What we are witnessing now around the world, in European cities, at the UN, on the streets of the United States, and even in the halls of Congress, is a dramatic uptick in antisemitism and an unprecedented double standard that sides with mass murderers rather than their victims.
To see Jews beaten on the streets of New York, Boston, Los Angeles, London, and Paris, as well as on university campuses, and other major cities throughout the world – for what reason? Because they are condemning the murderers, Hezbollah and Hamas, who dismembered and raped women, children, and the elderly and decapitated and burnt babies alive.
Hamas took hundreds of captives, committing the worst crimes against humanity that the world has witnessed since Hitler’s Third Reich. Rather than condemning the perpetrators, we see students on so many college campuses blaming Israel by protesting and attacking Jews on the streets. What hypocrisy! Dishonoring their own country and standing with the Hamas terrorists.
Now Israel is being criticized for the killing of innocent civilians while Hamas deliberately uses mosques and hospitals as shields.
Lessons from the past
Let us not forget, that in the last months of World War II, Nazi Germany was subjected to enormous bombing attacks by the Allied countries.
Berlin was bombed 363 times by the United States, England, France, Russia, and Canada. The bombings included destroying: the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the French Luisenstadt Church, St. James Church, Jerusalem’s Church, St. Michael’s Church, St. Simeon Church, Marcher Protestant Consistory, and the People’s Court. These churches were used by the perpetrators in the same way that Hamas now uses mosques and hospitals.
The Berlin raids, conducted by the RAF Bomber Command, the United States Army Air Force, and the Canadian, French, and Soviet Air Forces, destroyed the Berlin railway system and rendered 450,000 Berliners homeless and tens of thousands dead. These raids caused immense destruction and devastation. The Allies had to do that to defeat the government headed by a monster whose purpose would have been the destruction of mankind.
The State of Israel is doing what every democracy would do to protect its citizens from terrorists and inhumane mass murderers. Many people are demanding a ceasefire, but Israel, like the World War II allies, will never stand down in attacking her terrorist enemies!
If democratic nations do not stand up firmly to preserve freedom and democracy, then planet Earth will join the thousands of other silent planets of our universe.
As Simon Wiesenthal reminded all of us, “Freedom is not a gift from Heaven; you have to fight for it each and every day!”
Israel is doing just that!
The writer, a rabbi, is the co-chair of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem and the founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.