IT’S A FUNNY THING. When someone — anyone — says or writes something critical of either Jews or Israel, the author is instantly labeled Anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, or both, even though the person may be neither.
It’s like an ethnic joke. A Jew can tell a Jewish joke and it’s OK. A black can tell a black joke — even using the “n” word, and it’s ok. Most of us can laugh at ourselves, but woe to the outsider who tells the same story.
By the way, “anti-Semitism” is a misnomer. Arabs also are semites, so the correct term must be “anti-Jewish.” Besides, being politically correct, any combination of Arab or Muslim and terrorist or extremist is unacceptable; ex.-President Obama has spoken and made it so.
At the moment Norway is in the sights of the princes of paranoia.
On one hand, Norwegian Hanne Nabintu Herland, a historian of religion, bestselling author and self-described “social pundit,” accused Norway of being “the most anti-Semitic country in the West” and attacked the government in Oslo for “biased support for only the Palestinian views.” Representing the Norwegian Embassy in Tel Aviv, deputy head of mission Vebjørn Dysvik rejected the claims yet admitted that his government had work to do regarding anti-Jewish sentiment within Norwegian society. He also said that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and 1978 invasion into Lebanon — which he said was “not Israel’s finest hour” — contributed to a mainly negative view of Israel among ordinary Norwegians. (Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/at-jerusalem-panel-norwegians-spar-over-israel-and-anti-semitism/)
On the other hand, Norway is demanding that the Palestinian Authority reimburse it for funds donated to a women's center on the West Bank because the center was named after a female militant who participated in an attack in Israel that killed 37 civilians. The women's center was named for Dalal Mughrabi, a member of the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO.) She participated in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre in Israel and died during the attack.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry says the country "will not allow itself to be associated with institutions that take the names of terrorists." (Source: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/world/norway-demands-return-funds-from-palestinian-authority/MX80fv8QWeOZUgEmQJXaFK/)
Norway DOES have an anti-Jewish/anti-Israel history; about that there is no question. Norway was the first to require animals to be stunned before slaughtering, a move adopted by its neighbors: Belgium. Denmark, and Switzerland.
Yet, according to Adam Dickter, The production of kosher meat, known as shechita, has long been illegal in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. And in Switzerland, attempts to lift a century-old ban caused an anti-Semitic backlash earlier this year. (Source: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0702/euro_kosher.asp)
So why the fuss. Nothing new in these four lands.
As an aside, those who want to make an effort can get treif (non-kosher) products in Israel; “white steak” is — or at least was the euphemism for pork “back in the day” — can get most of the forbidden foods prepared in a forbidden way in Israel (which is why an observant Jew or Muslim looks for the certificate of kashrut, even in Israel.)
It’s one thing to attack laws of kosher slaughter. Kosher or not, life at an abattoir is NOT a “pretty thing” and has been known to turn a strong person’s stomach.
One thing that seems to cause confusion is the kosher slaughtering vs. the hallal (Muslim) slaughtering processes. To the best of my limited knowledge, “shecked” animals don’t spend their last seconds wandering around the lot, “silently bleating” (as one anti-hallal observer claimed)
How soon unconsciousness?
While the subject is human, not animal, if blood flow to the brain stops, "the victim will lose consciousness in about 4 seconds if standing, 8 if sitting, and 12 if lying down. This simply reflects the effects of gravity on blood flow. Another medical truism is that dizziness, loss of consciousness, and sudden death are simply gradations along the same scale. That is, what makes you dizzy can make you lose consciousness, and what makes you lose consciousness can cause death." (Source: https://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/q-and-a-how-long-does-it-take-for-someone-to-die-from-carotid-artery-compression/)
Given the above, a large animal might suffer pain for a few seconds under the knife of a skilled shohet (ritual slaughter). Keep in mind that the animal probably already is anxious and has a high blood pressure, causing a greater immediate blood loss and consequent loss of consciousness.
With stunning as many Europeans demand, or a bullet to the brain -- also acceptable to Europeans and used in the States -- there is no guarantee than (a) the stun will suffice to render the animal senseless and (b) that the bullet will hit its mark.
I often have wondered why no one objects to boiling lobsters alive — doesn’t the crustaceans’ scream bother the diner? — or eating raw (live) oysters. (Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/oysters-are-alive-when-served-2016-6)
Admittedly, banning kosher slaughtering to satisfy both vegans and anti-Jewish passions is without a doubt anti-Jewish and perhaps anti-Israel. But it’s a fact of life. The pity is the anti’s lack tolerance for others; they see what they want to see and wear blinders to all else.
In the end, the joke will be on those who would drive the Jews from their land. A Jewish-free land soon enters an economic decline, not to recover until the Jews return. Look at the Jews’ history in Europe. No Jews – economic woes; Jew, prosperity. As for Norway — just how many sardines can a person eat?
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
