Of Crocodiles And Canaries
Before the advent of gas detectors, miners took canaries into mines. The small birds were especially sensitive to gas, and when they fell off their perches, it was time to leave the mine – fast. Well, our canary hasn't fallen off its perch yet, but it looks really sickly. Best be careful.
The Jews have been called the canary in the coal mine. They are often the first to die, but never the last. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas killed about 1200 civilians and took others hostage. This was the most Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust. The world's reaction was – to put it politely – underwhelming. Whole families murdered. Children and even babies murdered. And the sum total of the world's reaction was a few sympathetic words
Oh, but wait. When Israel went after Hamas, which Gazans had elected to rule them, then the world's reaction was swift and stern. In fact, the world didn't even wait for Israel to react before declaring it an over-reaction. Any Israeli reaction would be an over-reaction. And when Israel went into Gaza to rescue the hostages whom Hamas had kidnapped – including Americans and Europeans – the world was almost unanimous in its condemnation of Israel.
What's wrong with that canary? It's not meekly falling off its perch as it's supposed to. It's trying to peck its tormentors. Maybe we should just let them kill it. It's entirely too much trouble. We don't need an early warning anyhow. If we speak politely to the terrorists and give them money, maybe they'll just leave us alone.