search
Steven Ilchishin

Is Europe Quickly Forgetting the Holocaust?

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The world remembered the millions killed by the Nazis, and the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp—or, at least it was supposed to. But many, including Ben Kingsley, who had a role in Schindler’s List and other Holocaust-related films, believe the climate for Jews in Europe is deteriorating and that another Holocaust could happen again, as reported by Israel’s NRG News and Alegemeiner on Tuesday.

Does this mean that Europe (and possibly the world) has a bad memory? Kingsley says that, “Europe did not grieve in 1945. It moved on. It found another enemy, it found other issues.”

The consequence of Europe’s faulty memory is, as Irwin Cotler (member of the Canadian Parliament, writing for the Alegemeiner) states, “…[there is] a new sophisticated, global, virulent, and even lethal anti-Semitism, reminiscent of the atmospherics of the 1930s, and without parallel or precedent since the end of the Second World War.”

As with Anti-Israel riots, attacks on Jewish people in Europe and even abroad, are becoming prevalent. Jews are being harassed and their institutions attacked. And there has been a slow but alarming increase of this “anti-Jewishness” in the last few years. Not only are individual Jews singled out, but also now the Jewish State is being singled out among the nations for perceived evils. President of Germany’s Central Council of Jews has remarked, “These are the worst times since the Nazi era. On the street, you heard things like, ‘the Jews should be gassed, the Jews should be burned.’”

Cotler reminds us of the words of Per Ahlmark, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, from 15 years ago, “In the past, the most dangerous anti-Semites were those who wanted to make the world Judenrein (free of Jews). Today, the most dangerous anti-Semites might be those who want to make the world Judenstaatrein, ‘free of a Jewish state.’”

Watch Ben Kingsley’s remarks below (Source YouTube, Arutz Sheva)

The Holocaust, although claiming many non-Jewish victims as well, was an intentional and systematic attack on Jewish life. Hitler and his murderous regime sought to make the world Judenrein, “free of Jews”. Today it is as Per Ahlmark pointed out—the larger danger are those who desire to want to make the world Judenstaatrein—those who want to see Israel wiped off the map.

This is why we must be vigilant in our support of Israel. This why we must call out and condemn antisemitism in all it forms, whenever and wherever it rears it ugly head.

About the Author
Steven Ilchishin is an editor, researcher, and writer. Currently, he is working for an association that assists first responders in the USA and Canada.
Related Topics
Related Posts