Hail, hail, the gangs are here
In the not so distant past whenever it was opportune to ambush, vilify and attack Jews the authorities would organize various gangs to implement their plans.
Michael Kuttner
According to one definition “gangs are groups of people creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.”
This succinctly sums up the myriad groups which over the years were utilized to sow fear and spread verbal and physical abuse upon Jewish communities. It didn’t matter whether the gangsters were Government officials, Ecclesiastical inquisition enforcers, enlightened academics or just plain rabble. The ultimate aim was the same, namely the targeting of Jewish communities.
Neither the so-called enlightenment nor subsequent gestures of civil equality eradicated an underlying urge to blame Jews for every conceivable ill. It infected intellectuals and uneducated alike with the same poisonous pus.
The return of Jewish sovereignty was supposed to banish this irrational hate but alas this has proven to be a forlorn expectation.
The gangs of individuals and groups which target Jews in the Diaspora have instead received a new lease of life. They have now well and truly emerged from the undergrowth where they were hiding and proudly demonstrate their malign intentions. Their brazen bully tactics are encouraged by ineffective and woke policies on the part of Governmental and judicial authorities.
Take the recent example of three Australians of Croat origin who were convicted of making Nazi salutes at a soccer match. They were identified and arrested for breaking the law. In NSW identifying with Nazi symbols is a misdemeanor. They were duly found guilty and fined. On appeal one of the accused claimed he was so drunk he couldn’t remember anything. His appeal was dismissed. However, the other two came up with a most creative explanation for their actions. They told the judge that their arm gestures had nothing to do with Nazi Germany and that “it was in fact a symbol of Croatian national pride.” The judge accepted this transparent excuse and dismissed the charges against them.
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between the Croat fascists and Nazi Germany would realize that hating Jews was a central feature of their ideology. Therefore “national pride” and Nazism is one and the same thing.
If individuals can get away with this sort of excuse then obviously the possibilities for others to follow suit are endless.
Eruptions of gangs like anti-Israel/Jew hate continue all over the globe.
In Canada violent demonstrations took place in Montreal seemingly unfazed by any sort of meaningful police counter measures. The Canadian Prime Minister meanwhile was seen “having a ball” at a Taylor Swift concert obviously unconcerned by the unfolding chaos and mayhem against Jewish citizens. Only when the public relations disaster manifested itself did he issue another one of those useless political denunciations we have become so used to in recent times.
The top prize however for inducing a sense of fear and intimidation occurred in Australia. The Federal Government decided that it would refuse an entry visa to Ayelet Shaked, a well respected minister in a former Israeli Government. She had been invited to address a conference and give her opinions about the current situation faced by Israel. Having done the same on a previous occasion nobody expected any problems.
However, certain things have changed since she was last in Australia.
The atmosphere against Israel and Jews has become more toxic, lynch like mentality on the part of the haters has increased and the Australian Government has succumbed to political appeasement of the worst kind.
What was the great sin which precipitated the refusal of a visa?
Apparently it was Ayelet Shaked’s refusal to bless the creation of an Arab terror State in the heart of Israel. According to news reports it was determined by those in authority that her opinions “might hurt the feelings of a different group in the country.” Note that who this different group actually might be was not revealed. In addition, it seems that expressing opposition to the establishment of yet another terror country “might” cause hurt feelings. If you strip away the politically correct terminologies you can see the truth revealed.
Apparently, it is perfectly in order for anti-Israel demonstrators in Australia to call for Israel’s eradication and gassing of the Jews, but a well-respected Israeli politician’s perfectly legitimate views are deemed a threat.
As expected, the denial of a visa solicited wholehearted support from those unnamed groups. It was reported by one source that similar scrutiny should apply to all Israeli applicants seeking an Australian visa.
This raises an interesting question for those with dual passports. All visitors to Australia must receive a visa before they travel. New Zealand passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival. If the Australian Government’s current policies are taken to their logical conclusion does this mean that all Israelis will be forced to explain their political views at the Embassy in Tel Aviv? Moreover, does this mean that someone with NZ/ Israel dual passports on arrival at Sydney or Melbourne using their NZ passport will be asked to declare their opinion? If their answer is not to the liking of the authorities will they be denied entry and put on the next plane out of the country?
The possibilities are endless when faced with this latest Orwellian and Soviet style political correctness agenda now being proposed by those running the country.
The other great gang ambush this past week of course was the ICC in The Hague issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and former Defense Minister. This farce was further compounded by the court prosecutor also doing the same for an already eliminated terrorist leader. Legal experts have already expressed their outrage about this latest targeting of Israel’s legitimate campaign to defend its citizens against acts of terror. For the first time, a democratic country with an independent judiciary has been branded guilty of crimes against humanity. It is telling that the Jewish State should be the target while every genuine and real case of crimes against humanity continues to occur on every continent and attracts no censure.
One has only to witness the reactions in order to discern exactly how rotten and morally corrupt the international community has become. The hypocrites of the world have united and revealed their true faces for all to see.
Jihadist terror groups voiced their wholehearted support for the ICC decision.
Their patrons cheered and the Iranian supreme leader declared that arrest warrants were only the first step to be followed by the death penalty. One would think that these expressions of hate and incitement might cause a massive reaction of revulsion to be forthcoming from democratic nations. No such gestures occurred.
Apart from outraged condemnations from the USA, Hungary and Argentina the rest of the democracies shamefully climbed on to the appeasement and double standards bandwagon. Mealy-mouthed expressions of support for the ICC’s ruling spewed forth from Capitals and Foreign Ministries. In the face of a patently warped and illegal lynch job from The Hague, the best that Australia, Canada, the UK, France and all the other gangs could come up with were expressions of support for the ICC.
When one realizes that many of these same countries vote against Israel on a regular basis at the UN it should not come as a surprise that they have done the same on this occasion.
Not to be outdone, the likes of J-Street joined the chorus of support for the ICC’s decision. This proves that self loathers will never miss any opportunity to join those battering Israel. They claim to support the Zionist enterprise but they have a weird way of showing it.
The incoming American Administration has promised that there will be serious consequences for the ICC after 20 January. Let’s hope that the UN and its other corrupt bodies are also next on the Trump chopping block.
Gangs of bullies are encouraged to increase violence when they can see that their tactics are intimidating their victims and all those around them. Moreover, success in getting away literally with murder and mayhem gives other gangs who may still be on the sidelines the courage to join the fray.
That is why the weak-kneed responses to the scandalous ICC decision have already emboldened gathering predators who now sense that they are on a winning streak as far as Israel bashing is concerned.
True to form the perfidious British are preparing to sanction Israeli cabinet ministers who have the “chutzpah” to believe that Jews have an undeniable right to claim sovereignty in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Ganging up behind them are all those who think that now is the perfect time to teach Jews a lesson.
When anti-Israel/Jew gangs run riot, it is time for all good people who value truth and justice to make their voices heard. Sitting back and staying mute is no longer an option.
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.
