Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

Contrary to expectations, the unspeakable horrors of the Nazi Holocaust did not stop the age-old scourge of antisemitism. It merely went into hibernation, only to emerge as a roaring lion, fangs barred, after the Seventh of October pogrom of 2023. Last month, we began our examination of antisemitism by focusing on the Bondi Beach massacre in Sydney, Australia. Here is an example of Jews, for the first time ever in Australia, losing their lives for simply being Jews while celebrating a Jewish holiday. In this article, our focus goes from Bondi Beach to the rest of the world. We will explore the meaning of Antisemitism, its causes, and why it matters to Jews and Gentiles. Antisemitism: What Is It and Why? As a big phenomenon, any definition of Antisemitism will have its limitations, but we need something to work with. Antisemitism is the irrational hatred of the Jewish people, which can lead to attempts, by word or deed, to humiliate, marginalise, and physically harm them. While antisemi...

We know the main story: On the 7th of October, 2023,Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, invading by land, sea, and air with 6,000 fighters. The statistics are 1,200 dead - the largest death toll of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. Another 251 were taken hostage.   This was Day One of the current war. But we must remember that this was not the ‘beginning of the war;’ it’s the continuation of a conflict that started … you fill in the blanks. Did it start in 2023? Not really, on the 7th of October, Israel and Hamas had a ceasefire, which the latter broke. But by its very nature, a ceasefire means pausing a pre-existent conflict. So when did the war start? In 2023? 1987 (when Hamas was created)? 1967? 1948? Or did it start in the Biblical period between Israel and Amalek? The main point is that 7 October was the re-starting - not the beginning - of the current conflict. What is the scorecard? Israel is fighting a multi-front conflict. In some areas, there...