"Antisemitism has not disappeared," President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said while on a visit to Israel last week. "It still poisons our societies … It is a new threat, but it is the same old evil. Every new generation must take responsibility so that the past does not return."
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Von Der Leyen is absolutely right. As the years go by, the "old evil" becomes more sophisticated, especially when governments and commissions are involved rather than brainwashed individuals with shaved heads.
Unfortunately for them, loading Jews onto cattle cars is no longer an option. Instead, they chose to play smart, and get some humanitarian points along the way.
The poison that Von Der Leyen was referring to is no doubt part of her daily routine, as well as that of 26 out of 27 representatives of European member states in the parliament. How do I know? Because immediately after Von Der Leyen's remarks, she traveled to Ramallah, where she met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who was astonished when the European Commission president told him aid that the 225 million euro ($237million) aid package to Palestinians would be restored.
Why was Shtayyeh astonished? Because this aid package was put on hold in April 2021, when the Palestinian school curriculum was "revealed" to include two books that incite violence against Jews, including calls to murder Israelis. These continue to be part of the list of books that Palestinian parents buy their children at the beginning of each year. Shtayyeh did not expect for the aid package to be renewed, because he assumed Von Der Leyen's would be a courtesy visit.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
Do not be fooled, the massive funding is renewed not despite the fact that the Palestinians have not removed the books from their curriculum, but precisely because of it.
The Palestinian desire to murder Jews resonates with the European inclination with deadly precision. Von Der Leyen was right about antisemitism being alive and kicking and continuing to poison society. There is no doubt that she and those she represents are in need of a massive detox, the chances of which are highly unlikely.
