Bulgaria Terror Attack: What Would Jabotinsky Do?

July 19, 2012 1:16 am 4 comments

Zeev Jabotinsky, founder of the revisionnist party in 1925.

In the wake of the terror attack on Israelis in Bulgaria that killed seven people and wounded 30 on the 18th anniversary of an attack on the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, Israel debates what comes next. On days like this, one wonders what the future holds?

Sadly, the hunting of Jews to be slaughtered like animals has been common for much of the last four thousand years. Even today with a strong State of Israel, Jews are targeted. Some solace can be taken in knowing that today there is a Jewish army dedicated to tracking the terrorists who perpetrated this terror upon the innocent. Only minutes after this attack occurred, soldiers of Israel boarded a plane to Bulgaria to assist in the work on the ground.

Ze’ev Jabotinsky, revisionist Zionist leader, author, soldier, and founder of the Jewish Defense Organization, was very much a prophet of Zion. His many relevant words of wisdom offer guidance on what our attitude should be when faced with horrors such as we have seen today:

  • We were not created in order to teach morals and manners to our enemies.  Let them learn these things for themselves. We want to hit back at anybody who harms us. Whoever does not repay a blow by a blow is also incapable of repaying a good deed in kind. - The terrorists will be found, and will pay a just price.
  • The Latin proverb says “of two evils choose the lesser.” When we are in a position where – through no fault of our own – physical force dominates, only one question can be asked: what is worse? To continue watching Jews being killed and the conviction grows that our lives are cheap, and among the whole world that we are spineless?…the blackest of all characteristics is the tradition of the cheapness of Jewish blood, on the shedding of which there is no prohibition and for which you do not pay. - A price must be paid.
  • The Jew is everywhere in reach; he can be pointed out at any street corner; and he can be insulted or assaulted with only the minimum of risk, or with none at all. ..one permanent assignment that is entrusted to each of us, old and young, men and women, educated and ignorant, as a group and as individuals; this assignment is the defense of our people’s honor.
  • It is always aimed at us, and we must respond. We must end this abuse of ourselves, at all costs. And it is very easy. They spit in our faces without fear, ‘in passing’, for no reason – not because our insulters are blessed with courage and want to pick a fight with us, but because this pleasure is so cheap for them: they will spit at us and go on their way, and nothing will happen.
  • We must accustom them to the thought that from now on this pleasure will come at a hefty cost. A new commandment must enter our hearts: that even where there is only one Jew, the word ‘Zhid’ must not be heard without response.
  • Wise people will come and try to dissuade us – But it is not our purpose to win in every single incident. Our objective – to create about us the belief that a slur on our national feelings is no longer what it once was, a small diversion free of cost – but will rather, with an absolute certainty and a mathematical precision, result in a sharp and unpleasant confrontation.”

As these quotes from the Jewish Garibaldi, Ze’ev Jabotinsky tell us, during two thousand years of exile, the Jewish nation lost the ability to concentrate its willpower on an all important task; acting in unison as a people to defend itself. Instead, the Jews became accustomed to weakness. But today’s Jew understands that justice is a Jewish concept, and a price will be paid for those who were killed today.

May God avenge their blood – and may the mighty military of Israel help that day come very soon.

Ronn Torossian is a Jewish philanthropist active in numerous non-profit organizations.  Today he owns a US PR agency, and he formerly served as National President of Betar, the youth movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky.

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