Europe, Israel should launch commission with Trump’s help - opinion

The enduring and often fraught relationship between Europe and Israel, stretching back millennia, presents a unique historical challenge. As articulated in this opinion piece, the time is ripe to confront this legacy head-on by establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a process that could be significantly bolstered by the involvement of the United States.

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For the more basic one is that for 2,300 years, Europe opposed Judaism.

The core argument posits that Europe's opposition to Judaism is not a recent phenomenon but a deeply ingrained historical pattern spanning over 2,300 years. This opposition, the author contends, has consistently manifested through the most relevant means available in each historical epoch – from the destruction of the Jewish Temple and the deportation of Jews from Judea by ancient powers, to the centuries of persecution within Europe, and finally, the redirection of this animosity towards the modern State of Israel and Zionism.

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Europeans do not feel responsible for the burning of the Jewish Temple and the deportation of the Jews. Per their narrative, this was done by the Romans, not them.

A critical element of this perspective is the assertion that Europe has historically evaded full accountability for its role in anti-Jewish violence. This is often achieved through a narrative that externalizes blame, attributing actions to specific groups like the Romans or the Nazis, rather than acknowledging a consistent undercurrent of European sentiment that facilitated or even embraced such persecution. The piece suggests that this pattern continued into the 20th century, with European sentiments aligning with the actions of the Nazis, and even contemporary accusations of Jews corrupting European culture or exploiting financial markets.

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For example, they believe that in the 15th Century, it was the Church, not Spain, who committed genocide against the Jews, and that in the 20th Century, it was the Nazis – we Europeans were their victims as well, they argue.

From a European-Israeli standpoint, this proposal for a TRC is a radical call for introspection and historical reckoning. It challenges deeply embedded narratives and demands a re-examination of historical grievances. While the idea of confronting such a long and complex history is daunting, the author believes that acknowledging these 'truths' is a necessary precursor to turning around the conflict and fostering a more honest and constructive relationship between Europe and Israel.

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Such views were so mainstream that France went into existential turmoil in the early 20th Century during the Dreyfus Affair: Much of the French government, military, press, and intellectuals got together to put an end to what the publisher of French newspaper La Libre Parole (Free Speech) called “Jewish France.”