Don't let racism win ...

[Israeli]

Op-ed: Memory of Holocaust failed to protect us from becoming a society intolerant towards others

Ophir Pines-Paz Published: 04.08.13, 10:48 / Israel Opinion

This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising – a revolt which became the symbol of Jews' heroism during the Holocaust and expresses the human ability to reach supreme moral strength at the most desperate hours. This moral strength remained with us when the State of Israel was established.

The Jewish state developed on the foundation built by Zionism and out of the historical destruction, giving shelter to those persecuted for religious and racist reasons. From the terrible events, we learned that we have no choice but to take care of ourselves and that we must make every effort to guarantee our physical existence as a people and as a state.

But the memory of the Holocaust, which taught us to beware of external threats, failed to protect us from the internal threat which is increasingly marking us as a society intolerant towards those living within it. Although the events of the Holocaust are deeply engraved in our collective memory, we failed to elevate the educational potential embodied in them. We were not wise enough to develop a wide anti-racist consciousness, which rises above the victim's point of view and fights all levels of racism.

The racism report released recently says the number of racist incidents between Israeli residents doubled in the past year. According to the report, the growing phenomena has to do with words of incitement by public figures, which increased by some 80% in the past year. One cannot help but wonder under these circumstances how is it that the historical experience did not turn us into a society which is more sensitive towards prejudice and expressions of racism from within.

Where does the hatred towards those who are different from us come from? How did racism become a country-wide problem? The bitter truth must be said wholeheartedly: In Israel in 2013, racism is not a bad word. Beating up Arabs on the street has become a routine act. Fans raise shocking signs stating that "Beitar will be pure forever." Rabbis ban renting apartments to non-Jews. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Black flag over our heads
There is no doubt that the growing racism in Israel is fundamentally different from the mass and institutionalized racism which led to the systematic annihilation of Jews in the Holocaust. But we must not use our unique history to ignore the racism spreading within us.

Precisely because we are closely familiar with the most terrible repercussions of racial hatred, we don't have the privilege to disregard the expressions of racism, both strong and light. We of all people should fervently maintain an anti-racist ideological outlook, and fight the phenomenon with greater determination.

We must not let the racism, which is raising its ugly head, win. We must all launch an all-out war against it. Leaders and elected representatives, intellectuals and academics, teachers and educators, rightists and leftists, religious and secular Jews. A major threat is hanging over our Jewish democratic country.

And if we go back to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, we'll see that two separate resistance organizations were active in the ghetto, fighting with supreme courage but without cooperating with each other. This comes to teach us that ideological differences may be stronger than anything, but even they don't reject the need to resist and say "no" to what is waving a black flag over our heads.

Even today, at times of multiple political disputes, there are things that we must all agree on. We must understand that racism is a disease that must be rooted out before it spreads. A nation which has had a firsthand experience with the most destructive form of racism has the duty to fight it with excessive strength.

Ophir Pines-Paz is the chair of the governing council of the Ghetto Fighters’ House

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4365155,00.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. k&r. Pines-Paz is one politician whom I admire.

[Israeli]

3. me to LeftishBrit

... but he is a former politician .

In January 2010 Pines-Paz announced he was retiring from politics and leaving the Labor Party, which he said "had abandoned its values over the past 15 years".

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/labor-stalwart-ophir-pines-paz-leaves-knesset-party-and-politics-1.261040

He joins a long list of former politicians that I admire but could not take it anymore ,
top of the list for me would be Shulamit Aloni , Yossi Sarid , Avraham Burg and Yossi Beilin.

[bemildred]

2. K&R, and good luck.

I live in the USA, and we are still trying to root it out here.

[Jefferson23]

4. Good piece. The occupation is the disease in this case, imo.

A nation which has had a firsthand experience with the most destructive form of racism has the duty to fight it with excessive strength. I will add and must be fought honestly.


Thanks for posting.

[Israeli]

5. the occupation is a big part of it

Last edited Wed Apr 10, 2013, 01:00 AM - Edit history (1)

but not the complete story

thought you might be interested in this :

Havka Folman-Raban, who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, said the following words in a ceremony attended by Israeli youth at the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in northern Israel:

Continue the uprising, but a different uprising, a modern one, against all evil. Rise up against racism, violence and hatred of the other, and the inequality. Rise up against the occupation, we mustn’t rule and humiliate another people. It is important to achieve peace and an end to the cycle of bloodshed. My generation fought for peace and I so want to be here to achieve it.


source : http://news.walla.co.il/?w=%2F%2F2631595

[bemildred]

6. +1. nt

[Jefferson23]

7. I appreciate that, I truly do. I find the continued occupation like a disease as it appears to

have penetrated people's inner core, deeply. The Israeli voters did not have an end to the occupation
as a priority. They're becoming numb and or indifferent to the suffering that surrounds them.

No nation is free of bigotry, mine certainly is not. Yet the pervasive influence that disturbs and
angers me a great deal is the political clout that has sustained this occupation, and that is political power
filtered through the United States. It is a toxic and highly dysfunctional relationship which leaves
the Palestinian people who have the additional hardship of their own terrible corrupt leaders, who have
coward under U.S. pressure too often.

It would be scandalous beyond words for them to end up with a bantustan, it would end better
if the US would get out of the way...but that is highly unlikely to occur.

In the end, it will be left to the Palestinians people, en masse..more alone than not, to end the
injustice.

[Israeli]

13. Jefferson23

The Israeli voters did not have an end to the occupation
as a priority.

Those that voted Meretz or Hadash do , Avoda under Shelly Yachimovich took it off their list of priorities .

They're becoming numb and or indifferent to the suffering that surrounds them.

Most have but not all of us .

In the end, it will be left to the Palestinians people, en masse..more alone than not, to end the injustice

Said it already and will say it again .... without Obama's help neither us or the Palestinians stand a chance for peace.

Look its really difficult to describe reality over the last 40+ years here to someone that has not lived thru it , all I can advise you to do is watch " The Gatekeepers " and " 5 broken cameras " and this the latest :

http://www.justvision.org/myneighbourhood/watch

review here @
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/29/east-jerusalem-doc-my-neighborhood-wins-peabody-award.html

[Jefferson23]

14. I've seen 5 Broken Cameras, which was excellent and The Gatekeepers, not yet.

I know not most, my concern is the fact the occupation was off the list of priorities..which
reflects the disconnect I was speaking about. The current formation of the coalition is to
expand settlements and although I appreciate your links, that is not enough. I realize you're
not suggesting that it is, nor that anyone who has not lived it could not understand the
struggle and frustration of those within Israel who want the occupation to end, once and
for all.

We'll see about Obama, I would prefer to be wrong about him.

[Israeli]

15. advise you to see The Gatekeepers

and to watch the movie in the other link I gave you

" The current formation of the coalition is to
expand settlements "

agreed , and also to stay with the status quo
expect nothing in the way of peace moves from any of them except empty words

I hope that I am not wrong about Obama .

[Jefferson23]

16. Ah, thanks! I too, hope you're not wrong about Obama.

[shira]

8. So how should the occupation end? Without a peace deal like Gaza 2005?

Or within the context of a peace deal, keeping in mind offers were made in 2001 and 2008 that were rejected?

[Israeli]

9. there are no hopes of any peace deal

under Bibi shira , none at all

the occupation may end in many ways and many are coming out with alternatives as an answer

here is one :

Oslo is dead , what's next ?

By Avraham Burg | Mar.29, 2013

http://www.pa-il.com/

read it please and let me know what you think

[pelsar]

10. two points..

we've had racism in israel before the occupation....and have racism in israel against jewish and non jewish israeli (ethiopians, russians, etc) that have nothing to do with the occupation.

you cant blame the occupation on israeli social issues.....if anything the Palestinians have indirectly given arab israelis a push to integrate in to the country and not accept secondary status. As per the new party headd by Aatef Karinaoui

El Amal Lat’gir

he's concentrating on social issues for the arab minority....
_____

more importantly....its going to take the israeli right to remove the occupation; It was Begin and only Begin that could have made peace with sadat, and it was only sharon that could have peacefully evacuated gaza. As much as you would like to vilify the right, we need them to actually carry out the vision of the left...

[Israeli]

12. I am well aware of that

if you did not notice I replied in # 5

" but not the complete story "

more importantly....its going to take the israeli right to remove the occupation

That is your opinion pelsar and you are entitled to it , I dont happen to agree with you .

As much as you would like to vilify the right

Was not aware that I had vilified the right .... of course they would never vilify us now would they

[azurnoir]

17. +1 and it should be duly noted

we hear the same said in the US about Republicans vs Democrats, with of course the Republicans being the supposed peace makers

[azurnoir]

11. indeed n/t