What a difference half a century makes! Half a
century ago, the saying was to the effect that if Israel will perish, this will
happen with a whimper and not with a bang. Things have changed and right now,
the belabored “conventional” wisdom is to the effect that the planet will have
to perish in a massive bang for Israel to feel the effect, and may not even
perish along with everyone else.
It is that the generation which survived the
Holocaust was aware of how real the threat could be if the Jews remained at
odds with the human race. The leaders that spoke out on the subject were trying
to convince the rank-and-file that to survive and continue to live as Jews,
they should blend with or assimilate into the societies where they happen to
live. After all, this is how the other religions have been doing it … and they
are thriving. Alas, this view was not shared by other Jewish leaders. In fact,
a number of them had a different point of view, which they articulated
forcefully, and in the end, prevailed.
The Jews were now in America, after all, where
they could see the possibility of “educating” the public as to the
sensitivities of Jews. They calculated they could begin here, and go on to
silence all opposition to what they'll be doing next. This would be to
infiltrate the institutions of the nation and take control of them. Well,
judging by the current situation –– half a century later –– these guys seem to
have succeeded beyond their wildest dream.
In fact, half a century ago, a theoretical
dichotomy was created by the views of the optimists among the Jewish leaders on
the one hand, and the views of their pessimistic counterparts on the other
hand. Today, that dichotomy has moved from the theoretical level of debate to
the empirical level of execution. This is what you'll detect when you go over
two recently published articles discussing the same subject: The effect of
Jeremy Corbyn's rise to prominence on the Jews and Israel.
Expressing the optimistic point of view concerning
Jewish endurance and Israel's survivability, is an article that was written by
Lawrence J. Haas. It came under the title: “If Britain Opts for Corbyn, Then
the New Prime Minister Will Clash with Trump Over Israel” and the subtitle: “Is
the Middle East ready?” It was published on September 12, 2018 in The National
Interest. Expressing the pessimistic point of view, is the article that was
written by Tamara Berens. It came under the title: “How Jeremy Corbyn Hijacked
the Labour Party” and the subtitle: “And how he's exploiting anti-Semitism to
fuel his rise.” It was published on September 13, 2018 in The Weekly Standard.
Here is the Lawrence Haas point of view, in
condensed form, regarding the endurance of the Jews, and the odds for Israel's
continued existence even if the democratic world goes down the tube:
“The signs of breakdown in the international order
are mounting. The manifestation involves Washington and London regarding
Israel. Corbyn will bring anti-Zionism to 10 Downing Street and the hall of
Parliament, reflecting a clash of values across the Western alliance. But [the
good news is] the Trump administration will close the PLO office in Washington.
It moved the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, cut millions in U.S. Aid
to the Palestinians, and ended funding to UNWRA. Jeremy Corbyn complained when
America killed Osama bin Laden”.
And here is the Tamara Berens account of the same
subject, expressing her disappointment at the reality that despite the events
that accompanied the Second World War, the Jews do not feel safe even in the
United Kingdom that once stood as a safe haven for them:
“A man believed to be anti-Semitic has reached highest levels of
influence in British politics. How did he succeed? Corbyn created a political
movement named Momentum. Where he differs from other populist leaders––and the
key to his success––is his combination of foreign policy with an internal
enemy: British Jews. The reality is, Corbyn has thrived off of anti-Semitism.
He views the establishment of Israel as racist. Giant posters at bus shelters
across London, read: Israel is a racist endeavor. Forty percent of British Jews
seriously consider leaving the country if Corbyn becomes prime minister”.