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| Raed Saleh, left, and Gideon Joffe (VIN) |
Unfortunately Palestinians have a history of being indoctrinated to hate Jews as a people that stole their sacred land. A hatred constantly reinforced and exacerbated by Muslim Clerics in their mosques, by ‘educators’ in their schools, and in the media, and entertainment industry that portrays us all in the antisemitic tradition of Henry Ford’s ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ or Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ – 2 best sellers in the Arab world.
40 year old Raed escaped all that. His family immigrated to German when he was 5. Perhaps that is why they moved to Germany. Perhaps they saw the hypocrisy of Palestinian leaders and had enough! Raed is now a German senator and leader of the Social Democratic Party.
VIN reports of his attempt to rebuild a Shul that in 1938 that was destroyed in a pogrom that has become known as ‘the night of broken glass’ or ‘Kristallnacht’. A mob of loyal German citizens came into the Jewish neighborhood in Berlin and viciously destroyed all the shops and stores (all of which had glass windows). It is widely believed that was this was instigated by the government then ruled by the Nazi Party.
Imagine that! A German of Palestinian descent wanting to rebuild a Shul in Germany. From VIN:
It’s an idea that would have stunned (Gideon)Joffe 12 years ago, when he was first elected president of the Jewish community.
“I would never have thought that a Berliner of Palestinian background would help the Jewish community,” Joffe said, standing beside Saleh, who was born in a village near Nablus.
Joffe hopes that this will auger a brighter future for Jews in Gemany. I wish I could agree with him. But as I’ve said numerous times, Rashi’s admonition of Halacha He – Esav Sonei L’Yaakov is alive and well in Europe – as it has been for centuries.
Even during those times Europeans were good to us it was never because they loved us. They tolerated us because of what we could do for them. History tells us that wherever Jews went, economies flourished. We would be invited into their countries in the hope that our expertise in financial matters would improve their economies. An expertise gained via an antisemitism that had always barred Jews from entering the professions and trades. That forced us to make a living in businesses like banking. Our so called financial expertise was basically forced upon as a matter of survival.
Even during those times Europeans were good to us it was never because they loved us. They tolerated us because of what we could do for them. History tells us that wherever Jews went, economies flourished. We would be invited into their countries in the hope that our expertise in financial matters would improve their economies. An expertise gained via an antisemitism that had always barred Jews from entering the professions and trades. That forced us to make a living in businesses like banking. Our so called financial expertise was basically forced upon as a matter of survival.
Once the economies of those countries were built up, their people and leaders turned on us, blaming every ill in the world on us. Latent antisemitism became overt. We ended up being persecuted. Pogroms and massacres have a long tradition in Jewish history. All perpetrated by a populaace where latent antisemitism became unleashed. Culminating in the biggest massacre in human history. The Holocaust.
Germany was perhaps the most enlightened of European nations. Jews were treated as equals. Frankfurt was once called the New Jerusalem. Jews were so accepted that many of them became totally assimilated and no longer observant. They were proud Germans first, and Jews a distant second. During that golden period for the Jews of Germany, no one could have predicted or even imagined what eventually happened. But it did. All that tolerance and love was only on the surface. The antisemitism of Germany was all there in all of its ancient glory laying dormant until Hitler brought it out of them.
Germany was perhaps the most enlightened of European nations. Jews were treated as equals. Frankfurt was once called the New Jerusalem. Jews were so accepted that many of them became totally assimilated and no longer observant. They were proud Germans first, and Jews a distant second. During that golden period for the Jews of Germany, no one could have predicted or even imagined what eventually happened. But it did. All that tolerance and love was only on the surface. The antisemitism of Germany was all there in all of its ancient glory laying dormant until Hitler brought it out of them.
Post Holocaust Germany has expressed real remorse for what their government did then. And they have put their money where their mouth is. They are one of Israel’s biggest supporters. And they immediately began paying reparations to survivors – which continues to this day over 70 years later. It is true that the leaders of today are not the leaders of the Germany. I don’t necessarily believe they are antisemites. But the same is not true of the German people.
I firmly that vast numbers of them still hate the Jewish people. They may not have expressed it during the last 70 years. Which is understandable since they desperately needed to restore their reputation. But it was – and is there. I believe the video below (in German) is typical of how a lot of Germans still feel about us - deep down. The hatred of Esav is rearing its ugly head again. Despite the German government’s relationship with Israel and all the money they’ve paid survivors.
That’s the reason a good man like Raed Salah wants to rebuild that Shul:
Saleh’s goal, endorsed by Berlin Jewish Community President Gideon Joffe, is to make a statement against growing anti-Semitism in the capital city — and against discrimination targeting Muslims, too.
“If you say you want to support Jewish life in Germany and Berlin and Europe, and you don’t just want to pay lip service, then you have to carry it out concretely,”
I admire his determination. But I personally believe this project is a waste of time and money. Jews should not be living in Germany at all. I say this despite the fact that a lot of Jews do. Today there are well over 300,000 Jews living there. Besides the United States, Canada and Autsralia only Germany has had a positive recent Jewish migration balance outside of Israel. What has that gotten us? The release once again if their latent antisemitism. Will we never learn?