National Post | 10Feb2010 | Orest Slepokura

"Scholarly Gold"

Barbara Kay:

In your piece on English libel attorney Anthony Julius ("Scholarly gold," 10Feb2010 National Post) you note "It is a commonplace that violence against Jews always begins with words."  You will find it to be equally true to say that violence by Jews always begins with words - it's not as if Jews have a special immunity to words, after all. 

But far more concerning than any words written or uttered should be perception and insight once people stop believing what they are being told. Certainly, we are seeing a precipitous decline in trust in all of our major institutions following in lockstep with a corresponding rise in skepticism and cynicism. Case in point: The recent arrest of the commanding officer of the Trenton military air force base for rape and murder will, I dare say, cause another downtick in our overall sense of trust (overheard: "What can you believe nowadays?"). 

That said, an observation by Tony Karon regarding the future of Israel includes this important insight: "The apartheid fear for Israeli leaders is not of the moral turpitude of maintaining such a system -- which they already do -- it’s a fear of this being recognised for what it is" (my italics).  http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100207/OPINION/702069887/1080

It's this very process of recognition, when things are seen for what they are, that poses the bigger danger by far for Zionism and the Jewish state and, by extension, Jewish people.

Sincerely,

Orest Slepokura
Strathmore, Alta