Not a Tide, But At Least a Small Ripple

If you frequent even one pro-Israel blog or messageboard, you will inevitably come to read all manner of Judeophobic posts. One of those will almost certainly contain the phrase "the tide is turning".

It's very popular among losers who like to believe that Israel's demise and/or another Holocaust of the Jewish people is imminent. All they need to do is post it enough times and it will happen. It is often accompanied by its sister phrase: "Americans are waking up". The really hard-working ones will add a link to some Jooooo-conspiracy Web site.

Americans, most of them anyway, seem to have woken up, so we'll just leave that particular piece of stupidity alone.

Since 9/11, North Americans have become much more cautious about the intentions of islamists (keeping in mind, I do not mean Muslims as a whole but, rather, those who preach and/or practise a violent form of it). There have been no further terrorist attacks in either Canada or the United States - the two most sought after North American targets. Law enforcement has been tightened up enough that any plots have been disrupted.

One was, however, left wondering whether Europeans would ever wake up. The London and Madrid bombings, the murder of Theo Van Gogh, the Paris riots - none of them seemed to phase a weary, aged continent, largely content to babysit its citizens for life for a few more generations before finally succumbing to societal deterioration. Recent events, however, might suggest at least a stirring.

On Saturday, the European Union's plan to profile mosques was greeted favourably by its main members. The idea is to identify imams who preach radical Islam.

According to AP: Italian Interior Minister Guiliano Amato said Europe had ample experience with the "misuse of mosques, which instead of being places of worship are used for other ends.

"This is bringing about a situation that involves all of our countries and involves the possibility of attacks and developing of networks that use one country to prepare an attack in another," Amato said, after a meeting in Venice of interior ministers and security officials from six European countries and the United States.

On the same day, an article titled "A New Cold War" appeared in my paper. It noted the growing dissatisfaction Europe was showing towards Russian near-dictator Vladimir Putin, including considering withholding support for Russia's entry to the World Trade Organization. Russia has been sliding backwards since Putin came to power and until recently no one, other than a few brave - and now often, dead - souls have had the guts to say it.

Along with Sarkozy's win last week in France, there are three clear indicators in a very short period of time that the Europeans may be starting to realize that they can't ignore internal and external factors working against freedom and still hope to remain free.

I'm not arrogant enough to suggest the tide is turning nor do I trust the EU or most of its member nations. And, none of the events I cited were directly related to the Jewish community, the current and historic anti-Semitism in most European nations or Europe's generally incredibly hypocritical approach to Israel.

I will, however, say that it's the first time in a long time - with a few specific exceptions - that I haven't been completely disgusted with Europe.