Dear World…

[Valin]

Times of Israel:

Blake Ezra

August 9, 2014

 

Dear world, I’m writing to you from a place of despair and confusion. When I say ‘world’, I don’t simply mean the planet upon which we all live but I address personally whoever is reading this. As a Jewish person, I have a question for you. It’s a genuine question to which I can’t find a suitable answer through my own thoughts… What do you want from us?

 

 

(Snip)

 

In Scotland, a property sales consultant called Richard Ladd, a professional suit-wearing gentleman who deals with the public each day, tweeted “Shut up you ugly Jewish c***. If only Hitler was still around to sort you out” to a Jewish footballer. In France, rioters have looted and burned Jewish shops, and attacked synagogues. In Germany, two Jewish people were attacked only for being Jewish, and an Imam in Berlin told his congregants, “Count the Jews and kill them to the very last one.” In Belgium, a café has displayed a sign banning Jews from entering, and four people were indiscriminately murdered on the street outside the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Flags of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of whom call for death to Jews, have been flown in cities including Sydney and Vancouver. The cover of Newsweek Magazine recently featured the headline ‘Why Europe’s Jews Are Fleeing Once Again’. World, shockingly I really could go on for much longer, but hopefully you get the picture…

 

(Snip)

 

World, I’m still desperately trying to decipher what we could have done differently, in order to avoid this deep-seated hatred that is seemingly coming to the fore this year. Last week on facebook I read a comment by a man called Andy Burns, it said, “The Jew is being exposed for what it is. Maybe its time to rethink what drove the decent people of Germany to take such drastic action to rid themselves of the Jew.” On a long and busy thread of comments, only one person questioned this abomination. Meanwhile in Somalia, Al-Shabaab proclaim, “The Jews are spread out throughout the world, and the Jews’ properties are spread everywhere. In light of this, the Muslims must attack the Jews and their properties in every place, and they must pray for their brothers in Gaza”.

 

World, I’m at a loss. Throughout my entire life I have encouraged tolerance, involved myself in inter-faith activity, raised money for charities and always tried to do the right thing according to both Jewish and universal values. As we sing “Dayenu” at our Passover service next year, I’ll also ask the question, can we EVER do enough to be accepted by you? World, I ask you in the hope that one day I’ll understand… What do you want from us?