Went to bed last night almost in a state of shock having just seen the following stuck on a lamp post...'RENAME HERZOG PARK HIND RAJAB PARK'. Heartbreaking to see this...the synagogue is just a 5 minute walk away. Herzog Park is in a suburb of Dublin and is named after Chaim Herzog who was raised here.
Third, where Jews can exercise the right to keep snd bear arms, they must embrace that right with enthusiasm and respect.
A key lesson from antisemitism is that authorities may sometimes be unwilling to defend the Jewish community. An important foundational principle from Ben-Gurion is that Jews must defend themselves on their own.
We can look with pride at the IDF achievements defending Israel against the Oct 7 terrorists. Now time to learn from their example.
PS bear in mind that the "silent majority" in the US at least, is very strongly supportive of Israel, as seen in the monthly Harvard-Harris polls. The antisemitism that we see in the West is the one that was imported along with millions of Muslim immigrants from backward cultures.
Before, during and after all these endless, hollow "Holocaust memorial days", "we" were told again and again and over and over again: "It was Hitler“ (not „The Germans“ or „the voters“) ! "It" - the Shoah - got and GETS presented as a singular event in world history, nowhere was it placed in the context of thousands of years of persecution and massacres against Jews in many parts of the world. "It has to never happen again". "Fascism has to never return!!!" SO: be „friendly“…
> ... to all „foreigners“ (even if they´re unfriendly fascists) <, "strangers", "non-whites", be "anti-colonial", be "left".
The very significant involvement of "left" parties in Hitler coming to power at the time, the fascism of the "Hitler opponents" from the "Soviet Union" was hushed up, never mentioned, completely unknown.
"Be Muslim-friendly", be "tolerant", "accept every 'opinion' (except 'right-wing')": otherwise you are a "fascist" - and thus, supposedly, "also anti-Jewish". Completely „automatic“ : thinking for oneself is not allowed: like under Hitler.
My home city. Not an isolated attack. For months now people in Melbourne & Sydney have been vilified, antisemitic graffiti & vandalism have been increasing.
And the response? Even if there is an acknowledgment that this is wrong & despicable, the inevitable ‘but’ follows. But the Palestinians are suffering more. But Israel is committing genocide so what else can Jews everywhere expect. But. But. Which completely negates any condemnation.
A rebuttal to the "but" is that every Jew on the planet is clearly under threat right now. That isn't the case for every Muslim, every Arab, or even every Palestinian. There's more than a whiff of 1938 in the air and we need to keep drawing attention to the fact.
I commend you Joshua for another wonderfully written essay. I am going to use it to call out a terrible problem with our PR war. In the essay, you did everything but give the reader a specific call to action.
One of the three things you said we should do is the following
"Second, we demand accountability — not just from the arsonists, but from the broader society that allows such acts to fester."
You are right, that is exactly what we should do but there was no specific direction ... who should we email? who should we call? what is their email address, the phone number? What would be be the most effective action to take? Perhaps even include a template.
I am assuming as an experienced political columnist that you have or can get information like that far better than us doing Google searches and hoping that the best and most effective action was taken.
We are getting killed in the PR war and this is maybe a small part of the reason or maybe it's a big part of the reason. Either way, would it be a bad thing if every FOJ essay in the future would offer to the reader something he or she can do to make an impact?
I am guessing but I think your readership is made up of people that not only care but will do something.
Have a good Shabbos Joshua and stay out of trouble.
Fantastic writing. Every word rings true, what a chilling warning we all must heed. Thank you for your writing I wish it reached the “silent majority” and moves them to action.
This is the best piece of writing about this time ever.
Went to bed last night almost in a state of shock having just seen the following stuck on a lamp post...'RENAME HERZOG PARK HIND RAJAB PARK'. Heartbreaking to see this...the synagogue is just a 5 minute walk away. Herzog Park is in a suburb of Dublin and is named after Chaim Herzog who was raised here.
Oh Jane 😭. My city used to be a safe place where Jewish people were respected. I'm horrified
🎶👍
The first thing should have been to remove the sign. Fill the blind spots.
Done!👍🏻
Third, where Jews can exercise the right to keep snd bear arms, they must embrace that right with enthusiasm and respect.
A key lesson from antisemitism is that authorities may sometimes be unwilling to defend the Jewish community. An important foundational principle from Ben-Gurion is that Jews must defend themselves on their own.
We can look with pride at the IDF achievements defending Israel against the Oct 7 terrorists. Now time to learn from their example.
PS bear in mind that the "silent majority" in the US at least, is very strongly supportive of Israel, as seen in the monthly Harvard-Harris polls. The antisemitism that we see in the West is the one that was imported along with millions of Muslim immigrants from backward cultures.
https://harvardharrispoll.com/
Another brilliant article by Josh that hits deep! This is exactly why I'm a relentless Jewish activist.
Before, during and after all these endless, hollow "Holocaust memorial days", "we" were told again and again and over and over again: "It was Hitler“ (not „The Germans“ or „the voters“) ! "It" - the Shoah - got and GETS presented as a singular event in world history, nowhere was it placed in the context of thousands of years of persecution and massacres against Jews in many parts of the world. "It has to never happen again". "Fascism has to never return!!!" SO: be „friendly“…
> ... to all „foreigners“ (even if they´re unfriendly fascists) <, "strangers", "non-whites", be "anti-colonial", be "left".
The very significant involvement of "left" parties in Hitler coming to power at the time, the fascism of the "Hitler opponents" from the "Soviet Union" was hushed up, never mentioned, completely unknown.
"Be Muslim-friendly", be "tolerant", "accept every 'opinion' (except 'right-wing')": otherwise you are a "fascist" - and thus, supposedly, "also anti-Jewish". Completely „automatic“ : thinking for oneself is not allowed: like under Hitler.
My home city. Not an isolated attack. For months now people in Melbourne & Sydney have been vilified, antisemitic graffiti & vandalism have been increasing.
And the response? Even if there is an acknowledgment that this is wrong & despicable, the inevitable ‘but’ follows. But the Palestinians are suffering more. But Israel is committing genocide so what else can Jews everywhere expect. But. But. Which completely negates any condemnation.
A rebuttal to the "but" is that every Jew on the planet is clearly under threat right now. That isn't the case for every Muslim, every Arab, or even every Palestinian. There's more than a whiff of 1938 in the air and we need to keep drawing attention to the fact.
Yes. ‘But’ contradicts everything that precedes it.
I commend you Joshua for another wonderfully written essay. I am going to use it to call out a terrible problem with our PR war. In the essay, you did everything but give the reader a specific call to action.
One of the three things you said we should do is the following
"Second, we demand accountability — not just from the arsonists, but from the broader society that allows such acts to fester."
You are right, that is exactly what we should do but there was no specific direction ... who should we email? who should we call? what is their email address, the phone number? What would be be the most effective action to take? Perhaps even include a template.
I am assuming as an experienced political columnist that you have or can get information like that far better than us doing Google searches and hoping that the best and most effective action was taken.
We are getting killed in the PR war and this is maybe a small part of the reason or maybe it's a big part of the reason. Either way, would it be a bad thing if every FOJ essay in the future would offer to the reader something he or she can do to make an impact?
I am guessing but I think your readership is made up of people that not only care but will do something.
Have a good Shabbos Joshua and stay out of trouble.
papa j
Oct 7 changed me.
I am tense, aware
Pray for the hostages every day
Wake up often checking
Some substack will remind of the actual murderous torture of innocent Jews on Oct 7 and I turn away then realize I must be always reminded
Never forget
Does my menorah on my neck chain need to be tucked in today going in to town
I see it coming
My field is sheltered near a town with churches and a
Main Street USA out of a Wyler ‘50s movie
It is no longer a good feeling
Someone drove up the drive
Oct 8
I walked past the flagpole with my good old USA flag, Glory they call it
A Bible word and Jews wrote the Bible
And now my Israeli flag flying to greet him
He said he was looking for Simon but he was looking at the new flag
Bill is the first old christian neighbor to roll up and ask or state: didn’t know you were Jewish
He didn’t know anything about a massacre
He reminded me this is cattle country
I have sheep
I used to smile at the cigarette behind his ear
https://substack.com/@thinktorah/note/c-80345799
Wonderful piece. Facts from the heart and history.
Brilliant analysis of why fringe movements get into power. Apathy and indifference by the masses.
Thank you Joshua,
We have been here before - too many times.
I will share this.
shabbat shalom
We who live in the gated ghettos of the US should dissabuuse ourselves of thinking that it can't happen here
Fantastic writing. Every word rings true, what a chilling warning we all must heed. Thank you for your writing I wish it reached the “silent majority” and moves them to action.
Thank you Joshua. Regards, Ira
Find them and quietly deal to them.