Happy New Year to everyone and God bless. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings on this festive day, but I'll get right to the point because I want you all to be acutely aware of what Israel and the West are facing as we move into 2009.
As you probably know by now, there have been some pretty serious anti-Israel rallies across Europe these past six days. Thousands of Muslim and radical Leftist protestors in Athens, Paris, London, and Berlin have taken to the streets to condemn Israel and salute Hamas terrorists.
In fact, it has gotten much uglier than the mainstream media has let on. A group of Arab men opened fire on Israeli workers at a Copenhagen shopping mall the other day, injuring two.
Muslims in Antwerp, Belgium rioted and threatened to storm a Jewish neighborhood.
And things also got out of hand in Oslo. (See video here.)
Here in the U.S., while it has gone largely unreported, there have been some very disturbing incidents as well. There have been large protests in Texas, Anaheim, Calif., and Dearborn, Mich.
But just check out these pics from New York City, which are reminiscent of Nazi propaganda in the 1930s.
Here's more from Washington, D.C.
And Philadelphia...
And this insane footage comes from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
There is also apparently a large rally planned for tomorrow in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. There are sure to be many more like it this weekend across America and Europe.
I'll have much more on this on CBN News in the coming days. In the meantime, I don't think there is much commentary needed here, as the images linked to above clearly speak for themselves and serve as a stark wakeup call to everyone living in the West.
But I will leave you with this thought. I've met and interviewed countless Muslim Americans over the past several years. Some are genuine moderates and patriotic Americans that I consider friends. Others were the exact opposite and did everything but sing hosannas to al-Qaeda and the Iranian regime. The burning hatred in their eyes as I spoke to them told the whole story.
There is another camp of American Muslims, however, which is reasonably large and influential. It is mostly comprised of middle class, well-educated suburban professionals who have yet to show any inclination towards violence.
Ask them if they condemn al-Qaeda, and they say "Yes! Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have twisted the teachings of Islam and are a disgrace to us all! 9/11 was a blot on humanity."
Ask them if they condemn suicide bombings, and they say "Of course! Islam forbids suicide."
But ask them their thoughts on Hamas and Hezbollah and watch their passions rise and their tune change. Why, Hamas and Hezbollah are "freedom fighters" waging "legitimate resistance" against the "Zionist occupier." They are certainly not terrorist groups, and their use of suicide bombings to kill innocent Israeli women and children is unfortunate but perfectly acceptable. After all, they have no other choice, and it is done out of desperation caused by Israel's "brutal occupation tactics."
For example, in late 2005, during a trip to Dearborn, Mich., I interviewed Osama Siblani. He's the publisher of the Arab American News, which is one of the largest Arab publications in the United States.
Siblani was friendly and well-spoken. That is, until the topic of our interview veered toward Israel. His voice rising, he told me on camera, without hesitation, that Hamas and Hezbollah were "freedom fighters" and that "what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is genocide...worse than the Holocaust, absolutely."
Off camera, Siblani praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
I guess the moral of the story is this: when in doubt, you can always tell if a Muslim is truly moderate by their stance on Israel. Indeed, Israel has become the ultimate litmus test in that regard.
You can condemn bin Laden all day long. But if you refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist, spew anti-Semitic rhetoric and legitimize mindless terrorism against Israel, you are anything but moderate - regardless of your business suit and university degree.
Because at the end of the day, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Hezbollah, and Hamas are all one in the same: Islamic terrorists bent on the destruction of the United States and Israel. And Israel is a loyal and democratic ally of the U.S. that is fighting the good fight against our common enemies. End of story.