(image credit - CP)

By Michael Reeve

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Any talk of who’s to blame for Gaza must include Oct. 7

Nov 14, 2023 | 5:55 AM

I WASN’T SURPRISED at some of the reaction to my Remembrance Day column on my recent visit to Auschwitz and the current disturbing rise in antisemitism.

Somehow, a nation that was victimized by the most brutal possible of attacks on its citizens has become, in the eyes of some, the guilty party. Make no mistake — these have gone far beyond condemnation of civilian deaths in Gaza. “Gas the Jews,” an obvious call to return to the days of the Holocaust, has become a rallying cry for extremists.

I’m of the view that calling for the gassing of Jews is certainly not the way most people think but it does show how extremism can take over an issue, and demonstrates the need to be careful how we talk about it.

So let’s make a couple of important points. The Holocaust was fueled by hate. The current extreme antisemitism rhetoric is fueled by hate. Oct. 7 was fueled by hate.

Oct. 7 targeted innocents. It was designed to commit atrocities against families, kids, non-combatants, then brag about it. Israeli response is aimed at those who carried it out.

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These are important distinctions.

It’s fair to ask how much revenge Israel is entitled to. In the immediate wake of the Oct. 7 outrage, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed what he called a “mighty vengeance.”

That mighty vengeance is targeted at Hamas, the group responsible for the Oct. 7 attack, but it has had tragic collateral consequences in the form of thousands of Gaza Strip civilians being killed.

An argument can be made that Israel has already wreaked sufficient retribution and should stop now.

But, please, let’s not indulge in false equivalencies when it comes to who started this war and who’s responsible for it. Playing the blame game without the context of Oct. 7 plays into the hands of the haters who really would like to see the return of Auschwitz.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

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Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.