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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: Syt on June 14, 2019, 03:59:32 AM

Title: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Syt on June 14, 2019, 03:59:32 AM
QuoteISRAEL SLAMS GERMAN FM FOR 'DISHONEST REWRITING' OF ANNE FRANK'S LEGACY

Germany's Foreign Ministry celebrated Iran's revolution in February at Tehran's embassy in Berlin.

Emmanuel Nahshon, the spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, issued a powerful statement against German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for failing to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust by misrepresenting Anne Frank's legacy. 

Nahshon, one of Israel's most seasoned diplomats, wrote on Twitter: "Anne Frank's diary is NOT a warning about wishy-washy pseudo universal values! Anne Frank's legacy is a warning against the hatred and persecution of JEWS. The attempt to 'universalize the lessons of the Shoah [Holocaust] is nothing less than a dishonest rewriting of history."

Nahshon's tweet on Wednesday was a response to a tweet by the German Foreign Ministry that was written in honor of what would have been Anne Frank's 90th birthday. "Foreign Minister Heiko Maas: #AnneFrank would have turned 90 today," the ministry wrote. "Her diary is more relevant than ever before as a warning against discrimination, marginalization and persecution and as a symbol of humanity. We can learn from her."


Nahshon has served as the deputy chief of mission to Israel's embassy in Germany and will be Israel's next ambassador to Belgium.

Maas just returned from Iran this week after meeting with the regime's leaders, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Maas, who said he went into politics "because of Auschwitz," is working on jump starting a financial mechanism to bypass US sanctions against the clerical regime in Tehran.

Iran is considered by antisemitism experts to be the leading international state-sponsor of Holocaust denial and antisemitism. The US state department classifies the Islamic Republic of Iran as the top state-sponsor of terrorism.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told The Jerusalem Post: "Why such desperation by Germany to save serial liar genocide wannabe tyrants in Tehran? Time to use peaceful sanctions to stand up to tyrants and stand up for people of Iran."

Maas's Foreign Ministry celebrated Iran's revolution in February at Tehran's embassy in Berlin. Maas's undersecretary of state Niels Annes has said Germany will not outlaw all of Hezbollah, the chief proxy for Iran's regime. Hezbollah has 1,050 operatives in Germany, according to German intelligence report from the Lower Saxony.

Germany's federal economics minister Peter Altmaier also tweeted about Frank: "Anne Frank could still be alive today, could have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But she was cheated of her youth, life and old age, friends and sorrows through  the murder and extermination of the Jews[.] Your lasting legacy: Never again! and: Nip things in the bud!"

Altmaier has energetically worked to boost business with Iran's regime and refused to answer Post queries about his pro-Iranian regime business policies and how that meshes with Germany's policy to safeguard Israel's security and combat antisemitism. Merkel told Israel's Knesset in 2008 that Israel's security is "non-negotiable" for her administration.

Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas did not immediately respond to a Post query.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: garbon on June 14, 2019, 04:30:10 AM
Who would have guessed that the current crazed government of Israel would act crazy about a child's diary?
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Brain on June 14, 2019, 05:11:04 AM
I haven't read the diary. Maybe it has crazed rants, I wouldn't know.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: DGuller on June 14, 2019, 08:48:32 AM
I've read a variation on the diary.  I don't know how faithful it was to the original, but it was surprisingly explicit.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: derspiess on June 14, 2019, 08:50:24 AM
Quote from: DGuller on June 14, 2019, 08:48:32 AM
I've read a variation on the diary.  I don't know how faithful it was to the original, but it was surprisingly explicit.

:lol:
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: dps on June 14, 2019, 10:34:14 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 14, 2019, 03:59:32 AM
QuoteISRAEL SLAMS GERMAN FM FOR 'DISHONEST REWRITING' OF ANNE FRANK'S LEGACY

Germany's Foreign Ministry celebrated Iran's revolution in February at Tehran's embassy in Berlin.

Emmanuel Nahshon, the spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, issued a powerful statement against German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for failing to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust by misrepresenting Anne Frank's legacy. 

Nahshon, one of Israel's most seasoned diplomats, wrote on Twitter: "Anne Frank’s diary is NOT a warning about wishy-washy pseudo universal values! Anne Frank’s legacy is a warning against the hatred and persecution of JEWS. The attempt to 'universalize the lessons of the Shoah [Holocaust] is nothing less than a dishonest rewriting of history."

Nahshon's tweet on Wednesday was a response to a tweet by the German Foreign Ministry that was written in honor of what would have been Anne Frank's 90th birthday. "Foreign Minister Heiko Maas: #AnneFrank would have turned 90 today," the ministry wrote. "Her diary is more relevant than ever before as a warning against discrimination, marginalization and persecution and as a symbol of humanity. We can learn from her."


Nahshon has served as the deputy chief of mission to Israel's embassy in Germany and will be Israel's next ambassador to Belgium.

Maas just returned from Iran this week after meeting with the regime's leaders, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Maas, who said he went into politics "because of Auschwitz," is working on jump starting a financial mechanism to bypass US sanctions against the clerical regime in Tehran.

Iran is considered by antisemitism experts to be the leading international state-sponsor of Holocaust denial and antisemitism. The US state department classifies the Islamic Republic of Iran as the top state-sponsor of terrorism.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told The Jerusalem Post: "Why such desperation by Germany to save serial liar genocide wannabe tyrants in Tehran? Time to use peaceful sanctions to stand up to tyrants and stand up for people of Iran."

Maas's Foreign Ministry celebrated Iran's revolution in February at Tehran's embassy in Berlin. Maas's undersecretary of state Niels Annes has said Germany will not outlaw all of Hezbollah, the chief proxy for Iran's regime. Hezbollah has 1,050 operatives in Germany, according to German intelligence report from the Lower Saxony.

Germany's federal economics minister Peter Altmaier also tweeted about Frank: "Anne Frank could still be alive today, could have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But she was cheated of her youth, life and old age, friends and sorrows through  the murder and extermination of the Jews[.] Your lasting legacy: Never again! and: Nip things in the bud!"

Altmaier has energetically worked to boost business with Iran's regime and refused to answer Post queries about his pro-Iranian regime business policies and how that meshes with Germany's policy to safeguard Israel's security and combat antisemitism. Merkel told Israel's Knesset in 2008 that Israel's security is "non-negotiable" for her administration.

Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas did not immediately respond to a Post query.

I think cozying up to the Iranian regime is pretty despicable, but Nashon's comments seem to come perilously close to implying that persecution of minorities and genocide is OK as long as it's not directed at Jews.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Minsky Moment on June 14, 2019, 03:23:38 PM
The German diplos tweets about Anne Frank have nothing to do with Iran; raising the Iran policy is a non sequitur.

There is nothing "wishy-washy" or "pseudo" about universal values.  That kind of sentiment was shared by the people perscuting Anne Frank.  Recognition of universal human rights is part of Israel's constitution (Basic Law).  It's a disgraceful statement for an Israeli diplomat to make, or any diplomat for that matter.


Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Admiral Yi on June 14, 2019, 03:51:11 PM
There can only be one Chosen Persecuted People.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Ancient Demon on June 14, 2019, 06:56:24 PM
Israel should start choosing their diplomats more carefully.

That being said, I don't understand why Germany has such a pressing need to increase trade with Iran that they'd risk upsetting their allies.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 02:10:02 PM
So, nobody died in the Holocaust but Jews?
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Brain on June 15, 2019, 02:56:30 PM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 02:10:02 PM
So, nobody died in the Holocaust but Jews?

Not the way I understand the word, no.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 03:04:46 PM
Quote from: The Brain on June 15, 2019, 02:56:30 PM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 02:10:02 PM
So, nobody died in the Holocaust but Jews?

Not the way I understand the word, no.

I guess trying to exterminate gay people or the handicapped is ok.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Brain on June 15, 2019, 03:55:13 PM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 03:04:46 PM
Quote from: The Brain on June 15, 2019, 02:56:30 PM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 02:10:02 PM
So, nobody died in the Holocaust but Jews?

Not the way I understand the word, no.

I guess trying to exterminate gay people or the handicapped is ok.

Because they don't have a catchy word associated with their genocide?

My understanding of the Holocaust is that it refers to the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis in the WW2 era. The Nazis did a lot more stuff, but AFAIK that stuff isn't part of the Holocaust.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 03:58:04 PM
My understanding of the Holocaust is that it was the program by the Nazi's to exterminate undesireables, most of which were Jews, but not exclusively so.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Admiral Yi on June 15, 2019, 03:58:33 PM
In my understanding the Holocaust includes gays, gypsies, etc.

Shoah might be Jew-specific, but I'm not sure.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Brain on June 15, 2019, 04:07:30 PM
Ernst Röhm, Holocaust victim. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Duque de Bragança on June 15, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on June 15, 2019, 03:58:33 PM
In my understanding the Holocaust includes gays, gypsies, etc.

Shoah might be Jew-specific, but I'm not sure.

Since Shoah comes from Hebrew, I'd say Jewish-only too. Recently, a Romani word was found by activists I guess for the extermination of Gypsies i.e Porajmos. There is even talk now of "anti-tsiganism".
OTOH, no clue about the Holocaust. Holocaust could include not just Jews according to the countries.
As for homosexuals, this was mostly an internal nazi policy, unlike for Jews and Gypsies who were targeted all over occupied Europe.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: grumbler on June 15, 2019, 05:42:27 PM
The US Holocaust Memorial Museum uses "The Holocaust" to include Jews only, and "The Holocaust Era" for Jews, Gypsies, Gays, and all the other victims.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: garbon on June 15, 2019, 06:52:32 PM
I don't recall at Dachau last year that they made a distinction other than to point out that the original memorial art created pointedly didn't have homosexuals represented.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Zanza on June 15, 2019, 10:32:13 PM
In German, the word only refers to the genocide of Jews.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Valmy on June 15, 2019, 11:40:04 PM
Quote from: Berkut on June 15, 2019, 03:58:04 PM
My understanding of the Holocaust is that it was the program by the Nazi's to exterminate undesireables, most of which were Jews, but not exclusively so.

While it is understood the Germans killed many people in WWII, my understanding is that the Holocaust refers to the killing of the Jews.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: The Larch on June 16, 2019, 04:59:15 AM
Checking on wiki it seems that Holocaust is indeed used to refer only to Jews, and is interchangeably with Shoah. Other persecuted groups are included in a "Other victims of nazi persecution", and the only other group to have their own name for their persecution are the Roma.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Richard Hakluyt on June 16, 2019, 05:22:05 AM
I've always assumed that the Holocaust was used for the nazi mass murder of Jews. It is a way of making it stand out from the everyday beastly brutality so common with humans. There are other terms for other particularly heinous events; the Holodomor for the Stalin-instigated famine in Ukraine for example.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: dps on June 16, 2019, 07:38:16 AM
I always thought that it referred to all of the Nazi's organized mass murderous activities.  Perhaps the usage has changed over time?  It would appear that my understanding of the term is shared by the other American posters in my age group, but not by younger posters or non-Americans.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: grumbler on June 16, 2019, 09:22:55 AM
Quote from: dps on June 16, 2019, 07:38:16 AM
I always thought that it referred to all of the Nazi's organized mass murderous activities.  Perhaps the usage has changed over time?  It would appear that my understanding of the term is shared by the other American posters in my age group, but not by younger posters or non-Americans.

When I teach it, I teach the Holocaust as the whole Nazi industrial murder machine, and note that I am not using the term as the USHMM does.  I think that the usage has changed over time, but not consistently in one direction.  My impression has been that the left uses it more generally, the right more specifically, and the usage in public discourse has varied accord to who is in power.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Razgovory on June 16, 2019, 12:40:27 PM
I've always thought that the Holocaust was whole Nazi extermination campaign and the Shoah was specifically the Jewish part.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: mongers on June 16, 2019, 04:39:55 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 16, 2019, 12:40:27 PM
I've always thought that the Holocaust was whole Nazi extermination campaign and the Shoah was specifically the Jewish part.

Yes that's what I thought, so as others have mentioned perhaps it's ones age and that usage has changed /tightened over time?
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Admiral Yi on June 16, 2019, 04:41:58 PM
Hypothesis based on no real evidence: the Holocaust Museum in DC has evolved the usage.
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: Razgovory on June 16, 2019, 09:43:51 PM
Quote from: mongers on June 16, 2019, 04:39:55 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 16, 2019, 12:40:27 PM
I've always thought that the Holocaust was whole Nazi extermination campaign and the Shoah was specifically the Jewish part.

Yes that's what I thought, so as others have mentioned perhaps it's ones age and that usage has changed /tightened over time?


I was curious, so I looked up the etymology.


Quotemid-13c., "sacrifice by fire, burnt offering," from Old French holocauste (12c.), or directly from Late Latin holocaustum, from Greek holokauston "a thing wholly burnt," neuter of holokaustos "burned whole," from holos "whole" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + kaustos, verbal adjective of kaiein "to burn" (see caustic).

Originally a Bible word for "burnt offerings," given wider figurative sense of "massacre, destruction of a large number of persons" from 1670s. The Holocaust "Nazi genocide of European Jews in World War II," first recorded 1957, earlier known in Hebrew as Shoah "catastrophe." The word itself was used in English in reference to Hitler's Jewish policies from 1942, but not as a proper name for them.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/holocaust
Title: Re: Israel slams Germany for 'dishonest rewriting' of Anne Frank's legacy
Post by: dps on June 17, 2019, 01:02:30 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on June 14, 2019, 03:23:38 PM
The German diplos tweets about Anne Frank have nothing to do with Iran; raising the Iran policy is a non sequitur.

There is nothing "wishy-washy" or "pseudo" about universal values.  That kind of sentiment was shared by the people perscuting Anne Frank.  Recognition of universal human rights is part of Israel's constitution (Basic Law).  It's a disgraceful statement for an Israeli diplomat to make, or any diplomat for that matter.




Gotta wonder if at some point prior to 2016, Donald Trump looked at the Netanyahu government and said to himself, "Hmm, you know, I could do that".