Yad Vashem, the Holocaust, and anti-semitism

We visited the Holocaust Memorial, Yad Vashem. The vast majority of victims in the Nazi death camps were Jewish, though historical accounts (one good starting place is here) include substantial numbers of victims from other targeted groups. The Memorial sections we visited, like the Yad Vashem web site, depicted Jewish victims of the genocide exclusively. Personally, I find the implied revisionism troubling (Holocaust revisionism is Holocaust denial), but, I suppose, understandable. Pictures were not permitted within the memorial, so these are from the periphery.

Interestingly, there were large numbers of Israeli soldiers at the memorial, and all over the grounds. Our guide explained that they were not there for security, but for their own education/indoctrination. The Israeli Defense Force is key to Israel's adamant "Never Again!" commitment, and it's crucial that the troops understand the history behind it.

After touring the Memorial, and being deeply moved, we had a Meeting with Prof. Robert Wistrich, Director of the Vidal Sasson Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism. Wistrich delivered an impassioned warning on the dangers of Islamic extremism; to Israel, to Christians, to world Jewry, and to western civilization in general. He made extensive reference to the original Hamas Covenant, which remains the official basis of Hamas policy. Some of our discussions with Palestinian Christians suggested that the practical realities of Hamas action in the occupied territories were less virulently "anti-everything but radical Islam," but the Covenant certainly gives one pause.

Remembering the Holocaust is important. For me (again, personally), it is one of the bedrock realities of Israel--the solid evidence that Jews must have a homeland, a place to flee persecution and protect themselves. There are other bedrock realities, including military occupation of Palestinian homelands. These realities have locked Israel into conflict, but cannot be set aside.