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Daily Sabah, Turkey
July 22 2014
ANTI-SEMITISM UNLEASHED
Emre Gönen
22 July 2014, Tuesday
It is very hard for any columnist to focus on any other subject other
than what is happening in Gaza. Despite the striking and alarming
developments from all around the world, notably in Ukraine, Gaza
remains at the center of our anxiety and attention for many reasons.
The situation today shows the impotence and cynicism of the
"democratic world," starting with the U.S., but encompassing all the
democratic governments and regimes of Europe. Post-war Europe was
built upon the understanding that a new "Auschwitz" would never be
possible again. That went rather smoothly in Europe, but elsewhere, it
becomes harder and harder to distinguish policies of the U.S. and EU
from those of other, fundamentally un-democratic, regimes. This is
deeply undermining the "role model" dimension of the democratic world.
It is therefore undermining the ideology based on participative and
pluralistic democratic infrastructure.
It is obvious that Jews have had no responsibility whatsoever
concerning the Shoah, they have just not been (along with many others)
capable of rumbling the unspeakable tragedy of the genocide. This is
deeply felt by the Jewish community, especially in Israel, who
consider any threat to their daily existence as a prelude to another
Holocaust. Israel retaliates with incredible disproportionate force
and insensitivity for civilian losses, not because it feels strong and
immune to punishment, but because it feels week and unable to assert
itself as a durable entity and polity to its neighbors.
The mass media in its majority and the governments and opinion leaders
in Europe have a very mild attitude against Israeli bombings, to say
the least. However, there is a large and growing popular outcry as
long as the killings continue. This will probably not change their
governments' attitudes. The very large and spontaneous street protests
did not push EU governments to intervene in Bosnia in 1992, nor did
they stop the Iraq war in 2002. This, on the other hand, has a more
pernicious and long-term effect - politicians are being alienated from
daily lives more and more in democratic countries. Conventional
political parties, which tend to resemble more and more are having
immense difficulties passing on their messages to voters. Their
growing incapacity to convince and mobilize their voters around
well-defined, courageous political goals and projects leave the field
to radical movements or tendencies.
It is very visible in the case of the Gaza tragedy. In Turkey, the
totality of political tendencies wanted the bombings to come to an end
and supported the Palestinian cause. This has not prevented every
opposition movement to incriminate the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) for its policies in the Middle East. However,
something much more disturbing happened - an overt anti-Semitic outcry
flooded the mass media and, more precisely, social media. A
humanitarian aid association chairman has openly threatened Turkish
Jews by reminding the infamous Istanbul pogrom of Sept. 6 and 7, 1955
that was waged against the Christian Greek and Armenian minorities of
Istanbul. Another popular singer tweeted that all the sons of Israel
must be annihilated. Such incredible anti-Semitic rhetoric is not
limited to Turkey. In France, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have
turned into riots attacking and destroying synagogues. Similar events
happened all over European countries, where the authorities started to
outlaw anti-Israeli demonstrations in order to contain anti-Semitic
attacks.
That will not succeed. Anti-Semitism, once unleashed, can hardly be
contained through security measures. By letting Israeli policies turn
Gaza and the Palestinians into modern time's human offerings to an
unknown "almighty international stability," democratic governments are
effectively undermining the perspectives of peaceful coexistence.
There is no "Palestinian" issue to really discuss, but everyone should
come to terms with the "Israeli" issue and should come to terms with
Israel, to devise what kind of state and peace they want to achieve.
Obviously present situation, even if it is stopped through a
miraculous cease-fire accepted by all, will not be sustainable, either
for Palestinians or for Israel. It will be only an interlude before
the next conflict. This is not a way to establish a sustainable
international order and this does not only concern Israel and the
Middle East only.
http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/emre_gonen/2014/07/22/antisemitism-unleashed
July 22 2014
ANTI-SEMITISM UNLEASHED
Emre Gönen
22 July 2014, Tuesday
It is very hard for any columnist to focus on any other subject other
than what is happening in Gaza. Despite the striking and alarming
developments from all around the world, notably in Ukraine, Gaza
remains at the center of our anxiety and attention for many reasons.
The situation today shows the impotence and cynicism of the
"democratic world," starting with the U.S., but encompassing all the
democratic governments and regimes of Europe. Post-war Europe was
built upon the understanding that a new "Auschwitz" would never be
possible again. That went rather smoothly in Europe, but elsewhere, it
becomes harder and harder to distinguish policies of the U.S. and EU
from those of other, fundamentally un-democratic, regimes. This is
deeply undermining the "role model" dimension of the democratic world.
It is therefore undermining the ideology based on participative and
pluralistic democratic infrastructure.
It is obvious that Jews have had no responsibility whatsoever
concerning the Shoah, they have just not been (along with many others)
capable of rumbling the unspeakable tragedy of the genocide. This is
deeply felt by the Jewish community, especially in Israel, who
consider any threat to their daily existence as a prelude to another
Holocaust. Israel retaliates with incredible disproportionate force
and insensitivity for civilian losses, not because it feels strong and
immune to punishment, but because it feels week and unable to assert
itself as a durable entity and polity to its neighbors.
The mass media in its majority and the governments and opinion leaders
in Europe have a very mild attitude against Israeli bombings, to say
the least. However, there is a large and growing popular outcry as
long as the killings continue. This will probably not change their
governments' attitudes. The very large and spontaneous street protests
did not push EU governments to intervene in Bosnia in 1992, nor did
they stop the Iraq war in 2002. This, on the other hand, has a more
pernicious and long-term effect - politicians are being alienated from
daily lives more and more in democratic countries. Conventional
political parties, which tend to resemble more and more are having
immense difficulties passing on their messages to voters. Their
growing incapacity to convince and mobilize their voters around
well-defined, courageous political goals and projects leave the field
to radical movements or tendencies.
It is very visible in the case of the Gaza tragedy. In Turkey, the
totality of political tendencies wanted the bombings to come to an end
and supported the Palestinian cause. This has not prevented every
opposition movement to incriminate the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) for its policies in the Middle East. However,
something much more disturbing happened - an overt anti-Semitic outcry
flooded the mass media and, more precisely, social media. A
humanitarian aid association chairman has openly threatened Turkish
Jews by reminding the infamous Istanbul pogrom of Sept. 6 and 7, 1955
that was waged against the Christian Greek and Armenian minorities of
Istanbul. Another popular singer tweeted that all the sons of Israel
must be annihilated. Such incredible anti-Semitic rhetoric is not
limited to Turkey. In France, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have
turned into riots attacking and destroying synagogues. Similar events
happened all over European countries, where the authorities started to
outlaw anti-Israeli demonstrations in order to contain anti-Semitic
attacks.
That will not succeed. Anti-Semitism, once unleashed, can hardly be
contained through security measures. By letting Israeli policies turn
Gaza and the Palestinians into modern time's human offerings to an
unknown "almighty international stability," democratic governments are
effectively undermining the perspectives of peaceful coexistence.
There is no "Palestinian" issue to really discuss, but everyone should
come to terms with the "Israeli" issue and should come to terms with
Israel, to devise what kind of state and peace they want to achieve.
Obviously present situation, even if it is stopped through a
miraculous cease-fire accepted by all, will not be sustainable, either
for Palestinians or for Israel. It will be only an interlude before
the next conflict. This is not a way to establish a sustainable
international order and this does not only concern Israel and the
Middle East only.
http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/emre_gonen/2014/07/22/antisemitism-unleashed