The Ongoing War In France

                                                                                            
                                                                                                                published at Times of Israel

President Hollande has closed the borders of France. Such a thing has not happened since World War II. The borders were sealed to make sure that none of the terrorists got away, although the police said Friday night that all of these terrorists had been killed.

The borders were also sealed and "checkpoints reinstated" because the President of France has decided to try to keep out other potential terrorists.

About one hundred and fifty people were murdered at six different Paris locations in France's worst experience of terror attacks. On Friday evening these people were sitting in cafes, watching a soccer match, attending a rock concert, or simply enjoying life in the beautiful city of Paris.  In a split second their lives were destroyed by suicide bombers, grenade throwers, and by the gunfire of terrorists shouting "Allahu Akbar." Hundreds more in Paris are injured and of course thousands are traumatized.

President Obama, offering US support and sympathy, said that the terrorists must be "brought to justice." President Hollande managed to say "we know who they are" without saying who they are.

Paris's terror, like the terror of 9/11, the London tube bombings, the Mumbai attacks, and the ongoing nearly daily violence against Israelis, is part of a global war.

Yet, every time an Islamist terror attack occurs--except in Israel where it is acknowledged that Hamas, Hezbollah, and even "lone wolf" kids abusively raised to kill infidels, are perpetuating terror--there is reluctance to name the perpetrators, to acknowledge that their goal is to destroy, to murder, and ultimately to take over.

As the events unfolded no mainstream media site nor political leader (that I heard) used the term "Islamist terror" even though there was never any doubt that these were Islamist attacks.  ISIS was all over social media praising the killings.

Now ISIS (Daesh) has claimed responsibility. President Hollande has announced "three days of national mourning" and said this:

"Faced with war, the country must take appropriate action...France will be merciless towards these barbarians from Daesh."

I hope that there is no call for "all sides" to quell the violence or for Hollande not to engage in rhetoric that will "inflame tensions."

And if the French do respond to the murder of innocents, I hope that the free world will help them (regardless of their various faults) rather than mistake them for the perpetrators.

Acceptable Anti-Semitism?

The UN held its first forum on anti-Semitism last week, except that it was an “informal” gathering where only about half the UN countries showed up, making any resolutions impossible.

And the event only took place at all when the Western countries proposing it agreed that the forum would link anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The ambassador from Saudi Arabia (a country that doesn’t allow Israelis, or anyone with Israeli stamps on a passport, to enter) explained that the actions of Israel “are very closely linked to the rise in hate crimes, extremism, violence, and anti-Semitism." That is, anti-Semitism is the Jews’ fault.

But that’s the UN, with its 26 condemnation resolutions passed in 2012, for example, one each for Syria, Burma, North Korea, and Iran, and 22 against Israel.

How’s the rest of the world doing?

The murder of four Jewish men, Yoav Hataab, Yohan Cohen, Phillipe Braham and Francois-Michel Saada who were shopping in a kosher market in Paris, linked as it was to the Charlie Hebdo murders, got worldwide attention.

Perhaps less known is that the murderers were staking out Jewish schools in Paris, as well. Or that attacks against French Jews, including murders, rapes, and beatings have gone on for years.  This week, for the first time, the French government has sent in army protection for all the Jewish schools in France (the families have paid for guards until now).

In Malmo, Sweden, a reporter tried an experiment of wearing a kipa and taking a walk. He was called “dirty Jew” and other names, had eggs thrown at him, and was threatened with shouts of “we will kill you.” He learned that many of the Jews still living in Malmo are afraid to go out of their homes. Threats against Jews in Sweden have escalated since the Paris attacks.

England? This summer London experienced the highest number of hate crimes ever recorded, 95% of them against Jews.

It is impossible to keep track of all the anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, but here is a blog that attempts it.

Yesterday was the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwizt and the New York City Council acknowledged it, or attempted to, but was interrupted by a shouting, pro-Arab group.  Councilman David Greenfield, whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, spoke out about the clear-cut anti-Semitism.

And here in Israel last week, a Palestinian got on a Tel Aviv bus and began stabbing people at random. 12 people in all were injured and several are still in critical condition. The terrorist said an influence on him was the promise of paradise for those who kill Jews.

Seemingly isolated incidents occurring with such frequency have way of becoming normalized, as if a high level of anti-Semitism is to be expected (as it seems to be in parts of Europe) and if expected, then even acceptable.