Avi Benlolo: Rashida Tlaib's failure to condemn Hamas atrocities highlights insidiousness of antisemitism

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In a recent encounter at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., a Fox News reporter approached U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, pressing her to condemn the tragic events involving the loss of innocent lives in Israel at the hands of Hamas. Tlaib chose not to respond and continued walking.

In two moving speeches at the White House this week, President Joe Biden passionately condemned silence and complicity. Not since the Holocaust, he said, had so many Jews been murdered. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that, “There is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel’s side.”

But the past week has been marked by an overwhelming sense of moral dilemma, stemming from the heart-wrenching loss of over 1,300 lives along the Gaza border. Some victims were still asleep in the early hours of Saturday when Hamas terrorists invaded their homes, committing unspeakable acts of violence.

Reports of around infants being decapitated and burned alive in Kfar Aza — a village that fell victim to acts of brutality that can only be likened to a bygone era of feudal barbarism — defy adequate description. Even seasoned reporters, who were present to document these horrors, were profoundly shaken by what they witnessed.

Elsewhere along the Gaza border, thousands of young adults gathered at a music festival to celebrate “friends, love and peace.” But their joy was short-lived. Palestinian terrorists indiscriminately opened fire on them, surpassing even the ruthlessness of groups like ISIL.

Over 260 young people, most in their 20s, were murdered in cold blood. Many were shot as they desperately tried to flee. They were unarmed and bewildered, yet the Hamas terrorists showed no mercy, killing innocent civilians and raping young women next to the dead bodies of their friends.

In addition to these massacres, there were numerous kidnappings. Hamas terrorists abducted an estimated 100-150 individuals, including children, women, teenagers and even a Holocaust survivor. Those they killed suffered a gruesome fate, their bodies dragged naked through the streets of Gaza, desecrated and humiliated. For those held captive, it’s feared that torture and ransom may await them.

Representative Tlaib’s refusal to condemn these horrors raises questions about the moral underpinnings of the international Palestinian solidarity movement. The chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” takes on a haunting dimension considering these events. There’s little doubt about what would happen to the State of Israel and its citizens if they were to lay down their weapons even for a day.

Tlaib is part of a generation of advocates who have long called for Israel’s eradication, a sentiment that can be traced back to the Durban Conference on racism and xenophobia in South Africa in 2001. This event laid the foundation for the delegitimization and defamation of Israel, including the unfounded claim that it is an “apartheid state,” mirroring tactics legitimately used against apartheid South Africa.

Radical leftists, unionists and academics joined the Palestinian cause in South Africa, often masking their deep-seated antisemitism. Upon their return home, they launched and supported campaigns such as “Israeli apartheid week” and the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state.

For nearly two decades, university students have been exposed to falsehoods about Israel and, by extension, the Jewish people. These beliefs became normalized in global organizations like the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, all of which echoed and reinforced these baseless allegations.

In Toronto, the annual Al-Quds Day event has long been permitted to take place at the footsteps of the provincial legislature. Originating in Iran, the event draws leftist and Islamist groups, forming an unlikely coalition united by their hostility toward Jews and their call for Israel’s destruction. Last weekend’s events are exactly what they were calling for.

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, has persistently fought against these campaigns to delegitimize it. The country has proudly championed human rights, advanced LGBTQ and women’s rights, celebrated coexistence and played a leading role in promoting these values in the region.

Despite these efforts, the Palestinian campaign of defamation, coupled with deeply rooted antisemitism, has continued to legitimize and embolden hatred against Israel, specifically among progressive leftists and far-right white supremacists.

Recently, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Adolf Hitler “fought the Jews because they were dealing with usury and money.” For centuries, these words have been spoken by rabid antisemites to mobilize violence against Jewish communities.

While governments, like Canada’s, have condemned antisemitism, they have simultaneously continued to fund the Palestinian narrative by channelling money to organizations like UNRWA. This funding has sustained schools in Gaza and the West Bank that promote violence and hatred against Jews.

Let me be clear: any country that condemns Hamas but is still sending money to the Palestinians — including Canada’s Liberal government, which pledged this week to continue funnelling around $55 million annually in development assistance and aid to Gaza and the West Bank, thus allowing their governments to divert resources to terrorism —  is complicit in the crimes that are being committed against Jews in Israel.

The shocking loss of Israeli lives represents the culmination of years of emboldening Hamas and other terrorist organizations by delegitimizing Israel and allowing antisemitism to flourish. Even in the face of war crimes and heinous acts, the Palestinian movement refuses to unequivocally denounce such actions. Some media outlets, including the CBC, which are heavily influenced by the Palestinian narrative of “resistance,” have adopted policies that inaccurately label terrorists as militants.

Social media is rife not just with antisemitic Palestinians, but with people who hold influential positions, including doctors, union leaders and academics, posting messages denying the barbarism that took place. If they cannot deny it, they blame Israel and the Jews for inviting the murders, decapitations and rapes. This should be condemned vigorously by all.

Reflecting on our historical experiences, particularly the Holocaust, we understand the dangers of complicity. The brutal murder of six-million Jews and millions of others occurred because hundreds of thousands of people played a role, be it as journalists, train operators, contractors, doctors, lawyers, mothers or fathers. They perpetuated the propaganda and antisemitism they were exposed to, which ultimately led to the genocide. The same is applicable today.

For those of you who identify as pro-Palestinian and remain silent in the face of Hamas’ heinous acts, it’s crucial to examine your moral compass. Such silence has far-reaching consequences — not only for the present, but for the future of humanity.

National Post

Avi Benlolo is the founder and chairman of the Abraham Global Peace Initiative.