>>> Israel�is under attack-both
in its own homeland and in ours.
One week, The New York Times
runs an anti-Semitic cartoon. The next week, Hamas launches 600 rocket attacks
against�Israel.
These are merely some of the
more recent occurrences in an ongoing effort by the global
anti-Israel�community-which now includes members of our own Congress-to
delegitimize and destroy one of our most reliable allies and to bolster a
terrorist regime that harms�Israelis and Palestinians alike.�
Israel’s opponents employ a
host of double standards. Hamas attempts to kill as many�Israeli civilians
as possible through indiscriminate rocket attacks, yet international outrage is
directed at�Israel’s precision strikes-in self-defense-against military
targets that seek to minimize civilian casualties.�
But just imagine if the situation were reversed, if�Israel’s enemies were the ones who held a decisive military advantage. Hamas would without a doubt destroy�Israel�if only they had the capability, but�Israel�time and again has shown exceptional restraint in seeking peace.
>>> Jewish Congressman Decries ‘Double Standard’ for Liberals and Anti-Semitism
When President Donald Trump rightly
followed through on our longstanding commitment to move the U.S Embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the anti-Israel�community insisted
that�Israel�be the only nation on earth denied the right to determine
its own capital. �
The United Nations falsely
accuses�Israel�of human rights violations while ignoring actual human
rights violations committed by nations like Cuba, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia,
all of which sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Here in the United States, anti-Semitic attacks, including at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue and last month at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California, have led to a growing unease among Jewish communities.
Even in Congress,
anti-Semitic statements have become a regular occurrence, with members such as
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., characterizing Jews in�Israel�as using
money and hypnotism to control world leaders-slurs that have centuries-old
anti-Semitic roots. �����
House leadership recently had
the opportunity to pass a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, yet lacked the
courage to stand up to these vocal anti-Semitic members, opting instead to pass
a vaguely worded resolution against “hatred” in general.
Just this week, in an attempt to smear�Israel, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., made the wildly inaccurate claim that Palestinians provided “safe haven” to Jewish refugees, when in fact Palestinian leaders (including the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini) allied themselves with Hitler and attempted to bar entry to those fleeing persecution.
>>> Lies Are Fueling the Rise of Anti-Semitism
Ever since, terrorist groups
like Hamas have waged violence against�Israel, with the recent rocket
attacks being only the latest instance. And to do this day, the Palestinian Authority compensates many who are
imprisoned for acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens, along with many
families of terrorists who died committing such acts.�
But what the
blame-Israel-first crowd refuses to acknowledge is that Hamas is responsible
not just for violence against�Israel,�but for victimizing Palestinians
themselves. The terrorist organization has not allowed legitimate elections to
take place since it took over Gaza in 2007. And the Palestinian people have
paid dearly-both materially and with their lives-for multiple wars started by
Hamas against�Israel.
In fact, hundreds of fed-up Gaza residents recently�protested�their government’s actions, and were fired on by Hamas forces.
Hamas also consistently
misuses funds that could be used to benefit the Palestinian people, instead
choosing to fund terrorism. Hamas spent $90 million to build tunnels for use in
terrorist attacks-money that could have funded thousands of homes or hundreds
of medical clinics.
And if that weren’t enough to demonstrate Hamas’ true priorities, consider that they routinely use Palestinian residents as human shields, firing rockets at�Israel�from schools, mosques, and hospitals in order to maximize their own civilian casualties and win international sympathy when�Israel�responds in self-defense.�
We recently recognized
Holocaust Remembrance Day, and social media was filled with messages of
#NeverAgain-even as�Israel’s enemies plotted its destruction and
anti-Semitic voices in our own nation condemned�Israel’s acts of self-defense.
Israel�is a committed
ally and a reliable friend of the United States, one that shares our commitment
to peace and liberty. America must continue both to
support�Israel�against foreign threats and to stand up against anti-Semitism
here at home.
The post Anti-Semitism Must Be Defeated at Home and Abroad appeared first on The Daily Signal.