Europe's 'Strange Death' Signals End of Diaspora, Rabbi's Teachings Suggest
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Recent riots in France are depicted as a symbol of the nation's decline, with a video of a woman ignored by looters highlighting the author's critique of "pseudo-moral" policies. The article connects this to Donald Trump's use of a poem to warn against uncontrolled immigration and cites Douglas Murray's book on Europe's cultural crisis. Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi, it suggests Europe's issues stem from a flawed pursuit of universalism and that the end of diaspora for nations is imminent.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- French riots symbolize national decline, with a woman ignored by looters representing the country's helplessness.
- Donald Trump used a poem to warn against uncontrolled immigration, likening it to a snake biting its rescuer.
- Douglas Murray's book analyzes Europe's cultural crisis due to low birth rates, immigration, and guilt.
- Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi's teachings suggest nations have partial identities, leading to conflict.
- The article posits that Europe's issues stem from a flawed pursuit of universalism, not a strange death.
Recent riots in France, where a Muslim mob looted shops, are presented as a stark symbol of the nation's decline. A video captured a French woman, who reportedly supported immigration policies, desperately trying to reason with the vandals, only to be ignored. The author likens her helplessness to the state of France itself, criticizing the country's "pseudo-moral" policies and perceived anti-Semitism.
The article draws a parallel to a poem recited by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who used it as a political allegory against uncontrolled immigration. The poem tells of a kind woman who takes in a snake, only to be bitten by it, illustrating how dangerous elements can exploit compassion. Trump's use of the poem is contrasted with the perceived blindness of Western leaders.
British journalist Douglas Murray's 2017 book, "The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam," is cited as a deeper analysis of Europe's cultural decadence. Murray attributes Europe's self-loss to declining birth rates, mass immigration from Muslim countries, and a pervasive sense of guilt and lack of self-belief within European culture. The article notes that Europeans' guilt often leads them to unfairly accuse Israel of colonialism.
Written on the 30th anniversary of Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi's passing, the piece explores his teachings on the concept of diaspora and universalism. Rabbi Ashkenazi argued that nations, fragmented after the Tower of Babel, develop partial identities that lead to conflict. He posited that only the Jewish people, by preserving a connection to a primordial unity, possess a truly universal identity, tasked with a spiritual mission among nations.
According to Rabbi Ashkenazi's interpretation, Europe's "European complex" stems from imperialistic guilt, which they project onto Israel. He distinguished between a cosmopolitan approach, where Jews act as moral educators among nations, and a universalist approach, which emphasizes the realization of national identity in the Land of Israel as the path to rebuilding a true human universalism. The article concludes that the events in Europe are not a strange death, but rather the predictable end of the diaspora for the nations.
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