First, the letter:-
Palestine and Israel
Sir, – In his review of Jacqueline Rose’s The Question of Zion (April 21), Walter Laqueur fails to address one of Rose’s most interesting and original suggestions – namely that the venom with which some Israeli Jews attack and demonize Palestinians is empowered by suppressed and unmastered Jewish shame at the Holocaust having been allowed to happen. Such ideas surely have to be addressed, and with them the consequences of the real historical linkage between the Holocaust and the Palestine–Israel conflict since at least 1945. That one side in the conflict understandably feels itself empowered by a charge stored up as a result of millions of dead, which seems to justify almost any action, constitutes a lethal danger not only to itself and its perceived enemies, but also to the wider world.
NICHOLAS JACOBS
26 Lady Margaret Road, London NW5.
I am not quite sure what Mr. Jacobs intent was but for me, I have always said that due to Arab riots in Mandate Palestine, the British gave up on the Jews of Europe and collaborated with Hitler in their destruction. In some case, as Bernard Wasserstein has documented, they actually and directly participated in the killing of thousands of Jews by preventing their exit from European ports.
Diplomats and others actively and knowlingly doomed Jews to their deaths and the reason was to placate the Arabs.
Of course, the Mufti was in league with Hitler as is well documented. (and here and here, too).
So, what we have is an under-studied aspect of the Arab-Israel/Zionist conflict. Were not the Arans responsible, in some way, for the results of the Holocaust?
Posts
2 comments:
While a measure of blame can be assigned to the Arabs of Britsh Mandate Palestine, they were not the ruling entity. They did not make the binding decision to legally prevent the Jews from entering the land.
In fact, they have no greater guilt than that shared by any other country that made a conscience decision to bar Jewish refugees from entering.
That being said, a legally binding decision was made to make the land a homeland for the Jews. This decision, made by the League of Nations, which had jurisdiction over the Mandate, was later ratified, though altered, By the UN.
That being said, there are all sorts of reasons for which Israelis may demonize Arabs living in the disputed territories. Any number of suicide attacks and other deliberate attacks on women and children is enough of a reason. There is no need to delve into surpress feelings for what is visible on the surface.
But does that make what they are doing to Palestinians today right? No of course not. You can not soley base the actions of today of the actions of yesterday. It does not make it ok to continue this genocied....
Post a Comment