Armistice Day shame



Dover Castle

Some years ago we were in the UK during the month of November. The weather was awful but we travelled down to Dover to show the kids one of Britain's most magnificent castles,

It was rainy and foggy which made for a very surreal atmosphere. When we arrived in the inner walls of the castle we noticed a group of old soldiers, men and women, in their 70s and 80s, standing to attention beside a young soldier and a large gun. I overheard someone talking about Armistice Day and looking at my watch, realised that we had arrived slightly before 11:00am on the 11th November. At this hour and on this day in 1918, the First World War came to an end. The date was established as Britain's Yom HaZicharon LeChayalim and two minutes of silence is observed at 11:00am every year.

My wife, our Israeli kids and I all stood in silence as the young soldier tried repeatedly to fire the canon without success. After trying five or six times, he eventually gave up to the clear disappointment of the old soldiers. The scene was I have to admit though, rather comic. We were quite some distance away from the old Soldiers and I do hope that they didn't notice our reaction to the events. In hindsight I should have explained to my kids exactly what was going on before hand but it all happened so quickly. Afterwards however, I did talk to them about the tremendous sacrifice of the British Armed Forces on behalf of freedom and liberty throughout the world. Had it not been for His Majesty's Armed Forces, they would not be alive today because their grandparents living in Britain would have surely been murdered by the Germans.

Churchill inspecting the troops at Dover Castle during WWII

I was not angry with them as they don't live in Britain and cannot be expected to feel part of this day of remembrance.

Child wearing his Grandfather's cap and medals looks up at a soldier of the Queen's Guard. 11/11/2010, 11:000am

However, British citizens living in Britain certainly ought to observe this day. That's why I was so shocked when I saw this video of Muslims screaming "British Soldiers burn in hell" in central London at the exact time of the two minutes silence.

UK Muslim's Burning Poppy's on Remembrance Day

What shocked me was not so much the behaviour of the Muslims but of London's Metropolitan Police.Why on earth did they not arrest the whole lot of them? Instead, London's PC PCs stood there and did nothing!

It is true that Arabs ignore our Yom Zicharon in Israel within their villages. However, the British should ask themselves why it is that the Muslims don't hold demonstrations like this in Zion Square in Jerusalem or Rabin Square in Tel Aviv? The answer is not that the Arabs here are any less extreme, anti-West and Anti-Semitic. It is because they know what would happen if they tried a stunt like this in Israel!

Taxi drivers in Israel get out of their cabs and stand in silence on Yom HaZicharon