Russian version
Holocaust denial beyond ‘dangerous’
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Kathryn Lopez
Jewish World Review Dec.
19, 2006 / 27 Kislev, 5767
A recent "Los Angeles Times" editorial headline was dangerously understated.
It read: "Holocaust denial can be dangerous." How about the "Holocaust
denial IS dangerous"? Paulo Casaca, a member of the European Parliament,
recognizes the severity of Holocaust denial. As the conference in Tehran
closed, he wrote to the Parliament's secretary-general: "It was with much
disgust that I received reports on the Neo-Nazi Summit held in Tehran ..."
He continued, "As you are aware, the Iranian regime hosted individuals
and organizations from 60 countries with the sole purpose of endorsing
and reawakening Nazism, denying the Holocaust and attacking Israel. This
outrageous action can not be ignored by the European Union and deserves
the most vehement of the protests."
That's more like it. Gabriel Schoenfeld, author of "The Return of Anti-Semitism,"
takes it a few decibels higher. He tells me: "In 1998, Bill Clinton unleashed
a fusillade of cruise missiles to strike an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan
where bin Laden was believed to be present. Bin Laden survived the attack
and on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States and the world paid a stiff price
for failing to kill him. If ... at the very moment that Ahmadinejad was
addressing this Holocaust-denial conference in Tehran, the United States
or Israel or, better yet, Germany, had lobbed a cruise missile into the
hall, are there any who can doubt that the world would be much better off?"
Is Schoenfeld nuts? No. That's a word that more accurately describes
the meeting he was talking about, which featured people like David Duke,
the former Ku Klux Klan "Grand Wizard" who dreams of being president of
the United States, and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the nuclear-minded
lunatic who was holding the conference in shooting distance of Israel (the
country he wants to wipe off the map).
The Holocaust conference — and subsequent David Duke appearances on
CNN — came in the wake of the recent James Baker/Lee Hamilton-chaired Iraq
Study Group Report, advising the White House on what to do about Iraq.
Baker, who is not known for his friendliness to Israel, recommends that
the United States talk with Iran and Syria more; he pins blame for the
region's problems on Israel. The report also came shortly after the release
of an Israel-bashing book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" (Simon &
Schuster), by former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter.
Contrary to what Ahmadinejad may assert, the Holocaust did happen,
and 6 million Jews were murdered. And — contrary to what "useful idiot"
David Duke announced in Tehran — that gas chambers were never used on Jews.
As crazy as Ahmadinejad & Co.'s contentions are, they do matter. James
Robbins, a professor at the National Defense University in Washington,
D.C., recently wrote: "The Lenins, the Maos, the Pol Pots . . . are no
different than the types collected in Tehran. It is a mistake not to take
such people seriously, and not to accept that they believe what they say
they believe. The liberal impulse to discount the extremist, to rationalize
his views, to refuse to take his threats literally, especially when he
is in power, is itself a form of denial."
Being hostile to Israel isn't necessarily a sign of anti-Semitism;
but continually blaming Israel first might very well be. It's an instinct
we see way too much of, and it reinforces true and dangerous anti-Semites.
Denial IS dangerous. The West has already learned that lesson — haven't
we?
© 2006, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
Russian version
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a