By Michael Kuttner…
As we stand on the cusp of a New Year this is as good a time as any to try and anticipate what may lie ahead in the months to come.
We will all be praying for health.
Without a shadow of a doubt this blessing is a vital necessity for young and old alike. There can be no greater gift than to be blessed with a healthy year so that we can enjoy a good life with our families and friends.
At the same time we will be praying for peace not only for ourselves and families but also for Jews everywhere and indeed the rest of the world.
Looking at the current state of the world and surveying the challenges ahead, one cannot realistically anticipate any sort of dramatic improvement in this particular aspect of life.
Unless the Messianic age arrives after Rosh Hashanah the lion will definitely not be lying down with the lamb, neither will Jews and Israel find themselves suddenly appreciated as “a light unto the nations.”
Pessimistic as this sounds it nevertheless highlights reality.
The haters and inciters are not going to disappear no matter how fervently we may pray and wish they would do so. Pretending that the forces of evil will suddenly vanish is something we cannot afford to succumb to in the hope that what we face these days is merely a bad dream.
In order to face the challenges ahead we need to acknowledge stark facts so that we can successfully confront and overcome them.
Identifying what lies in wait is essential, particularly at this important time of the year in the Jewish calendar.
What actually looms ahead and how do they potentially impact Israel and Jewish communities worldwide?
Forthcoming elections in various countries will have the probability for negative and possibly disastrous consequences.
Until and unless the Iranian regime is comprehensively defeated and defanged the world in general and nations regionally will be threatened and menaced.
The various axis of evil continue to fuel threats to democracies.
The United Nations and its assorted collection of corrupt subsidiaries need to be reformed or demolished.
Jihadist terror must be tackled and dealt with before it overwhelms society and establishes an Orwellian reality.
I will deal with these impending events in greater detail in subsequent op-eds but for now here are some preliminary thoughts as we face the uncertainties of a new year.
Between now and the end of 2026, elections are scheduled in various countries plus one fake entity.
The voting in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, has already taken place and the results have given a major boost to the far right AFD party. For the first time since the end of the Shoah an extreme right political party has won 44% of the vote. Whether they can cobble together a coalition or not is immaterial at this stage. The message is abundantly clear and raises a warning flag for a Federal election to come.
As Jews who reside in the Fatherland watch with trepidation and Jew hate multiplies, the German antisemitism Commissioner warns that the time is arriving when Jews may be pushed to leave. One could innocently ask what they are doing there in the first place but it seems some never learn from past historical experiences.
Israelis go to the polls at the end of October. One of the unique features of the electoral system is the dazzling array of parties from which voters can choose. Spanning an ideological smorgasbord from left to right, staunchly secular to rigidly religious, pensioners and young, the numbers of choices are endless. In the last elections held in 2022 there were 39 parties vying for votes. This year 38 parties are registered to contest the elections.
Politics in Israel seems to be a larger version of Shule political machinations with plenty of broiguses, ego tripping and break aways. That is why new groups spring up like mushrooms and others disappear at the drop of a yarmulke. The bottom line is that unlike some countries voters here have a multiplicity of choices.
The campaign this year is bound to be torrid as opposition parties try to dislodge Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister. Watch this space for further developments as the deadline of 27 October approaches.
New Zealand voters go to the polls on 7 November. With only a three year term most Governments have too little time to complete their targeted aims. Unlike “first past the post” systems such as in the UK voters have two choices. They choose an electorate representative and a party list preference. As a result there are more parties trying to get into Parliament.
This year as mentioned in my last op-ed a party called “Free Palestine- from the river to the sea” is competing for votes. While they have no chance of gaining power the outlook for degraded relations with Israel looms large. If the governing coalition fails to achieve a majority the opposition parties of Labour, Greens and the Maori Party may gain power. The Greens and the Maori Parties demand the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador and sanctions against Israel. The Labour Party has pledged to instantly recognize “Palestine” and impose sanctions on Israel.
The ignorance and historical amnesia of the left and their associated cheer leaders know no bounds.
This is the thin edge of the wedge and should they succeed, extremely negative repercussions will flow, not only as far as Israel relations are concerned but inevitably against New Zealand’s Jews and all that entails.
Developments “down under” bear close watching as polling day looms.
In the USA, mid term elections are scheduled for 3 November.
With the choice restricted to only two political parties the American voter has a paucity of choices.
There is a mounting dilemma facing American Jews.
With the Democrats increasingly veering to the progressive extreme socialist left and the Republicans teetering to the isolationist conspiracy believing extreme right, swathes of Jews find themselves disenfranchised. We know of staunch “genetic Jewish Democrat voters” who now have nobody to vote for. Their local candidate is anti Israel/Zionist with all that implies and they themselves would never vote for a Republican no matter how worthy he or she might be.
This developing situation foretells a bleak future for those American Jews who still identify as Jews and have not yet been submerged in the tidal wave of assimilation sweeping the country.
The outlook after November is not positive and the future after Trump is exceedingly murky.
While elections in the UK are not scheduled until August 2029 the situation for Israel/Zionist supporters is becoming increasingly dire. The writing is already on the wall there and unfortunately a majority of British Jews have yet to wake up to the impending crash.
Meanwhile, in the fake entity called “Palestine” legislative elections are scheduled for 28 November. The last time elections were held was in 2006. The last time elections for the PA Presidency were held was in 2005. This blemished record of democracy highlights the farce associated with a “democratic Palestine” touted by all and sundry including Australia.
It is already predicted that this year’s intended poll will once again be postponed and Israel will as usual receive the blame. If Abbas and Fatah look like losing, the usual tactic is to postpone and blame the Jews. It’s as simple as that except the international community and all the lemmings of the left don’t want to recognize reality.
In Australia, the Royal Commission is due to complete its report on 18 December. By that date the country will have shut down for the summer break and one can guarantee that the report’s impact will be dissipated. Will the Royal Commission result in Jew/Israel hate being combated and defeated?
Not a chance but there will be plenty of hype about social cohesion and not a word or very little about the real cause of the problem.
As we prepare to celebrate the Chagim predictions abound that Iran and its various proxies will cause mayhem.
Whether this materializes or not the fact remains that unless these Jihadists are dealt with and removed from the scene there will be no peace and no chance of peace.
As can be seen there are plenty of probabilities for mayhem in the coming year.
Forewarned is forearmed and this Rosh Hashanah is as good a time as any to prepare for a rough time ahead.
Shana Tova.
May we all be inscribed for a healthy year, a year of tranquility and a year when all those who plot against us are finally firmly dealt with.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel.
[This article was originally published on J-Wire and is reproduced here with permission from Michael Kuttner.]
