Yesterday was “Yom HaShoah” in Israel. Holocaust Memorial Day. A day overloaded with emotions and feelings. A day with numerous ceremonies, a day with a 10 am nation-wide siren, with everybody and everything stopping in its tracks for two minutes, a day with special attention to the ever dwindling number of Holocaust survivors, (even though already the day after most are forgotten and charity organizations return to publishing ads asking the question why survivors need to choose between buying food and buying medicine), and also a day on which politicians and public figures take a day off from politics and everyday haggling, and talk about the Holocaust.
On Holocaust Memorial day, the public is inundated with information (old and rehashed), film footage and photographs, stories of horror and heroes and endless talk on both radio and television.
The importance of the day, and the theme used (in various versions) of “Never Again” and “Never means Never”, are meant to “Remember and not to Forget” and more than that, to make the world remember and never forget. The need of the Jewish people to make people and Nations remember and plead with them (or force them) Not to Forget, is of completely understandable but the significance of remembering and not forgetting extends way beyond the Jewish people. Events in Rwanda, Bosnia and other places clearly show or should show us, and the World, that very little was learned and that the darkest sides of human nature still take over sometimes with unimaginable consequences.
No doubt, the Jewish people have been the victim of these dark sides of human nature, way beyond any other people in modern history and the anxiety about events in the world and the fear of a repeat of these horrors is real and understandable. Thus Israel, the modern home of the Jewish people, and the main source of Jewish pride, is emphasizing its commitment to defend the Jewish people wherever they are and against any danger. And an important aspect of this defense is education and information. Education of the world and dissemination of information about the Holocaust is taken extremely serious and the phenomenon of anti-Semitism is confronted by the strongest possible means wherever it pops up its ugly head. At home, education is an important aspect of making youth aware of the past suffering of their grandparents and all aspects of the Holocaust are taught intensively and in detail from an early age (some say too early an age).
But sometimes the question arises when education and prevention stops and propaganda begins. The Holocaust and the horrors inflicted upon the Jewish people, have been abused for political gain, both locally and internationally, resulting often in dismissal of the real importance of the Holocaust and denial or degrading of the importance of it to the Jewish people.
In Israel, most politicians are aware of this danger and are usually careful in their utterances about the Holocaust, in particular at ceremonies on Memorial Day. Except one.
During the Memorial service at Yad VaShem on Wednesday evening it is custom that both the Israeli President and the Prime Minister speak. While the former gave an emotional speech, talking about Holocaust survivors who has succumbed to the Covid-19 virus in the past year (some 900 of them), Netanyahu choose his speech at this solemn ceremony to be about him (again).
While talking about one of the survivors, Bella Freund, he mentioned that she overcame her fear for injection needles and got inoculated for the Corona virus. Of course, HE brought her the vaccine! He discussed his phone conversations with Albert Boula, CEO of Pfizer, implying that he brought the vaccines to Israel thus becoming Israel’s savior.
The low point of the speech was no doubt Netanyahu mentioning the crisis with Iran, the return of the Americans to the negotiating table and the continuous nuclear threat. The warning to the Americans he issued on Wednesday night may or may not be justified, but it had no place at the Holocaust Memorial service. But it screamed” Hey the Holocaust is important, but I, Netanyahu, as your savior will protect you against Iran”.
The vaccines are important for Israel, as is apparently the relation of Netanyahu with Bourla, and you may argue that Netanyahu had a hand in bringing them to Israel (with Israeli tax money of course) but the vaccines have no place in a Holocaust ceremony and neither does the man who brought them to us. Netanyahu abused his status as Prime Minister of Israel, to make sure the people of Israel would not forget. And no he didn’t mean the Holocaust. We should not forget who our real savior is.
Next week, at Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen in wars, he will probably emphasize his importance as a soldier and undoubtedly will bring up his brother (Yoni, who fell at Entebbe during the raid on the hijacked Air France airliner).
When will he start to remind the people of Israel of the damage he has done to democracy and political life in general?
I hope you found this article interesting and I welcome any comments you may have.
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