Irreversible Lies
Irreversible Lies

Spreading incorrect information in a deceptive way is a known tactic to create public opinion. Repeating those “facts” bases them in conscious and causes other to believe in their “truth”. Failing to condemn them immediately creates public opinion which is almost impossible to uproot.

A letter entitled “Jewish Survivors and descendants of Survivors and Victims of Nazi Genocide unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza”, published by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network in the New York Times on 23 August 2014, read as follows:

”As Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine…”

The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), was founded in San Francisco, California in 2008 by Sara Kershnar. Ms. Kreshnar is from a Jewish family which emigrated from Russia to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century.

The letter bears 359 signatures. Checking the names and details of the signatories, as provided in a list published by the IJAN (http://ijsn.net/gaza/survivors-and-descendants-letter/), reveals that only 44 out of the 359 signatories are classified as “Holocaust Survivors”, while 111 are classified as “children of survivors”, 128 – as “grandchildren of survivors”, 14 – “great-grandchildren of survivors”, and 59 are classified as “other relatives of survivors”.

Further checks show that not all who are classified as “holocaust survivors” are so. For instance, they include also people who lived in other countries in Europe which were not under the Nazis occupation, like the UK and Soviet Union, during the holocaust. It is hard to check the correctness of the other “classifications” as a result of lack of sufficient details provided.

Every person has the right to express his views, whether we agree to them or not.

Those who signed the letter may protest against Israel’s behaviour, but they should not be allowed to do it pretending they are “holocaust survivors”, when at least 315 of them are not. This is a deliberately misleading in order that the public be fooled into believing that this is the opinion of the holocaust survivors.

In “Yediot America” (YNETUS) in Hebrew, published on YNET online in Israel on 1st September 2014 (http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4565445,00.html), it was reported that:

“On Saturday, there appeared at the New York Times newspaper  announcement condemning the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, the ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine. The announcement is signed by more than 300 American-Jewish holocaust survivors and their descendants”. (Translated from Hebrew).

The reader is tempted to understand from that information, that more than 300 American-Jewish holocaust survivors signed the letter and in addition, their descendants signed it. This is not true. On 2 October 2014, the weekly Jewish News published in England relates to the fact that leading thinkers “state their support for 300 Holocaust survivors who lodged a grievance against Israel’s action” (“Cambridge academics attack Israel over Gaza”, p. 5). It may be assumed that neither the editor of “Yediot America” nor the editor of English News checked the list of the signatories.

However, from now on, Israel enemies are exempted from citing the Anti-Zionist source of the letter and where it was published. From now on, in any future publication it will be written “300 holocaust survivors came out against Israel” and it well may be that there will be also some others who will add “and against the occupation”, when the source given of this information will be the Israeli and Jewish press – another example of incorrect data which will become “a fact”.

The use of the terms “holocaust survivors” or “descendants of survivors” in that letter is not innocent or naïve. It intends to say that this identity gives them much more sensitivity to acts like those committed by the Nazis, and when they link the fact that they are holocaust survivors, or descendant of such survivors, to “massacre of Palestinians in Gaza” and to the “ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine”, the intention is to convince the reader, not only to believe that Israel massacres Palestinians in Gaza and that Israel belongs historically to the Palestinians, but that the Israeli Jews commit against the Palestinians crimes of genocide, like the crimes the Nazis did against the Jews.

The fact that a person is “holocaust survivor”, and even further that he is a “descendant of a Holocaust survivor” has no meaning or advantage when dealing with any subject other than holocaust research. The signatories of the letter make a manipulating and cynical use of the holocaust, instead of identifying themselves as having their own political view, not connected to their family “lineage”, and try to convince other to accept their views. Let them sign a petition that states: “We, citizens of USA (or any other country), protest against Israel behaviour and call upon her to behave this way or another”. For that they will have to clarify to the world why the fact that they are citizens of the USA (or any other country) has any relevance to their political views.

Those who signed the letter, should remember that had the State of Israel existed before the  Holocaust, and been somewhere Jews could immigrate to in time, the Holocaust would not have happened. Their “prestigious” status of “holocaust survivors” or “descendants of holocaust survivor”, would not exist. Furthermore, a great number of the survivors and descendants preferred not to immigrate to Israel after its establishment. Even today they still prefer to stay in the Galut (diaspora) despite the many Anti-Semitic events, and would not emigrate solely in order to “not immigrate to Israel”. Where do they derive their “authority” to preach to Israel how to behave?

We have to denounce any lie and every bit of deceit spread against Israel before it penetrates knowledge and international public opinion, as it is a matter of our life and death. In most cases the target of these lies and deceptions is to cause Israel to be hated, and to entrench the idea that Israel was born in a terrible sin against the Arabs who lived in its area, and continues to commit crimes that justify its boycotting and isolation, and finally – its annihilation. 

(English translation of an article published in Hebrew at Maraah-Magazine in Israel on 17th October 2014)