I'm sure Diner is right about the collective Israeli trauma of mass extermination, but I see the weaponisation of the Holocaust by the Israeli state in a much more cynical light, given that at the time it was happening both the Yishuv and the Zionist leadership in the diaspora had been spectacularly uninterested in the fate of the East European Jews, whom they regarded (in the words of Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld) as having sacrificed themselves for the sake of the creation of a Jewish state. Nobody had asked them if they wanted to make that sacrifice!
Joseph you have set out patiently, and may I say bravely, what seems to me a clear depiction of the dominant Israeli world view, predicated on the historical trauma of the Jewish people. I share Naomi Wayne's judgement regarding the deployment of antisemitism allegations. What a tragedy that people who believe themselves to have the best interests of Jews at heart have been roped into a project for the erasure of the Palestinian people, making the possible solutions suggested in the article almost inconceivable.
Joseph - I am hugely impressed by this and will share it as widely as I can. My own way of saying something similar, but far less informed and comprehensive is that Jews in any way directly connected to the Holocaust (i.e. survivors, refugees, people who lost family, including family they never knew,) are terribly psychologically damaged. In particular, so many do not know how NOT to be victims. So, no matter how strong and successful Israel is, it is far easier and less angst-inducing to adhere to the story of 'poor little Israel' surrounded by all these hostile states, than 'small but strong Israel that can beat the crap out of any other Middle Eastern country with its advanced weaponry supplied by its many western friends.' The only thing I feel you may have left out is the huge cynicism with which the argument that ANY criticism of Israel is antisemitic has been built up since the '60s. Its leading proponents have known perfectly well what they were doing whenever they have launched antisemitism accusations against Israel's critics. Perhaps the apogee has been reached by the success of their lobbying for the IHRA Definition on Antisemitism, which, were an equivalent proposed for any other country or community, would be laughed out of court. Instead, this it is now treated as equally as holy as the Torah and has been a ridiculously successful weapon in writing Palestinians out of their own history and experience. Thanks again for this posting - really useful.
I'm sure Diner is right about the collective Israeli trauma of mass extermination, but I see the weaponisation of the Holocaust by the Israeli state in a much more cynical light, given that at the time it was happening both the Yishuv and the Zionist leadership in the diaspora had been spectacularly uninterested in the fate of the East European Jews, whom they regarded (in the words of Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld) as having sacrificed themselves for the sake of the creation of a Jewish state. Nobody had asked them if they wanted to make that sacrifice!
Joseph you have set out patiently, and may I say bravely, what seems to me a clear depiction of the dominant Israeli world view, predicated on the historical trauma of the Jewish people. I share Naomi Wayne's judgement regarding the deployment of antisemitism allegations. What a tragedy that people who believe themselves to have the best interests of Jews at heart have been roped into a project for the erasure of the Palestinian people, making the possible solutions suggested in the article almost inconceivable.
Joseph - I am hugely impressed by this and will share it as widely as I can. My own way of saying something similar, but far less informed and comprehensive is that Jews in any way directly connected to the Holocaust (i.e. survivors, refugees, people who lost family, including family they never knew,) are terribly psychologically damaged. In particular, so many do not know how NOT to be victims. So, no matter how strong and successful Israel is, it is far easier and less angst-inducing to adhere to the story of 'poor little Israel' surrounded by all these hostile states, than 'small but strong Israel that can beat the crap out of any other Middle Eastern country with its advanced weaponry supplied by its many western friends.' The only thing I feel you may have left out is the huge cynicism with which the argument that ANY criticism of Israel is antisemitic has been built up since the '60s. Its leading proponents have known perfectly well what they were doing whenever they have launched antisemitism accusations against Israel's critics. Perhaps the apogee has been reached by the success of their lobbying for the IHRA Definition on Antisemitism, which, were an equivalent proposed for any other country or community, would be laughed out of court. Instead, this it is now treated as equally as holy as the Torah and has been a ridiculously successful weapon in writing Palestinians out of their own history and experience. Thanks again for this posting - really useful.