| Submit your comments on this article |
| Middle East |
| Sharon urges Jews to go to Israel |
| 2003-11-22 |
| The Israeli prime minister has told Jews in Italy the best way to escape "a great wave of anti-Semitism" is to move and settle in the state of Israel. Ariel Sharon was addressing about 100 Jews in the capital Rome on the first day of his official visit to Italy. His Italian host Silvio Berlusconi has been a staunch supporter of Israel. The three-day visit follows Saturday’s twin synagogue bombings in Turkey which have raised concerns that anti-Semitism is rising across the world. "If Israel is weakened ... the Jews worldwide will not be able to live the lives they live today," Ariel Sharon told the crowd at a Rome hotel. "We are witness to a great wave of anti-Semitism, and apart from the usual anti-Semitism against Jews, there is today the added hate of the collective Jew, which is Israel. The best solution to anti-Semitism is immigration to Israel. It is the only place on Earth where Jews can live as Jews." Mr Sharon said the issue of anti-Semitism would be "central" in his talks with Italian leaders over the week. He is due to meet with Mr Berlusconi on Tuesday, followed by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Mr Sharon regards Mr Berlusconi as more supportive of his Middle East polices than most EU members. Security in Rome was already tight for the funerals of 19 Italians who died in a suicide bomb attack in southern Iraq last week. Mr Sharon is spending much of his visit inside a hotel, protected by Israeli and Italian security guards. In recent weeks, a poll for the European Commission suggesting that EU citizens see Israel as the biggest threat to world peace caused outrage among Israelis. Mr Berlusconi called Mr Sharon personally to express his "surprise and indignation" over the results. His deputy, Gianfranco Fini, has defended Israel’s right to build its separation barrier in the West Bank - in remarks that appeared to contradict the EU’s official opposition the project. On Sunday, Pope John Paul II specifically criticised the 430-kilometre (270-mile) barrier, calling it an "obstacle on the road leading to peaceful cohabitation". No meeting with the pontiff has been scheduled for Mr Sharon’s visit. Mr Sharon and Mr Berlusconi are expected to discuss what is perceived as increasing hostility towards Israeli and Jews across Europe. "A great deal of the time will be spent on dealing with this new phenomenon of rising anti-Semitism," said Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Mr Sharon. I’m afraid it’s not just Europe, I keep hearing things around here also. Someone said, "it’s like 1933 again". I never believed Zechariah when he said, "I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem". I thought, no, not the U.S., everyone else, but not the U.S. But there is a wave rising. Sharon’s advice may end up being good advice here. |
| Posted by:Scott |
| #4 JFM, If lectures concerning anti-Semitism were to be made in European countries chosen solely on historical precedent, I'm sure that neither France nor the Netherlands would top the list. But which country in Europe today has the highest frequency of anti-Semitic attacks? Just in the past week we've heard of a Jewish school firebombed, the President summoning his cabinet for emergency anti-Semitism discussions, and a Jewish leader advising his community to hide symbols of their Jewishness in public. If anywhere in Europe could do with a chastising lecture from Ariel Sharon today, it's France. I didn't mean to imply that the French were particularly anti-Semitic during WWII, I was pointing out that Italy was something of a safe haven. There are a number of reasons why Dutch Jews were particularly hard hit during Nazi occupation, but I don't recall that Dutch cultural anti-Semitism was a primary one. Many "Dutch" Jews were in fact recent refugees from Germany, and IIRC there was a special effort by the Nazis to 'purify' "Aryan" Holland; also the Dutch Jews were unusually compliant, encouraged by their community leaders not to resist, and having been persuaded that stories of resettlement in the East were in fact true. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-11-22 8:43:27 PM |
| #3 Bulldog Shame, the speech should have been made in the Netherlands: the survival rate of Jews in France was nearly three times higher than for Netherland Jews. I also remind you that there was an SS division formed of Flemish and Dutch |
| Posted by: JFM 2003-11-22 2:04:48 PM |
| #2 The Jews in Rome did live in their own qtr, as Itilians until Uncle SS moved into the "open city". I'm surprized at the amount of anti Israel stuff I hear from people around here. Seattle. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-11-22 12:40:38 PM |
| #1 Shame the speech had to be made in Italy rather than, say, France. AFAIK, Italy doesn't have any serious problems as regards anti-Semitism, and has a relatively honourable history as regards its treatment of Jews. Even under Mussolini, they escaped persecution, and when Italy capitulated to the allies, in those areas under German occupation Italians typically resisted attempts at transportation and execution, often at tremendous personal risk. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-11-22 10:26:02 AM |