Good Signs, Relatively Speaking...

I was very glad to see this article by Paul Belien at The Brussels Journal because it seems to justify some of the thoughts I've expressed here, either in my comments, or in the texts I translate, on the potential for a shift in European attitudes as a result of the violence that erupts whenever a country (in this case Israel) defends itself against attacks from an Islamic entity (in this case Hamas).

We recall the violence as a result of the Mohammed cartoons. And the violence as a result of the Pope's comments in Ratisbonne.

Possibly some lights are beginning to go on?

The article begins:

A wave of violent protest demonstrations struck Europe in the wake of the recent events in Gaza. Despite efforts of the media to downplay the incidents, ordinary Europeans realize that the vandals who demonstrate against Israel in Europe’s streets are almost exclusively youths of immigrant Muslim origin. The protests have been accompanied by anti-Semitic rants and attacks on Jewish citizens. Leftist Europeans joined in by demanding a boycott of Israeli products and local Jewish businesses. Even mainstream politicians joined the chorus of Israel bashing, hoping to attract the support of the growing Muslim electorate in Western Europe. (...)

Fortunately, however, the media disinformation and the cowardice of the establishment politicians and intellectuals do not seem to greatly affect ordinary Europeans. Last Thursday, Belgium’s supermarkets announced that they have not noticed “any impact so far” of the various calls for a boycott of Israeli products. Some Europeans may even specially buy Jaffa oranges as they bought extra Danish butter cookies during the height of the Muslim boycott of Denmark three years ago.

On the political level, the rioting in Europe’s streets seems to benefit those politicians who for years have been warning that Europe has foolishly brought a Trojan horse into its cities by allowing millions of Muslim immigrants to settle in Europe during the past decades.

It seems as if the Israeli operation in Gaza might have two beneficial effects. It is destroying Hamas’ capability to strike at Israel by firing rockets and it is leading to a healthy and long-overdue polarization in Europe where the political complacency with regard to the radicalizing Muslim population should be broken before it is too late.

Read the whole article.