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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Dec. 30, 2003
/5 Teves, 5764
Wrath redux
By
Stefan Kanfer
Is there but one effective way to end the hate and madness?
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
When two Turkish synagogues were bombed last month, the usual crocodile condemnations issued from most world capitals. Israelis took another view. Three different groups of code words are used when members of the Jewish state discuss atrocities.
One is the "Masada Complex," a reference to the Jewish revolutionaries who held out against Roman legions, then killed themselves rather than submit to foreign rule. It is assumed by the Israeli left that Ariel Sharon displays such a complex, fearing that the world is against him, and forcing his country into a suicidal position.
The second is "The Samson Option," a reference to Prime Minister Golda Meir's supposed threat in 1973, when the combined armies of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on Yom Kippur eve. Even today no one is quite sure what happened in Washington D.C. It is only known that after a phone call to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the Nixon administration airlifted arms and munitions, allowing Israel to defend itself with conventional weapons. The current Broadway play, Golda's Balcony, claims that the PM was within hours of authorizing the use of Israel's nuclear arsenal: like Sampson, the Jewish state would take down its enemies even as it perished.
The third group of code words has been heard less often in the recent past. But with the rise of anti-Semitism, prompted by the millions of Muslims now changing the face, politics and ethics of Europe, it is being talked about with increasing decibels. This is called "Operation Wrath of G-d."
It was first used after the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics of 1972. The late Avery Brundage, then head of the IOC, displayed his customary toilet-seat sensitivity, declaring that the Olympics "must go on" after the massacre. And so they did. But something else went on shortly afterward. That was the decision on the part of the Israeli government to seek revenge on those who would attack unarmed and defenseless Jews.
Over the next months and years, some dozen of the men involved in the murders were knocked off by a squad of Israeli agents. These included Dr. Mahmoud Hamshari, the PLO representative in France, who died after explosives were detonated beneath his table. Hussein Abad Al Chik, head of the Black September terrorist group, perished when a bomb went off under his bed. Abou Yousef, third in command of Yassir Arafat's Fatah organization, was shot by Israeli commandos led by Edhud Barak, later Israel's Prime Minister. Adbel Hamid Shibi, a member of Black September, was blown up in his car.
There were many others whose pieces were taken off the board. But the Israeli agents did not stop there. Obituaries of various men, still living, ran in various Arabic newspapers. The names of their friends and family members were mentioned. The message was clear: We know who you are, where you live, who you associate with. We can find you and kill you any time, anywhere. The warnings were enough to make many a potential assassin think twice about working for Arafat's death machine.
Alas, today there are worse threats than the PLO and Hamas. There is Al Qaeda, for example, whose members happily kill Saudis, Turkish Muslims, themselves — as long as Jews die en route. The heads of that organization hope, by these terrorist acts, to intimidate Turkey, Saudi Arabia etc. into breaking relations with the U.S. and Israel.
Thus far the tactics have failed. But there is no reason for complacency. From here on, every synagogue in the world is threatened, and if history holds, every church is next. For radical Islam makes no distinction among the Infidels. The only difference between the Christian nations and the Jewish one is that Israel is closer to the Al Queda headquarters, and therefore more vulnerable. But as 9/11 demonstrated, oceans no longer protect nations, and the enemy is willing to do anything to kill the unbeliever. Anything. As we have seen again and again, the murder of innocent children is the most desirable act they can perform, but women and unarmed men are also among the preferred victims.
What to do? Well, for Jews there is always the Masada example, or the Samson one. But both of these call for the destruction of self. The third choice remains the most effective. Arming those who are the prey of degenerate killers is a sensible way to go. Licensed or unlicensed, Jews have a right to protect themselves and to take down those who would murder them. Temples have a right to have 24-hour guards, and to keep the foe at bay by whatever means necessary. But better still, that foe should be sought out, threatened, and, when possible, annihilated. As numerous incidents in Europe, and lately on U.S. campuses demonstrate, Jew-hatred is in fashion as it has not been since Hitler's time, disguised in the mask of the pro-Palestinian cause. It is long past time to reinstitute Operation Wrath of G-d. Despite protests by people and nations who wish Israel had never been created, the policy of revenge was very effective last time. And it can be again.
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JWR contributor Stefan Kanfer is the author of a dozen books on a wide range of subjects. His last two biographies: the recent Ball of Fire, about the sources of Lucille Ball's comedy, and Groucho, concerning the life and wit of Groucho Marx, were both national bestsellers, as was The Last Empire, a social history of the De Beers diamond company. One of his novels, The Eighth Sin, centering on the fate of gypsies during World War II, was a Book of the Month selection, and led to an appointment on the President's Commission on the Holocaust. Kanfer was a writer, critic and editor at Time magazine for more than 20 years; his articles and reviews have appeared in most major publications. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including installation as a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library, among many other awards. Currently he is the drama critic for the New Leader magazine, and serves on the editorial board of City Journal, a quarterly published by the Manhattan Institute.
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© 2003, Stefan Kanfer
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