Imagine If...

Imagine that a small group of unarmed Arab youths, without permission, entered the Old City of Jerusalem to pray, and an Israeli policeman opened fire on the group, wounding three and killing one.

Imagine that a group of Israeli Arabs, protesting unfair representation in their government, were met with live ammunition and tanks, and were gunned down in cold blood.

What would the international community say? What would the response be in the United Nations? How quickly would international human rights organizations jump up to condemn Israel? We don't have to imagine if...because we see these responses all the time for far less.

And yet, when an Palestinian policemen guns down a helpless Jew for the "crime" of wanting to pray at the grave of Yosef Hatzaddik;

When the world seems indifferent to the mass murder of tens, if not hundreds of Syrians by a ruthless thug and tyrant (I had to search the NY Times website for the story); (The United States is "considering sanctions.")

We need not imagine. We know the double standard.

Pesach just ended. At the Seder we noted that שבכל ודור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותנו - "In every generation they stand over us to destroy us." We have no doubts about the desires of Syria, Hamas, Hizballah, Iran - who openly declare their desire to destroy us. But what about the rest of the world? They, it seems, just want to "stand over us" - to lord over us and browbeat us into submission.

After enough condemnations and UN resolutions and political pressuring, will Israel finally capitulate and help establish (God forbid) yet another corrupt, inept and ultimately radical regime in Ramallah? (Especially now that the Syrians themselves now seem to prefer living under Israeli control.)

I sure hope not. But we don't need to imagine that scenario. We're watching it unfold right before our eyes.