Micro-Terrorism

Israel is named and shamed as an 'apartheid state'. The naming and shaming has been embraced by students and academics on university campuses, in trade unions and among all stridently righteous people, including some church groups. This emanated from a brilliant Palestinian public relations theory that if enough people believed it and campaigned with it, a boycott-and-divestment program would follow, harming the Israeli economy, and in any event, the reputation of Israel as a human-rights-respecting country.

Of course realities such as the fact that Jews and Arabs enjoy equal rights under the law in Israel are incidental to the campaign, not of all that much interest in the fervour and enthusiasm of those whose passions are engaged in this human rights imbroglio, slamming Israel and by extension Jews through a not-too-subtle anti-Semitic fall-out, despite the protestations that faulting Israel has nothing to do with racial discrimination.

It is entirely irrelevant that Israel is not a believable candidate for such pejorative nomenclature. Arabs have rights to identical health and welfare programs as Jews. Israeli Arabs can vote, seek public office, serve in government. An Israeli Arab sits on the Supreme Court of Israel. Israeli Arabs, are elected Members of the Knesset.

Arabic is an official language of the country. Hundreds of Arab high schools abound in Israel. For apartheid in action look in Saudi Arabia to find a synagogue, a yeshiva, a church or anything representing an institution reflecting other than Islam.

Holocaust denial has had a three-fold increase in two years, anti-Semitic acts have increased year on year over the last decade in Canada, just when it was generally thought that such assaults were a thing of the past. Keeping pace, as it happens, with the migration of Muslims into the country in waves of emigration from their places of birth.

Keeping pace, in fact, with similar findings throughout Europe. Substantial numbers of Muslims have displaced Jewish comfort in civil acceptance.

The increase for the three most western provinces of anti-Semitic incidents in 2012 was 25%; Quebec outside of Montreal saw a four-fold increase in such incidents. Of the incidents reported, just over half took place in Ontario; the next largest number in Quebec.

The last decade has seen a steadily increasing incidence of anti-Semitism. More than doubling from 2003; an increase of 19% from 2008.

"We are particularly concerned about this year's findings of increased participation in these incidents by perpetrators self-identifying as Muslims who are apparently supportive of Islamist ideologies of hate and violence. But we are encouraged by the many Muslims with whom we work closely, who are prepared to expose anti-Semitism in their community." That's a statement issued by Frank Dimant, CEO of B'nai Brith Canada.

"The Audit", he said, "shows an overall increase in vandalism and violence, but an increase of 10.6% in incidents of harassment. Jews were targeted in their homes and at t heir workplaces, on their way to synagogue, or returning from school." Threats have been "more ugly, explicit and open."

As well, "The League is also warning that youth culture is being infiltrated by the lyrics of hate, extremism from abroad through online propaganda, and cyberbullying directed to a victim's smartphone."

Sounds, overall, like a skilled and productive public relations campaign at slander and fear-mongering, otherwise known as terrorism.