Myths and Facts

Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph. [Hailie Selassie]

I think the first duty of society is justice. [Alexander Hamilton]

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. [Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail]

In 1975, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution slandering Zionism by equating it with racism. In his spirited response to the resolution , Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Chaim Herzog [later President] noted the irony of the timing, the vote coming exactly 37 years after Kristallnacht.

History has demonstrated the need to ensure Jewish security through a national homeland. Zionism recognizes that Jewishness is defined by shared origin, religion, culture and history. The realization of the Zionist dream is exemplified by nearly five million Jews, from more than 100 countries, who are Israeli citizens. Approximately 1,000,000 Muslim and Christian Arabs, Druze, Baha’is, Circassians and other ethnic groups also represented in Israel’s population.

To single out Jewish self-determination for condemnation is itself a form of racism. “A world that closed its doors, to Jews who sought escape from Hitler’s ovens lacks the moral standing to complain about Israel’s giving preference to Jews,” wrote noted civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

When approached by a student who attacked Zionism, Martin Luther King responded: “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You’re talking antisemitism.” [‘Who Stands Alone’ by Chaim Herzog]

Trump has had an outstanding performance record to date, but now it is crumbling. He finds fault with Netanyahu, when he fails to comprehend what the latter fully understands. Netanyahu recognizes that if we do not fully defeat Hamas, in time we will be engaged in a 6th war with the devil.

Appeasement – The Lesson Not Yet Learned, surely applies to Trump. The history of appeasement is the history of failure. Remarkably, there are those who are so obsessed with this form of behavior that they are given to writing books in its defense. “Appeasement in International Politics” is an example of this type of literature which surfaced in 2000 and consisted of no less than 237 pages.

The author, Stephen R. Rock, a staff member at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY set out to demonstrate that appeasement served usefulness as a strategy. It now appears that the most useful purpose the book served was a review by one of its reviewers, TJ. Nelson. His arguments are cogent and masterfully precise. In summary, Nelson states:

[1]Overwhelming evidence from both history and every day life finds appeasement to be counterproductive and dangerous.
[2] The idea of feeding one’s friends to the crocodiles to buy a few more moments of safety exerts an irresistible pull on politicians.

[3]For politicians creating the appearance of being an angel of peace and a paragon of moral rectitude.

[4] Maintaining........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)