Having Their Cake & Eating It Too

Thou shalt have no other historical narrative before Me...

In 2011, all Australian schools will be switching to a national curriculum. Zionist indoctrinators, however, are concerned:

"It is... particularly significant that the draft version of the year 10 history curriculum... contained the following: 'The Holocaust that Hitler and the Nazis inflicted on European Jewry will be studied in its own right. Its enduring consequences will also be considered, including... the establishment of Israel and its effects on Palestinians'. The leadership of the Jewish community had lobbied for the inclusion of the Holocaust in the curriculum. We can only speculate whether this explicit linkage between the destruction of European Jewry and the situation [!] of the Palestinians was included as a counterbalance and a concession to pressure from anti-Zionist groups. Whatever the origin, the draft version of the curriculum would oblige every year 10 student in Australia to learn that the plight of the Palestinians is a consequence of the Holocaust. This is precisely the position of Hamas and its ilk, who ask why Arabs should 'suffer' for the sins of Europeans. And it is but a short jump to compare Israelis to Nazis... A strongly argued response from the community, assisted by history teachers in Jewish schools, explained why the linkage was unacceptable on educational and historical grounds. Only when the final curriculum is published will we know if this was successful." (The dangers of a national curriculum, Rabbi James Kennard*, The Australian Jewish News, 12/6/09)

[*Principal of Mount Scopus Memorial College]

So Rabbi Kennard believes that linking the Holocaust with the plight of the Palestinians is unacceptable on historical grounds.

In a sense, he's correct: Zionism was around long before the Holocaust and the creation of Israel was not a response to it.

Zionists, however, as Norman Finkelstein reminds us in his book The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering, use the Holocaust to cast Israel as a 'victim' state, and shield it from justified criticism for its appalling treatment of the Palestinians. It has become in their hands, says Finkelstein, "an indispensible ideological weapon." (See my 14/12/08 post Quack Cure) Gush Shalom's Uri Avnery describes the utility of the Holocaust thus: "Once we could rely on the Holocaust. We said Holocaust, and the room fell silent. We could oppress the Palestinians, steal their lands, set up settlements, scatter checkpoints everywhere like the droppings of flies, blockade Gaza and so on. When the Goyim opened their mouths to protest, we cried 'Holocaust' - and the words froze on their lips." (Obama won't wink back, 13/6/09)

What's that about Pandora's box?