The moral imperative that is part of the Ten Commandments has been accepted by both Jews and Christians. It is a testimony to the importance of an adherence to truth. “The truth will set you free” was a famous expression used by Gloria Steinem, an American pioneer for the rights of women. Dr. Martin Luther King said that “to save man from the morass of propaganda … is one of the chief aims of education.”
How many times and in how many different places have the Jews been victimized by the “morass of propaganda”? Hitler relied on Joseph Goebbels to be his minister of propaganda, to educate Germany in a falsehood that existed for centuries in a variety of forms. A whole new religion was created as the result of the crucifixion of a Jew. Even that was blamed on the Jews. The fiction that there once was a country called Palestine that had been an independent country that Jews just forcibly occupied has worked.
Bear in mind that there are 22 Arab countries and 50 Muslim countries. There are 1.6 billion Muslims, less than 16 million Jews. The Jews have one country the size of New Jersey. That Jewish country is being attacked both internally and externally. Joseph Goebbels’ role has metastasized many times over. Do you really think that the explosion of Jew-hatred just happened to erupt after Oct. 7, 2023? The tunnels, 9/11, the money from UNRWA, CARE and the United States set the stage for what you see today. The survivors of the Holocaust and the hostages of Hamas are challenged for their veracity. Well-financed propagandists have found their way into the halls of the U.S. Congress, elite college campuses, and the questionable accuracy of the media pundits.
This is an old struggle. The fight is not new. The difference is that an ideology that glorifies death and minimizes the joy of life has captured the minds of young adherents who seem to have the time and energy to sacrifice the exposure to truth with a commitment that threatens civilization itself. The questions of what to do, how to do it, and when to do it? Each of you should look upon yourself as a counter force to the propaganda that is going on. Challenge the politicians, the college administrators, the protesters and the media. And what is vital is that you know the facts and are not afraid to educate people.
Remember the reaction in this country to the death of George Floyd in 2020. How did Americans react to the death of pro-Israel demonstrator Paul Kessler in 2023?
Do you think many people, even Jews, remember what happened to Paul Kessler … and why? We should at least question people in positions of power—celebrities, politicians, media pundits—especially Jews. I recently saw a clip of Henry Winkler, you know, “The Fonz,” questioning the behavior of Israel. Somehow he felt qualified to blame Israel for the Gaza War.
Instead of “Never Again,” it should be, “Not this time.”
