The settlers of Hebron are a particularly nasty bunch, the meanest of the mean, most vicious of the vicious. For many of them, the only good Palestinian is a dead Palestinian. As if to prove my point, the chief propagandist media-whore of the Hebron community released a statement about the Itamar killings that was breathtaking in its scope and audacity. I hope that many of you, as you read this, will think back on various tragic historical events in Jewish history and note the parallels and ironies lost on David Wilder:
“The butchers from Awarta…must not be allowed to continue to live. They must be tried, as quickly as possible, and executed. As the verse says, evil must be burned from our midst. Those who directly helped them, before and after the massacre, they must die too. There can be no mercy for participants of a massacre. The entire village, Awarta, must be razed and burned to the ground, all its citizens expelled to Lebanon or Egypt. For they all knew, and did nothing. And that site must remain ash, just as Hametz is burned and left as ash, an eternal reminder that the Jewish people are not meek, that we know what to do and how to do it, when necessary.”
I practically heard the strains of Hitlerian trumpets as I read this. Note the ironies: who else razed a community and burned it to the ground? Why, the Romans of course, who destroyed Jerusalem including the Second Temple. The Babylonians too destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple and sent its inhabitants into exile. What other people lived in exile in Egypt? Israelites of course. It seems especially horrific for Wilder to note this one day before the Pesach seder when we commemorate our own liberation from slavery in Egypt. What other city was burned to the ground and left as ash? Jerusalem again. I seem to recall that they even sowed the soil with salt to prevent any agriculture from resuming for future inhabitants. And yes, we Jews, just like leaders of another European country of a few decades ago, “know what to do and how to do it.” The only difference is the Nazis knew what to do to Jews and how to do it and perpetrated a Holocaust. Is that what the Wilders of the world want? A show-Holocaust to persuade Palestinians that we Jews mean business and are prepared to slaughter them if they resist us? In 1942, Czech partisans assassinated SS chief, Reinhardt Heydrich and the Nazis responded by executing many of the men of the town of Lidice, which the Nazis used as a example to the entire population of what happens when you kill a Nazi:
Himmler ordered a series of deportations and executions in Lidice, including the execution of all male residents over 16. The town was later completely eradicated — demolished and burned to the ground, even the graveyard was excavated, the remains therein destroyed.
And guess what? The Czechs remained largely quiescent throughout the war. This is what Wilder aims for. Blood-lust-vengeance on a large-scale to persuade the Palestinians we will kill every last one of them if we have to. Is this the Israel that we want? H/t to Michael Levin.
NOTE: Apparently, there’s been a Twitter tempest in a teapot earlier today because an Israeli blogger several days ago published a post, Between Lidice and Awarta: the Nazification of Occupation, which likened Israel’s treatment of Awarta to the Nazi pogrom in Lidice. The author of the post felt that I’d deliberately taken his idea in the above post and not credited him. Others joined in and it wasn’t a pretty sight, I gather. Two commenters here also criticized my alleged pilfering of another author’s ideas.
I want to assure them that I did not read this Hebrew language post and didn’t even know of his blog. I also want to assure him that had I read his post, I would gladly have credited and linked to his work as I’ve done in this Note. I’ve written here many times that links are the coin of the realm in blogging. I link to others as a matter of respect, and I get just as pissed as this author did when people appropriate my stories and ideas without credit. I sometimes even name such people when I think they should know better and it really ticks me off. I know how important it is to credit others. I believe in doing so fervently.
I wish I could say that I was familiar with his blog, Germany, 1933–Israel Today…and Everything in Between. But I’m much more current with English language blogs than Hebrew. It’s all I can do to keep up with the Hebrew language media I use in my reporting. That being said, I welcome readers and fellow bloggers sending me links to Hebrew language blogs that I should read or might want to blog about myself.
Richard, can you please provide a link to this statement by Wilder? Thanks.
It’s all here, explicitly and without any doubt:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/blogs/blog.aspx/9
I looked at his blogspot. Well, at least Wilder fits his name, he hardly couldn’t be it more . . .
Good grief! And this is what the Jews call a teacher? A rabbi? I think he may have a cousin in Amsterdam who goes by the name of Geert.
But of course, this is nothing new. What did those poor folks in Khan Younis (and other places) do to deserve their slaughter at the hands of these meshugges?
Hi Gene,
The guy is not only a ‘teacher’, he even calls his lessons BLESSINGS (!) from Hebron”.
Cheers from Amsterdam!
Cheers back Elizabeth, from Geneva. We’re near neighbors. It would be a blessing to meet you one day.
Yes, as in “bless my fellow extremist settler Jews.” Some blessing. A curse for the rest of us.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/4608
I stand behind every word! Chag Pesach sameach.
I bet you do you despicable piece of drek. You don’t stand behind your words. You stand behind a gun and hate. That’s what enables you rob Palestinian land & steal a homeland.
From a Christian pastor in the US:
Great article!
May Israel develop the backbone of David.
Zechariah 12:6-8 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
You WOULD be proud that John Hagee is encouraging you to incinerate an entire Palestinian village. You & he are a match made in heaven. You are each others’ bashert.
Big deal, you can quote Tanach. That proves a lot. It doesn’t sway anyone here. The very Prophets you quote would abhor everything you stand for. You’re a racist, homicidal embarrassment to the Jewish people. I denounce you & everything you stand for.
Not everyone is as much in awe of Christian pastors in the US as you:
“What one observes [amongst clerics] is a horde of uneducated and inflammatory dunderheads, eager for power, intolerant of opposition and full of a childish vanity–a mob of holy clerks but little raised, in intelligence and dignity, above the forlorn half-wits whose souls they chronically rack. In the whole United States there is scarcely one among them who stands forth as a man of sense and information. Illiterate in all save the elementals, untouched by the larger currents of thought, drunk with their power over dolts, crazed by their immunity to challenge by their betters, they carry over into the professional class of the country the spirit of the most stupid peasantry, and degrade religion to the estate of an idiotic phobia. There is not a village in America in which some such preposterous jackass is not in eruption. Worse, he is commonly the leader of its opinion–its pattern in reason, morals and good taste. Yet worse, he is ruler as well as pattern. Wrapped in his sacerdotal cloak, he stands above any effective criticism. To question his imbecile ideas is to stand in contumacy of the revelation of God.”
H.L. Mencken, The American Credo
Welcome to the first Jewish branch of Hamas.
I know that one day those “Jews” will turn their weapons at me.
I have no idea what this means, but if you are calling this blog the Jewish branch of Hamas, I want you to be honest & acknowledge it & you will be banned for a major comment rule violation. YOu will clarify your intent within 24 hours or else after that time I will decide for myself what you meant & then determine what action to take. I don’t mess around with nonsense like this.
@Richard S. ~ I believe he is talking about David Wilder carrying a weapon as a Jew
Richard, read my post.
I was calling the people who say ‘Burn Awarta to Ground, Turn it to Ash’ the Jewish branch of Hamas.
I thing those guys are a real threat to the state of Israel (not to mension the Palestinians).
I don’t think you or your blog qualify for that.
You still got a very long way to go for that.
And please stop telling me you are going to ban me, everytime I write something you cannot place at the right wind of the map. I write what I think is right, not what you want me or expect me to write.
I’m sorry I misunderstood your comment. It wasn’t clear to me who you meant to say was the Jewish branch of Hamas, but I’m glad it wasn’t me.
The Methodist Church in the UK has moved to support BDS, the Quakers have just adopted a targeted boycott of the settlements, Benedict XVI declared the Catholic Church’s support for the creation of a Palestinian state during his visit to a refugee camp, and numerous interdemoninational Christian organisations have sprung up to support the quest for Palestinian justice – the Holy Land Trust, Sabeel, the Amos Trust, the list goes on. Other major Christian charities (most notably Christian Aid) have also offered their practical and prayerful support. Opposition to the occupation is part of the Christian mainstream. Christian Zionism is restricted almost exclusively to the evangelical movement, and within that movement there are expanding pockets of resistance. Their attitudes stem from a compassionate concern for the wellbeing of all people, whereas the endorsements you receive from fundamentalist pastors like Hagee stem from bizarre fantasies of Armageddon. I wouldn’t try and bolster myself with such support if I were you.
P.S. If there are any evangelicals reading this who have an interest in the quest for peace and justice in Palestine, Bethlehem Bible College has opened reservations for its ‘Christ at the Checkpoint’ conference in 2012. The 2010 conference was a big success. Not my cup of tea theologically, but very useful and interesting for evagelicals who want to explore how to work against the occupation’s injustice within their own faith tradition:
http://www.bethbc.com/christ-at-the-checkpoint
@Vicky ~ very interesting, your right I believe, I am a Quaker and there are many different types of Quaker. I am an Evangelical Quaker, and we support peace in the Mid-East, and the Palestinians live among the Israeli’s, so we will help the Palestinians and Israeli’s both. There is so much hate in the Holy Land, I personally believe the answer is Jesus, a personal relationship with him. If I help a Palestinian, that does not mean I hate Israel. I love Israel, I want to be a blessing to Israel, I would like to become an Israeli citizen, if it were possible.
what gives you the right to coment on things 3000 km
away you havent been to israel in years
i think jews who dont even bother to live here have no buisnes to express such extrimist opinions
if you want a vote come here and say what you have to say dont hide in america all safe from teror
try leaving in shderot for a month we will c how pro palastenian you will b
you dint know jack about whats going on here so stay out of it its as simple as that …….
You are simply pathetic. Beyond pathetic. If you think that’s going to shut me up, you’ve got another thing coming, habib.
@Aviv, so you think that Jews in the diaspora are only allowed to exress favorable opinions about the occupation? If you want a vote, how about going to a Palestinian town (like Bil’in or Nabi Saleh), make some friends there and see for yourself what’s going on there? Try living for a month there, and we’ll see how your opinions might change. I dare say you don’t know jack about what’s going on there. But please don’t stay out of it. Things are not quite simple after all.
yo Richie Y U NOOO give credit when you copy someones post?
Again, talking in riddles. I have no idea what you’re talking about & I gather neither do you. Use my proper name or you won’t publish another comment here.
no riddles Richard
I was referring to Noam’s post
http://www.o139.org/2011/04/blog-post_12.html
And you made an error which I pointed out to Noam too. He conceded a mountain was made from a mole hill & that his assumption was wrong. Case closed. Unless you want to say that two Jewish boys who know a lot of history & may’ve watched WWII TV documentaries, happened to think of the example of Lidice when confronted by the same behavior concerning Awarta.
Funny, I read a very similar post last week: http://www.o139.org/2011/04/blog-post_12.html
If you are claiming that I read this post, you are wrong. I did not. If I had I would’ve linked to it. I believe in crediting others for their work when it influences my own. I don’t recall even knowing that this blog existed. And if the commenter who insulted me by calling me Richie or you are insinuating that I stole the idea from this post & neglected to link to it or credit it you are dead wrong. Lidice is a very well known historical event. Believe it or not 2 people could think of Lidice independently of each other regarding Awarta. Don’t you have anything better to do than accuse me of plagiarism or whatever it is you’re trying to accuse me of?
Everyone knows Lidice. Other well-known examples are Oradour (France) and (in the Netherlands) Putten, from where my grandmothers brother was deported to Dachau.
Ditto
Some righteous Zionist put the succinct comment below Wilder’s modest proposal: “Well it’s a start”
violence is not the answer, most Israeli’s want peace
We all want peace, don’t we. David Wilder too. Just on HIS terms. It’s not what you want that counts, it’s what you’re willing to do or give up to get it.
Exactly right! And what are their terms? Slaughtering families, men, women, children and babies? The massacres didn’t begin after the ‘kibush’ – so-called occupation. For instance, 1929, who was in charge? Fanatic, extremist settlers? Their conditions include deleting Israel from the map. But it seems that wouldn’t bother you either. So, I guess it’s back to Egypt!
So, following your logic, the slaughter should go on until the two peoples eliminate each other, right?
I’m sure you were there in 1929 to witness the horrific events. Here is the account of a survivor: http://www.angelfire.com/il/FourMothers/HEB111.html
Her [Jewish] Mani family was saved by an Arab neighbour, Abu ‘Id Zeitun, who was accompanied by his brother and son. Nowadays (in 1999), according to Abu ‘Id Zeitun, the house in which the Jews were hidden in Hebron – his father’s house – had been confiscated by the IDF, and today it houses a kindergarten for the settlers. Another 18 Arab families also saved Jews. Read the article, you might learn something new.
I’m sure when your fellow settler Baruch Goldstein slaughtered some 30 praying moslims in Hebron and injured many more, you, just as Abu ‘It Zeitun did, rushed to help the victims. Actually, Meir Kedmi, a 1929 Jewish survivor, did just that.
“Most Israeli want peace”
Yes, that’s why MOST Israelis have voted for people like Bibi, a great ‘peace-lover’. … and we all know what he thinks of Palestinian national statehood.
In response for the Palestinians who voted for hayina.
I’m sorry. I don’t know any political organization by the name of “Hayina”. Is that another exemple of Hebrewisation of Arabic ? Hamas (fervor) is an acronym for ‘Harakat al-Mugâwama al-Islâmiyya’ and as you KNOW Arabic I don’t have to translate it.
As all Hasbaradim, you turn upside-down the chronology: the Palestinians have been radicalized because NO Israeli leader, not even the ‘dove’ Rabin, had never any intention of accepting a viable Palestinian state. Read your history.
Erratum: ‘Muqâwama’
Haniya, froydian cross letters.
If this was a Freudian slip, it mean you consider Haniya a hyena (hayina). Telling.
Who was that upstanding Jew who murdered all the Muslims at prayer? And was shot? Should (according to the learned rabbi) all his associates and defenders (those who praised him for example) be murdered (sorry, executed)? And the fella who killed Rabin. Should all his teachers, defenders, celebrators be executed? I mean, of course, according to the excellent rule of the learned rabbi.
My mother used to have a set of nicely bound books, collected works of Freud I think, which were pressed tightly to each other in the bookshelf. Their titles were in golden lettering. One day she noticed that the lettering from the title of Volume III had come off on the back cover of Volume IV. Immediately (like the learned rabbi?) she said, “Gilt by association.”
@Deir Yassin: Thanks for the link. Judging from his photo, the guy doesn’t look particularly evil. What he says is attrocious. If that’s what a PR spokesperson says, how much more murderous are his thoughts and the thoughts of the community he represents?
It’s funny how in the same post David Wilder talks about humility, eradicating arrogance, burning the evil from OUR midst. And then he interprets the Torah to serve his particular settler and nationalist ideology. Talking to the “enemy”, looking for a compromise and establishing some form of peaceful coexistence, as has been practiced by Jewish communities throughout the centuries, is not part of his vocabulary. In Israel these qualities seem to be rather seen as weakness, submissiveness, cowardice, but in my opinion these are exactly the instruments that helped us survive as a people. What happened to the Maccabees, the Masada fighters, the Zealots, who are all considered ultimate heroes by Jewish nationalists? They were killed or committed suicide, the Jewish state obliterated, the Temple destroyed.
The Jewish people survived not because of these heroes, but thanks to people like the great sage Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, who, when he found the anger of the besieged populace of Jerusalem to be intolerable, escaped Jerusalem (according to legend, in a coffin), went to negotiate with the Romans and established a Jewish academy in Yavneh, which became the centre of Jewish religion and gave rise to the great Rabbinic tradition that in turn gave us the Talmud and essentially saved the Jewish religion and the Jewish people from oblivion.
@Gene: Yes, Geert Wilders immediately came to my mind as well. Oscar Wilde wouldn’t feel comfortable in the company of these two 🙂
How come neither you nor Gene came to think of Gene Wilder ? Same name, both Jewish, but contrary to that thug in Hebron Gene Wilder is sooo funny.
I was comparing ideologies. Neither of us Genes (Wilder nor I) share them with the other Wilders.
The first use of the word that came to mind was “wilding,” which were acts of excess by teenagers in Central Park which led to a number of rapes there some years ago.