In Israel it is the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day, and I find myself overwhelmed with emotion. Apparently the world has learned nothing from the events that occurred some 70 years ago, and once again global leaders remain silent as Iran threatens Israel with nuclear extinction.
Some 30 years ago I left a Wall Street law firm and found myself in the Israeli army. I am not a politician or privileged to shape international opinion, and my finances would surely have been more healthy had I continued to practice securities law in the U.S., but I do not regret for a minute having chosen this route.
I will probably be awake several more hours reading "Roman's Journey", the memoirs of Roman Halter, born in 1927 in western Poland, who miraculously survived the Holocaust. I have met Mr. Halter several times, but until today was unaware of the horrors he experienced as a young man struggling to return home to his family, whom he hoped had also survived the Nazi attempt to exterminate European Jewry. I read this book and remember, notwithstanding the daily tumult which characterizes Israel, why I am here. It could not have been otherwise.
Although some might view the words as banal, I find myself repeating them:
Never again!
[There is no mention of Holocaust Memorial Day in today's online homepage of The New York Times; however, there is a link to an editorial, entitled "The Nuclear Security Summit", which states, "The meeting needs to produce concrete deadlines, working groups and future meetings to measure progress." My response, if the Times deigns to post it:
The Times editorial board would have us believe that the prevention of nuclear terrorism "will take strong and consistent leadership by Mr. Obama and like-minded leaders, beginning with strong commitments at this week’s summit meeting."
"Strong and consistent leadership" from Obama? Consider the following Obama administration timeline:
“I would never take a military option off the table.” Barack Obama on Iran, throughout the 2008 presidential campaign.
"We are not taking any option off the table at all.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, January 2009 Senate confirmation hearing, responding to a question concerning the Iran military option.
"What we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to [Iran] how isolated they are from the international community as a whole." Barack Obama, Press Conference, February 9, 2010
"Obviously, we don't want Iran to become a nuclear weapons power, but we are not planning anything other than going for sanctions." Hillary Clinton, Al-Arabiya television, Wednesday, February 17, 2010.
"We are moving expeditiously and thoroughly in the Security Council, I can't give you an exact date, but I would assume some time in the next several months." Hillary Clinton on her plane to Buenos Aires, responding to the question when the U.S. might seek sanctions against Iran, March 2, 2010.
Obama declares that he wants a new U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran "that has bite", but is no longer willing to adhere to the strategy of seeking "crippling sanctions" previously sought by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. President Obama, April 5, 2010.
How is that for "strength and consistency"?
Incidentally, there was an article in Israel's leading economic newspaper "Globes" on April 9 with the headline (my translation): "U.S. Encouraged Netanyahu to Cancel His Participation in the Nuclear Security Summit", but no mention of this in the Times editorial.]
Hi, Jeffrey
ReplyDeleteThis Anat Kamm story sounds very scary on Holocaust Memorial day. For me, it seems like this girl is a symptom of Israel's autoimmune disorder. She cares more about nice treatment of Palestinians than about survival of the Jews. And she is not alone. For me, this is even more scary than Obama.
Marina, my guess is that the Kamm story, ugly as it is, will quickly become yesterday's news.
ReplyDeleteThe story rises too many important questions. She does not care about Israel - it is obvious. What about the people who provided security of the military documents, controlled their publication, investigated the journalist?. Unfortunately, she is not the only Jew to cares about some "victims" much more than about Jews. "Jewish state" with the Jews as Kamm is contradiction in terms.
ReplyDeleteIsrael numbers more than 7 million people today, and there will always be those who think that they know better or that their conduct is guided by some higher ethical norm. On the other hand, the strength of the Israeli Left in terms of Knesset (parliament) representation has been devastated by Palestinian terror attacks and the treatment afforded Israel by Obama.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeffrey. I did not know about the Knesset.
ReplyDelete