International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year, it is a day marked by the horrific October 7, 2023, Palestinian attack on innocent Israeli citizens resulting in the massacre of over 1200 people and over two hundred hostages taken. This one day saw the most Jews ever killed in one day since the Holocaust. It saw the occupation of Israeli territory and the most destruction to villages since the War of Independence.

Today, Israel and Hamas are at war. And for the most part, the rapes, torture, dismemberment, burning alive, murder of innocent people, taking hostages, and even now, continued rocket fire from Gaza are “not a big deal to most of the world.”

The world is focused on Israel and the Jews fighting back. And the world does not like that. It’s not the historical norm. Jews are supposed to be victims, Jews are supposed to be acknowledged in the past tense. It’s been that way from the time of the Romans until the birth of Israel. What happened on October 7, 2024, was a normal event for the Jews of Israel, except for the level of death and destruction.

Palestinian terrorism is a daily fear in Israel going back to independence in 1948. The current war between Israel and Hamas is a war of choice by Hamas. They did not have to attack Israel. They did not have to take immense pleasure in such torture, death, and destruction. They did not have to take hostages and now refuse to release them.

Israel has been attacked by Arabs since its founding day. “From the river to the sea” has been an Arab chant since that very day. Terrorism in the skies, and around the world became a Palestinian terrorist norm in the 1970s. A Palestinian massacre of all Israeli Olympic athletes in 1972 did not see an outraged world. “Let’s just forget about it” resume the games and act like nothing happened.

To Jews, the horrors of today’s times are nothing new. They are a continuation of what was started by the Romans in 73 CE. This is our historical norm. And to non-Jews, what is happening to Jews today is also nothing new. It’s a norm the world expects to see since the Romans.

The norm is that Jews are supposed to be victims and dead. Living Jews don’t matter. Never have! Israel is always held to double, hypocritical standards by the rest of the world. Tens of wars have been fought since 1948, with Israel the victor in all of them. Yet with each Israeli victory, the Palestinians and the world expect Israel to surrender. The Palestinian terror attacks resume, and the world views Israel and Jews as the oppressors. Why, because Jews are not supposed to defend themselves. We are supposed to be victims. How dare we change the rules in 1948. The rules have to go back to what they were!

October 7, 2023, was a terrorist attack within a cycle of never-ending terrorist attacks. What happened was Israel let its guard down. Israel slipped up and left itself open to this attack. I have heard people say this is another reason, Israel has no right to fight Hamas. After all, it’s Israel’s fault they let their guard down. That is not the fault of the Palestinian terrorists! The hypocrisy never ends.

October 7, 2023, was a single day in Jewish history. The Holocaust was 6 years of Jewish history. We cannot just focus on and recognize the Holocaust as what we remember.

We must remember all that Jews have endured since 78 CE. Knowing that history tells us the answers to exactly what Jews face in today’s times and how we must respond. It starts with visiting Eastern Europe, as Janet and I did in 2022. You’d inevitably encounter a haunting landscape marked by the tragic history of the Holocaust.

Every city and village bear witness to the formal and hidden sites where Jews suffered and perished, victims of both the Nazis and deep-seated anti-Semitism. Among Eastern European nations, Poland stands out, with some historians suggesting it may have seen more Jewish deaths than even Nazi Germany during World War II.

While precise numbers remain a subject of debate, the fact remains that three million Jews lost their lives in Poland, a number that likely surpassed the German casualties. Every step in Eastern Europe seems to lead to a stark reminder of the Holocaust’s horrors. Tour guides point to these landmarks, saying, “Here, Jewish lives were lost. There, more innocent souls perished.”

These very places were once home to thriving Jewish communities: the old synagogue, the ghetto, the concentration camps where they toiled as slaves and met their end, the death camps where they were gassed and cremated, and the rivers and fields where their remains were discarded.

Even post-war pogroms found their way into this tragic narrative. Today, however, living Jewish communities in these regions have dwindled significantly. Their presence has faded into obscurity, and few among the local populace remember or miss them. In these countries, knowledge of Jews mostly revolves around the history of their persecution, as there are scarcely any Jews remaining to share the present.

Globally, only 16 million Jews exist today, a fraction of the world’s population. Approximately six million reside in the United States, while seven million call Israel home, leaving the remaining three million scattered across the globe.

Yet, astonishingly, age-old myths about Jewish control persist, even in regions with negligible Jewish populations. Facts and figures matter little; it’s the enduring power of hate that fuels these baseless conspiracy theories. Jews, living and deceased, continue to serve as scapegoats for societal ills.

In a world of nearly eight billion people, the imaginary notion of a mere 0.2% of the population, the Jewish minority, holding vast control remains a persistent concern.

Take the Arab world, for instance, with 457 million inhabitants, and a mere 12,700 Jews living amidst them, comprising just 0.003% of the Arab population. Yet, these Jewish communities endure relentless persecution.

In contrast, Israel, occupying 0.17% of disputed land in the region, houses seven million Jews who have faced continuous attacks and conflicts since their nation’s founding in 1948.

The aftermath of World War II presented a dire situation for most Jewish survivors in Poland and Eastern Europe. Many found themselves with no place to go, and those who returned to Poland experienced pogroms and substantial loss of life. Simultaneously, countries like the United States and Britain, despite the knowledge of Jewish refugees who had survived the Holocaust, closed their doors to them. Britain even halted Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine under their control.

As a result, over 600,000 stateless Jewish refugees, including 200,000 who had fled Poland, were stranded in displaced persons (DP) camps, facing a future of uncertainty. The establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, provided a glimmer of hope. Israel swiftly opened its doors to these stateless Jewish refugees, many of whom had survived the Holocaust’s horrors.

These resilient survivors, now transformed into pioneers, fought valiantly in Israel’s war of independence, with many making the ultimate sacrifice. Israel faced an existential threat as it was besieged by neighboring Arab nations, all seeking its destruction.

If not for Israel’s victory, most of its Jewish inhabitants would have perished, as Arab nations vowed to drive them into the sea. Until the conclusion of the Six-Day War in June 1967, the Arab world’s collective objective remained the annihilation of Israel, with overwhelming odds in their favor.

The world watched apathetically as unprovoked wars unfolded, anticipating Israel’s downfall. To their astonishment, Israel emerged victorious each time. Today, that same Arab objective persists – the annihilation of Israel. However, the world’s response remains lukewarm.

The global community appears more concerned about the fact that Jews can now defend themselves, preventing the wholesale slaughter witnessed throughout history. The prospect of Israel’s success and self-defense infuriates many, challenging the conventional narrative of Jews as helpless victims.

For Jews, “never again” signifies a commitment to never again being defenseless or stateless. My words may seem stark, but they aim to convey how the 16 million Jews worldwide perceive the world today, drawing from a history spanning over 2,000 years. It raises questions about the persistence of baseless conspiracy theories against Jews and the normalization of Jewish victimization.

Even within Jewish communities, there is growing complacency and apathy towards the escalating hatred directed at Jews in the United States, Europe, and beyond. Antisemitic incidents are on the rise, reaching levels not seen since the 1930s, the era of Hitler’s ascent. Israelis, living under the constant threat of war and terrorism, keenly feel this danger.

Today, Jews must recognize the imperative of standing up for themselves, boldly asserting their Jewish identity, and preventing history from repeating itself. They must refuse to be innocent victims, marked only by their absence. While commemorating the Holocaust and condemning the Nazis as evil is relatively straightforward, the pressing question is whether we, Jews and non-Jews alike, are willing to stand up for living Jews today.

In the immediate post-war years, the sheer magnitude and horror of the Holocaust relegated hate against Jews, or anti-Semitism, and public expressions thereof, to the fringes of society. After all, the world viewed hating Jews as something only the Nazis did, and no one wanted to be associated with Nazism.

Yet, as time erodes memories and eyewitnesses pass away, antisemitism is re-emerging on a global scale. Movements like MAGA in the United States and the resurgence of nationalism worldwide have normalized public displays of Jew hatred.

Furthermore, progressive liberals have masked their hatred of Jews under the guise of being anti-Israel, rather than outright antisemites. Jewish students on American college campuses, in particular, face harassment and attacks, often being barred from campus activities and living in constant fear.

To Jews, these students are their children and grandchildren, facing the same hatred their ancestors endured in the 1930s. In Europe, Jewish communities grapple with an uncertain future, with France being a poignant example. French Jews have confronted relentless and deadly attacks in recent years, prompting many to leave. National Geographic reported that a third of all French Jews who emigrated to Israel since its establishment in 1948 did so in the last decade.

In 2024, Jews face existential threats globally, with Israel front and center. I struggle with why people view this as new and unique. It’s a norm that has existed for thousands of years.

So as we recognize this International Holocaust Remembrance Day let us focus on the big picture and our entire history of persecution, not just 6 years. We must stand up for ourselves and all Jews. We must boldly assert our Jewish identity. We must prevent history from repeating itself. We must refuse to be innocent victims and not fight back ever again!