities are crystal clear. Unfortunately, those who disbelieve uncomfortable developments prefer to fiddle while the tsunami of hate gathers pace.

Those who believe that the UN represents humanity’s only hope for peace will have been heartened by the General Assembly’s approval of yet another resolution demanding Israel hand back the Golan to Syria.

At the same time, the UNGA extended the mandate of UNRWA. This ensures that the more than five million Arabs registered as refugees will grow ever larger. It also means that the taxpayers of Australia and New Zealand, among others, will continue to support the hate indoctrination of students and the hosting of Hamas in UNRWA facilities.

Uncomfortable facts may upset “disbelievers”, but there is no escaping the inevitable fallout.

This week marked the 84th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour.

It is worthwhile to spend a moment reflecting on that event and learn any lessons that might have resulted.

Britain and its allies had been fighting the conquering forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy for more than two years, while the USA stood aloof. A combination of Chamberlain’s appeasement policies and American isolationist ideology had allowed Nazi Germany to triumph in Europe and seal the fate of millions. It is quite likely that had imperial Japan not attacked Pearl Harbour, the US would not have eventually joined the battle.

The current international situation bears an eerie resemblance to those historical events.

An abject failure by the democracies to confront and combat the rising tide of jihadist fanaticism is nothing less than appeasement.

Rising forces within the US Democratic and Republican parties to disengage from Israel and revert to isolationist policies are a throwback to discredited stances of the past. Today’s terror masters realise that attacking weak and vulnerable parts of the world will result in rhetoric rather than military action.

They know that delegitimising Israel and accusing it of multiple crimes is a guaranteed recipe for success in world forums. They can see that the American public is becoming weary of involvement in international interventions and senses an air of increasing disengagement in Washington.

Pearl Harbour was a belated wake-up call for the USA of that time to get serious and join the fight against the evil that was threatening humanity.

Today’s challenge is clear. 

Do we try to accommodate the new evil threatening our societies or are we prepared to confront and defeat it?

Believe it or not, time is running out fast.

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 and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.