Friday, April 2, 2010
This is just a quick link to follow -- an "aside." These are links to interesting things that, for one reason or another, I didn't place into a full posting. Click the link to visit the full article. Go to the blog index for a regular listing of posts.
Analysis: Why don't Norwegians take on anti-Semitism? - ' In the past few weeks in Norway, there has been no shortage of activity from what the Tel Aviv-based Reut Institute terms the "Red-Green Alliance" – a fusion of Islamists (the Greens) and Leftists (the Reds), seeking to undercut Israel’s right to exist and to severely punish Diaspora Jews. Norwegian television aired a broadcast showing Jewish parents and teachers – who did not reveal their identities – blowing the whistle on Norwegian school authorities who are ignoring Muslim students boycotting Holocaust education, a death threat issued to a Jewish student, and statements that the "Jews are to blame for 9/11." One parent said, "These are clear anti-Semitic harassments that are manifesting themselves physically and verbally."...'
Well the last paragraph, about votes, is echoed in Britain.
Sadly the empowerment of people through the vote - the very mechanism which enables democracy - is being used to undermine our society.
People who want power are pandering instead of declaring what's wrong with racism. Also there's little effort to confront extremism on its own terms.
In fact, moderate Muslims and Muslims who are trying to become more Western are given short shrift, the extremists get all the publicity, and the antisemitic aspect is part of the local culture too unfortunately. It isn't just coming from the immigrants - rather it's finding fertile soil in Europe. Obviously much anti-Israel funding and sentiment and propaganda comes from Europe too.
I don't think anti-Jewish sentiments ever been honestly confronted, which is why it's so easily taken root again.
I think the only people in Europe who've really faced this are the Germans and maybe to some extent the Poles. Germany in particular has confronted their responsibility for the Shoah and is one of the few Western states who will really stand up to the disgusting rants from Iran, for example, and who will not allow Nazi groups to enter respectable politics.
But Britain, Spain, Sweden, obviously Norway are becoming home once again to open attacks and smears against Jews and France has also seen many assaults and incidents and even murder.
Russia, the Ukraine and other Eastern European nations, Romania for example, have also shown some alarming tendencies and these later states are not home to large numbers of immigrants so blame for local antisemitism can't be pinned on them.
Fact is, it never went away.