Politics at Wiesenthal gala

DAVE GORDON

American television personality Glenn Beck recently admitted to once not knowing a thing about Israel. He acknowledged being a couch potato, a channel flipper ignorant about world politics – until Sept. 11, 2001. That was the catalyst for him to learn about the threats facing the West.

After a subsequent trip to Israel, Beck came to this conclusion: "Israel is the closest to Canada and America in the Middle East, warts and all. The parts that suck, and the parts that don't suck.... You wonder how a country the size of a postage stamp can be the centre of attention all of the time!"

Beck shared this insight in his role as emcee at the Spirit of Hope Benefit, held at the end of May in Toronto at the Sony Centre. The event drew 2,500 supporters of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) and raised more than $1.9 million. The centre is a human rights organization dedicated to fostering tolerance and understanding through community outreach.

Beck also moderated a panel that included former U.S. speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Missouri congressman Richard Gephardt, a Democrat who served 14 terms in Congress and was majority leader in the House of Representatives from 1989-1995. They discussed topics such as the American presidential elections, a nuclear Iran, the Middle East conflict, the threat of terrorism and America's relationship with Israel.

Gingrich spoke about the commonalities between German, Japanese and Italian fascism and the threat of communism, as well as current threats to freedom. He noted, "We are in danger as much as people were in the 1930s, and [they] found it hard to imagine." He criticized the Democrats' stance on the war on terror: "When danger is real, they find it hard to understand a clear and understandable track of what to do to protect the West and our nation."

Gingrich said it would be difficult to tell what kind of president any of the candidates would be. Regarding Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Gingrich noted, "If the country's lucky, he'll turn out to be the next John F. Kennedy. If the country's unlucky, he'll turn out to be the next Jimmy Carter. I don't think he has a clue what he is, so how could we?"

In talking with the Jewish Independent, Gingrich offered the following advice on Iran. "The average American," he said, "if they want to protect our cities, needs to insist that the American government adopt a strategy of replacing the dictatorship. And I think if you look at ... how [Ronald] Reagan, Pope John Paul and Margaret Thatcher had a peaceful, nonviolent strategy that dramatically changed the Soviet Union, which worked ... there are ways we can do this without war. But our goals should be to get a new government in Iran and to recognize that the current government is a mortal threat to our survival."

On the panel, Gephardt spoke about his longstanding stance advocating a regime change in Iraq, pointing out that he had had weekly advisory meetings with President Bush.

"The biggest mistake I ever made was not putting that in," he said of not pursuing New York congressman Charles Rangel's proposal to institute the draft. "We had taken people to war but we haven't enlisted the support and sacrifice in all of our people in taking this home. Whomever becomes president, I hope [they] will ask the people to do what we all have to do to fight terrorism and to make sure 9/11 doesn't happen again."

On Israel, Gephardt referred to his trip there for the state's 50th anniversary, and his speech to the Knesset at the time. "I am very optimistic about Israel, as much today as I was 10 years ago. I believe that for a simple reason – the resolve of the people of Israel being the most important."

Gephardt also made reference to President Harry Truman, a fellow Missourian who, against the advice of his advisors, was the first to recognize the state of Israel.

Beck noted the importance of the work of the FSWC and the work that still needs to be accomplished. "If this organization is committed to combating hatred and anti-Semitism, they should take as one of its goals to abolish the Human Rights Commission."

He received effusive applause to his stance on freedom of speech in the case of Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine. "Here, in Canada, Mark Steyn tells the truth, as he sees it, and he's being tried ... they won't let his words be published. What the heck is that? What is going on in Canada?"

Gingrich warned Beck, "Watch it – the Human Rights Commission will censure you, as well," which received loud applause.

As for Beck's wake-up call about terrorism, he concluded that complacency will be the West's undoing: "... it's time to care. It's time to wake up. Because the threat is real.... The trains will come again. They will load trains again. The threat is real."

Said Beck, "I've been to the Holocaust Memorial in Washington. Hitler was clear. The headlines [in the 1940s] were clear. And the leaders of Iran are just as clear. It may, as it always does, start with the Jews. It may, as it always does, start with Israel. But it never ever ends there."

Dave Gordon is a freelance writer based in Toronto. His website is DaveGordonWrites.com.

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