The New Storm Troopers

by Eric Rozenman (November 2014)

I’ve seen the face of the new storm trooper Georgetown coed, liberal arts honors, Beautiful as she proclaims Her detestation of terrorism Yes, the terrorism practiced by Zionists Against Palestine. Spitting words like bullets “And my Jewish friends here Agree with me Completely.”

I’ve seen the face of the new storm trooper Clean-shaven law student Confident, articulate, handsome And of good family, allowing him To instruct with brutal condescension Stuttering fools who object that self-defense Is not a crime. “What would you call it, then The genocide of the Palestinian people?”

He confiscates genocide with such assurance That the guest speaker, fresh from Jerusalem, Checks his hands, half expecting To find on them the blood of Jesus and Mohammed too.

I’ve seen the faces of the new storm troopers Foreign scholarship aristocrats Swaggering like varsity lettermen Making sure debate is fair and free Of racist Zionists all shouted down Until they hold their little meetings Under guard or not at all.

I’ve seen the face of the new storm trooper National Press Club church lady Asking no questions only whispering To her companion in the gray, high-collared dress Heirloom jewelry and sensible shoes Both bespectacled, saying nothing But glaring daggers of hot hatred at the short, soft rabbi Who pretends nothing’s amiss Seriously amiss and glances away Before looks could kill, if looks could kill He’d be dead in this pleasant room On this twenty-first century panel discussion.

I’ve seen the face of the new storm trooper Who could not goose step to save his soul But in tailored worsted wool has no need Touring embassy receptions, a bon mot here, A beau geste there and deftly managing not once To acknowledge the Israeli ambassador Drink in hand, in a far corner With only the Israeli military attaché Drink in hand and both cornered Jews Seeing reflected in the faces of the new storm troopers Their annihilation.

I’ve seen the faces of the new storm troopers Not in the streets, banners over their heads Kefiyehs around their necks making the fashion statement That those who murder Jews are fashionable Not them and not even the ski-masked, Kalashnikov-toting media stars From Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade And the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, not to mention The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Did I mention them? It’s hard to keep track.

No, not them but the well-dressed, well-spoken, Au courant sophisticates Subtle, nuanced and high-minded Finding hatred and bigotry only in those Who are renewed targets of hatred and bigotry And not even in those Unless they insist on fighting back On tiresomely insisting “Never again!”

Because the passion concentrated
Against those who tiresomely insist “Never again!”
Must be genuine, must be legitimate,
Must be just and deserve support
Of all who insist on justice.

Well, all those except the Jews of course, And not the Jews per se Because I’ve seen the faces of the new storm troopers And they are anything but antisemitic Not antisemitic just against the Jewish state And all its works and supporters Just against the Zionists and the neo-cons And the Jewish lobby and its wealthy backers And Wall Street and the banks and the media But not the Jews per se.

Don’t you see?

I see. I see the faces of the new storm troopers And in them the apologists, the enablers, The respectable, tenured cheerleaders For the new storm troopers.

__________________________

Eric Rozenman is the Washington director of CAMERA, the 65,000-member, Boston-based Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, and former executive editor of B’nai B’rith’s International Jewish Monthly magazine. His commentary and analyses have appeared in daily newspapers including The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and Washington Times (most recently “Facing truth over fantasy about Islam,” October 3) and periodicals such as the Journal for the Study of Antisemitism and Journal of International Security Affairs.

To comment on this poem, please click here.

To help New English Review continue to publish original poetry such as this, please click here.