Holocaust remembered today as antisemitism increases around world

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was initiated by the UN on January 27 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. (This day is separate from Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day — Yom HaShoah) — on the 27th of the biblical month of Nissan which differs yearly in our calendar and which takes place on the evening of April 27th until April 28 this year.)      

During a cabinet meeting this week, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said: “This week we will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 77 years ago, on the 27th of January, the Auschwitz extermination camp was liberated. While the entire world has an obligation to remember and deal with the significance of the Holocaust, a tragedy that is unparalleled in the annals of human history, the main obligation is cast on us, the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

“Therefore, the government will increase the state’s participation in the budget of Yad Vashem (Holocaust museum in Jerusalem) by approximately NIS 30 million (R143 million) in the coming year.

“It is good that the world remembers. I will address ambassadors in Israel this week on this issue. We as the government also share the obligation to make certain that Yad Vashem continues to preserve the memory of the Holocaust in the country and the world. 

“Pursuant to this, today we will approve the directing of additional resources to the fight against BDS. Contemporary antisemitism comes in many guises. Today, this energy, of Jew-hatred, is frequently directed at the state of the Jews. Our obligation as the State of Israel is to expose it, even when it is disguised, and fight it.”

The Jewish State is particularly focussed on ensuring that the memories of the six million women, men and children who were murdered about 75 years ago is never forgotten and is never allowed to be repeated. 

Antisemitic incidents
And yet today we are witnessing an unprecedented escalation in antisemitic incidents around the world, including increasing incidents in nations which have generally been a safe haven for our Jewish family over the last 77 years such as the USA. 

Examples of incidents in recent days include:
Italy — Italian authorities in Tuscany are investigating an alleged antisemitic attack on Tuesday on a 12-year-old boy who was hit on the head, kicked and insulted by other teenagers in a park near his home. The assailants told the boy: “You need to be quiet because you are Jewish.” 
USA – Antisemitic flyers were distributed over the weekend to hundreds of homes in two South Florida cities with large Jewish populations, authorities said. The pamphlets implied that Jews were overly involved with the Covid pandemic. So the Covid virus has been used to spread the virus of antisemitism as well.
UK – Two elderly Jewish men were randomly attacked last night in London [see video below] as they left a premises just before 10pm.

Online — It is also outrageous that the proven fake antisemitic book The Protocols Of The Meetings Of The Learned Elders Of Zion is being sold on popular book sellers’ websites. This serves to keep alive the lies that the Jews control world affairs. Top online booksellers such as Walmart, Book Depository, Thrift Books, Hudson Books, and Barnes & Noble are each selling dozens of versions of The Protocols of the Elders Of Zion. Of note, these retailers are also selling a version published by Book Tree in 1999 that is causing outrage on social media

Another form of antisemitism is Holocaust denial, distortion or minimising of it. Social media is a convenient forum to spread these lies and it continues almost unabated.According to the Jewish agency and the WIZO annual Antisemitsim Report, 2021 was the most antisemitic year in the last decade!

Europe took the lead again with almost half of all worldwide reported antisemitic events taking place there. North America followed close behind, with the US having 30% of all incidents. Canada and Australia also saw “a drastic increase” in the number of antisemitic incidents.

In the US, New York saw a doubling of antisemitic incidents, numbering 503 in 2021 compared to 252 in 2020. In the first six months of 2021, Los Angeles saw a 59% increase compared to the same period in 2020. The UK saw half as many more in the first six months, recording 1 308 reported incidents compared to 875 the previous year.

In this same period, the number of incidents in Austria doubled compared to 2020. Incidents in Germany also rose, with almost as many in the first 10 months of 2021 (1 850) as all of 2020 (1 909).

Over the past four years, antisemitic crimes especially spiked in the German states that were formerly part of East Germany. 

The new antisemitism of today is also often disguised politically as anti-Zionism and so targeted at the nation of Israel.     

Antisemitism in SA
Let’s move closer to home in SA where the BDS/PSA (Palestinian Solidarity Alliance) movement continues to lobby against any form of support or connection with Israel.This relatively small group would be irrelevant if certain government officials did not take their case on board. The misinformed “apartheid” narrative sadly plays into their hands.

The recent saga over Lalela Mswane attending the Miss Universe contest this year in Israel is a sad example of the ANC government playing into the hands of those pushing antisemitic agendas. The bullying tactics that were employed against Lalela were shocking and we applaud her for standing strong and attending the event in spite of it (and placing 3^rd in the contest!). 

The ongoing saga regarding our former chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng airing his views on support for the nation of Israel in a zoom interview with the SA Chief Rabbi, in June 2020, continues and the Judicial Conduct Appeal Committee ruled last week that he be given 10 days to apologise for voicing his personal religious beliefs.

ICEJ SA, along with SAFI and Bridges for Peace, have initiated a google form [see below] as mechanism for anyone who would like to express their support to him in wroiting. We will ensure that it reaches him physically.  

Support former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng
Let us together make our voices heard against the shocking attempts to silence him as he unashamedly stands for Israel and the Word of God!
Click on the link to send a message. Please continue to pray for Mogoeng Mogoeng at this time and pass this on to others!
https://forms.gle/eAoPVjPTZdoqeo5W8

Currently BDS is focusing on Clover, which they have targeted since it was bought out by an Israeli company. They are promoting an aggressive campaign for today — of all days — to boycott Clover, asking people to stick a “Boycott Clover” sticker on their products today, which they have cynically declared International Day of Action against Israel! 

These actions of BDS are reminiscent of the days before the Holocaust when the Germans boycotted Jewish stores! 

The South African government is also planning to appeal against a decision by the African Union (AU) to give Israel observer status at the upcoming AU February 2022 meeting. 

Positive signs
There is however also cause for optimism in some quarters: Antisemitic incidents in Russia continued to decline, according to the local Jewish community. 

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism has been adopted by 30 nations.

On January 20 the Israeli minister of foreign affairs Yair Lapid and German minister of foreign affairs Annalena Baerbock issued a joint statement welcoming the adoption by consensus of the UN Resolution on Holocaust Denial and Distortion brought forward jointly by Israel and Germany.

42 Members of the US Congress are pressurising Antony Blinken (US secretary of state) to defund the UN’s anti-Israel commission of inquiry launched on December 23 2021. The resolution called for the creation of a permanent “Commission of Inquiry” — the most potent tool at the council’s disposal — to monitor and report on rights violations in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It would be the first such commission of inquiry with an “ongoing” mandate.

The Danish government, on January25, launched an action plan against antisemitism. Among other things, funds for compulsory teaching of the Holocaust in schools, dissemination of Danish-Jewish cultural history, strengthened teaching of police officers in the prevention of radicalisation, targeted research into antiemitism and increased focus on environments where antisemitism is particularly prevalent.” 

And lastly, the incoming Israeli Ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency the honourable Eliav Belotsercovsky presented his diplomatic credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday [see photo below]. This rightly raised questions as to why SA, which has diplomatic relations with Israel, tried to boycott the recent Miss Universe event in Israel. 

May the attempts to demonise, delegitimise and apply double standards to the nation of Israel, the beloved homeland of the Jewish people, come against the mountain of truth regarding Israel and the good plans God has for His people!  

I will end with the beautiful promises of God to Israel written by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 63 from verse 7-14, because in spite of what the Jewish people and Israel have suffered. God promises that He will have mercy on them!

I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us,^uand the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8  For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. 9  ^vIn all their affliction he was afflicted,³and the angel of his presence saved them;^win his love and in his pity he redeemed them;^xhe lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10  ^yBut they rebelled^zand grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy,and himself fought against them. 11  Then he remembered ^athe days of old,of Moses and his people.^4bWhere is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, 12  who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,^cwho divided the waters before them^dto make for himself an everlasting name, 13  who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. 14  Like livestock that go down into the valley,^ethe Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people,^dto make for yourself a glorious name.

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