Monday, 25 June 2012
Break
Tomorrow I am leaving for Israel. Will be back on 20th July and of course continue with my blog. Please have some patience and come back!!!!!
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Russell Tribunal and Israel
Today it will be a bit about politics and history. And with relation not only (and you may find not even primerily) to Israel though the relation to her is important at the moment.
I was inspired by such news
Alice Walker refuses second Hebrew edition of her book
And of course I was sorry that a book won't make it to those who might be interested are are not capable of reading it in other languages or of putting their hands on first edition. But of course the author has a right to decline offer of publishing her book, much as I don't agree with her motives it is her choice.
The more interesting part - for me - was about so called Russell Tribunal, not recognised legally yet "judging" "crimes against Palestinians".
Alice Walker was certainly inspired by Russell Tribunal about which in her own words she writes:
Alice Walker's thoughts about Russell's Tribunal
Russell Tribunal was established in 1954 and originally was intended to "judge" American crimes in Vietnam. It was established by Bertrand Russell and Jean Paul Sartre. Now, this is interesting. Not denying methematical genius of Russell and wonderful writing talent of both gentlemen with all due respect it takes other virtues to be a judge of others. So let us chack who were they as people, not artists.
Bertrand Russell was imprisoned during I World War for vehemently opposing presence of American troops in UK. He was pacifist with all his heart but on somebody else's expanse. Try to imagine what would the world be if - as Russell wished - German aggression would not be countered neither during IWW nor during IIWW (of course if first would be the case there would have been no IIWW, just German hegemony in Europe and colonies). Being honestly and wholeheartedly against aggresive war I can't help feeling that only somebody securly born, educated and placed in mighty (at the time) country behind the Channel could be pacifist in this way - he gave no indication what were the athers - directly attacked and being murdered by troops to do (taking they could not fight back). Possibly just be killed - and they did (though fighting). All soldiers and civilians and resistance movement in attacked countries were being killed while Russell might have been writing about how bad it was to fight oppressor - I wish he was in Poland 1939, in German concentration camps, in France 1940, in attacked by Japanese Nankin in 1938, in Israel attacked by 5 armies a day after it was born in 1948. Let him tell those people they should just let themselves be murdered because fighting back was immoral. Well.....
Jean Paul Sartre - open admirer of Stalinist USSR, who even after visiting it in 1954 didn't cease to praize it. I have deep regard for his inteligence therefore I have to question his - any - moral capability. He couldn't not know about USSR's cooperation with Nazi Germany, about the attack of USSR on Poland in September 1939, and jointly with Nazis held parade (France was still free at the moment and it was in the newspapers). He couldn't not know about purges, about millions starved to death in Ukraine in 30s, about Stalin's cooperation with Hitler for two years, about murder of 20.000 Polish officers, about decline by Stalin acting as mediator between Japanese government and Americans in July 1945 (had he done it maybe the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs wouldn't be used and without neccessity of invasion of the islands - hard to know but there was a chance). He knew about gulags, yet he praised USSR until 1956 (including time when he organised Russell's Tribunal).
Let me tell you something personal - I grew up in Eastern Europe during communist years. I lost some of my family to Soviet attrocities in early 50s (I wasn't born yet, but I know their stories). I know how horrible were those years under occupation by so praised by Sartre USSR. And am I to regard this communist, knowing communism is responsible for 100.000.000 deaths in XX century, the moral authority? No way!!!!!
Russell Tribunal was not preoccupied with atrocities committed by Communist Vietnam and Soviets, only by American atrocities. There had to be - unfortunately - bad and horrible deeds on both sides - it was cruel war. But the one to start it was Communist Vietnam and both sides had their share of guilt, yet Soviets and communists were untouchable for tribunal (and I don't mean in legal sense or executionary one - that is obvious, but RT is no legal tribunal, but they never questioned conduct of communists, they were "heroes").
Years passed, now Russell Tribunal is dealing with Palestine. It doesn't preoccupy with broken ceasefires by Hamas, with suicide bombers, with murders of civilians. It is acceptable to them. They are only interested in showing any - even remote - misconduct by Israelis. Just like for Russell it were British who were guilty of fighting in IWW and IIWW (sure, better to give everything to Germany at once, including UK not only Czech as Chamberlain did), and for Sartre anybody but communists even when they were Nazis closest ally.
Such Tribunal is more like International Communist Party (especially when one goes through its members). Everybody may have their political views and be neonazi despite crimes of Nazizm, or communist, despite what Castro does, what Stalin did, what Mao Zedong did and so on (let me just remind that wars in Africa were often sponsored by communists, including those indicated as most miserable by Ms Walker). But let nobody say that gathering of communist calling themselves Tribunal hasn't moral stand deserving recognition. Millions still remember - or worse still, experience as in North Korea, what is communism.
I was inspired by such news
Alice Walker refuses second Hebrew edition of her book
And of course I was sorry that a book won't make it to those who might be interested are are not capable of reading it in other languages or of putting their hands on first edition. But of course the author has a right to decline offer of publishing her book, much as I don't agree with her motives it is her choice.
The more interesting part - for me - was about so called Russell Tribunal, not recognised legally yet "judging" "crimes against Palestinians".
Alice Walker was certainly inspired by Russell Tribunal about which in her own words she writes:
Alice Walker's thoughts about Russell's Tribunal
Russell Tribunal was established in 1954 and originally was intended to "judge" American crimes in Vietnam. It was established by Bertrand Russell and Jean Paul Sartre. Now, this is interesting. Not denying methematical genius of Russell and wonderful writing talent of both gentlemen with all due respect it takes other virtues to be a judge of others. So let us chack who were they as people, not artists.
Bertrand Russell was imprisoned during I World War for vehemently opposing presence of American troops in UK. He was pacifist with all his heart but on somebody else's expanse. Try to imagine what would the world be if - as Russell wished - German aggression would not be countered neither during IWW nor during IIWW (of course if first would be the case there would have been no IIWW, just German hegemony in Europe and colonies). Being honestly and wholeheartedly against aggresive war I can't help feeling that only somebody securly born, educated and placed in mighty (at the time) country behind the Channel could be pacifist in this way - he gave no indication what were the athers - directly attacked and being murdered by troops to do (taking they could not fight back). Possibly just be killed - and they did (though fighting). All soldiers and civilians and resistance movement in attacked countries were being killed while Russell might have been writing about how bad it was to fight oppressor - I wish he was in Poland 1939, in German concentration camps, in France 1940, in attacked by Japanese Nankin in 1938, in Israel attacked by 5 armies a day after it was born in 1948. Let him tell those people they should just let themselves be murdered because fighting back was immoral. Well.....
Jean Paul Sartre - open admirer of Stalinist USSR, who even after visiting it in 1954 didn't cease to praize it. I have deep regard for his inteligence therefore I have to question his - any - moral capability. He couldn't not know about USSR's cooperation with Nazi Germany, about the attack of USSR on Poland in September 1939, and jointly with Nazis held parade (France was still free at the moment and it was in the newspapers). He couldn't not know about purges, about millions starved to death in Ukraine in 30s, about Stalin's cooperation with Hitler for two years, about murder of 20.000 Polish officers, about decline by Stalin acting as mediator between Japanese government and Americans in July 1945 (had he done it maybe the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs wouldn't be used and without neccessity of invasion of the islands - hard to know but there was a chance). He knew about gulags, yet he praised USSR until 1956 (including time when he organised Russell's Tribunal).
Let me tell you something personal - I grew up in Eastern Europe during communist years. I lost some of my family to Soviet attrocities in early 50s (I wasn't born yet, but I know their stories). I know how horrible were those years under occupation by so praised by Sartre USSR. And am I to regard this communist, knowing communism is responsible for 100.000.000 deaths in XX century, the moral authority? No way!!!!!
Russell Tribunal was not preoccupied with atrocities committed by Communist Vietnam and Soviets, only by American atrocities. There had to be - unfortunately - bad and horrible deeds on both sides - it was cruel war. But the one to start it was Communist Vietnam and both sides had their share of guilt, yet Soviets and communists were untouchable for tribunal (and I don't mean in legal sense or executionary one - that is obvious, but RT is no legal tribunal, but they never questioned conduct of communists, they were "heroes").
Years passed, now Russell Tribunal is dealing with Palestine. It doesn't preoccupy with broken ceasefires by Hamas, with suicide bombers, with murders of civilians. It is acceptable to them. They are only interested in showing any - even remote - misconduct by Israelis. Just like for Russell it were British who were guilty of fighting in IWW and IIWW (sure, better to give everything to Germany at once, including UK not only Czech as Chamberlain did), and for Sartre anybody but communists even when they were Nazis closest ally.
Such Tribunal is more like International Communist Party (especially when one goes through its members). Everybody may have their political views and be neonazi despite crimes of Nazizm, or communist, despite what Castro does, what Stalin did, what Mao Zedong did and so on (let me just remind that wars in Africa were often sponsored by communists, including those indicated as most miserable by Ms Walker). But let nobody say that gathering of communist calling themselves Tribunal hasn't moral stand deserving recognition. Millions still remember - or worse still, experience as in North Korea, what is communism.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
The open sea project
Today I will describe one of touristic attractions as well as reaserch centre in Israel and the fascinating project that has been developed and - however at present moment it has been discontinued due to legal and safety reasons - is hoped to be continued.
There are many countries in the world with oceanariums and aquariums of different sort and some of them keep marine mammals - dolphins included - within the facilities. Possibly the most known centres are in the USA but there are many other countries who keep dolphins, possibly the most inteligent mammals excluding men.
There is also dolphin centre - called "dolphin reef" in Eilat Israel, yet it is very different in its approach. As wild dolphins live in and frequent Red Sea, and they are no different from those living in the centre, the centre developed and tested approach giving dolphins freedom of choice. From 1996 till 2002 the underwater door into dolphin reef remained constantly opened and dolphins were free to choose when to stay inside the compound and when to go for a swim in an open sea (including the possibility of not returning and joining wild dolphins in vicinity). Amazingly enough (and giving very good witness to their treatment) dolphins stayed - they made excursions but always they were coming back to what obviously constituted their home.
The experiment - so successfull - would have been continued but it was extremly hard to protect dolphins while outside the reef. They were sometimes harrassed and often overfed with unappropiate for their health food. Thus after the legal battle in late 2002 scientists were forced to close underwater passage but they hope to go back as soon as it will be possible, to this open door policy.
Meanwhile dolphins in dolphin reef Eilat still have some choices usually not enjoyed by captive animals. They are free to engage with visitors who come to the centre and may swim with dolphins or to stay away. No food reinforcement is given to the dolphins to encourage their interaction with humans (obviously they are well fed but not as a reward for given activity). They may stay away from people or interact with them as they please.
The fact that for the most part they stay close to people and seem happy to remain in their company gives the Eilat centre the best reccomendation for their treatment of these beautiful animals.
There are many countries in the world with oceanariums and aquariums of different sort and some of them keep marine mammals - dolphins included - within the facilities. Possibly the most known centres are in the USA but there are many other countries who keep dolphins, possibly the most inteligent mammals excluding men.
There is also dolphin centre - called "dolphin reef" in Eilat Israel, yet it is very different in its approach. As wild dolphins live in and frequent Red Sea, and they are no different from those living in the centre, the centre developed and tested approach giving dolphins freedom of choice. From 1996 till 2002 the underwater door into dolphin reef remained constantly opened and dolphins were free to choose when to stay inside the compound and when to go for a swim in an open sea (including the possibility of not returning and joining wild dolphins in vicinity). Amazingly enough (and giving very good witness to their treatment) dolphins stayed - they made excursions but always they were coming back to what obviously constituted their home.
The experiment - so successfull - would have been continued but it was extremly hard to protect dolphins while outside the reef. They were sometimes harrassed and often overfed with unappropiate for their health food. Thus after the legal battle in late 2002 scientists were forced to close underwater passage but they hope to go back as soon as it will be possible, to this open door policy.
Meanwhile dolphins in dolphin reef Eilat still have some choices usually not enjoyed by captive animals. They are free to engage with visitors who come to the centre and may swim with dolphins or to stay away. No food reinforcement is given to the dolphins to encourage their interaction with humans (obviously they are well fed but not as a reward for given activity). They may stay away from people or interact with them as they please.
The fact that for the most part they stay close to people and seem happy to remain in their company gives the Eilat centre the best reccomendation for their treatment of these beautiful animals.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
40 years ago. And today?
This year the Olympic Games will be hosted by London. Let us go back to 1972 Olympic Games, exactly 40 years and 10 Olympic Games ago. But we will soon return to this years IOC dealings....
Olympic Games in 1972 were held in Munich, West Germany and German authorities at the time made a big effort to suppress any obvious comparitions with unfamous 1936 Berlin Olympic Games used by Hitler for propaganda and to try and create relaxed, friendly and unobtrusive atmosphere (a challange in itself considering it was the middle of Cold War). They mostly succeeded with those goals but the price to be paid was horrendous.
On the 4th of September 1972 8 members of terrorist organisation Black September entered not particularly guarded (to put it mildly) Olympic Village disguised as sportsmen - they were even - innocently and without slightest intention of harm to anybody - helped by the members of Canadian team also going over the fence. They entered the appartment occupied by Israeli sportsmen and after overpowering Yossef Gutfreund - wrestling referee - who by his brave opposition gave a chance of escape to Tuvia Sokolovsky - and wounding Moshe Weinberg, wrestling couch, the intruders forced tha latter to show them another appartment occupied by Israelis. Shot in the cheek Weinberg persuaded them that appartment no 2 was not taken by Israelis and led them to appartment no 3 - maybe in hope that more sportsmen staying there will have better chance to stand their ground, but they have been surprised in their sleep. By sheer luck Israeli head delegation refused his 13-year-old son permission to spend a night in this appartmen with sportsmen possibly saving his life.
The irony of the story is that the arrangments with regards to security of Israeli sportsmen have been questioned twice - once by Mr. Lalkin, head of Israeli Olympic delegation and second time by German psycholgist and profiler asked during preparations for the Games to create most likely to happen dangerous scenarios. The profiler in one of 26 created situations pointed into loose security together with a plan to put Israeli team in relatively isolated building standing close to the gate. Both suggestions have been ignored (Mr. Lalkin was informed special security measures will be put in place but that was not to happen).
In total 11 hostages were taken by 8 terrorists. 2 of the hostages who fought back, already wounded Weinberg and weightlifter Yossi Romano, were shot dead. Terrorists demanded freeing terrorists kept in Israeli and German prisons (the two German prisoners were leftists cooperating with the USSR and also linked to Palestinian terrorist organisations). German authorities were badly coping with the situation despite undenible efforts (the offer of unlimited money supplies as well as exchanging hostages for Germans were made and rejected).
There were no proffesional negotiators and once the illusion that the demands will be satisfied was created and terrorists with hostages transferred to airport at Fürstenfeldbruck to try and free them the action proved to be disastrous. German army could not (due to constitution) be used inside Germany during peace time and apparently the transfer of sharpshooters from the army to police force didn't work. Thus there were only 5 police sharpshooters with inadequate guns for the distance put on the airport (it is customary in these type of situations to put at least 2 sharpshooters for every suspected terrorist; German authorities new about 5 terrorists and put only 5 sharpshooters, at least half an hour before the action it was known that there were 8 terrorist yet the number of sharpshooters, helplessly inadequate, was not increased). There was no radio communication among sharpshooters or between them and authorities, the police officers disguised as plane's crew to be waiting for terrorist voted to abandon action and did so without acknowledgment to police (!!!!) - they were NOT subsequently in any way prosecuted or reprimended (!), the copters landed not sideway to sharpshooters but with their fronts facing them. All those evident mistakes and unpreperadness caused chaotic gunfire allowing terrorist to kill their victims while still tied inside the copters. All 11 hostages perished.
Olympic Games were suspended for a while (but only 12 hours into the situation) and than continued. Few teams (Israeli one included) and more players from other teams left Games - a Dutch distance runner Jos Hermens is remembered saying, “You give a party, and someone is killed at the party, you don't continue the party. I'm going home.”Yet, during the memorial service 10 Arab nations rejected the idea of their flags being - as the rest - lower to half-staff and they were flying on the top poles.
The bodies of killed terrorists were flown to Libya (I admit not having idea who allowed for it) and buried with full military honors (!!!).
So much for history. Now, exactly 40 years later, 10 Olympic Games later, again in European country, there is a movement - started long ago, right after the murders, to commemorate murdered athlets (it is quite customary for IOG committee to honour in this way fallen olympic players who were killed e.g. in an accident).The petition has been created and despite signing it by over 72.000 people (at the time I am writing it) the IOC doesn't intend to comply.
Link to petition
What's more the Committee publicly stated that it regards commemoration of terror victims as political act (!) and doesn't want to offend those who don't like Israel (!) - does it mean that any countries in dispute may now object to any commemoration? Apparently it is all right with IOC however ridiculous in light of what Olympic Games are intended to be and what they used to be in ancient world (Greek polis were usually fighting though allies were changing yet for the time of olympic games fighting was suspended, everybody entitled to participate and that was exactly the purpose of organising them).
If in olympic sport (no, I am not delusional, I know it is corrupted, political, with big money involved, yet we all would like to see it more genuine and more peacful and closer to long forgotten ideal) there is no place for 1 minute of silance to commemorate sportsmen murdered during such games maybe it is time to abandon all talk about sport ideals and just face it that it is about hate, politics, money, pharmacuticals and so on. But if we would like to leave a slight chance for the revival of long forgotten ideals we sometimes long for it is high time to start.
And what better way to start than with commemorating those 11 murdered sportsmen?
Olympic Games in 1972 were held in Munich, West Germany and German authorities at the time made a big effort to suppress any obvious comparitions with unfamous 1936 Berlin Olympic Games used by Hitler for propaganda and to try and create relaxed, friendly and unobtrusive atmosphere (a challange in itself considering it was the middle of Cold War). They mostly succeeded with those goals but the price to be paid was horrendous.
On the 4th of September 1972 8 members of terrorist organisation Black September entered not particularly guarded (to put it mildly) Olympic Village disguised as sportsmen - they were even - innocently and without slightest intention of harm to anybody - helped by the members of Canadian team also going over the fence. They entered the appartment occupied by Israeli sportsmen and after overpowering Yossef Gutfreund - wrestling referee - who by his brave opposition gave a chance of escape to Tuvia Sokolovsky - and wounding Moshe Weinberg, wrestling couch, the intruders forced tha latter to show them another appartment occupied by Israelis. Shot in the cheek Weinberg persuaded them that appartment no 2 was not taken by Israelis and led them to appartment no 3 - maybe in hope that more sportsmen staying there will have better chance to stand their ground, but they have been surprised in their sleep. By sheer luck Israeli head delegation refused his 13-year-old son permission to spend a night in this appartmen with sportsmen possibly saving his life.
The irony of the story is that the arrangments with regards to security of Israeli sportsmen have been questioned twice - once by Mr. Lalkin, head of Israeli Olympic delegation and second time by German psycholgist and profiler asked during preparations for the Games to create most likely to happen dangerous scenarios. The profiler in one of 26 created situations pointed into loose security together with a plan to put Israeli team in relatively isolated building standing close to the gate. Both suggestions have been ignored (Mr. Lalkin was informed special security measures will be put in place but that was not to happen).
In total 11 hostages were taken by 8 terrorists. 2 of the hostages who fought back, already wounded Weinberg and weightlifter Yossi Romano, were shot dead. Terrorists demanded freeing terrorists kept in Israeli and German prisons (the two German prisoners were leftists cooperating with the USSR and also linked to Palestinian terrorist organisations). German authorities were badly coping with the situation despite undenible efforts (the offer of unlimited money supplies as well as exchanging hostages for Germans were made and rejected).
There were no proffesional negotiators and once the illusion that the demands will be satisfied was created and terrorists with hostages transferred to airport at Fürstenfeldbruck to try and free them the action proved to be disastrous. German army could not (due to constitution) be used inside Germany during peace time and apparently the transfer of sharpshooters from the army to police force didn't work. Thus there were only 5 police sharpshooters with inadequate guns for the distance put on the airport (it is customary in these type of situations to put at least 2 sharpshooters for every suspected terrorist; German authorities new about 5 terrorists and put only 5 sharpshooters, at least half an hour before the action it was known that there were 8 terrorist yet the number of sharpshooters, helplessly inadequate, was not increased). There was no radio communication among sharpshooters or between them and authorities, the police officers disguised as plane's crew to be waiting for terrorist voted to abandon action and did so without acknowledgment to police (!!!!) - they were NOT subsequently in any way prosecuted or reprimended (!), the copters landed not sideway to sharpshooters but with their fronts facing them. All those evident mistakes and unpreperadness caused chaotic gunfire allowing terrorist to kill their victims while still tied inside the copters. All 11 hostages perished.
Olympic Games were suspended for a while (but only 12 hours into the situation) and than continued. Few teams (Israeli one included) and more players from other teams left Games - a Dutch distance runner Jos Hermens is remembered saying, “You give a party, and someone is killed at the party, you don't continue the party. I'm going home.”Yet, during the memorial service 10 Arab nations rejected the idea of their flags being - as the rest - lower to half-staff and they were flying on the top poles.
The bodies of killed terrorists were flown to Libya (I admit not having idea who allowed for it) and buried with full military honors (!!!).
So much for history. Now, exactly 40 years later, 10 Olympic Games later, again in European country, there is a movement - started long ago, right after the murders, to commemorate murdered athlets (it is quite customary for IOG committee to honour in this way fallen olympic players who were killed e.g. in an accident).The petition has been created and despite signing it by over 72.000 people (at the time I am writing it) the IOC doesn't intend to comply.
Link to petition
What's more the Committee publicly stated that it regards commemoration of terror victims as political act (!) and doesn't want to offend those who don't like Israel (!) - does it mean that any countries in dispute may now object to any commemoration? Apparently it is all right with IOC however ridiculous in light of what Olympic Games are intended to be and what they used to be in ancient world (Greek polis were usually fighting though allies were changing yet for the time of olympic games fighting was suspended, everybody entitled to participate and that was exactly the purpose of organising them).
If in olympic sport (no, I am not delusional, I know it is corrupted, political, with big money involved, yet we all would like to see it more genuine and more peacful and closer to long forgotten ideal) there is no place for 1 minute of silance to commemorate sportsmen murdered during such games maybe it is time to abandon all talk about sport ideals and just face it that it is about hate, politics, money, pharmacuticals and so on. But if we would like to leave a slight chance for the revival of long forgotten ideals we sometimes long for it is high time to start.
And what better way to start than with commemorating those 11 murdered sportsmen?
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Festival of light
In Jerusalem there is in progress the 4th Festival of Light - it will continue until 14th of June.
Just see for yourselves!!!!! It is amazing!!!!! Wish I was there!
pictures
movie and article
more pictures
Like a fairy tale :)
Just see for yourselves!!!!! It is amazing!!!!! Wish I was there!
pictures
movie and article
more pictures
Like a fairy tale :)
Monday, 11 June 2012
SHAME
Tonight on Yad Vashem's wall the inscription in Hebrew appeared saying "Hitler thank you for the Holocaust".
The police has been notified and among the gloomy (as always) news around the world many probably won't even hear about it - another hateful graffitti.
But that is not true. It is not "another one", this one is very special!
Shoah, the extermination of 98% of European Jewry, is probably the best documented genocide in history, certainly among the most horrifying ever (if not THE most horrifying as I personally believe) thanks to it's merciless biurocracy, good-organisation, cool calculation and complete inhumanity. The perpetrators not only dehumanized their victims, they firstly and most importantly dehumanized themselves (acts of rage and cruelty are, sadly, as old as humanity, acts of calculated, economically counted to cost the least, efficiently and publicly conducted genocide are something very different and much more horrifying) and unveiled dehumanization of all onlookers (and there were many).
Holocaust is also one of the most abused words on the planet during last few years. Without going back to those horrible days - still vividly remembered by not-so-few - I want to concentrate on what we see and experience today and why this inscription on Yad Vashem's wall is THE SHAME today to all who do not clearly express their lack of acceptance for such acts.
Let me start with what Yad Vashem means: it is the name and the place. Usually if some kind of catastrophe befalls on people killing some of them there are family members, neighbours, offices, hospitals, mortuaries, army officials to identify those who perished, let know their near and dear, give witness. If the catastrophe is big enough there are those who remain unrecognised - unknown soldiers, victims of purges, massacres, somebody's nears and dears who won't come back. We create memorials, burial places for unknown soldiers, exhumate and try to identify bodies. If the catastrophe is total there are no people to identify those who perished, there are no neighbours, no family neighbours, no communities, nothing..... That was Shoah. 6 million people - nearly all who lived in Europe and were Jewish. It took (and still takes) years of painful research to identify some - to preserve names of the victims and places of their origin.
When the Shoah was taking place the world was watching. Many (everyday people) didn't know. More still didn't want to know, many (and among them most of those who were making decisions) did know but have chosen to turn blind eye. PM Churchill and president Roosevelt knew - they were afraid that Hitler might offer them chance to take survivors and they will have to face the dilemma if to take so many refugees or let them be killed (no worry, Hitler never did, but his being aware of those thoughts, and nowadays we know he was, presumably encouraged him to many acts). It is bringing guilt on oneself to watch others being killed and do nothing even when we can't really do anything, how much more if we could? Bomb tracks to Auschwitz, shorten the war (it could have finished in the fall of 1944 but The Big Three were too preoccupied with deciding about future shape of the world and beginnings of the Cold War)?
But it is not only history that we are guilty of. Israel was many a time accused in media about "doing the same Nazi did" - there is now 6 time more Palestinians than in 1948, all being Israeli citizens have the same rights (vote, are educated, cared for), all from the PA, without Israeli citizenship, have chance to use Israeli medical facilities why in need, the energy, water and necessities are supplied paid for with Israeli taxpayers money (not only of course but in most part). In Gaza people are the 6th in the risk of obesity - worldwide. Yet there are accusations about Israel acting like Nazis and they are hardly protested against in some places. On the contrary - "Mein Kampf", "Protocols of Elders of Zion" (Russian XIX century antisemitic forgery) or articles like straight from "Sturmer" can be found in every European country. It is not considered dangerous or even important except by few who are named "overreacting" (few were "overreacting" to Hitler when in 1933 it would have taken few steps to finish his rule and Pilsudski - Polish marshall - was proposing France preemptive strike on Germany; few were "overreacting" to persecution leading to boycotts, depravation of rights by Nurnberg laws and Cristal Night; few were "overreacting" during Shoah - we have less than 70.000 who gained "Righteous Among Nations" medal).
It is not "others" it is us who like to turn blind eye and thus we are guilty unless we try to do something, to prevent evil (with regards to all the world, far from only anti-semitism, but it is and always in history has been very good indicator). What can be more evil than thanking somebody who started the war that consumed 60 million people, 10% of them Jewish, who wanted to murder all Jews, who considered all Eastern Europeans "subhuman" and Jews not human at all?
Here is the link to Shoah victims pictures. Look at them and think about this "thanksgiving" (sardonic sounds in this instance). And if keeping silence about this horrendous act makes you feel uncomfortable and guilty as it does myself - share it or write to the media or alarm your priest/ pastor or your MP - act. It only takes good people to keep silent to make evil prevail!!!!!
* "Shoah" in Hebrew means "calamity", "Holocaust" - an English word - means "burnt offering" or "sacrifice to God". European Jews were not sacrificed, they were murdered!!! Thus I try to use the Hebrew word "Shoah" rather than more known English "Holocaust", it fits better.
The police has been notified and among the gloomy (as always) news around the world many probably won't even hear about it - another hateful graffitti.
But that is not true. It is not "another one", this one is very special!
Shoah, the extermination of 98% of European Jewry, is probably the best documented genocide in history, certainly among the most horrifying ever (if not THE most horrifying as I personally believe) thanks to it's merciless biurocracy, good-organisation, cool calculation and complete inhumanity. The perpetrators not only dehumanized their victims, they firstly and most importantly dehumanized themselves (acts of rage and cruelty are, sadly, as old as humanity, acts of calculated, economically counted to cost the least, efficiently and publicly conducted genocide are something very different and much more horrifying) and unveiled dehumanization of all onlookers (and there were many).
Holocaust is also one of the most abused words on the planet during last few years. Without going back to those horrible days - still vividly remembered by not-so-few - I want to concentrate on what we see and experience today and why this inscription on Yad Vashem's wall is THE SHAME today to all who do not clearly express their lack of acceptance for such acts.
Let me start with what Yad Vashem means: it is the name and the place. Usually if some kind of catastrophe befalls on people killing some of them there are family members, neighbours, offices, hospitals, mortuaries, army officials to identify those who perished, let know their near and dear, give witness. If the catastrophe is big enough there are those who remain unrecognised - unknown soldiers, victims of purges, massacres, somebody's nears and dears who won't come back. We create memorials, burial places for unknown soldiers, exhumate and try to identify bodies. If the catastrophe is total there are no people to identify those who perished, there are no neighbours, no family neighbours, no communities, nothing..... That was Shoah. 6 million people - nearly all who lived in Europe and were Jewish. It took (and still takes) years of painful research to identify some - to preserve names of the victims and places of their origin.
When the Shoah was taking place the world was watching. Many (everyday people) didn't know. More still didn't want to know, many (and among them most of those who were making decisions) did know but have chosen to turn blind eye. PM Churchill and president Roosevelt knew - they were afraid that Hitler might offer them chance to take survivors and they will have to face the dilemma if to take so many refugees or let them be killed (no worry, Hitler never did, but his being aware of those thoughts, and nowadays we know he was, presumably encouraged him to many acts). It is bringing guilt on oneself to watch others being killed and do nothing even when we can't really do anything, how much more if we could? Bomb tracks to Auschwitz, shorten the war (it could have finished in the fall of 1944 but The Big Three were too preoccupied with deciding about future shape of the world and beginnings of the Cold War)?
But it is not only history that we are guilty of. Israel was many a time accused in media about "doing the same Nazi did" - there is now 6 time more Palestinians than in 1948, all being Israeli citizens have the same rights (vote, are educated, cared for), all from the PA, without Israeli citizenship, have chance to use Israeli medical facilities why in need, the energy, water and necessities are supplied paid for with Israeli taxpayers money (not only of course but in most part). In Gaza people are the 6th in the risk of obesity - worldwide. Yet there are accusations about Israel acting like Nazis and they are hardly protested against in some places. On the contrary - "Mein Kampf", "Protocols of Elders of Zion" (Russian XIX century antisemitic forgery) or articles like straight from "Sturmer" can be found in every European country. It is not considered dangerous or even important except by few who are named "overreacting" (few were "overreacting" to Hitler when in 1933 it would have taken few steps to finish his rule and Pilsudski - Polish marshall - was proposing France preemptive strike on Germany; few were "overreacting" to persecution leading to boycotts, depravation of rights by Nurnberg laws and Cristal Night; few were "overreacting" during Shoah - we have less than 70.000 who gained "Righteous Among Nations" medal).
It is not "others" it is us who like to turn blind eye and thus we are guilty unless we try to do something, to prevent evil (with regards to all the world, far from only anti-semitism, but it is and always in history has been very good indicator). What can be more evil than thanking somebody who started the war that consumed 60 million people, 10% of them Jewish, who wanted to murder all Jews, who considered all Eastern Europeans "subhuman" and Jews not human at all?
Here is the link to Shoah victims pictures. Look at them and think about this "thanksgiving" (sardonic sounds in this instance). And if keeping silence about this horrendous act makes you feel uncomfortable and guilty as it does myself - share it or write to the media or alarm your priest/ pastor or your MP - act. It only takes good people to keep silent to make evil prevail!!!!!
* "Shoah" in Hebrew means "calamity", "Holocaust" - an English word - means "burnt offering" or "sacrifice to God". European Jews were not sacrificed, they were murdered!!! Thus I try to use the Hebrew word "Shoah" rather than more known English "Holocaust", it fits better.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Displaced Persons - Jews after the IIWW
Sorry for a while when I was not writing - things got in a way, but I am back with my blog and you :).
Today I want to go back to the end of II WW. The end of war has found approximately 9 million displaced persons all over Europe, and more were to be added due to border changes. Their fates were different depending on where the end of the war has found them, who they were and also how much personal luck they had. First I want to scatch a general picture and than move to one, specific group of people - displaced Jews.
There were many groups who for various reasons couldn't or wouldn't return "home" after the end of the war. The obvious one was not having abywhere to go, other (as obvvious) was fear that returning where one came from could mean only death (or labour camp at best). Some 5 million people originating from USSR and territories annexed by USSR as a result of the war (Lithuania, Latva, Esthonia to name a few) constituted one large group. Mostly they were former camp prisoners or forced laborers taken by Germans. They were treated as "traitors" by Stalinist USSR and either shot or sent to gulags on return. Yet they had no way of legally applying for a right to stay on the West. Many ships with such people have been sent to USSR - for most it was journey to their death. Another group were citizens of countries under Soviet occupation (like Poland) - those who took part in war together with Western allies (battle for Great Britain, Anders' army fighting along Alexander's one, tank divisions liberating Netherlands and so on) faced death sentencies or life-long prison on returning to Soviet-occupied Poland (only after 1956 it has changed). There were also German civilians thrown from the territories that were annexed by Poland and Chechoslovakia, and people considered to be Germans (sometimes just because of wrong name or wrong church and being accused of treason after fighting with German forces on resistance movement side). But during 2 years after the war their fate - for good or bad or sometimes horrible - was somehow resolved.
There was one group of people who were left as nobody seemed to know what to do about them. And they were among most horribly affected by the war, the most victimized and the most neglected (if it is possible to build such statements with regards to those horrors) - they were Jewish citizens of Germany, Austria and Eastern European countries who found themselves on the western side of the iron curtain (or were quick enough to cross to the western side when it was still possible during first months after the war).
They survived Shoah, they survived camps and atrocities in ghettoes yet they had nowhere to go. For obvious reasons those who held before the war German or Austrian citizenship were very reluctant to go back - their families murdered, their neighbours turned into their murderers, their homes non-existent, their humanity questioned (at best) by their co-patriots for many years they wanted to go away from what was one big cementary. The USA and UK were not allowing any refugees and in fact they were getting rid of those on their territory (at least UK was, I remember the tale of Polish pilot taking part in Battle for Great Britain, having recieved his high medals yet given 3 days in 1945 to leave UK when it was obvious he could apply for Swiss citizenship - he was turned into persona non grata overnight). Those who came from Eastern Europe didn't want to return to Soviet occupied territory with Nazi built and run camps still standing. Palestine under British mandate remaind off-limits as Britons didn't want to offend Arabs (despite the fact that grand mufti of Jerusalem spent war years in Berlin as personal guest and friend of Adolf Hitler). So they stayed in camps - former concentration camps - trying to cross illigally to British Palestine or find a way to go to the USA or just wait for what will happen to them after all those horrible years.
Earl Harrison - special emmissary of President Truman to European DP camps -was trying to open the way for the Jews to go to Palestine but UK was blocking it with whole might. Many former Nazi concentration camps inmates were living behind barbered wire in Cyprus camps or were sent to Mauritius by British if caught trying to enter Palestine - many died in those camps seeing just turning Nazi guards to British ones (yes, they were fed and clothed and they were still kept as prisoners) - many British soldiers who witnessed liberation of camps in Nazi Germany objected to being turned into camp guards themselves - to no avail. It added to the horror that many of the camps for DPs were former concentration camps.
There is the story of Ulysses - the ship that tried to bring DPs (many women and children) and met tragic end. You know the story...
When Polish II Army under general Anders (later deprived of Polish citizenship by Soviets as "traitor" after the army faught under Tobruk and Monte Cassino) consisting from former Polish gulag inmates, many Jewish, was crossing British Palestine in 1942-1943 the personal order of general was to turn blind eye to desertions of Polish Jews in order to join Hagganah.
Only after creation of Israel and partly (due to British influence) only after the end of War of Independance, the DP camps in Europe gradually disappeared. The last one - in Germany - was closed in 1953, 8 years after the war. The last people to leave it were all Jews - not wanted by anybody.
Countries forming allience against Nazi Germany and fighting the war were horrified that somehow they might be offered the chance to give asylum for those being murdered. They wanted no refugees - not before the war during persecution, not during the war, not after the war.
And this is one of the saddest and most shameful histories in Europe's history, but the one we have to know and remember....
Today I want to go back to the end of II WW. The end of war has found approximately 9 million displaced persons all over Europe, and more were to be added due to border changes. Their fates were different depending on where the end of the war has found them, who they were and also how much personal luck they had. First I want to scatch a general picture and than move to one, specific group of people - displaced Jews.
There were many groups who for various reasons couldn't or wouldn't return "home" after the end of the war. The obvious one was not having abywhere to go, other (as obvvious) was fear that returning where one came from could mean only death (or labour camp at best). Some 5 million people originating from USSR and territories annexed by USSR as a result of the war (Lithuania, Latva, Esthonia to name a few) constituted one large group. Mostly they were former camp prisoners or forced laborers taken by Germans. They were treated as "traitors" by Stalinist USSR and either shot or sent to gulags on return. Yet they had no way of legally applying for a right to stay on the West. Many ships with such people have been sent to USSR - for most it was journey to their death. Another group were citizens of countries under Soviet occupation (like Poland) - those who took part in war together with Western allies (battle for Great Britain, Anders' army fighting along Alexander's one, tank divisions liberating Netherlands and so on) faced death sentencies or life-long prison on returning to Soviet-occupied Poland (only after 1956 it has changed). There were also German civilians thrown from the territories that were annexed by Poland and Chechoslovakia, and people considered to be Germans (sometimes just because of wrong name or wrong church and being accused of treason after fighting with German forces on resistance movement side). But during 2 years after the war their fate - for good or bad or sometimes horrible - was somehow resolved.
There was one group of people who were left as nobody seemed to know what to do about them. And they were among most horribly affected by the war, the most victimized and the most neglected (if it is possible to build such statements with regards to those horrors) - they were Jewish citizens of Germany, Austria and Eastern European countries who found themselves on the western side of the iron curtain (or were quick enough to cross to the western side when it was still possible during first months after the war).
They survived Shoah, they survived camps and atrocities in ghettoes yet they had nowhere to go. For obvious reasons those who held before the war German or Austrian citizenship were very reluctant to go back - their families murdered, their neighbours turned into their murderers, their homes non-existent, their humanity questioned (at best) by their co-patriots for many years they wanted to go away from what was one big cementary. The USA and UK were not allowing any refugees and in fact they were getting rid of those on their territory (at least UK was, I remember the tale of Polish pilot taking part in Battle for Great Britain, having recieved his high medals yet given 3 days in 1945 to leave UK when it was obvious he could apply for Swiss citizenship - he was turned into persona non grata overnight). Those who came from Eastern Europe didn't want to return to Soviet occupied territory with Nazi built and run camps still standing. Palestine under British mandate remaind off-limits as Britons didn't want to offend Arabs (despite the fact that grand mufti of Jerusalem spent war years in Berlin as personal guest and friend of Adolf Hitler). So they stayed in camps - former concentration camps - trying to cross illigally to British Palestine or find a way to go to the USA or just wait for what will happen to them after all those horrible years.
Earl Harrison - special emmissary of President Truman to European DP camps -was trying to open the way for the Jews to go to Palestine but UK was blocking it with whole might. Many former Nazi concentration camps inmates were living behind barbered wire in Cyprus camps or were sent to Mauritius by British if caught trying to enter Palestine - many died in those camps seeing just turning Nazi guards to British ones (yes, they were fed and clothed and they were still kept as prisoners) - many British soldiers who witnessed liberation of camps in Nazi Germany objected to being turned into camp guards themselves - to no avail. It added to the horror that many of the camps for DPs were former concentration camps.
There is the story of Ulysses - the ship that tried to bring DPs (many women and children) and met tragic end. You know the story...
When Polish II Army under general Anders (later deprived of Polish citizenship by Soviets as "traitor" after the army faught under Tobruk and Monte Cassino) consisting from former Polish gulag inmates, many Jewish, was crossing British Palestine in 1942-1943 the personal order of general was to turn blind eye to desertions of Polish Jews in order to join Hagganah.
Only after creation of Israel and partly (due to British influence) only after the end of War of Independance, the DP camps in Europe gradually disappeared. The last one - in Germany - was closed in 1953, 8 years after the war. The last people to leave it were all Jews - not wanted by anybody.
Countries forming allience against Nazi Germany and fighting the war were horrified that somehow they might be offered the chance to give asylum for those being murdered. They wanted no refugees - not before the war during persecution, not during the war, not after the war.
And this is one of the saddest and most shameful histories in Europe's history, but the one we have to know and remember....
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