EDITORIAL BOARD: Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett Interim Editor: Alan Hitsky Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar Points Of View Send letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com Publisher's Notebook Editorial Middle East Turmoil Underlines Unknown Walk for Israel participants make their way south on Orchard Lake Road last year. W ith anti-Israel and anti-Semitic venom spewing from the mouths of local college students and those professing to have academic credentials, and one perennially juiced-up television sit-corn star slinging nasty barbs against "Chaim" the producer while another peren- nially juiced-up high- fashion designer sings Nazi praises that even Mel Brooks couldn't script, 2011 continues a disturbing trend for our Jewish com- munity. That trend, plain and simple, is a sus- tained attempt by religiously and politi- cally motivated bigots to delegitimize Israel as a nation- state, to rewrite the history of the Jewish people from biblical times through the 20th century and to claim that anyone who questions their "facts" and methods is violat- ing their freedom of speech and succumbing to an all-powerful Jewish cabal that controls every thing, every body, every where ... even sharks attacking swim- mers along the Red Sea to damage Egypt's tourism industry. While journalist Helen Thomas has been covering politics and politicians in Washington for most of her too-long career, the "ground zero" for her recent rants and accompanying huzzahs from her enablers has been the Detroit metropolitan area. Her jaw-drop- ping sound bites about Israel, the Holocaust and Jewish control of the American govern- ment (and most other American institutions) borrowed and updated pages from the anti- Semitic playbook of Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent. "I only speak the truth:' so saith Helen. As a Jewish commu- nity, we have invested considerable effort and energy in helping to assure the rights of others, be they working men and women attempting to organize unions in the factories of the Lower East Side or the sprawling farms of the San Joaquin Valley, African Americans pursuing a civil rights agenda, other religious minorities and atheists squeezed by inter- pretations of our Constitution or women seeking equality in the workplace and control over their own bodies. Yet when the Jewish community is under assault and its history being revised by Thomas and others, these groups, and others, remain silent, claiming they want to demonstrate "even- handedness." And besides, they often say, the Jews can take care of themselves. Enough! Shout It Out! It's time to channel our pent-up frustration, disappointment and incredulity at this vitriol and indifference in a constructive way, one that celebrates and reaffirms our peoplehood, our connection with the dream and the reality of Israel and brings us together as a community. We're overdue for a positive, resounding and pub- lic expression of unity. Whether you're young or old, religious or secular, Republican, Democrat or Independent, let's commit to doing that on Sunday, May 15. Why May 15? That's when the community's annual celebration of Israel's independence takes place beginning at 10 a.m. on the grounds of Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. The day's high point will be a solidarity walk at 1 p.m. For decades, Detroit's annual Israeli Independence Day celebra- tion and solidarity walk attracted Standing Up on page 37 36 March 24 2011 mid the takedown of so many autocratic regimes in the protest-charged Middle East lies a pulsating concern: Every time a protest campaign succeeds, similar upheavals elsewhere are emboldened. The net effect: Many regimes that have long held a cold peace toward Israel — including those on the Persian Gulf as well as Jordan and North Africa — are now on alert and at risk. With Middle East leadership in disarray and in flux, Iran has seized the moment in pursuit of expanded power and influence. As JTA tells it in a cogent March analysis, just days after the fall of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Tehran sent two warships to sail through the Suez Canal, something it had not done since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The ships docked in Syria in what Iran's Navy chief described as a routine and friendly visit to carry the global message of peace and friendship. In reality, Iran used the occasion to project self-assurance and assertiveness. Iran also continues to supply Hamas with rockets. Before the recent uprisings, at least Israel and the West knew their enemies, especially those sworn to destroy the Jewish state. Given uncertainty over future Middle East leadership, should Israeli and Western leaders worry? Yes. It's time they rethink the cumulative effects of the successful street fighting in Tunisia and Egypt, and the ongoing struggles in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and other points in the embattled region. Regimes friendly toward Israel (Egypt, Jordan) or friendly with Israel by proxy via the U.S. (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain) or not actively hostile toward Israel (Libya, among others) may indeed give way to elements with greater antipathy toward Zionism and Jews. The regional balance of power may seem to be changing for the better, with the desire for democracy bandied about. The problem is that hostility may blow in — hard. There's the threat of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, a Hamas backer, vying to gain stature in Egypt. Then there's the prospect of Al Qaida filling the power void in Tunisia and Libya. Democracy could have the curious effect of ousting the Sunni king and spurring Bahrain, overwhelmingly Shiite, to align with Iran, a Shiite powerhouse. There are sparks of hope. The grassroots regime-busting movements — broad based and loosely organized — have been led largely by young men who built a following through the Internet and social media. Islamists — the terrorist wing of Islam as opposed to civilized Muslims — haven't been at the forefront and Israel hasn't been a target; but don't be fooled. Islamists may well strike in any of the troubled countries if a clear opportunity to intervene arises. And how long Israel can avoid the limelight, given its penchant to be blamed for the world's ills, remains to be seen.