Hamas have to be thrilled at the ultimate outcome of their sadistic murder, rape, torture and destruction. As a result the world is turning against Israel and the Jews. Reflective of their success is the toxic environment in America which is front and center of the news cycle. Iran's newest best friend, Putin, must be particularly pleased that Biden's backing of Israel may impact his support from the youth and African American voters.
The tragic gunning down of three Palestinian students in Burlington Vermont took place to a backdrop of an historically high prevalence of antisemitism, increased Islamophobia and widespread support of the terrorist organization Hamas. The latter was articulated by a wide spectrum of political opinion as well as by students including those at Brown University.
Jay H. Ell will detail the differing narratives and impact of the bloodbath that started on October 7. More often than not reason has been tossed aside in favor of prejudice and a disregard of reality.
OVER VIEW - THE SHOOTING, THE SOCIETAL RESPONSE, BROWN UNIVERSITY, ANTISEMITISM AND SENATE LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER
On Saturday November 25 three Palestinian students, visiting relatives in Burlington Vermont, were shot by a white male who has subsequently been charged and is in custody pending a bail hearing. The injuries inflicted were serious and one of the victims may be permanently paralyzed. Two of the twenty year old male youths were wearing black and white keffiyeh Palestinian scarfs and the three were speaking English and Arabic.
A Federal Hate crime investigation is in the offing as a result of the crime. However after exhaustive media scrutiny into his background nothing but mental instability has been uncovered. Regardless of the latter, the widespread narrative is that this vicious assault was based on the victims’ ethnicity.
The unprovoked assault has been universally condemned, notably by every Jewish Congregation in Burlington and by Jewish student Hillel Houses across several campuses. The President of the United States added his voice to the sense of shock this felling of innocents had evoked. In addition the leader of the Senate Charles Schumer outright dammed the crime.
One of the students attends Brown University which had already been the scene of pro Hamas protests where twenty students had been charged for trespassing for their intransigent occupation of the Universities Administration facilities. The assault exacerbated the anti Israeli feeling at Brown where the head of Palestinian studies read a statement of one of the victims which inflamed passions even more. Brown is just one of the many campuses where sentiment against Israel is being expressed resulting in wide spread angst among Jewish students and faculty who fear for their safety.
Currently 7 Colleges are being investigated by the Department of Education for alleged incidents of antisemitism and according to a spokesperson more probes are in the offing. Three Presidents of Harvard, MIT and Pennsylvania told Congress with regard to reported anti semitism on their campuses that they were doing all they can to ameliorate the situation including the formation of task forces and beefed up security.
Simultaneously with the assault on the three students who originally hail from the West Bank the prevalence of anti semitic hate incidents has exponentially increased. This led the current leader of the Senate, Charles Schumer to make a fervent plea for the understanding of the history of anti semitism and the devastating and homicidal impact it had had on the Jewish people for over two millennia. He claimed that the American Jewish community in the prevailing environment situation was feeling “alone”.
THE STATEMENTS OF THE PALESTINIAN VICTIMS AND A VIGIL ON THE BROWN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
On being discharged from hospital Mr. Kinnan Abdalhamid proclaimed that, “In the West Bank, we’re not safe because of the occupation, and as a Palestinian American because of people like this that might come out…the attack will have a lasting impact - not only for him and his friends, but for every Palestinian”.
Brown University was the institution where the most seriously injured student, Hisham Arwatani, attended. At a midnight vigil the Professor of Palestinian Studies read a statement from the victim:
“As much as I appreciate every single one of you here today, I am one casualty in a much wider conflict. Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical services that saved my life here would have been withheld by the Israeli army. The soldier who shot me would go home and never be convicted; I understand the pain is so much more real and immediate because many of you know me, but any attack like this is horrific, be it here or in Palestine. This is why why when you say your wishes and light your candles today, your mind should not just be focused on me as an individual but rather as a proud member of the people being oppressed”.
A major effort at Brown University is being attempted by the administration to calm the anger towards Israel which has been inflamed by the shooting. The University President Christine Paxon to jeers, being yelled at to divest from Israel and to cries of “Shame, Shame Shame” attempted to address the vigil, following the reading of Arwatani’s message.
“Although we don’t know the details yet, it is horrific that the mere fact that Hisham and his friends were simply being who they are, proud Palestinians, wearing kaffiyehs, speaking in Arabic, that may be what prompted the shooting. Sadly, we can’t control what happens around the world and across the country. We’re powerless to do everything when would like to do.But there’s so much that we are doing and continue to do….”
President Paxon was unable to continue because she was shouted down by the assembled.......
SENATOR SCHUMER MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE ON THE HISTORIC RISE OF ANTI SEMITISM IN AMERICA
Senator “Chuck” Schumer Senate leader took to the floor and in a forty minute highly personal intervention, several of his own family having been exterminated in the holocaust, outlined the millennia old episodes of persecution against the Jews. He detailed:
“…the vitriol against Israel and the Jews in the United Sates has crossed into widespread antisemitism, the likes of which we haven’t seen for generations in this country - the rise of antisemitism is a crisis — a five-alarm fire that must be extinguished. I want to explain, through the lens of history, why this is so dangerous. The normalization and exacerbation of this rise in hate is the danger many Jewish people fear most.”
“Antisemites are taking advantage of the pro- Palestinian movement to espouse hatred and bigotry toward Jewish people. But rather than call out this dangerous behavior for what it is, we see so many of our friends and fellow citizens - particularly the young people who yearn for justice - knowingly aiding and abetting their cause”
“Not long ago, many of us marched together for black and brown lives, we stood together against anti-Asian hatred, we protested bigotry against the LGBTQ community, we fought for reproductive justice out of recognition that injustice against one oppressed group is injustice against all. But apparently, in the eyes of some, that principle does not extend to the Jewish people.”
“In the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack against defenseless Israeli civilians, many Americans had skipped over any expression of sympathy for the victims and instead attacked the past actions of the Israeli government.”.
“Can anybody imagine a horrific terrorist attack in another country receiving such a reception? The long arc of history had taught Jews a painful lesson; ultimately that we are alone.”
THE RATIONALE BEHIND SUPPORTING HAMAS’S OCTOBER 7 ATTACK AND POSITION - SOUTH AFRICAN RONNIE KASRILS
The American public has not really had a full throated justification from a Hamas point of view for their October 7 attack. The attitude of those who oppose Israel is to totally ignore the atrocity of October 7 in favor of focusing on the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians - much of course to the glee of Hamas who oblige by using them as human shields.
In countries such as South Africa no such inhibitions exist from Hamas apologists as the Government is backing Hamas to the hilt. Prominent in this role is Ronnie Kasrils a former underground member of the ANC’s military wing, “Spear of the Nation”
Kasrils entitled his comments as a “Salute to Hamas”. He argues that, “..the oppressed have the right to resist and when oppression is violent….that right extends to armed resistance… (the attack) showed exceptional military ingenuity… it was a just war against military personell. This was a wholly legitimate military objective, one in conformity with international law.
Kasrils then goes on to explain the casualties of the attack, “…A significant number of these people were killed in the cross fire, many by Israeli fire. The lies about 40 beheaded babies and raped women have been thoroughly debunked. Only one baby has been reported dead, sadly killed by cross fire”. He strangely adds, “….To be sure there is footage of civilians being shot by attackers. But those classifiable as attackers comprised Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, those from other military groupings and a random crowd of civilian followers. The latter point is important”.
Finally, he states that there is no factual evidence for the "skyrocketing levels of anti semitism".
Kesril's explanation is extremely significant as at least he recognizes that to support Hamas there needs to be a valid argument for the unleashed sadistic butchery of October 7. The fact that his reasoning and narrative of the event is nonsense is irrelevant. One needs to draw to his attention the fact that the evidence of the unspeakable savagery came from Hamas postings on social media, the body cameras of dead soldiers, videos from the murdered and survivors, as well as examination of the devastation and painstaking forensic examination which is taking place to this day.
Hamas, who are part of the Iranian led "Resistance", whose professed public goal is to eliminate Israel and all the Jews, have unsurprisingly promised, given the chance, to repeat the massacre again and again. Israel have no choice other than to eliminate them. Hamas’s only defense apparently is the death of their civilian shield and the hope that enough of them are killed so that public opinion will force Israel to halt.
AT THE END OF THE DAY
In this post truth world it is not only the extremists on the right but those on the left as well that have joined in the anti semitic rant. For whatever reason support of Hamas has become the cause celebre of the intellectuals.
The prevalence of anti semitism had to have reached catastrophic levels for Schumer, who is privy to intelligence as well, to make that unprecedented intervention from the Senate floor
Jay H. Ell is struck at what issue students and their faculty have chosen to target their passion on. They have not focussed inward on the existential threat of the neo fascism of Trump and the future of their very own lives. If they were to pick an international cause what about the neo colonial genocidal Russian rape of Ukraine? No they have centered on the proverbial persecuted scapegoat who are once again facing extermination.
The Settler provoked confrontations on the West Bank, which are supported by Netanyahu's extremist coalition partners, is destructive and escalates the necessity to axe him and his government sooner rather than later,
Biden has a five point plan for after the war is over which includes restoration of Gaza and an eventual two state solution.
Jean Paul Sartre - "The antisemite is passionate and thus irrational; he chooses to reason falsely and ignore rational arguments and facts going against his assertions. If the Jew did not exist the antisemite would have to have invented him”.
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