We Jews are about to celebrate a new year again. We have been at this for 5,769 years, which is quite a long time considering that everyone else we once knew, (the Hittes, Jebusites, Phlishtim–even the ancient pre-Islamic Egyptians), have come and gone. As they say: “We’re still here,” a little worn and a little weary. Even as we miraculously inhabit our Biblical homeland once again, our right to it remains under profound and existential siege and our people, our precious youth, generation after generation, must continue to risk death in order to defend our right to be there.
We have entered an economic recession at a moment when the world has been practicing blaming the Jews for at least a decade. Things are moving very fast now. Pro-Palestine and anti-Israel conferences are being funded and are taking place in universities all over the Western world. The United Nations continues their pathologically deadly game against us. Iran threatens the nuclear annihilation of Israel–and Larry King interviews The Dinner Jacket. Many of Israel’s leaders have proved to be corrupt, timid, and flat out wrong, as have many of the leaders of major Jewish organizations outside of Israel.
Somehow, individual Jews are still managing to flourish. Israelis are inventing amazing things, discovering all kinds of health cures, potentially leading the world in the race for the electric car. Grassroots efforts to document the lethal cultural war against Israel have been undertaken by brilliant and persistent anti-propagandists: Camera, Honest Reporting, Memri, Palestinian Media Watch, Daniel Pipes’ Campus Watch and Middle East Forum, Steve Emerson’s Investigate Project, Robert Spencer’s Jihadwatch. The great Bat Yeor’s work on the history of dhimmi peoples under Islam and the reality that Europe has rapidly become “Eurabia,” the title of her latest book, has finally been taken seriously, not only by readers but by governments.
Bloggers are playing an increasingly major role in the various anti-disinformation campaigns. Let me note all the bloggers associated with my LiberalHawks listserv group and the doggedly brilliant bloggers who publish at PajamasMedia (MyPetJawa, Fausta’s Blog, Gesher) and the independents, such as AtlasShrugs and Gates of Vienna. (If I’ve made any mistakes here, please point them out and if I’ve left anyone out, do tell me).
My friend and colleague, Philippe Karsenty has, with a little help from some American funders, almost single handedly exposed the Al-Dura myth as the French-Palestinian blood libel that it surely is. My friend and colleague Rachel Ehrenfeld has not only gotten the New York State Legislature to pass what is now known as “Rachel’s Bill” against libel tourism and for the right of American writers to publish the truth, as well as their opinion, on any subject–beginning with that of Islam and the funding of jihad and terrorism by certain Saudi Princes. My friend and colleague, Dr. Andy Bostom has published his massive and major work about Islamic anti-Semitism. My colleague and friend, Anne Bayefsky, continues her must-read reports on the dangerous doings at the UN vis a vis Israel as part of her “Eye on the UN” enterprise.
We are also developing some new friends and allies: My friend and colleague, Nonie Darwish, the author of the brave and bracing work “Now They Call me Infidel,” is about to publish a new book about Sharia Law (“Cruel and Usual Punishment”) which is absolutely required reading. And, my dear friend, Ibn Warraq has royally taken down Edward Said in his latest book “Defending the West.” Funny, but his name is not listed among the speakers at the upcoming November conference at Columbia University which seeks to embellish Said’s reputation still further. Also funny: Columbia University has not invited Darwish to speak at their upcoming November conference about Sharia Law.
Yes, many Jews have done well in America but America is now undergoing a serious financial crisis and the world is experiencing global terrorism as never before. In the past, when people started losing their homes and jobs they also started looking for scapegoats to blame and, as I said above: The Jews are still here.
Let me wish my co-religionists a sweet, safe, healthy, and productive New Year–and the same to all our friends and supporters.
May God and the Israeli leadership successfully negotiate the return of all our prisoners, beginning with Gilad Shalit (why is he still in captivity?) and Jonathan Pollard, who has been imprisoned, usually in isolation, for an inhumane period of time. May we have the strength to continue resisting the imposition of Sharia Law. And, may we remember to thank God for all our amazing blessings.
L’Shana Tova U-Metukah! A good and sweet year to us all.
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