Israel Fears Second Holocaust -- Andrew Sullivan, The Australian
PERHAPS the most revealing thing in Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington last week was the gift the Israeli Prime Minister gave the US President.
It was a copy of the Book of Esther, which is at the heart of the Jewish festival of Purim and recounts an ancient attack on Jews living under Persian rule.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, Netanyahu explained the significance of his gift thus: "Then, too, they wanted to wipe us out."
This is the Manichean universe in which Netanyahu lives. He sincerely believes he is facing a second holocaust of the Jewish people and that this emergency requires an immediate pre-emptive war with unknown and unknowable consequences.
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My Comment: From a certain perspective these fears are not justified. Israel has a modern military, nuclear weapons, and the will to defend themselves. On the flip .... I do understand their fears of another Holocaust. My nationality is Russian, and Russians have a very strong fear of another dominant Germany in Europe .... especially worries of another World War within their country. For example .... if Germany should acquire nuclear weapons in the foreseeable future, I know that this would create such a strong and negative reaction back home that .... quite frankly .... anything would be possible, even though the Germany of today is nowhere what it was 75 years ago. But .... my viewpoint of a neutered Germany is still a small minority position in today's Russia.
Maybe in another generation .... or two .... or three .... the Israelis will forget about their Holocaust, and laugh at the rhetoric that comes from Iranian, Hamas, Hezbollah leaders .... but then again .... it may only fortify it.