The Second Greatest Threat to the West

Last century, Sweden remained neutral during both World Wars, allowing the nation to avoid the desolation that affected much of Continental Europe. But it appears the country has not avoided the devastating effects of anti-Semitism :

Violent anti-Semitism has become increasingly commonplace in Sweden’s southern city of Malmö, leading many Jewish residents to leave out of fear for their safety. “Threats against Jews have increased steadily in Malmö in recent years and many young Jewish families are choosing to leave the city,” said Fredrik Sieradzki of the Jewish Community of Malmö.

Last year, 79 crimes against Jewish residents were reported to the Malmö police, roughly double the number reported in 2008. In addition, Jewish cemeteries and synagogues have been repeatedly defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti, and a chapel at another Jewish burial site in Malmö was firebombed last January during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. Many Jewish residents of Malmö feel that local anti-Jewish sentiment is linked with negative attitudes towards Israel.

In addition to its small community of roughly 700 Jews, Malmö is home to a growing Muslim population. However, local Jews insist that the majority of anti-Jewish sentiment, although certainly existent in the Muslim community, is coming from local Swedes.

The resurgence of anti-Semitic sentiment in Sweden and other areas of Europe is appalling and tragic—but it’s not unexpected. Like its Islamofascist counterpart, the roots of this hatred are primarily economic.

Europe has always been susceptible to the siren’s call of socialism and as economist Tyler Cowen has noted, there is a direct link between statism and the persecution of minorities :

The history of the Jewish people illustrates the relatively favorable position of minorities in a market setting. Hostility toward trade and commerce has often fueled hostility toward Jews, and vice versa. The societies most congenial to commercial life for their time—Renaissance Italy, the growing capitalist economies of England and the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, and the United States—typically have shown the most toleration for Jews.

We shouldn’t let the religious fervor of the Jihadists obscure the ideological similarities they share with secular socialists. At the core of anti-Semitism is a mistrust of capitalism and a fear of economic liberty. In studying anti-Semitism between the years 500 and 1306, Will Durant identified an undercurrent that parallels what we see today: “The main sources have ever been economic, but religious differences have given edge and cover to economic rivalries.” ( Story of Civilization Vol. IV: The Age of Faith )

As America continues to encourage the spread of liberal democracy (and capitalism) throughout the Middle East, we can expect resistance not only from the Arab monarchies but from our Old World neighbors as well. While they will wring their hands and agree that terrorism is a threat to security, they are as equally fearful (if not more so) of the economic dominance of the U.S. As the statist policies continue to degrade the EU economy, we should expect them to look for a scapegoat to sacrifice for their problems. Because the most direct targets of the animus—the U.S., Israel—are difficult to hurt, the frustration will likely be taken out on a more assessable target—European Jews.

Still, we’re fortunate that the EU is unlikely to ever directly side with the Jihadists. The horrors of the Holocaust are still fresh in the collective mind of Europe, serving as a chilling reminder of what can happen when anti-Semitism is allowed to gain institutional credibility. We can also take comfort in  knowing that agnostic secularists are unlikely to ever fall completely under the spell of radical Islam.

Yet while non-Muslim ideologues won’t be turning to radical Islam in droves, we shouldn’t be surprised if the post-Marxist vacuum doesn’t produce a seemingly unlikely alliance. Over the last decade we have seen the anti-globalization movement support the forces of terrorism when they believe it will further their aims.

As former communist and Muslim convert Illich Ramirez Sanchez noted a few years ago, “Revolutionary Islam attacks the ruling classes in order to achieve a more equitable redistribution of wealth” and Islam is the only “transnational force capable of standing up the enslavement of nations.”

Don’t recall where you’ve heard of Sanchez? Maybe you know him better by his nickname: Carlos the Jackal .

Though few Europeans are likely to follow Sachez’s lead in embracing both Karl Marx and Sayyid Qutb, it is worth remembering that the Communists and Nazis were also ideologically opposed and yet each leveraged anti-Semitic fervor to achieve their individual ends. While global terrorism remains the greatest threat to the security of the West, we should keep a watchful eye on global anti-Semitism in order to ensure it doesn’t become a closely linked  second.

(Link via: Gateway Pundit )