You would hardly know what that word in the headline means: I mean "Knokke". Well, its' a city in Flemish part of Belgium. The story starts and ends there, and I warmly recommend that you read it here, it's not that long. I really wouldn't copy it, letting Philosemite tell it in full.
Now I want you to pay attention to a small part of the whole:
Joods Actueel [Antwerp-based Jewish magazine] has contacted the Knokke police spokesperson. Inspector Vaneenoghe formally declared that Jews cause no problems and that there are no police records or complaints about the conduct of the Jews who stay at the resort.Phenomenal answer. The only thing that comes to mind is a story from eternal and incomparable The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hašek (I don't have an English copy handy, so apologies for poor job done by Google and I):
- It happened during Captain Adamichek's time. Adamichek was an extremely lethargic man. In the office, he sat quietly with a look of a lunatic and stared into space, as if to say: "F...k it all" G-d knows what he was thinking during the battalion report. One day a soldier from eleventh company came to report a complaint: that one ensign Dauerling called him "Czech pig" in the street. Before the war, this soldier was a bookbinder, a working man, and maintained a sense of national dignity.I hope you see the parallel... if not, well, too bad.
"Mmm... yes, there we are ..." - murmured captain Adamichek (he always spoke very quietly). " He said this last evening in the street? Should check whether you were allowed to leave the barracks... Abtreten!"
After a while captain Adamichek summoned the complainant. "It was found" - he said quietly, - " that on that day you were allowed to leave the barracks until ten o'clock at night. Therefore, you do not incur punishment ... Abtreten!"
18 comments:
This is like asking a rape victim what was she wearing that day.
What if it had been a complaint about the conduct of a Jew in Knokke (mentally knocks out my teeth, this one)? What the hell were the people at Joods Actueel thinking when they contacted the police spokesperson? Do they really believe that the misconduct of one Jew in Knokke (or 35, for that matter) would justify such a violent hatred as expressed in that article?
We are the only people in the world perpetually apologizing for crimes we didn't comit. We are the only people in the world capable of convincing ourselves that we are guilty of crimes we didn't comit just by dint of being accused.
Now I know why so many Jews join the anti-jewish activists' ranks. They are desperately trying to get rid of the burden of guilt by projecting it on those who have not yet seen the light (jewish version of the Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps?).
I am not sure that the people at Joods Actueel called the police to check behavior of the Jews. My guess is that they called to discuss the disgraceful article. And that the Hasek's scenario then developed.
Do you mean I've spent half my morning getting gloomy over something that never happened?
Oh well...I'm not taking it back. Some of the things I've said are true regardless of the context, and I'm not taking it back.
:(
May I take it back, pleeeease?
http://www.youtube.com/v/V1uI3QPa5vc&feature" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I am an American Jew who has spent every summer in Knokke since 1998. I first visited Knokke in 1987 and have found it to be a charming beachside resort village.
I am always a bit shocked when I see or hear of modern European anti-semitism since no one in the world has suffered more from this racism than Europeans. I'd have the same reaction if someone verbally attacked an African, Asian, Christian, elderly or any other group.
Despite how worldly and multi-cultural Europe is (compared to America), Europeans seem to be hampered by centuries-old superstitions which existed long before that awful decade between 1935-1945.
While my country has made horrible mistakes (Vietnam, Iraq, American Cheese, etc), we generally do not hold cultures responsible for crimes as much as we do individuals. Just seven years after the September 11th attacks and a sharp rise in anti-Islamic sentiment, we elected a black president who was born a Muslim. Is there a country in Europe where someone with an idea can rise up in power, just based on an idea? Or would they judge the idea against his skin color, birthplace or political connections of his parents?
The same goes for business. If you've got a great product, it doesn't matter which side of the river you live on or what your grandfather did. The average American is unaware of the history and culture he's lacking but is thriving because of it.
To me, Knokke has always been a refuge from Europe's barbaric history. A place just to enjoy the air, the sky, amazing food and people who are in a great mood during the summer. I sincerely hope it stays that way and that a few right-wing-nut ideas don't take hold of the mainstream thought as they've done for centuries.
Not at all, Pisa, I was refering to the specific issue of the reason for the call to police spokesperson. Otherwise, all you said is right - as far as I am concerned.
Corey, the Flemish part of Belgium for some reason became quite anti-Israeli in the last ten-twenty years, but I wouldn't care to call all of the Flemish folks antisemitic. This episode could be a fluke, for all I know, but the fact that the offensive article is still there and that the police spokesman returned this exceedingly stupid answer is disturbing.
Scratch those "right-wing nut ideas" hard enough and you're liable to find, as often as not, they are Left-wingers trying to impose their standards on other people.
Indeed, I just didn't notice the reference to right wing. Why the wing direction is important in a case of pure antisemitism I don't know, but so be it...
What does "right wing" nationalism have to do with European antisemitism? Have you studied European history? Maybe Yad Vashem can shed some darkness on the subject...
http://bit.ly/j8TLSX
I dont' quite see how it's applicable to the current wave of European antisemitism, Corey. There is nothing to indicare, for instance, that the author of that article in question is righ winger or any other winger. And today European brand of antisemitism is fed by left wing quite efficiently.
I always assumed that European anti-semitism was a right-wing, conservative, nationalistic thing since they all seem to have this "It's our country and we don't want the Jews here" attitude. If it is now coming from left wingers, who is a good example of this so I can keep my eyes/ears on him/her?
Disgusting, regardless of the politics of the writer and the newspaper involved. And the police reponse was a non sequiter, i.e. did not make any sense just like Capt. Adamichek's response.
Nationalism is not a right-wing thing. Communists are the best example for extreme nationalism. They see all minorities as a potential fifth column, but they fear jews most. In my native country, then communist Romania, jews working in certain domains - like writers and journalists - had to change their jewish-sounding names.
Maybe you'll find this enlightening:
http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-23.htm
OT:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/06/29/a-child-called-friend-swedish-preschool-eliminates-him-and-her/#ixzz1QgNb9IKE
Who moved april's fools day to june, I wonder?
Yep.
Ach, so cool - thanks, Pisa!
Your remarks are not correct, i did not askes the police if Jews cause problems, but the police declared that "<span> Jews cause no problems and that there are no police records or complaints about the conduct of the Jews who stay at the resort." I hope you see the difference...</span>
Guido Joris editor JOODS ACTUEEL
Dear Guido (Joris),
Thanks for your correction, but strangely it only strengthens the point.
Besides, I would be grateful to known what question did you ask? Thanks in advance.
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