Surprise! World Leaders Mourn Dead Jews

But there's not much love for living Jews

Today, the murdered Bibas family was finally buried in Israel after Hamas staged their return last week in an abhorrent “celebration” in the Gaza strip. And world leaders who have ceaselessly attacked Israel hypocritically issued mournful expressions of sorrow.

Ever since their bodies were returned along with a slain 84-year-old Jewish man, I have thought about the title of Dara Horn’s gripping book titled, “People Love Dead Jews.”

Is that the world we now live in?

We like to believe we’re in a life-affirming, loving world. The topic of dead Jews was front and center in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Today, world leaders have relentlessly attacked Israel and permitted antisemitism to thrive in their countries.

But last week, many of them suddenly decried the desecration of dead Jews as their coffins sat on the Hamas stage.

Even the United Nations, which has issued a stream of anti-Israel dogmas, criticized the Hamas treatment of deceased Jews.

Of course, world leaders also displayed momentary shock over the 1,200 dead Jews on October 7. President Biden rushed to Israel after the attack.

But amnesia shortly set in and a steady drumbeat of attacks on Israel and against Jews intensified.

College campuses extolled the Hamas tactics and ideology. Young college kids praised the Intifada in which Palestinians bombed cafes, pizzerias and buses, murdering innocents.

Attacks against Jews here and in Europe escalated.

International organizations rarely chastised Hamas but regularly excoriated Israel and Jews who supported Israel.

And the International Committee for the Red Cross ignored its humanitarian mission and never visited a single Israeli hostage since 240 were abducted a year and a half ago.

So, antipathy towards Israel and living Jews continues.

The mourning for dead Jews actually began last January when world leaders solemnly assembled at the Nazi Auschwitz extermination camp to mark the 80^th anniversary of its liberation when the few, skeletal survivors stumbled out.

Leaders from Australia, Ireland, Canada and Vatican - who have regularly vilified Israel, solemnly lamented the killing of 1.1 million Jews at the death camp.

Britain’s Labor government, which has been harshly anti-Israel and has not stamped down on antisemitism across the country, decided to boycott the event entirely. Instead, King Charles served as that country’s representative.

Perhaps British Prime Minister Keir Starmer displayed a bit more honesty by staying away from Auschwitz rather than hypocritically uttering regret over dead Jews.

The theme was set: dead Jews must be mourned and defended. Live ones, not so much.

World leaders softened their tune last week again when the coffins of Jews were desecrated. Now there was permission to mourn and show compassion towards them.

As four coffins of Israelis were brought onto a Hamas stage, the terrorists staged a highly orchestrated celebration. The Palestinians in attendance were ecstatic.

The coffins were brought up, including two that contained innocent children who were taken hostage at ages 4 years and 9 months old. A third coffin was supposed to contain the mother, but a forensic examination showed it wasn’t her at all. More Hamas mischief desecrating the Jews.

This ugly treatment of dead Jews was just too much for world leaders.

Even the United Nations, which has constantly denounced Israel, rebuked Hamas for their dark and revolting celebration of the Israeli dead.

In a statement, UN rights chief Volker Turk wrote that the cheering of dead bodies was wrong. “The parading of bodies in the manner seen this morning is abhorrent and cruel, and flies in the face of international law,” said the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care.”

He added, that “under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the handover should have been done “privately.” But it stopped short of blaming Hamas.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Oded Lifshitz, age 84, whose body was in one of the coffins. Lifshitz’s daughter is British.

French President Macron bemoaned the killing of the Bibas family, saying, “Shiri, Kfir, Ariel. The faces of innocence and love. The faces of eternal humanity that Hamas' barbarity will never destroy."

Hypocrites all as they punish Jews and ignore antisemitic attacks in their own countries. But they appear compassionate when Jews are dead.

Next Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing examining the rise of antisemitism. It was weirdly appropriate that during the press conference announcing the hearing, a protester interrupted it by showing that he hated “fucking Jews.”

Senator Chuck Grassley, the committee chairman demurred as the protester was led out of the room. The Republican Senator is titling the hearing, “Never to Be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America.”

The hearing title was inspired by Holocaust survivor Ellie Wiesel. In his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, he said, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.

The silence over the suffering of living Jews continues.

But apparently, much of the world will grieve if the Jews are finally dead.