Confronting the Royal Bankruptcy of the World

On January 27th, International Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to reflect on the depths of humanity’s darkest hour and remember the six million Jews systematically murdered by the Nazis. Yet, even as we commemorate this tragedy, we are confronted with an unsettling reality. While the world decries racism and injustice, antisemitism and anti-Zionism are increasingly tolerated and even justified. This disturbing double standard exposes what can only be described as the Royal Bankruptcy of the World.

A quote attributed to Vasily Grossman in 1959 speaks to this moral collapse: “Tell me what you accuse the Jews, and I’ll tell you what you are guilty of.” The accusations levelled against the Jewish people today—genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, and war crimes—reflect not the reality of the situation but rather a distorted projection of the accusers’ own moral failings. History shows that these claims are nothing new but part of a recurring pattern of scapegoating the Jewish people for the sins of the accusers themselves. This was true in the medieval blood libels, in the propaganda of Nazi Germany, and continues to manifest in the biased narratives of today.

We must confront the grotesque comparison that some attempt to draw between the systematic extermination of six million Jews during the Holocaust and the tragic conflict in Gaza. The Holocaust was an industrialised, state-sponsored campaign to annihilate an entire people. It was not a war; it was genocide. There was no resistance, no armed enemy. Men, women, and children were herded into ghettos, stripped of their humanity, and murdered in death camps for the sole crime of being Jewish.

Holocaust Hypocrisy Day

In his recent article “Holocaust Hypocrisy Day” in the Jerusalem Post, Gerald Steinberg highlights these very issues, exposing the pervasive misuse of Holocaust terminology to vilify Israel—the UN. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch et al carry a blatant anti-Jewish and anti-Israel bias. As Steinberg argues, these agencies promote unfounded accusations of genocide, starvation, and apartheid, perpetuating anti-Semitic narratives while ignoring the complexities of modern political conflicts.

As the world tries to forget and trivialise the Holocaust, we must confront the grotesque comparisons that some attempt to draw between the systematic extermination of six million Jews and the tragic conflict in Gaza.

The War Against the Jewish Story,

We need to reflect on a disturbing reality: the Jewish people’s narrative—of survival, resilience, and state-building—is under siege. Anti-Israel rhetoric has weaponised lies to distort history, turning the Jewish story into a tale of oppression and erasure.

How have we arrived at a moment where campuses champion chants like “from the river to the sea,” even after the Hamas massacres exposed the genocidal meaning of those words? How has the Jewish state, born from the ashes of the Holocaust, been recast as the villain? The answer lies in systematically dismantling our story, a war waged through misinformation, cultural manipulation, and historical erasure.

Yossi Klein Halevi, in his searing article The War Against the Jewish Story, highlights a painful truth: the ease with which anti-Israel forces have recast the Jewish state as genocidal represents a profound failure in both Holocaust education and the defence of Israel’s narrative. Halevi notes, “The shift from the lowest point Jews have known to the reclamation of power and self-confidence is one of the most astonishing feats of survival not only in Jewish but world history.” Yet this triumph, the modern rebirth of a nation against all odds, is under relentless attack.

The Absurdity of False Comparisons: Israel’s Right to Defend Itself

Fast forward just two generations from the Holocaust, and the very people who endured systemic annihilation are once again the subject of global condemnation—not for committing genocide, but for defending themselves against an existential threat. The October 7 massacre, where Hamas terrorists brutally murdered civilians, abducted children, and violated the basic tenets of humanity, was an act of barbarism unparalleled in modern times. Yet, when Israel responds to such atrocities, its actions are labelled as “genocide” by critics who seem to have forgotten the true meaning of the term.

To equate Israel’s defence efforts with the Nazi genocide is not only historically inaccurate—it is morally bankrupt. The Nazis sought to annihilate every Jew on earth, a goal meticulously planned and horrifyingly executed. In contrast, Israel’s actions are aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure, protecting its citizens, and ensuring its survival in the face of unrelenting aggression. Civilian casualties, though deeply tragic, are a consequence of Hamas’s strategy of embedding itself within civilian populations, using innocents as human shields.

While reaching this article, I put in YouTube search “Holocaust Gaza comparison”

This video was at the top of the list. This video starts well. It ignores the fact that innocent Israeli civilians were murdered, raped, and burnt on October 7^th by these evil terrorists. It then compares Israeli actions to the Nazis. This is a prime example of the distortion of moral truths. It ignores that here, Jews were unarmed, while Hamas shot rockets for over 20 years at Israeli citizens and are well armed, hiding behind civilisation tunnels. etc How sic!!

I was hard-pressed to find an adequate response on YouTube. This is a colossal failure in our PR efforts.

We must confront these falsehoods and reaffirm the truth. The Holocaust did not begin with gas chambers; it began with words, lies, and scapegoating. It began when the world believed convenient falsehoods rather than face uncomfortable truths. Today, the images and facts remain clear: Gaza is not the Holocaust. But the hatred, propaganda, and moral failure that fuel such comparisons are echoes of the dark past that humanity vowed never to repeat.

So, how do we change this narrative? How do we tell our story?

There is a dangerous distortion of facts that feeds into a narrative of misinformation. Gaza is not experiencing genocide. Equating it to the Holocaust—the systematic extermination of six million Jews—is a gross and offensive misrepresentation of history.

Many of these narratives are fuelled by antisemitism, which is now morphed into anti-Israelism. A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), reported in The Wall Street Journal, found that 46% of adults worldwide harbour antisemitic attitudes, with approximately 2.2 billion people displaying such sentiments.

The challenge is that the cards are stacked against us. We need to create global awareness and foster understanding. By leveraging education, social media campaigns, and interfaith dialogues, we can combat prejudice and promote a more balanced perspective on Israel and the Jewish people. Change requires sustained effort, but this moment can be a powerful step forward.

Telling our story is perhaps the most significant challenge we, as Israelis and Jews, face today. What’s missing isn’t just evidence. It’s the courage to speak the unvarnished truth about our experiences.

Jewish Suffering: A History of Unparalleled Persecution

The unparalleled suffering of the Jewish people cannot be ignored. Centuries of expulsions, pogroms, and systematic persecution culminated in the Holocaust, a tragedy of unimaginable scale.

Each year, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I reflect on this dark chapter by reading. This year’s choice, We Were Europeans: A Personal History of a Turbulent Century by Werner M. Lobel, recounts Kristallnacht in Bamberg, where synagogues burned, Jewish children were expelled from schools, and businesses were confiscated. These events led to the disintegration of Jewish communities across Europe.

Werner M. Lobel’s Story: Resilience and Rebuilding in Israel

Werner M. Lobel’s story is a testament to resilience and the power to rebuild. Surviving the horrors of Nazi Germany, he eventually emigrated to Jerusalem, where he began a remarkable journey of renewal.

Born Werner Löbl in Bamberg, Germany, Loval escaped the horrors of the Holocaust on the Kindertransport. His story spans continents—Germany, England, Ecuador, the United States, and eventually Israel—mirroring the journey of countless Jews who rebuilt their lives after unimaginable loss.

In Jerusalem, Lobel established a successful real estate agency, Anglo-Saxon, which became a household name in Israel. But his contributions went far beyond business. He played a pivotal role in the planning and developing Nayot, a beautiful suburb in Jerusalem. Established in the 1960s by English-speaking immigrants, Nayot stands as a testament to renewal, a symbol of what can be built even after destruction. He was also instrumental in the growth of Progressive Judaism in Israel. His story, rooted in both survival and creation, illustrates how individual narratives can inspire collective strength.

Lobel’s story is inspiring because he transformed personal tragedy into communal triumph. From the ashes of Kristallnacht to the flourishing streets of Nayot, his life underscores the Jewish spirit: the ability to rise, rebuild, and create a future of hope and resilience.

His story is an excellent example of a story lost and would make a blockbuster Netflix movie!!

I am indebted to him for sharing the story of The Holocaust by Bullets: Mass Executions in Eastern Europe. While Auschwitz is a symbol, the evil of the holocaust was much more than this. People say why doesn’t Israel support Ukraine in their War, There is historical context.

In June 1941, with the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, the genocide escalated. Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) and local collaborators carried out mass executions in what is now termed the Holocaust by Bullets. Over 1.4 million Jews were murdered in Ukraine, often lined up at mass graves and shot. Belarus saw another 650,000 Jewish victims, and 140,000 Jews were killed in Russia. Entire communities vanished within days, leaving behind only the silence of mass graves.

A Call to Honor the Past and Recognize Reality

The Nazi genocide stands alone in its systematic cruelty, its scale, and its intention. To compare Israel’s defensive measures to the Holocaust is not only an insult to the memory of six million Jews but also a dangerous distortion of history. And the Red Cross, an organization that once failed to speak up for the Jews of Europe, remains shamefully silent today. Its lack of action, even in the face of indiscriminate violence and hostage-taking, reveals a disturbing consistency of inaction.

As we remember the Holocaust, let us also commit to clarity: there is no moral equivalence between those who seek to annihilate and those who seek to survive. It is not just a matter of defending Israel’s right to exist—it is about defending truth itself. Let us learn from history, resist the lies, and ensure that the real lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.

A Story Worth Defending

The Jewish story is one of the most remarkable in human history. After nearly 2,000 years of exile and persecution—including the horrors of the Holocaust—Jews rebuilt their homeland in Israel, reviving a dead language, re-establishing ancient traditions, and creating a democratic nation under constant threat. Yet, these extraordinary achievements are now overshadowed by deliberate lies.

A Call to Action

On International Holocaust Memorial Day, let us pledge to honour the past by defending the truth. The Holocaust was a unique evil, and its lessons are vital to understanding modern antisemitism and anti-Zionism. To combat distortions, we must:

1. Tell the Whole Story: Share the history of Jewish refugees from Arab lands, Israel’s peace efforts, and its humanitarian achievements.
2. Challenge the Lies: Refute anti-Israel propaganda with facts and moral clarity.
3. Highlight Successes: Celebrate Israel’s innovations and contributions to humanity.
4. Innovate Holocaust Education: Teach the Holocaust as both a universal lesson and a unique tragedy.
5. Inspire the Next Generation: Empower young Jews with knowledge and confidence to share their heritage.

The war against the Jewish story is not just an attack on Israel but an assault on truth itself. By standing up to false narratives, we can honour the victims of the Holocaust and ensure that humanity does not succumb to the Royal Bankruptcy of the World.

Never again must mean never again.

—

Photo – taken of the book cover by myself