New Wave of Attacks in Europe

If what was, will be again – this time we have an answer. A tsunami of hate in Europe cannot defeat Israel. For each Jew – there is an answer…and the answer has always been…Israel.

A 25-year-old Jewish man was attacked in Kiev as he left synagogue recently. The attack was brutal. The young man was beaten, sustaining serious head wounds thought to have been inflicted with glass bottles. The prognosis, say some reports, is grim. Several cemeteries have been desecrated. Four Jews murdered – three children and a young father murdered in France one day, another boy beaten the next.

The Anti-Defamation League released a study of 10 European countries with the conclusion that anti-Semitism was at “disturbingly high levels.” I’m not sure what levels wouldn’t be disturbing, but the message is clear. Hate of Jews (and Israel) is on the rise in Europe again. Once again, Europeans believe and blame the Jews for all manner of ills – control of the economy, perhaps the spread of disease – who can understand the twisted mind of hatred?

The study was taken in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. In France, 45 percent of respondents attributed the violence against European Jews to anti-Jewish feelings, an increase from 39 percent in 2009. In Hungary, the level rose to 63 percent of the population, compared with 47 percent in 2009. In Spain, 53%; in Poland, 48% of the population expressed deep anti-Semitic attitudes. (More on the study here: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/6266_13.htm)

Major news outlets – many not known for their friendly attitude to Israel – the BBC, the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, even the European Union – all note a dramatic increase in attacks against Jews. On my Facebook page, someone posts a picture of a swastika painted on a Jewish grave and even as I read the distressing story, one thought came to my mind.

If what was, will be again – this time we have an answer. A tsunami of hate in Europe cannot defeat Israel. For each Jew – there is an answer…and the answer has always been…Israel.

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