History Lesson

The G8 is meeting to discuss the plight of the poor. Good luck. It is, however, poor timing for such a gab-flab.

This week marks the anniversary of the Evian Conference, held July 6 to July 15, 1938, to discuss the situation of German Jews attempting to flee the Nazi regime. The US Holocaust Museum says this about the conference

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, responding to mounting political pressure, called for an international conference to facilitate the emigration of refugees from Germany and Austria, and to establish an international organization to work for an overall solution to the refugee problem. In early July 1938, delegates from 32 countries met at the French resort of Evian on Lake Geneva. Roosevelt chose Myron C. Taylor, a businessman and close friend, to represent the U.S. at the conference. During the nine-day meeting, delegate after delegate rose to express sympathy for the refugees. But most countries, including the United States and Britain, offered excuses for not letting in more refugees. Only the Dominican Republic agreed to accept additional refugees.

It was clear from the outset that nothing would be decided. In fact it was a media coup for Hitler and the Nazi state. The Nazis could now claim, and they did, that they offered the world their Jews but none accepted them.

Before adjourning, the Evian Conference established the International Committee on Refugees (ICR) and commissioned it to "approach the governments of the countries of refuge with a view to developing opportunities for permanent settlement," and to persuade Germany to cooperate in establishing "conditions of orderly emigration." The ICR, however, received little authority and almost no funds or support from its member nations, and it had virtually no success in opening countries to refugees. The advent of war cut short its efforts to arrange with Germany for refugees to bring some property out with them, and the committee soon slipped into inactivity. Months earlier, it was already clear that the ICR and the Evian Conference had accomplished virtually nothing.

The Evian Conference stands in historical perspective as a critical turning point. At the conference, the world's democracies made it clear that they were willing to do next to nothing for the Jews of Europe. Several months later, Kristallnacht signaled to the world that Jews no longer could live under Nazi rule, while at Evian, the world had shown it would not make room for those Jews. The world's doors, closed at Evian, remained shut throughout World War II.

At the root of the conference's failure was a twofold not unlike the problem found with Iran's stated intent to build a nuclear weapon and use it to destroy Israel. Holding aside questions of bigotry, in both cases, a Stationary Bandit has squared off against an international community that, because of the Free Rider Problem, appears powerless to do anything about. Hilter knew that if he offered German Jews--go ahead, take 'em--no one would; so who would stop him from his "final solution" or from further territorial expansion? Besides, he gave Chamberlain his word.

The same, alas, is true for the intended beneficiaries of the current round of G8 talks. Little if anything will come out of this year's Evian Conference, except the ubiquitous sales of bottled spa water.

It is against this backdrop that the Iranian crisis continues to escalate. As Iran's Stationary Bandit increases his hold on domestic conditions and his rhetoric reduces to calling Israel and the US cowards, the West continues to offer talks and sanctions that neither have substance nor deterrent effect.

The difference, however, between the world's poor and Israel is that the latter is not a helpless player in this scenerio. In fact, the former represent the ultimate crisis of free riding--they are too many to pressure the G8 to give up the goods. Moreover, any monies made available will 100% be used to create infrastructure and studies--lots of studies with wonderful overhead Power Point charts. Maybe the G8 will economize and had the problem over the World Bank.

Israel's situation is different. Israel is the addressee of Iran's nuclear devices. Iran shows no interest in talking now; there is absolutely no indication that this situation will change after they use their weapons; there is little to no indication that the Western powers will do anything to retaliate--other than talk. This is what happened 70 years ago and it is what is happening now.

But, Israel is not a Free Rider. It is not relying on others to do its dirty work. There are no pipe dreams of a domestic Iranian revolution to clean house nor is it hoping it can reason or talk them to death. Israel will strike and strike hard. If it does not get the job the first time, it will get it done the next time after that. The price of liberty is paid in blood. Israel knows this all too well.

What's the lesson learned from Evian--Never Again.