How to act against anti-Semitism and hate

We must speak out when we hear hateful speech or hear of hateful rallies.  One who listens to such hateful speech and does nothing at a minimum it appears one is condoning the hateful speech and the speech may even get more hateful.   The terrible hate speech expressed in Charlottesville and the domestic terrorist attack that killed one and wounded many others there was terrible.  The videotape showing the hatred of Jews being chanted at the demonstration by White Supremacists, KKK and Neo Nazis despite a rally that had to do with a monument and nothing to do with Jews was very scary to see.   The fact that several white supremacists stood in front of a synagogue while carrying guns to intimidate and frighten its members is outrageous.  The members of the synagogue felt the need to exit in groups out the back for fear for of their safety.  This should never be the case in the United States. We must adopt the moral principle that one must separate themselves from such hateful speech and not participate in any rally of this type.

Not only should we speak out against hateful speech in Charlottesivlle but we must do it elsewhere as well. We must prevent hateful speech by taking action to stop it. When there is a BDS demonstration on college campuses in which they shout the slogan from the “River to the Sea” it means they are supporting the destruction of the only Jewish state, the State of Israel.  The time to act, to prevent hateful speech is now. UN Secretary General Gutierrez called it anti-semitism for anyone to advocate the destruction of the State of Israel.   When Iran’s leadership calls for the destruction of Israel they are not presenting just a different policy position but a position that is anti-semitic.   The fact that the UN allows Iran to freely express such a speech from its podium should be ended.  Other political leaders have taken actions to stop individuals from carrying out their hateful speech agendas. Secretary of State Schultz in November 1988, prevented PLO leader Yasser Arafat from coming to NY and speaking at the UN due to his terrorism ties including the murder of US Ambassador to the Sudan, Cleo Noel.  In October 1995, NY Mayor Rudy Guliani removed Arafat from an event at Lincoln Center and justified his actions because of Arafat’s involvement in the murder of many people including Americans.

It is time that the leaders of countries take action to stop hateful speech and terrorism. However the Palestinian Authority sees it differently. Mahmoud Abbas, financed the Olympic Munich massacre and has extolled its terrorists, even recently when one of the murderers in Munich,  Abu Daoud, died.   Abbas has not apologized for the terrorist attack or paid compensation to the victims’ families and yet the Palestinian Authority is allowed to field a team for the Olympics.  This is morally unacceptable.  Abbas himself continues to promulgate lies and hateful speech about the Jewish people. He stood in front of the EU Parliament claiming Rabbis asked the Israeli government to poison Palestinian Arab water to kill Palestinian Arabs which was obviously a false blood libel against the Jewish people and yet he received a standing ovation from the EU Parliament.  This is the opposite of the proper action to take against hateful speech.  Abbas himself belatedly retracted the allegation a few days later under political pressure.   The only book  Abbas wrote was a Holocaust denial and within the last five years he repeated some of the views expressed in his book.  Hateful speech and the promotion of it will end when leaders speak up against the hateful rhetoric and actions of people such as  Abbas.

Even a country that is considered a U.S. ally in Jordan, has engaged in hateful speech and actions.  When the Jordanian parliament, led by its speaker,  had a moment of silence and prayer not for the two victims of the terrorist attack on the Temple Mount but for the murderers this is antisemitism.  When Unesco passed a resolution denying the Jewish historical connection to the Temple Mount, the Cave of Machpela (where the forefathers and fore mothers of the Jewish people are buried) and Rachel’s Tomb, it is antisemitism.  Every country that either voted for such a resolution or abstained in their vote was either supporting or condoning antisemitism and they need to be condemned.   President Clinton expressed outrage at Camp David when Arafat denied the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount.  Denying historical fact and fundamentals of Judaism is anti-semitism and must be publicly rejected as false.

>We are making progress in fighting the forces of hate speech and terrorism. The Taylor Force Act, currently pending in Congress, is an example of legislation to start confronting the hatred and antisemitism within the Palestinian Authority and else where.  The Abbas led Palestinian Authority has a law that gives financial incentives to terrorists who murder Israelis and even Americans like Taylor Force, a college student and former American combat soldier  The more people they murder the more money they receive.   The Taylor Force Act that received approval in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is expected to pass the Senate next month, calls for cutting  monetary aide to the Palestinian Authority that they give to such terrorists.  The response to the Taylor Force Act by the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas is a strong defense of the law and a refusal to change the law.  Such a defense of a law encouraging the murder of Jews is morally repulsive and cannot be allowed. Furthermore, it is encouraging that the Trump administration is no longer advocating for a Palestinian Arab state because how can one morally support the creation of such a state that would have a law that provides incentives to mass murder?

When Arab terrorists murder Jews and remain free we must stand up and publicly exclaim that this is unacceptable. Ahlam Tammimi an unrepentant mass murderer of 15 people, including 7 children and two Americans in 2001 remains free in Jordan.  How can this be? She has been indicted by the U.S. and put on the FBI most wanted list.  Jordan has  refused the U.S. extradition request.  She must be brought to U.S. Justice and Jordan’s refusal to extradite her and allowing her to continue to promote terrorism is morally reprehensible.

We must speak out against such hate, and those who join hateful demonstrations.  We need to speak out against hatred against Jews whether from enemies or even friends and whether the leaders are Muslim or not Muslim.   President Trump made an important decision that was widely applauded by Americans by bombing Syria after its chemical weapons attack on its own people, a hateful act.  This moral approach would have led to U.S. strikes on the railroad lines to the Concentration Camps during WW2.

Speaking up and taking action against such hateful speech and hateful actions is the way to stop it from spreading.