Incurable idiocy

Like a terminal illness, the genie of Jew and Israel hate cannot be put back in the bottle.

Its mutations have resulted in the original virus now assuming a myriad of symptoms. No matter what form it manifests, the end result is the same.

Despite desperate countermeasures, it is mainly impervious to logic and actual facts. Outreach via Holocaust museums and educational programmes has a limited effect. In the face of an increasingly historical ignorance and the powerful influence of social and general media, the battle to counter Jew hate is an almost impossible uphill task.

Interfaith efforts have, in the majority of cases, failed to tackle the underlying causes. As a result, an increasing number of particularly non-evangelical Christians are succumbing to the anti-Zionist lies.

Zionism has become a dirty word, and Jewish connections to Zion are increasingly seen as suspect. This has had a flow-on effect among young Jews whose Jewish education has been minimal or non-existent, and those for whom assimilation is seen as an escape route from being targeted.

Recent and current events have once again demonstrated how a combination of idiocy and ignorance, plus weak leadership, continues to plague Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

Israel has been visited and lectured to by a succession of American political personalities. All of them profess to be our fervent friends. They believe that their so-called friendship entitles them to demand that we act and implement policies that, in many cases, are dangerous and totally detached from reality.

Friends are entitled to offer frank advice, but when their advice transforms into arrogant demands and is accompanied by bullying-like threats, it crosses a red line.

It is highly ironic but perhaps somehow divinely ordained that at a time when Jews are reading the Torah portion about the promise made to Abraham and his descendants regarding the Promised Land, Trump and colleagues are declaring the exact opposite.

Does anyone besides me see the intense irony in Trump, Vance and other colleagues proclaiming that Judea and Samaria (Yehuda and Shomron) don’t belong to the Jewish People?

Trump promised Arab countries that this territory would never be part of Israel. Vance fumed that he felt “insulted” that the Knesset had voted for sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Rubio stated that recognising Jewish sovereignty in these places would “endanger the peace in Gaza.”  If anyone should have felt insulted, it should have been the Jewish People whose birthright has been so crudely rubbished.

Presumably, if these individuals had been in charge at the time Abraham received the original promise, or when Joshua liberated this territory, they would also have condemned and forbidden it.

Thank goodness the title deeds received from Hashem carry more weight and authenticity than the bleating and ignorant tantrums of today’s would-be decision makers.

The spectacle of Israel’s leadership denouncing any move to affirm sovereignty and their frantic kowtowing to crass bully tactics is symptomatic of why we have landed in the current mess.

The ideal time to proclaim sovereignty would have been immediately following the Six-Day War in 1967. We should have done it at the same time as Jerusalem was reunited and became the undivided Capital of a restored Jewish nation.

As a result of weak leadership and a misplaced belief that the rest of the world would eventually see the justice of our cause, an ideal opportunity was lost.

An inevitable spinoff is increased imbecilic demands.

A report has surfaced that Trump may be seriously considering demanding that Israel release arch Arab terrorist, Marwan Barghouti, from Israeli jail where he is serving five life sentences plus 40 years, for planning and masterminding the murder of Israelis. Described by mendacious media as the “Palestinian Mandela,” this miserable specimen of humanity is touted as the next leader of the corrupt PA after Abbas.

This revisionist narrative has now become a matter of holy writ. Barghouti’s wife and son have appealed to Trump to pressure Israel to release him so that he can supposedly assume his new role as saviour of the “oppressed and illegally occupied.” Trump is reported as considering the possibility.

If, in fact, the US Administration demands his elevation to sainthood status and wipes his past terror slate clean, you can be assured that mayhem will break out. A refusal by Israel to acquiesce will be deemed a threat to a non-existent peace, and threats of terror will abound.

Releasing thousands of convicted terrorists in the recent “deal” was bad enough. If any move to release Barghouti goes ahead, the governing coalition will fall, and voters will make their displeasure felt at the subsequent election.

Likewise, any indication that Hamas has not been disarmed and removed from any semblance of governance will precipitate a crisis. If Qatar and Turkey, Trump’s newfound buddies, manage to manipulate some sort of fake arrangement, the “eternal peace” trumpeted so loudly will be exposed as the farce it always was going to be.

Friendship is essential, but there is only so much that any self-respecting independent sovereign nation like Israel should tolerate. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, recently embarked on a visit to the South Pacific.

According to the Foreign Ministry, her trip commenced with a one-day visit to Papua New Guinea, where she met the Prime Minister and key Government officials. Discussions will focus on deepening collaboration in water management, agricultural innovation, public health, and technological development, marking 47 years of diplomatic friendship between the two nations.

The tour continued in Fiji, where Deputy Minister Haskel met Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, along with various ministers. Key topics included exploring the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding on cyber cooperation, reflecting Israel’s expertise in technology and security. The visit also featured a special event celebrating Fijian rugby players currently active in Israel, further cementing the people-to-people bonds between the countries.

Additionally, Deputy Minister Haskel met with local Christian communities to strengthen interfaith relations and promote mutual understanding and cooperation among faith groups.

She made a short stopover in Auckland, where, according to the Israeli Embassy in Wellington, she met “various local communities.”

Some interesting observations inevitably arise.

Papua New Guinea and Fiji have proven to be genuine friends. Their votes at the UN and enthusiastic recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital stand in stark contrast to most other countries.

Ms. Haskel did not visit Wellington and according to the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs “they knew about her visit but it was “unofficial.” Reading between the diplomatic double speak, it is obvious that the NZ Government wanted to avoid having any meeting with her. After all, why take the opportunity to learn about the real situation Israel faces when you can prevent being confounded by the real facts? This shameful shunning epitomises the fake rhetoric and policies peddled by a so-called “friend.”

Her meeting with “various local communities” is also shrouded in mystery. According to the slanted report on the “Stuff” website, Ms. Haskel met with the leaders of the Destiny Church and thanked them for their support. No mention is made of what other “local communities” she might have met. Who were they, and why the mystery? If this fleeting and almost undercover encounter is an indication of future “friendly” Governmental relationships, then the outlook is indeed murky and doubtful.

Even more intriguing is why the Deputy FM avoided Australia. One would have thought that a logical stop while in the region would have been Canberra. Has she been refused a visa, and if so, why the silence? Australia is a major player in the South Pacific. Have relationships soured to such an extent that an official visit is no longer deemed possible?

If scheduling problems are offered as some explanation, it can be dismissed as a fraudulent attempt to evade the truth.

Incurable idiocy is indeed a terminal condition.

The Jewish People have encountered its malignant manifestations for millennia.

Trying to excuse, minimise and accommodate this disease is no longer a useful strategy.

It needs to be exposed and countered at every possible opportunity.

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.