It is hard to imagine an anti-Semite going to a Jewish doctor
with a broken foot, and holding out his foot, telling him, “Here,
fix this, you Jew bastard.” And yet this is what is happening
today, but with a different twist. It is now, although virtually
unreported by the world’s press, a case of, “Don’t fix this, you
Jew bastard. Just send money.”
After the horror of the tsunami, Israel immediately leapt into a
rescue mode. While most nations were dithering about and making
promises, or promises to make promises, Israel sent 82 tons of
medical and humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, as well as a planeload
of blood products and an additional 40 tons of supplies from
private donors. On December 27 a medical team specializing in
rescue work, trauma, and pediatrics was dispatched carrying
medicine and baby food. A rescue-and-recovery team with specialized
equipment for identifying bodies was sent, and a Health Ministry
group of doctors, nurses, and members of IDF arrived in Thailand.
Unfortunately, the American media, which ironically the Muslim and
Arab press say is controlled by Jews, reported little of these
extraordinary undertakings. The world media, along with a
substantial portion of the American media, have a vested interest
in continuing to cast Israel as a Palestinian murdering
villain.
In addition to the help it has already sent, Israel offered to
send 150 experienced military medics and support personnel to set
up field hospitals. It was then that a light went off in the
collective heads of at least three of the recipient nations, Sri
Lanka, Indonesia, and India. These countries with substantial
Muslim populations apparently realized that in their condition,
they would not be able to bite the hand that fed them, and,
therefore, either turned down or did not respond to offers of
Israeli aid. They much prefer to have Uncle Sugar pay the bills.
And believe it or not, when President Bush suggested an amount that
they did not feel to be sufficient, they had their public relations
machines — the same ones whose usual bill of fare is a panoply of
propaganda condemning the United States, its foreign policy, and
anything remotely connected with Israel — complain that President
Bush was a cheapskate and that we should throw more money at
them.
It should not pass without notice that fellow Muslim nations,
particularly the oil-rich Arab states, who are among the richest in
the world in per capita income, yet their contributions to tsunami
relief are amongst the lowest.
Certainly there should be a precondition that before these
nations receive any aid, they should clearly denounce terrorism
and, at the very least, discontinue the state-sponsored
anti-American drivel heard in that part of the world.
The uncharitable thought crosses our minds that if the reverse
were true, i.e., if Israel had suffered a catastrophe, would they
come to its aid? No one, this side of a lunatic asylum, could
honestly answer in the affirmative.
We believe that as a nation, we should not, as a matter of
national policy — at least until the private sector proves
inadequate — fund these relief efforts. Does this sound harsh? Let
us point out several facts:
• The private sector of America voluntarily coughs up $34
billion a year in charitable aid that goes to foreign countries.
This is more than virtually any other country spends for this
purpose.
• To use American taxpayer money on this aid means using
money that Jewish Americans and the mothers and fathers of service
men and women — the same ones whose sons and daughters are
regularly reviled in the Muslim media as murderers — believe is
going to nations and regimes that are antagonistic (to be mild) to
all that they hold dear.
• The proponents of foreign aid point out that this
government spent over a billion dollars to assist Florida after the
multiple hurricanes that struck the state. This reasoning, of
course, nicely misses the point that these were American citizens
helping other American citizens.
Perhaps the strongest practical reason to hold up monies is the
fact that we do not know that the money will actually reach the
intended recipients. In fact, history tells us the contrary. Dare
we mention the Food For Oil plan? We understand U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan is urging U.S. aid. Could the fact his son is
out of work have anything to do with it? After all, he has lots of
experience in the field.
We are not suggesting never offering help. But let’s not rush
into doing so. Let’s at least wait and see what those nations
encouraging us to open our pocket books first do themselves.
