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The Shekel May Never Drop

by Gilad Atzmon
Thursday, April 26th, 2012

israel-nuclear

Ynet reported today that the European Jewish Congress fears that  Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities will lead to “dramatic increase of anti-Semitic, very violent attacks against Jews”

For a very short while I was cheered by what seemed to be a ‘Jewish institutional move’ in the right direction. I thought to myself, that at last, a Jewish leadership positions itself at the forefront of the battle for peace and reconciliation. Finally, we will see a Jewish political call against an Israeli preemptive attack against Iran. The shekel has dropped, I thought to myself. But I was obviously wrong, in fact totally wrong. The shekel may never drop. As it seems the European Jewish Congress is concerned with one thing i.e. Jewish ‘potential’ suffering and, of course, the ‘rise of antisemitism’.

Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, said he feared a “minority of angry, extremist European Muslims who live in impoverished neighborhoods might use an Israeli attack as a pretext to hit local Jews, particularly in France and Great Britain.”

Seemingly Kantor wasn’t concerned at all with the possibility of losing millions of innocent lives in the region. He wasn’t even concerned with the possibility that an Israeli attack could easily escalate into a regional nuclear conflict that may radioactively contaminate the entire region and some large parts of Europe.

Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, an umbrella organization that claims to represent some 2.5 million Jews in Europe, is concerned with Jews only.

“If Israel attacks Iran, it will be a dramatic increase of anti-Semitic, very violent attacks against Jews,” he said.

­

Seemingly, there is no limit to Judeo-centrism, yet, I believe that Jewish leaders would do themselves and their communities a big favour if they, at least, make an effort to disguise their apparent lack of universal empathic consciousness and total carelessness for the rest of humanity.

 

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21 Responses to The Shekel May Never Drop

  1. Cosmo

    April 26, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Meanwhile in Syria…
    http://youtu.be/ayBx-egBQEc

    • ariadna

      April 26, 2012 at 3:18 pm

      There must be a Hasbara Compendium of Stock Responses. (If not, I may write one myself so that the users can save space in this comments section and just write: #3, or #5, etc.)
      Your response above comes from the Change The Subject chapter of the Compendium and is “Others are worse, why focus on Israel?”
      Your reflex response would have been a hasbara-accurate comment, Cosmo, except for the cartoon at the top of the article. LOOK at the cartoon, Cosmo. THAT’s why the focus. Peruse the Compendium some more and then come back and tell us another.

      • Gilad Atzmon

        April 26, 2012 at 3:28 pm

        It is so true and it is so Talmudic.. they never properly engage in any discussion, they only want to divert the attention from any manifestation of collective morbidity. Holocaust denial is one trick, Anti Semitism is another, and when these two aren’t applicable they say ‘we are not the only monsters, why do you pick on is?’

        • Gilad Atzmon

          April 26, 2012 at 3:29 pm

          sorry meant to be ‘pick on us’

        • searching

          April 26, 2012 at 3:34 pm

          talking about Holocaust, here is a very interesting , short article about the famous photo of a little boy with raised hands and German soldier pointing a gun at him, that probably everybody here had seen at least ten dozen times.
          Worth reading.
          It shows that, AGAIN ,
          the “emotional/fake truth” is more importatnt that the “FACTUAL/real one”.
          http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v14n2p6.html

        • Cosmo

          April 26, 2012 at 3:43 pm

          From the man that when confronted with a quote from his website, decided to ask 10 different question instead of addressing the quote.
          Are the Jews not the only monster? Based on your writing there is no way of knowing that.

          • Gilad Atzmon

            April 26, 2012 at 3:52 pm

            In my writing you won’t find any reference to Jews. I write about Jewish politics, Jewish identity, Jewish culture.. I am indeed critical of these. I am not critical of the Jews.. however in your Hasbara attitude i find too many traces of Jewish Talmudic culture,,

            Instead of pointing at Syria, please enlighten us and explain to us all Mr Kantor’s blindness to the universal horror of a global conflict…

            • Cosmo

              April 26, 2012 at 5:27 pm

              I don’t think a person which calls thousands of attempted murders of innocent men women and children by rockets “love letters” is in any position to criticize other about not caring about all lives in the same manner.
              I don’t think you can complain about ignoring of universal horror that might or might not happen while you ignore the actual horror taking place in Syria and write about the obscure phenomena of Jews painting swastika.
              I am not familiar with Mr. Kantor but my guess is that his job as president of the European Jewish Congress is to help the lives of Jews in Europe and that is why that is what talks about and that is his main concern.
              If the head of the British postal service where to write article about Britain’s relations with the EU. I would expect it to be about how does relations effect the postal service.

              • Roy Bard

                April 26, 2012 at 6:22 pm

                I am not familiar with Mr. Kantor

                It doesn’t take long to find out he’s a Russian oligarch, worth a few Billion. In 2005 companies he owned are alleged to have been involved in an attempt to sell Kh-55 missiles to Iran and China, via Ukraine. Kantor was also an advisor to Viktor Yushchenko.

                If the head of the British postal service where to write article about Britain’s relations with the EU. I would expect it to be about how does relations effect the postal service.

                Just like one would expect the author of a book on Jewish Identity Politics to write articles which related to Jewish Identity politics?

                Anyway here’s another take on Mr. Kantor and the Ynet report:

                Note how Kantor worries that an actual, unprovoked violent attack by a nuclear-armed state against a non-nuclear-armed state is called a “pretext” for potential, future anti-Semitism in Europe. So what are Kantor and the EJC doing about this? Well, AP reports that “his group is prodding European governments to take more measures to protect Jewish communities. He said its biggest efforts were focused on combatting anti-Semitism in the radical fringes of European Muslim neighborhoods.” Kantor also described this alleged latent and potential violence emanating from Muslim communities in Europe as “a bomb ready to explode.”

                That’s right. Kantor isn’t using his platform in Tel Aviv and position in Europe to warn against an illegal Israeli attack; no, he just wants more protection for European Jews if and when such an attack occurs. Apparently, the ancient community of 25,000 Iranian Jews don’t need similar protection from Israeli missiles and bombs.

                It even mentions you at the end, Cosmo!

                The purpose of the “new anti-Semitism” charge is abundantly clear: it not only serves to fear-monger about Muslims in Europe but also, perhaps more importantly, is a way to demonize and cow into silence critics of Israeli policy and advocates for human rights and international law.

      • Cosmo

        April 26, 2012 at 3:39 pm

        Ridiculous, when commenting about the fact the author never says a word about what is happening in Syria. I am changing the subject as if the subject isn’t always Israel and could some how be changed.

        • Gilad Atzmon

          April 26, 2012 at 3:47 pm

          Cosmo -politan..we are indeed interested in IsraHell, Jewish Power and the crimes that are committed in the name of the Jewish people.. Syria is indeed of a great concern but how is it related to the above article?

        • deLiberation

          April 26, 2012 at 4:16 pm

          It is not down to you COSMO, to change the topic of this thread to suit your myopic view of the world.

        • ariadna

          April 26, 2012 at 4:23 pm

          “the author never says a word about what is happening in Syria. ”

          And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
          Also not a word about Sudan, or Yemen or any other country you care to name.
          In fact the number of topics he doesn’t mention is staggering!
          The first that came to mind is the Holocaust™–the fact that the author does not talk about it is to me a clear indication of bias, as you must agree.

    • deLiberation

      April 26, 2012 at 3:48 pm

      Hey Cosmo this is an article about Israel. The clue is in the title. See off-topic comments
      site policy

      • Cosmo

        April 26, 2012 at 5:08 pm

        I see next time I’ll wait for an article about Syria to post my discontent with the fact the situation in Syria is ignored. My guess is that such an article will be posted when someone finally will find a way to put the blame of the killings on Israel.

        • Roy Bard

          April 26, 2012 at 5:29 pm

          I can’t find any mention of Israel in this article on Syria.

          You do seem intent on derailing this thread though………….

          • Cosmo

            April 26, 2012 at 5:49 pm

            The last paragraph does mention the fact he was on the Mavi Marmara and Viva Palestina 3 convoy.
            Anyway besides the author which seems to have a personal interest with the missing journalist. I don’t see anyone else was taking much of an interest with the thousands dead or the person being buried alive. It is not as if they were hit in the face by an Israel officer and sent home but still…
            Anyway if you don’t want to derail the thread please comment on it. No one is stopping you. I am not going to raise the “off topic subject” again unless someone force me to.

  2. searching

    April 26, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    I love the way prof Finkelstein commented this news.
    He has such a pecular sense of humor which I, personally, adore.
    http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/finally-some-good-news-3/

  3. Roy Bard

    April 26, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    From the Ynet article:

    Kantor, a Russian-Swiss businessman, said his group is prodding European governments to take more measures to protect Jewish communities. He said its biggest efforts were focused on combating anti-Semitism in the radical fringes of European Muslim neighborhoods.

    However he also tells us that

    “If Israel attacks Iran, it will be a dramatic increase of anti-Semitic, very violent attacks against Jews,”

    and also that:

    his organization generally expects anti-Semitic attacks to rise as European economies went into crisis, or if other violence occurred between Israel and the Palestinians.

    So, he understands that violence by Israel as the Jewish State can lead to a rise in anti-semitic incidents and yet instead of calling on Israel to moderate its attacks on Iran and Palestinians, he calls on European states to join in by attacking Muslim communities.

  4. searching

    April 26, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    “yet instead of calling on Israel to moderate its attacks on Iran and Palestinians, he calls on European states to join in by attacking Muslim communities.”
    Israel, or basically the Power Elite, ( Demonical Dark Powers), tries desperately , using the “divide and conquer” strategy to stir hate and distrust into European/American nations/communities.
    They want people to start hating each other, fighting with each oterh, be afraid of each other . Ultimately they (Power Elite)are the ones who ‘ll benefit from it.
    And ,unfortunately ,the” divide and conquer” method seems to always work.

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