The Palestinian Authority (PA) is at war with Israel. We can see one part of its war through the way it talks about Israel.

It demonizes the Jewish state.

That’s how it works in war: you demonize your enemy.

Demonization is a sure sign that war is a communal goal. Demonization is not used to entertain or to inform. It has a more particular focus.

Specifically, the aim of demonization is to make it easier to remove cultural and religious inhibitions against murder. Demonization is how leaders prepare followers to want to kill an enemy.

The PA can’t stop demonizing Israel. It won’t stop.

Here are some headlines for—and personal comments about—stories from the Palestinian Authority. The headlines come from December 18-25, 2013.

-Poll: Most Palestinians believe Israel poisoned Arafat

-Report: Israel to release more veteran Palestinian prisoners next week

 -Israel strikes Gaza after border shootings, 2 dead in violence

 -Hamas, PA condemn Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

-UNRWA condemns Israel's 'Christmas Eve demolitions' in the West Bank

 -Erekat: Israeli airstrikes a 'criminal Christmas gift' to Gaza

 -Israel denies killing second Palestinian during Gaza upheaval

-Israeli forces detain seven Palestinians across the West Bank

-Palestinians celebrate release of Issawi despite Israeli threats

 -Prisoner Samir Issawi released from Israeli jail

-Israeli bulldozers destroy 15 Palestinian homes near Ramallah

-Israeli troops erect tents near Yabad

 -Israeli forces raid Nablus, detain five young men

-Israeli forces demolish Palestinian properties in Jordan Valley

- Group: Israel must release all Palestinian prisoners

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The demonization drumbeat against Israel is relentless. During this news cycle, we were reminded that fifty-nine per cent of Palestinians say Israel poisoned former PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Never mind that twenty-one per cent of these Arab respondents say the Palestinians did it themselves. The PA considered it unimportant that fully a fifth of respondents think their own leadership killed Arafat. The PA focus was exclusively on Israel: Israelis killed our beloved leader!

The message is, Israel kills. Indeed, during this news cycle, the PA accused Israel of killing a three-year old ‘Palestinian’ boy in Gaza—as a result of an Israeli air strike against terrorists embedded inside a residential area. No one noticed that embedding combatants inside a civilian population is a war crime.  They demonized the Israelis.

No one noticed that the incident reported here had occurred because an Arab sniper had killed an Israeli. It didn’t matter. They demonized the Israelis.

As if on cue, one reader commenting on the article reporting this story said that Palestinians ‘have the right to defend themselves against these monsters’ (Israel, not the terrorists who used human shields). Another reader trotted out the canard of ‘disproportionate response’, to say that while Palestinians take pot-shots, the Israelis drop bombs—as if the Arab-Israel war was some kind of game that is measured by a ‘tit-for-tat rule--and anyone who violates that rule must be condemned for unfair play. Another reader said, just remember who killed the kid, and who’s dropping the bombs here—as if the relevant facts were ‘kid’ versus ‘bombs’ and not ‘human shield’ and ‘sniper killing’ versus Israeli civilian.

That’s how it is in war. You ignore the truth. You demonize the enemy.

The Arab continues to live by the sword—and use human shields. The Israelis are the ‘monsters’.

That’s how it is in war. You demonize the enemy.

 Of course, Hamas and the PA were angry about this incident. But they condemned Israel, not the terrorists who started the shooting.

Hamas condemned the air strike, saying that such ‘cowardly crimes would not deter Palestinian resistance fighters from doing their duty’. The PA, meanwhile, announced that it had contacted the ‘international sides’ to intervene against the Israelis.

The PA forgot to mention that this latest escalation was begun by its own ‘resistance fighters’—a group called, ‘the Popular Resistance Committee’. This so-called ‘Committee’ claimed responsibility for shooting the Arab civilian contract-employee of the Israel Defense Force who had been working on the Israeli side of the Gaza fence. It was his killing that had provoked the Israeli bombing. 

Both Hamas and the PA condemned Israel. No one on the ‘Palestinian’ side condemned the sniper who had killed the Israeli-employed Arab.

No Arab apologized for killing another Arab. They simply insisted on calling the retaliatory Israeli air strike, ‘cowardly’.

Somehow, one gets the notion that the cowardice here was not Israel’s, but the Arab’s. There seems to be something cowardly about killing an Israeli, then blaming Israel.

When, this week, an Arab terrorist, Samir Issawi, was released from an Israeli prison after he’d engaged in a 266-day hunger strike, he was hailed as a hero of ‘Palestine’. He had been originally arrested by Israeli forces during the Second Intifada (in April, 2002),and was among prisoners released in October, 2011 as part of a deal connected to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Issawi’s release at that time was based on an agreement to restrict his travel movements.  But he was re-arrested in July 2012 for violating that agreement. He is now free again—and unrepentant. As soon as he was released, he called upon ‘Palestinians’ to kidnap more Israeli soldiers.

To understand the intensity of the PA war against Israel, compare the news from the PA with Israel’s news headlines (below). In the PA, you see Israel painted as a brutal (and illegal) ‘occupier’ who detains, dispossesses and kills Arabs at will.

But for Israel, the focus is not the ‘demon’ Arab. Instead, the focus is terror. Look at the language of Israel’s headlines for this news cycle:

-heightened tension (with the Arabs)

-a rise of terror

-a spike in terror [against Jews]

-Gaza terrorists fire rockets at Israel

-Netanyahu mourns Israeli shot dead by terrorist

-Israel still to release another 26 Arab prisoners this week

-Israel redeploys its Iron Dome [anti-missile missiles] to southern Israel

-a normal country wouldn’t release terrorists

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These—and related--headlines paint a clear picture: Arabs riot here, throw stones there, attack Jews everywhere. In Israel, the news is about a season of terror, not peace.

These headlines are not from a year’s worth of news—or a month; they are from this one six-day news cycle.

Supposedly, there are peace talks going on. Supposedly, peace is about to break out. Supposedly, Jew and Arab are soon to live side-by-side in peace and security.

But Israelis don’t prepare for peace. They prepare for a wave of terror. The PA, meanwhile, ignores peace. One again, this PA news cycle hardly mentions ‘peace’. Instead, the PA continues to demonize Israel. It continues to slant news. It continues to paint Israel as brutal and illegal ‘occupiers’.  

Can you see where this is going?

It isn’t going towards peace.

What must the G-d of Israel think of all this?

Here are some headlines you might have missed in the last few days. Let’s take a fresh look at them.

Today’s selection—and comments--comes from December 19-22, 2013.

The war against Israel

-Brandeis, Penn State Quit ASA over Israel Boycott (12/19/13, Arutz Sheva)

-PA Live TV Event Glorifies Terror, Murder, Hatred (12/20/13, Arutz Sheva)

 -PM: What hinders peace talks is PA's refusal to acknowledge Israel as Jewish state (12/19/13, Haaretz)

-Report: Haniyeh invites Abbas for Palestinian unity gov't talks (12/19/13, Ynet

-Bomb Explodes on Bat Yam Bus; One Wounded (12/22/13, Arutz Sheva)

-Hamas praises bus bombing, says 'Israel will know no stability'  (12/22/13, Ynet)

-Police chief: Attack illustrates terrorism is in the background, especially during talks (12/22/13, Haaretz)

-Livni: Ignore the Terrorists and Keep Talking (12/23/13, Arutz Sheva)

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The war against Israel heated up during this news cycle—even if the cycle did begin with some good news for Israel. For the good news, Brandeis and Penn State Universities refused to join the boycott of Israel that was passed last week by the American Studies Association. Their decision to boycott the boycott was important news for those who defend Israel. This would be the only good news for Israel in this cycle.

To start the bad news, Hamas and Fatah announced their decision to unite—for the umpteenth time. They spoke of a unified front and unified elections. For ‘Palestinian’ unity, it was good news. For Jew-hate, it was wonderful news. For those who can’t wait to destroy Israel, it was perfect news-- because the war to erase Israel cannot be won if Fatah and Hamas are divided.

It doesn’t matter that chances for real unity between these two foes are dim. What matters is public perception.

The near-term history of the Middle East will now (for the next few months at least) be driven by Arab perception-masters. Everything they—and their enablers (including Israelis)—do will be based upon fear and perception.

The fear will be what the Arabs will do to Israel if Israel doesn’t ‘sign for peace’ (be afraid, you Jews). The perception will be that the creation of ‘Palestine’ is ‘Destiny’.

For Arabs, ‘Destiny’ is in the air. But for Jews, it isn’t ‘Palestinian’ Destiny (which includes Israel’s destruction) that we will see.

Of course, many scoff at Jewish Destiny. They see only ‘Palestinian’ destiny. They believe there is no such thing as Jewish Destiny.

Are they correct?

The road to ‘Palestine’ is marked with fear. The fear is everywhere. You see it in Israel’s Left. You see it among Israel’s right.

You see it wherever there are Jews who do not understand Jewish Destiny.

It’s not a good sign. Fear is never a good sign. Fear doesn’t foreshadow happiness. It foreshadows destruction.

The first fear-bomb to drop during this news cycle was a real bomb—on a bus in Bat Yam, not too far from Haifa. Reports in Israel surfaced that this bomb was evidence that anti-Israel activity is no longer random or individual; the bomb meant, the reports said, organized attacks will now begin.

Nobody detailed or analyzed whose reports these were, or how viable they were. They were just there. They promised harm to Israel.

Where did these reports come from? Are there Jews in Israel who want to frighten us? Do these Jews promote such ‘fear-reports’ as part of a planned run-up to a fake peace we are supposed to buy-before-it’s-too-late?

You tell me.

--

The war against Israel, con’t.

-EU support up for sanctioning Israel settlement goods (12/19/13, Ynet)

--PA Live TV Event Glorifies Terror, Murder, Hatred (12/20/13, Arutz Sheva)

-As both sides wait for Kerry, the refugee camps boil (12/23/13, Times of Israel)

- Arab League slams US security ideas for Palestine (12/21/13, Ynet)

-IDF: Rocket from Gaza hits Israel (12/23/13, Haaretz)

- Reagan: Palestinians Do Not Want Peace - They Want Israel (12/20/13, Arutz Sheva)

--

The pre-peace fear campaign leapt forward. Rockets from Gaza hit Israel (no injuries). The Arab league joined with the Palestinian Authority to nix an American security plan suggested for Israel after the creation of ‘Palestine’. Neither Abbas nor the Arab League could stomach the thought of Jewish soldiers creating security for Israel in the Jordan River valley; Jewish blood, apparently, is too vile. If Israel wanted peace, the Arabs seemed to suggest, it would get it only by giving up land without security considerations.

Was this supposed to make us feel afraid to say ‘no’ to ‘peace’?

Israelis learned during this news cycle that the Palestinian Authority (PA) continued to glorify terror, murder and hatred. This might be a season of peace according to the nations. But it wasn’t a season of peace to Mahmoud Abbas.

PA TV announced that Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was endorsing and sponsoring a program called, "5th Festival of the Heritage of the Father". It glorified terror and murder. An ad invited everyone to watch the fun.

Nice guy, Mahmoud Abbas—a real peace partner, eh? He certainly worked hard on TV to show how eagerly he prefers Jewish blood to Jewish friendship. Isn’t he great?

Nobody noticed. Nobody cared.

These days, Jewish blood is that cheap.

As if to underscore how fake the American-sponsored fake peace was, former US President Ronald Reagan’s son Michael, said in an interview, "I don't think the Palestinians really want peace," …"I don't think they've really ever wanted peace; I think they want Israel."

’Palestinian’ destiny is a fake. This so-called peace is a fake.

Why does Jewish leadership tolerate such fakery?

Jonathan Pollard

- Officials demand Pollard release in light of US spying (12/22/13, Times of Israel)

- US spying on Ehud Barak’s home is revealed (12/22/13, Times of Israel)

 --

The pressure builds in Israel to fight for Jonathan Pollard’s release. Now, more than ever, his imprisonment appears unseemly.

US spying has been personal and intrusive . The US didn’t just spy on Israeli officials at their offices. With (former) Defense Minister Ehud Barak, US spies rented an apartment across the street from Barak’s residence--and spied on him at home.

Israel opposition leader Yitzchak Herzog has justifiably taken offended by these revelations. He was quoted this week as saying, “These reports strengthen the argument that it’s simply unjust to continue to punish him [Pollard], since we now know that the United States worked in a variety of ways to surveil and collect intelligence on an ally as close as Israel.”

Nevertheless, US reports confirm that, as President Obama commuted the sentences of several convicted drug offenders, he had no time for Jonathan Pollard. He refused to release Pollard.

He hardened his heart.

Why does Pollard’s name pop up during this news cycle of fear and perception? Is Jonathan Pollard to become part of a smoke-and-mirrors ‘peace’ offer—or is his continued imprisonment supposed to make us afraid?

What must the G-d of Israel think of all this?

Here are some headlines you might have missed in the last few days. Let’s take a fresh look at them.

Today’s selection—and comments--comes from December 15-18, 2013.

The war against Israel

- Livni: Israel's Legitimacy is Under Global Attack (12/16/13, Arutz Sheva

- Sirens wail in southern Israel as rocket fired from Gaza (12/15/13, Times of Israel)

-U.S. academic group votes to boycott Israel (Haaretz, 12/16/13)

- Schooling the ASA on boycotting Israel (Times of Israel, 12/15/13)

--

The war against Israel didn’t rest during this news cycle. The delegitimization of Israel moved forward (“ Livni: Israel's Legitimacy is Under Global Attack”). Sirens continued to wail in southern Israel.

Even the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) industry got its licks in against Israel: the American Studies Association (ASA), a 5,000 members American academic organization, voted overwhelmingly (by a 66+ per cent margin) to boycott all Israeli academic institutions (“U.S. academic group votes to boycott Israel”). The ASA said it did this to fight for Peace in the Middle East.

Right.

As a consequence of their vote, one of Israel’s great modern heroes (heroines), Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, wrote an essay for the Times of Israel (“Schooling the ASA on boycotting Israel”). You should remember this woman’s name. She an Israeli who has founded an NGO called, Shurat HaDin—the Israel Law Center.

During her tenure, she has done something no one before had ever done: she successfully sued terror states for hundreds of millions of dollars (the total now is over a billion dollars). She uses the court system to hold to account terrorist organizations and the regimes that support them. She has also begun to fight against discrimination and boycotts through her own ‘lawfare’ strategies.

She is no amateur. She is no fool. She is not a naïve innocent tilting at windmills. 

You should remember her name: Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.

She knows her law—and she knows how to drag anti-Israel haters into court. She knows how to put a price on attacking Israel.

She now writes (ibid) that the ASA will become a priority because, she explains, its boycott vote violates international, federal and state law in the United States. That vote, she says, leaves the ASA and its membership open to both civil and criminal liability (ibid).

To get a sense of her ability to use the law to fight, recall another recent BDS lawsuit of hers—in summer 2013, in Australia. There, she filed a class action complaint over an Australian professor's participation in and public support of boycotts of Israel (Rina Tzvi, “Shurat HaDin files class action complaint over Australian professor's participation and public support of boycotts of Israel”, Arutz Sheva, July 31, 2013). Her complaint was filed under the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975, the Australian Human Rights Commission.  Her complaint alleges that, under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 with the Australian Human Rights Commission, the boycott activities undertaken by the named Australian University professor had been specifically outlawed.

In her essay on the ASA, she pointed out that the New York State Legislature has made illegal such boycotts as the ASA has passed. She then wondered aloud how many of the voting professors worked in New York State.

She reminded these professors that the Ribicoff Amendment to the Tax Reform Act of 1976 makes it a federal violation to “participate in or cooperate with an international boycott.”

She pointed out that their boycott is potentially subject to lawsuit under anti-boycott legislation through Export Administration Regulations—and she advises the ASA to prepare for their future by reading the International Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Racial Discrimination, which the United States ratified on October 21, 1994.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, of Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center—is a lawyer who knows how to defend Israel with a big stick. She has already used that stick to inflict more than a billion dollars’ worth of damage against Israel’s enemies.

May she continue to file against Israel’s enemies. May she continue to succeed.

Here’s hoping she files her lawsuit. Here’s hoping also that she sues as well individual professors from the ASA.

It’ll be good for them. It’ll give them an education. It will teach them that bigotry and hate can be expensive—and humiliating.

The Leftist war against Israel

- Haifa University Rejects Nobel-Winning Professor Over [his pro-Israel] Politics (12/15/13, Arutz Sheva)

-Ministers Endorse NGO Taxation - Livni to Appeal (12/15/13, Arutz Sheva

-AG Opposes NGO Law (12/15/13, Arutz Shev)

- NGO bill approved by ministers despite controversy (12/15/13, Ynet)

--

While the BDS battle unfolded above, Israel watched another Israeli Leftist attack against Israel. The provocation for the Left this time was legislation to tax all NGOs which bring money to Israel in order to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state. The Left called this legislation narrow-minded and anti-democratic. Israel’s Leftist Attorney General said the bill was unconstitutional.

That was a funny thing for Israel’s Attorney General to say. Know why that’s funny?

Israel doesn’t have a constitution.

Here are key elements of the bill. You tell me if the bill hurts Israel’s democratic status—or if it helps to make Israel strong enough to continue to remain democratic.

The bill proposes a 45% tax to be charged on nonprofit foundations and organizations that receive foreign donations and then take part in the following activities:

•Advocating the boycott, divestment, or sanctioning of Israel or its citizens.

•Calling for the trial of IDF soldiers in international courts.

•Denying Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state.

•Inciting to racism.

•Supporting armed struggle against the State of Israel by an enemy state or terror organization.

Today, dozens of anti-Israel NGOs come to Israel. They spend more than 35 million NIS a year to demonize and attack Israel. But for those who voted for it, this bill represents a way for Israel to protect itself.

Does Israel have the right to do this?

You decide.

The Arab Middle East

- Syrian Army Drops Explosive Barrels on Aleppo (12/16/13, Arutz Sheva

- NGO: Death toll in Syrian bombing raid on Aleppo rises to 76 (12/16/13, Ynet)

- Attacks across Iraq kill at least 29 people (12/16/13, Ynet))

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While Israeli Leftists cried out against Israel’s desire to protect itself from its enemies, no Leftist anywhere had a single word to say about the horrid killings that occur daily in Syria or Iraq. No Israeli Leftist spoke out. No member of the ASA (story above) has been quoted as speaking out about anything other than boycotting Israel.

Now, the Syrian government drops explosive barrels into its population (“Syrian Army Drops Explosive Barrels on Aleppo”). The barrels killed at least 36 people—including 15 children. No one seemed to care. The only thing that mattered was the damn Jews.

What must the G-d of Israel think of these people?

If you’re like most non-Arabs, you probably don’t read the Arab Press. That could be a mistake.

Arabs are at war with Israel. They can’t stop talking about it. They won’t stop talking about it.

Even when Israel’s Arab neighbours do not talk about the Arab war against Israel, that war seems very close.

Here are some headlines for—and personal comments about—stories from Israel’s Arab neighbours. The headlines come from December 5-11, 2013.

From Palestinian (PA) news

-African immigrants protest Israel detention

 -Israel confiscates private Palestinian land near Nablus

 -Israeli forces detain 17 in West Bank arrest raids

-Hamas agrees to join unity government ahead of elections

 -Why Palestine should seek justice at the International Criminal Court

-Defending Geneva: Understanding Israel's opposition to peace with Iran

-Tel Aviv 'Nakba' film festival keeps alive memories of 1948 in Israel

-Thousands face uncertainty over Jerusalem demolition threat

-Rights group urges tougher EU measures on settler violence

What’s interesting about this PA news cycle is that some of its stories aren’t so new. The last six stories above come from weeks before—carried forward for reader pleasure, no doubt.

But these last stories are not pleasure features. They’re political; and by saying, for example, that ‘Zionists weaponize’ the Bible, they cross the line into anti-Semitism.

Such a story might even be racist. Have you heard any Human Rights organizations complain?

Jordan

-Melting snow raising dam levels

-Man shoots wife in the foot

-Queen Rania chairs Arab Open University board meeting

-Rights group raises alarm over migrants in Qatar

-Workshop focuses on compliance with water regulations

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Jordan national interests do not include an obsession with Israel. In at least part of this week’s news cycle, Syria had more mentions than Israel.

However, you may wish to make note of the headline above  about water. The title of this news item seems innocuous (“Workshop focuses on compliance with water regulations”). But it isn’t.

It reveals a hidden truth about the Arab war of hate against Israel.

This Jordanian story is not about Israel. It’s about Jordanians. It’s about a Jordanian need for its citizens to become more careful about water. Look closely at the headline. Can you see the hidden truth?

In the Middle East, water is scarce. While Israel has, to a great extent, solved most of its water supply problems, Arabs have not.

Therefore, water becomes a weapon in the Arab war against Israel.

Briefly, the Palestinian Authority (PA) accuses Israel of stealing, restricting or holding back water under its control.  Since water is so limited here—and since Israel does so well with water issues--the PA accuses Israel of helping itself at the Arab’s expense.

In a water-starved region, that’s oppression of a particularly cruel kind.  The United Nations has done water-use studies. The UN says that the amount of water Arabs receive from Israel is below the amount Israel is supposed to supply. Their conclusion is, the Arab water-accusation is true.

Nobody wonders if Arab water-piracy could reduce Arab water-use numbers. Nobody wonders if, between Israeli sources and Arab end-users, Arab water-piracy could account for the low amount of water Arabs say they receive from Israel. Instead, everyone simply concludes they have found another reason to demonize Israel.

But this headline in Jordan reveals a hidden truth. Unlike Israel headlines about water, this one is not about conservation. It’s about compliance.

There’s a very big difference between ‘conservation’ and ‘compliance’. Do you begin to see the hidden truth here?

Some pro-Israel advocates have suggested that part of the Arab water-problem is not Israel. Israel, they say, has actually been allocating more water to Arabs in Palestinian Authority areas than they had contracted to supply through the 1992-4 Oslo Accords. The problem, they suggest, is not water-sourcing from Israel. It’s water piracy by Arabs.

To put this argument another way, only Jews seem to believe that a large part of the Arab’s water problem is due to non-compliant uses of water by Arabs. But this headline—and another Jordanian headline like it from October, 2013 (("Priority is combating illegal wells, not raising water tariffs”) suggest a different story. They suggest that illegal Arab water use is a bonafide problem. They suggest that, once again, Israel-haters may have gotten it wrong: Arab water-problems aren’t exacerbated by Jew-control; it’s exacerbated by Arab theft.

The truth is often revealed when the world of lies becomes visible.

Saudi Arabia

-Rice firms fined for cheating

-Blood banks to be linked electronically

-Saudis, Emiratis join hands to mark week for disabled

As Saudi Arabia focused on its own national concerns, it nonetheless came out strongly this week against the West’s approach to Syria and Iran. As many have already noted, the Saudis are unhappy with the West’s do-nothing approach to Syria and Iran. Saudis feel that Western ‘diplomacy’ creates a danger the Saudis are no longer willing to be silent about. They cannot, they now say, stand idly by.

Sounds like a threat, doesn’t it? It certainly suggests a lack of trust in the USA.

Does such criticism suggest an American success with Syria and Iran—or incompetence?

Here’s a fresh look at Israel’s news—and some headlines you might have overlooked as last week ended.  

Today, we look at—and comment on—just a few headlines from December 10-12, 2013.

Nelson Mandela

-Masses gather in Johannesburg for Mandela memorial (12/10/13, Jerusalem Post)

-World leaders pay tribute to Mandela  (12/10/13, Ynet)

-Obama in South Africa: Mandela is 'the last great liberator of the 20th century' (12/10/13, Haaretz)

- Obama hails Mandela, chides other leaders who stifle dissent (12/10/13 Ynet)

-Labor Chief Slams PM over Mandela Memorial Absence (12/10/13, Arutz Sheva)

- Mandela vs. the Iron Lady (12/10/13, The Times of Israel)

-By avoiding Mandela’s memorial, Netanyahu digs Israel’s PR grave (12/10.13, blogger essay The Times of Israel)

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harvested more bitterness from last week’s news cycle, this time over the funeral of Nelson Mandela. The bitterness he collected didn’t come from foreigners. It came from Israelis who, apparently, are more smart than wise.   

The problem was, Mr Netanyahu begged off going to the funeral due, his office said, to cost constraints. Israel President Peres—who at first announced he would go--also begged off due, his own office said, to a case of the flu.

As one writer put it, Peres got a ‘doctor’s note’ to stay in Israel. He got an excused absence.  

But Netanyahu got hammered. With his ‘I can’t go’ announcement, he seemed to have committed several unforgiveable political sins. As Leftist Labor leader Yitzchak Herzog said, Netanyahu was guilty of "insensitivity or plain stupidity" over his decision not to attend Nelson Mandela's funeral (“Labor Chief Slams PM over Mandela Memorial Absence”).

According to the accusations, Netanyahu’s first sin was that he gave Israel a black eye (“By avoiding Mandela’s memorial, Netanyahu digs Israel’s PR grave”). Netanyahu’s refusal to honour the world’s greatest moral leader would serve only to provoke the world to continue to demonize Israel.

 Netanyahu’s second sin was that his failure to honour Mandela demonstrated a complete lack of appreciation for ethics and justice. As one commentator was quoted to say in “Mandela vs. the Iron Lady”, “Netanyahu’s decision to skip Madiba’s [Mandela’s] memorial draws jeers, especially in light of that fact that he attended Margaret Thatcher’s funeral…   ‘What values, as a country, do we place higher, values of justice and ethics, or the economic values of Margaret Thatcher, who after her death Brits went out drinking [sic] and waved signs condemning her?’

His third sin was the lameness of his excuse—the cost of travel. It seemed a transparently disingenuous excuse. How could he lie so stupidly?

Altogether, these accusations appeared to combine into a powerful slap in the face. Netanyahu looked vile.  But the accusations were misplaced.

Netanyahu was correct not to go to Mandela’s funeral. He might even have been correct to use so lame an excuse.

Israelis who raked Netanyahu over the coals apparently believe that Nelson Mandela remains a moral giant.  But that may not be entirely true.

It’s certainly not true for Jews.

Nelson Mandela had once been noble. During his life, he became a moral icon. He contributed to (led?) the defeat of the evil South African apartheid—and became his country’s President. Therefore, these writers proclaim, he is to be honoured for being the great moral leader of our time.  Anyone who refused to attend a ceremony to honour the passing of such a giant only soiled his own reputation.

Take that, you swine Netanyahu.

But while Nelson Mandela had no doubt been a moral giant, he did not remain a moral giant. When it came to the Jews, he put his morality—and his nobility—aside.

Look at what he did. He kissed Yasser Arafat. He called Arafat one of our generation’s giants (or something like that). He praised Arafat. He sat with Arafat. He visited Arafat.

He lent to Arafat his moral reputation. He allowed a killer and an advocate of ethnic cleansing to gain strength, fame and power from the afterglow of association and photo-ops.  

With every kiss, Mandela’s moral stature shrank. Arafat was a tyrant. Mandela kissed him. Arafat used apartheid rules to control his own people. Mandela kissed him. Arafat spoke of wiping Israel off the world map. Mandela kissed him.

But instead of kissing, Mandela should have used his moral stature to pressure Arafat. He should have told Arafat, in public, ‘My friend, if you wish to proclaim solidarity with me, then you cannot be intolerant to your own people; and you cannot hate those who are different from you’.

Mandela didn’t do that—and if apologists say he did, then he didn’t do it enough. At the very least, he should have spoken these words with every kiss. He didn’t do that, either.

He had his chance to speak. He remained silence. That silence ennobled a killer.

He shared his mantle of moral leadership with an immoral dissembler. His behaviour was moral hypocrisy.

He soiled his nobility. He propped up Jew-hate. In Western history, there is probably no greater a moral stain than that.

When he shared the spotlight with Arafat, all we heard were the kisses. All we saw was the love; and today, that love continues: the country that Mandela led and influenced now says that the “arrangement there in Palestine [sic] keeps us awake ... the last time I [South African International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane] looked at the map of Palestine, I could not go to sleep. The struggle of the people of Palestine is our struggle…”.

The truth about Netanyahu’s decision is this: the Prime Minister of Israel should not honour one who kisses unrepentant Jew-killers. The Prime Minister of Israel should not honour someone who strengthens those who demonizes the Jewish state. Our Prime Minister does not—and should not-- honour a man whose own country appears to support without reservation the Arab war against Israel. Perhaps the virtue our Prime Minister prefers to uphold is the virtue truth, not hypocrisy.

Perhaps this is why the Jewish people are to be called, a Light unto the nations—because Jews understand better than most where supporting moral double-standards can lead.

Too many Israelis prefer the moral duplicity of the West to truth. Perhaps Netanyahu was right not to go to Mandela’s funeral—it might have been immoral to do so; and so far as that lame excuse goes—the cost of the trip—perhaps the excuse should be lame, so that others can see that Netanyahu knows how to remain polite and courteous even to one who has betrayed his own nobility.

What do you think?