Nobody is optimistic about the chances of the Annapolis conference achieving anything because Israel has not yet shown any willingness to make any significant contribution toward peace in the region.
Israel is presently passing through a social and political turmoil. The government is aware that it has no mandate to make any substantial commitment to the international community that might satisfy the Palestinians or the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, apparently, does not carry enough credibility to sign a meaningful agreement.
Although Israel may present a picture of unity and integration on the surface, the Israeli society is divided on religious and political lines. Social inequalities and discrimination also plague the Israelis. The differences between various Jewish sects exacerbated by social discrimination are becoming increasingly noticeable with the emergence of various extremist groups who advocate violence and terror.
The recent media report on some Israeli youths celebrating Adolf Hitler’s birthday was, undoubtedly, just a warning bell. It was the tip of the iceberg of social discontent. Several sections of the Israeli society have been so deeply disgusted with the social and political inequalities in the country that they don’t find anything wrong in celebrating the birthday of the man who was determined to wipe out the Jewish race from the face of the earth. The disgruntled Jewish groups, several of them disguised as neo-Nazis, were planning to attack other Jews, according to the police. They welcomed to their fold drug addicts and homosexuals. Police said searches of their homes yielded Nazi uniforms, portraits of Adolf Hitler, knives, guns and TNT, according to a BBC report in September.
Members of the neo-Nazi group were largely of Russian origin. It is an acknowledged fact that the Russian immigrants were the greatest victims of discrimination in Israel compared to those who came from other parts of the world. The Russian Jews’ genetic origin was also challenged.
A prevalent view among the anthropologists is that the Russian Jews had their origin in the Khazars of the Caspian region. They embraced Judaism to escape the oppression of Christians and Muslims who ruled the region at different times. As the Judaism was a race-based religion, no non-Semite could become a Jew by conversion as happened in most other religions. At least, those who embraced Judaism were not deemed as authentic Jews.
The mother of the 19-year-old leader of the neo-Nazi group justified her son’s behavior as a backlash against the discrimination against the Russian immigrants, according to some media reports.
Another Jewish sect called Samiris prefer not to live in Israel because it is established in a usurped land and where the image of the religion is tarnished. The chief of the sect Rabbi Mazliach Ben Shlomo Shishim, claims: “We alone are the bearers of the truth and with our extinction the truth will disappear from the surface of the earth.” The sect claims that they have in their possession the most ancient and authentic copy of the Torah. They have kept it at a secret place.
Commenting on the Balfour Declaration which led to the creation of the State of Israel, a former chief priest of the sect said: “The Jews of impure origin did not have any right to settle in Palestine while we alone are the original and true Jews, the settlers of the Samrah in Palestine.”
Even the modern Orthodox Jews in the United States and other parts of the world are reluctant to mix with other people. The word “orthodox” in Greek means “upright view” and is used to mean any sect that cling to the old form of the religion. They are willing to accept modern civilization only in a limited way.
What makes the orthodoxy disagreeable to the Jewish mainstream is firstly that they reject the adoption of modern learning methods of scriptures as heretic. Secondly, they reject the existence of the Jewish state based on racism because in their view, such a state violates the basic teachings of Moses and harms the interests of the Jews making them a hated people wherever they are. This view is a threat to the existence of the State of Israel.
The Jewish rulers, who ignore the writings on the wall about the disintegration of the Israeli society, are determined to usurp more of the Palestinian territories. The bewildering question is whether Israel would be able to hold out against such destructive internal developments.
