Not a News Report from 15 November 1938 (but could have been)
Germany, regarded by some as an aggressor nation, made it clear that they were going to exterminate the Jews by destroying Jewish homes, synagogues and shops in the Kristallnacht riots. But the Jews deserved it for being clever and controlling of the financial markets.
The League of Nations confirmed that the Sudetenland was legally occupied territory by Germany although Czechoslovakia insisted that the land was “disputed”. In what was termed a “fateful year” the radicalisation of Germany’s Nazi party’s political manifesto was endorsed as a legitimate campaign for Aryen supremacy, and their hatred of Jews was understandable because it did not occur in a vacuum.
Laws were passed by Germany forbidding any non-Aryans to work in the media.
UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain called for a ceasefire in Austria and brokered land for peace, celebrating the milestone as “peace in our time”. Adolph Hitler said he had “no more territorial demands to make in Europe.”
USA President Franking Roosevelt, fresh from sponsoring low key involvement in the Evian conference confirmed that there would be no support for the Jews but he did commiserate with their plight and confirmed their right to self-defence. Australia’s delegate to the conference claimed “Australia cannot do more” and also said that “Australia does not have a racial tolerance problem”.
In street parades in Nuremberg and other cities, the Nazis flew brightly coloured flags and lit up their buildings with red to assert their national pride. The crowds chanted nationalistic slogans. William L. Shirer, foreign correspondent for CBS wrote in his Berlin Diary that he was beginning to comprehend some of the reasons for Adolf Hitler’s astounding success: “He is restoring pageantry and colour and mysticism to the drab lives of twentieth-century Germans.”
Concerns were expressed that the League of Nations may not have the mechanism for enforcement of collective security, and could be ineffective and redundant in achieving its objectives. This was due to both the inability to make decisions, and providing consent for immoral regimes to pursue their agendas, for example allowing Germany to educate their children to be supportive of genocide and teaching them to hate and kill Jews.
Fears of the early race to develop an atomic bomb further fuelled tension in the lead up to inevitable war, with both sides believing that superior military capability would be a deterrence.
Not a News Report from 15 November 2023 (but should be)
More than a month on from the October 7 terrorist attacks, the most inhumane and unspeakable horrors seen since the Holocaust, the Jewish state and its Diaspora remain in shock and trauma.
Not only over what occurred, but the global scenes of protest that manifestly display open anti-Semitism on streets of nations around the world. Signs and chants calling for the elimination of Israel, false accusations against Israel of genocide, illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing, bombing hospitals and apartheid have reached a crescendo as Governments and their law enforcement bodies seem unable to respond to mass protests.
A large proportion of Palestinians have supported and celebrated the murder of Jews according to research polls.
Many world leaders and influencers have cautioned Israel against carrying out its objectives of freeing hostages and eliminating terrorists due to the presence of civilian populations used by Hamas as human shields. Israel’s allies have called for a ceasefire which would prolong and complicate Israel’s military response and pose existential risks to its soldiers.
The horrendous attacks against Israel were justified by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations who claimed “this did not occur in a vacuum”.
All the while, bombs continue to be indiscriminately fired into Israel from Gaza, Lebanon and even Yemen. Over half a million Israelis have been displaced in their own country. Israel’s Ministry of Labor estimates that 764,000 Israelis have been affected in their employment, contributing to the adverse economic impact of the war. Around 40% of businesses are operating at a fraction of their capacity. However, the resilience and cultural response from across Israel’s citizens, both Jewish and non-Jewish, has provided an astounding level of support and boost to morale.
The media around the world have been culpable of portraying Israel as an aggressor, even as Israel has been undertaking efforts to warn civilians to evacuate target areas as they attempt to reach hostages and destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas. Israel has been dropping leaflets, calling residents, and announcing its targets in an effort to minimise civilian casualty. Hamas responded by preventing residents from leaving, even resorting to shooting people and blaming Israel for their death. Yet Israel was actually protecting Palestinian civilians evacuating from the north to the south for their safety. This has mostly remained unreported by the mainstream media.
It has also emerged that the international correspondents of major news agencies have been collaborating with Hamas in their heinous crimes against humanity. Evidence has emerged that their contracted photographers were present to capture images of the border breaches, suggesting prior notification and knowledge of the war crimes. Minister Benny Gantz has said “If there were journalists that knew about the massacre in Otef, kept silent and took pictures while children were being massacred – they are no different from Terrorists.”
Israel has been taking over critical buildings including hospitals and finding evidence of storing arms, sheltering terrorists, stockpiling humanitarian aid, and incarcerating hostages. The latest is a hospital named after Hamas co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi.
The nation of Israel and the Jewish people remain astounded that whilst they still have millions of supporters and friends around the world, that there is so much mass hysteria, misinformation and ignorance, and political aggression against it. It has been commonly expressed that for the first time in a generation, still (but only just) within living memory of the Holocaust, that Jews around the world can now understand how the illogical presence of anti-Semitism could suddenly explode back to life. Almost as if it was a return to the 1930’s.
Not a News Report from 15 November 2030 (but perhaps might be)
Following five years of interim self-government by the new Palestinian Parliament, the first elections for Palestinian Government since 2006 will be held across the interim Gaza province. Almost 25 years since Israel’s disengagement from the region, there is wide optimism that the scrouge of terrorism has been fully removed.
President Nikki Haley hailed the milestone as the most significant moment in middle eastern history since the establishment of the State of Israel. She was supported by vice-President Ivanka Trump who noted that it was the economic platform upon which the new geopolitical relationship was established which had led to this success, alongside the installation of moderate leadership.
The significance of the statement issued by the Ramallah based Palestinian cabinet calling for peaceful coexistence and providing recognition of the historic Jewish connection to the land of Israel has formed the basis of new peace talks which will immediately follow the elections.
Prime Minister of Israel, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum having recently succeeded Naftali Bennet in his second term as Premier, pledged support for an era of political peace. She reminded the world that Israel’s pre-emptive actions to disable Iran’s military infrastructure had prevented a nuclear holocaust. Israel’s strategy of “Net Zero of Hate by 2030” has been widely embraced.
The success of the five year program has centred around two key areas. Firstly, Israel’s hi-tech economy has been extended to develop world leading agritech, cleantech and constructiontech into areas of Palestinian self-government. Secondly, the disbandment of the UNRWA and a replacement education program that has removed anti-Semitic content from the Palestinian textbooks is making a noticeable difference.
Transparency in the distribution of aid, including improved auditing has seen the Palestinian economy flourish. The rebuilding of Gaza, with carefully managed security protocols has reduced tension. But borders into Israel still remain tightly controlled, and the number of Palestinian prisoners remains very high. Radical Islamist influences have yet to be fully moderated but reside within an aging demographic.
A global aid program, unprecedented in size, has been dedicated to the rebuilding of Gaza. Australian Prime Minister Josh Frydenberg has committed $100m in aid, which for the first time is linked to bilateral trade including Australian based kosher/hallal meat processing, and the development of new Australian defensive capabilities.
The next phase of the peace process will focus on the status of Jerusalem. Israel has formulated a proposal for freedom of religion which will replace the Jordanian sponsored Wakf with a multi-faith body and has even indicated its willingness to consider joint-sovereignty of the Temple Mount under a sustained and genuine peace. The proposal has the support of a consortium of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia, but has been rejected by the Vatican.
Postscript:
Each of these scenarios are hard to believe, if considering the first two prior to their occurrence and the last as a utopian vision. What occurred in the 1930’s, and what is occurring now are stains on history that have no logic, but nonetheless ring true to the description above. Characterisations aside, and as highly improbable as a short-term change of culture would be by the time we get to 2030, the Jewish people have two factors in their favour for such a fanciful hypothetical. Firstly, that the pattern of Jewish history always defies logic, both in the negative and the positive. Secondly, the nation of Israel has the ability to maintain hope and optimism no matter what the circumstance. Hatikvah – we will and we must always express optimism and hope for a better future.