Daphne Anson: Passover: "The Holiday of Apes"

Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East. (From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Monday, 25 April 2011

Passover: "The Holiday of Apes"

Traditionally, this season - that of Passover and Easter - was one of blood libels and pogroms in Christendom, especially in Eastern Europe.

There's something about Easter, with its imagery of the Crucifixion, which kindled, and occasionally still kindles, primitive antisemitism, despite the fact that the Romans, not the Jews, sentenced Jesus to death.

A news report in the Palestinian Authority's official newspaper tells that:

"The spring carnival has retained its [Palestinian] flavor in towns such as Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Ramallah... with the demonstrations of the Scouts, songs, dances, and popular Palestinian hymns about Christian-Islamic unity and internal Christian unity. These hymns carry meaningful messages, in response to the Israeli prohibition [to enter Jerusalem], as seen in the calls of the youth who lead the procession of light, waving swords and not caring if anyone accuses them of anti-Semitism: ... 'Our master, Jesus, the Messiah, the Messiah redeemed us, with his blood he bought us, and today we are joyous while the Jews are sad,' and, 'Jews, Jews! Your holiday is the Holiday of the Apes, while our holiday is the Holiday of the Messiah.'"

Although this ditty is reportedly in retaliation for that "Israeli prohibition", it has (hat tip: Elliott Green) earlier echoes. Elliott Green found that Saul S Friedman reports a similar ditty sung at Eastertime in the 19th century in his Land of Dust: Palestine at the Turn of the Century (Washington DC: University Press of America 1982), pp 115-116. The original version runs in part:

"Oh Jews! Oh Jews! Your feasts are goblin feasts. . . ."

Friedman cites the Palestinian Arabic-speaking Christian, Gamahliel Wad el-Ward in Palestine through the Eyes of a Native [New York: Fleming H Revell 1907]. pp 60-64.

Read more on the PA report: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=4924
And for more examples of antisemitism in the PA invoking the "apes and pigs" definition of Jews see: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=786

5 comments:

roger25 April 2011 at 02:44
The Qur'an says three times that Allah transformed Jews into apes and pigs: 2:62-65; 5:59-60; and 7:166.
There's nothing about 'apes and pigs' in Christian scripture. So I guess their Arab identity has something to do with their terminolgy.
I noticed a certain taciturn quality to the Christian Arabs in Israel, indicating that they weren't entirely at home in a Jewish state. Oh the ingratitude!
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Daphne Anson25 April 2011 at 02:52
Nicely put, Roger!
Not forgetting those oft-heard claims that Jesus was a Palestinian.
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Ian G25 April 2011 at 09:56
Firstly, 'The Jews', in the same sense as 'The Brits' or 'The Yanks', which is to say the leadership, could not put Jesus to death as the sceptre had departed . The Romans were in charge. However, it is clear that BOTH sets of leadership agreed the crucifixion. What most people miss is that Jesus 'gave up the ghost' long before he should have died.

As St. Thomas Aquinas put it, all those years ago,'

In suprema nocte coenae
recumbus cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.'

http://feastofsaints.com/pange.htm

As both Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, and Victim, we are dealing with what Durkheim called 'Altruistic Suicide'.

In short, everyone is guilty and no-one is guilty. The current Pope has re-iterated this position.

Blaming the Jews has always been contrary to New Testamant theology. Anti-semitism is an infection in the Christian body. It does NOT belong there. How can it? We believe in a Jewish Messiah.

This Maundy Thursday I attended a Church service which re-enacted the Passover Feast that Jesus celebrated with His diciples the night before the Crucifixion. There is a sense in which EVERY Communion service does that.

Anti-semitism pre-dates Christianity by, at least, 2000 years. Pesach and Purim. No Christians present. It is a Pagan disease which the Church, and some Jews, stll suffer from.

It is about the war against God and both the Church Proper and Israel are both feeling the heat.
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Daphne Anson26 April 2011 at 06:32
Mny thanks, as usual, Ian - your comment was in my Spam box and I've only just noticed it.
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Ian G26 April 2011 at 09:41
Spam! As usual! Now I am paranoid! ;-)
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'For as long as these antisemites wrap themselves up in the Palestinian flag, too many people are willing to turn a blind eye. Only against Jews is this type of racism openly tolerated. It is flourishing in schools, colleges, universities, unions and in city councils. In fact, so rampant is the disease now, in some settings you can be ostracised if you do not partake in the frenzy yourself. Bashing Jews has becomes a trendy position for the ignorant social justice warrior. "Palestinianism" is a viral "ponzi scheme" and as it spreads, it carries antisemitism in the undergrowth.' David Collier (2017)

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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9685/britain-little-lies

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Islamophobia is a false allegation of prejudice which is deployed to silence rational criticism based on actual facts about attitudes and practices within the Islamic world.
[L]ethally compromised even-handedness is to misunderstand, and thus minimise, antisemitic attitudes and behaviour while shutting down legitimate and necessary discussion of the threat from the Islamic world – even to demonise as “Islamophobic” anyone who draws attention to the extent and consequences of Muslim antisemitism.' Melanie Phillips (14 December 2016)

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Expose The Lies!

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The "Apartheid" Slur

The division of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) into three separate areas “A”, “B” and “C” was agreed on by Israel and the PLO pursuant to the Oslo Accords.
95% of the West Bank Arabs live in Areas A and B and their daily lives are under the total administration and control of the PLO since the Palestinian Authority was disbanded by Abbas in January 2013. The PLO has total security control in A and shares security control in B with Israel. Israel has total administrative and security control in C.
Israel is entitled to and will continue to take responsibility for the security of Jews living in the West Bank.
Jews were given the legal right to settle in the West Bank under article 6 of the Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the UN Charter. They did so for decades until they were driven out in 1947 and not able to return there until 1967.
There are Arab roads only in the West Bank that Jews are not allowed to use. Jews are also forbidden from entering Area “A”. Selling land to Jews is forbidden by the PLO under pain of death. The PLO runs the daily lives of 95% of the West Bank Arabs and Hamas runs the daily lives of 100% of the Gazan Arabs. They have been under occupation – and subjugation – by these two evil groups for the last ten years and given no say in their future or any opportunity to elect others to lead them following the disastrous political decisions of their leaders over the past ten years. Hamas and the PLO do not accept the continued existence of a Jewish State and call for its disappearance.
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