Monday, December 12, 2005

Column:

Biographers, take out your pencils. Historians, get ready to record.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, one of the most virulent anti-Western influences alive today, the man who defies international doctrine to benefit his own needs, is turning over a new leaf.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who only recently called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" is allowing that the State of Israel has a right to exist. He has found a new home for Israel, some place else on the map.

The Iranian president is at it again. He is, boldly, blatantly, completely unknowingly, flaunting his complete ignorance of 20th century history, his misunderstanding of regional and global politics, his overblown and aggrandized sense of self.

"If the Europeans are honest" Ahmadinejad said "they should give some of their provinces in Europe, like in Germany, Austria or other countries, to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe." And here comes the clincher. "You offer part of Europe and we will support it."

Why Germany? Why Austria? Why European provinces?

Because "Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail."

How magnanimous.

How warped.

That's it. Get rid of the Zionist Issue, by getting rid of the Zionists. At least, getting rid of them in the region where Ahmadinejad lives. If only life were that simple, that uncomplicated, that easy to re-arrange with a snap of the fingers - we could get rid of the threat of nuclear war by moving Iran outside the region. How about Asia?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a dangerous man. He is a powerful man. And he is an ignorant man.

Let us analyze the basic inconsistencies, fallacies and historical misinformation in his remarks. Forget that he refuses to call Israel, Israel. We will allow him to call it the Zionist state for now. It is part of the bigger issue we are dealing with.

Up until these statements by the President, the Iranians have always claimed that they were anti-Zionist only, not anti-Jewish, not anti-Semitic. It was always a huge distinction in their mind, but now, based on these remarks, it has all been merged. Jewish = Israeli = Zionist.

Next. When speaking of the Holocaust, again, not by name but, at least, by definition, he says: "Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: Is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?"

Now the real perspective of Iranian foreign policy emerges. If there was no Holocaust, then there is no justification for Israel. And if there was a Holocaust, why should the Muslim people of the world pay the price for what the Europeans did? As far as President Ahmadinejad is concerned, he is in a win-win situation.

But Mr. President, the reality is that there was a Holocaust and it even included parts of the Muslim world, especially North Africa. But you wouldn't know that. And why should you? That explains your shock at the uproar over your statements, your misstatements, your analysis, your personal vision of a final solution.

Ahmadinejad is such a product of his own propaganda and of Arab and Muslim propaganda that he can truly not distinguish between what it real and what is created. It reminds me of the days of the former Soviet Union when people were really only taught propaganda. And when you are the victim of propaganda it becomes difficult to truly analyze a situation and propose solutions.

And Mr. President, the vast majority of Israel is not composed of Jews from European descent but of Jews who escaped the Muslim world. Who fled the Muslim world. Who were expelled from the Muslim world. Who were persecuted in the Muslim world.

So when Ahmadinejad asks, "... where do those who rule in Palestine as occupiers come from? Where were they born? Where did their father's live?"
When he says: "They have no roots in Palestine but they have taken the fate of Palestine in their hands" he is really showing a total misunderstanding of the history of the Holocaust, the development of and creation of the State of Israel and the nature of how states are established in Europe and in the Middle East.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is never going to change. Iran will probably never change. And Israel, the Zionist State, that is not about to change either. Israel is staying right where it is.