Latest news with #post-Holocaust
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Israel's Gaza attacks spur european leaders to criticize Netanyahu
Some of Israel's most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering trade sanctions and curbs on arms sales. In recent weeks, the U.K., Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany's pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation. German anger with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government grew when it intensified military operations against Hamas in mid-May and continued blocking aid to Gaza, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. In the German government's first such comments since the start of the war, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the humanitarian situation could "no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism." Merz spoke to Netanyahu on Sunday and said it was "necessary to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip immediately." The condemnation is symbolic of the shift in Europe and of Israel's increasing isolation. Opinion polls show growing discontent. In a survey last week by Civey for Germany's Tagesspiegel newspaper, more than half the respondents said it was wrong for Berlin to export weapons to Israel. The sentiment is similar in several other nations and protests have escalated. Last month, the Netherlands saw one of its biggest protests in years, with tens of thousands of people calling for the war to stop. "It's simply become impossible for most European governments to continue supporting Israel's war despite strong ongoing commitments to Israel's security," said Julien Barnes-Dacey, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations. More countries are taking action and calling for the European Union to adopt sanctions on Israel. The E.U.'s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in May said there is "a strong majority" in favor of reviewing the bloc's trade agreement with Israel. Merz subsequently said Germany - one of Israel's main arms suppliers - is considering restrictions on military exports. The E.U. is Israel's largest trading partner, with the two exchanging $47 billion of goods last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, and a change in policy would have a palpable impact on the Jewish state's economy, which is under strain because of the war. The U.K. announced plans to pause free-trade talks with Israel and sanctions against a handful of individuals and entities it said were engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Still, European governments remain supportive of Israel's right to defend itself and E.U. sanctions would likely face opposition from the likes of Hungary. In addition, any measures to cut weapons exports could hurt European defense companies, while risking reciprocal action from Israel, which sells air-defense and other military equipment to Europe. Aid controversy Outrage in Europe escalated over a Israel- and U.S.-backed proposal to restart aid distribution to Gaza. The United Nations said the plan would supply nowhere near enough food and medicine to the territory's more than 2 million Palestinians and politicize handouts. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Swiss-based nonprofit running the program, started distribution last week and says enough meals will be available as more centers open. Israel says the plan's necessary to avoid supplies falling into the hands of Hamas. It also says its escalation of ground and air attacks in Gaza are needed to force Hamas to surrender and release the 58 hostages it still holds. Iran-backed Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and the E.U., triggered the war when thousands of fighters crossed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250. More than 54,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat. Images of hungry and injured children and a territory reduced to rubble have spread across news bulletins and social media, intensifying protests and prompting more pressure on Israel to increase aid supplies and stop its bombardment. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe will have to harden its collective stance toward Israel unless the situation in Gaza improves soon. "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable," France said in a joint statement with the U.K. and Canada on May 19. "We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions." France, home to both the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, is seeking to rally international support for Palestinian statehood and this month it is set to co-chair a U.N. conference in New York with Saudi Arabia. The French president will be in Rome later Tuesday for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, where he is likely to bring up the issue. Although Italy recently urged Israel to end the war, Meloni's government is unlikely to support Palestinian independence and has maintained support for Netanyahu. The French public is largely supportive of the initiative, with a poll by Odoxa last month showing nearly two thirds of people favor a Palestinian state and 61% would back political and economic sanctions on Israel. According to the same poll, Macron's approval rating improved largely due to his shift on Gaza. For now, Israel's most important ally, the U.S., is standing by Netanyahu's government. Still, President Donald Trump has consistently spoken of wanting to stabilize the Middle East and has said he wants the conflict in Gaza to end. Trump "could actually strengthen the Franco-Saudi push for Palestinian statehood because Palestinian statehood cannot happen without a ceasefire in Gaza," Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe's blog Strategic Europe, said. Netanyahu has lashed out at Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing them of "inviting more such atrocities" on Israel. For the E.U., forging consensus is often a long process, with several rounds of horse trading. Yet Germany's comments are "a real marker" of how things have moved, according to Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "But Europeans will need to back up their statements of condemnation with real material steps," he said, "if they want to be taken seriously and are genuinely seeking to shift Israeli positioning." --------- -With assistance from Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth, Patrick Van Oosterom, Peter Martin, Ellen Milligan, Jennifer Duggan, Daniel Basteiro and Sanjit Das. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Israel's Gaza Push Spurs Europe Leaders to Turn on Netanyahu
Some of Israel's most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering trade sanctions and curbs on arms sales. In recent weeks, the UK, Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany's pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation. German anger with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government grew when it intensified military operations against Hamas in mid-May and continued blocking aid to Gaza, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. In the German government's first such comments since the start of the war, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the humanitarian situation could 'no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism.' Merz spoke to Netanyahu on Sunday and said it was 'necessary to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip immediately.' The condemnation is symbolic of the shift in Europe and of Israel's increasing isolation. Opinion polls show growing discontent. In a survey last week by Civey for Germany's Tagesspiegel newspaper, more than half the respondents said it was wrong for Berlin to export weapons to Israel. The sentiment is similar in several other nations and protests have escalated. Last month, the Netherlands saw one of its biggest protests in years, with tens of thousands of people calling for the war to stop. 'It's simply become impossible for most European governments to continue supporting Israel's war despite strong ongoing commitments to Israel's security,' said Julien Barnes-Dacey, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations. More countries are taking action and calling for the European Union to adopt sanctions on Israel. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in May said there is 'a strong majority' in favor of reviewing the bloc's trade agreement with Israel. Merz subsequently said Germany — one of Israel's main arms suppliers — is considering restrictions on military exports. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner, with the two exchanging $47 billion of goods last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, and a change in policy would have a palpable impact on the Jewish state's economy, which is under strain because of the war. The UK announced plans to pause free-trade talks with Israel and sanctions against a handful of individuals and entities it said were engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Still, European governments remain supportive of Israel's right to defend itself and EU sanctions would likely face opposition from the likes of Hungary. In addition, any measures to cut weapons exports could hurt European defense companies, while risking reciprocal action from Israel, which sells air-defense and other military equipment to Europe. Outrage in Europe escalated over a Israel- and US-backed proposal to restart aid distribution to Gaza. The United Nations said the plan would supply nowhere near enough food and medicine to the territory's more than 2 million Palestinians and politicize handouts. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Swiss-based nonprofit running the program, started distribution last week and says enough meals will be available as more centers open. Israel says the plan's necessary to avoid supplies falling into the hands of Hamas. It also says its escalation of ground and air attacks in Gaza are needed to force Hamas to surrender and release the 58 hostages it still holds. Iran-backed Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the US and the EU, triggered the war when thousands of fighters crossed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250. More than 54,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat. Images of hungry and injured children and a territory reduced to rubble have spread across news bulletins and social media, intensifying protests and prompting more pressure on Israel to increase aid supplies and stop its bombardment. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe will have to harden its collective stance toward Israel unless the situation in Gaza improves soon. 'The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,' France said in a joint statement with the UK and Canada on May 19. 'We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions.' France, home to both the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, is seeking to rally international support for Palestinian statehood and this month it is set to co-chair a UN conference in New York with Saudi Arabia. The French president will be in Rome later Tuesday for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, where he is likely to bring up the issue. Although Italy recently urged Israel to end the war, Meloni's government is unlikely to support Palestinian independence and has maintained support for Netanyahu. The French public is largely supportive of the initiative, with a poll by Odoxa last month showing nearly two thirds of people favor a Palestinian state and 61% would back political and economic sanctions on Israel. According to the same poll, Macron's approval rating improved largely due to his shift on Gaza. For now, Israel's most important ally, the US, is standing by Netanyahu's government. Still, President Donald Trump has consistently spoken of wanting to stabilize the Middle East and has said he wants the conflict in Gaza to end. Trump 'could actually strengthen the Franco-Saudi push for Palestinian statehood because Palestinian statehood cannot happen without a ceasefire in Gaza,' Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe's blog Strategic Europe, said. Netanyahu has lashed out at Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing them of 'inviting more such atrocities' on Israel. For the EU, forging consensus is often a long process, with several rounds of horse trading. Yet Germany's comments are 'a real marker' of how things have moved, according to Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'But Europeans will need to back up their statements of condemnation with real material steps,' he said, 'if they want to be taken seriously and are genuinely seeking to shift Israeli positioning.' With assistance from Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth, Patrick Van Oosterom, Peter Martin, Ellen Milligan, Jennifer Duggan, Daniel Basteiro and Sanjit Das. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Post-WWII Germany's first Jewish cabinet member on past lessons, new risks
Berlin — When Karin Prien's mother brought her to Germany as a little girl in the late 1960s, she gave her one urgent warning: "Don't tell anyone you're Jewish." Nearly six decades later, Prien is now post World War II Germany's first Jewish federal cabinet member, having been selected as the Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Prien told CBS News she intends to use her platform to confront the rise of antisemitism in Germany and further afield, and the fragility of democracy in a country still reckoning with its past. "Well, in a way, I'm proud," the minister told CBS News in a candid interview. "Proud to be a minister in the federal government, but also that I'm recognized as Jewish and that German society is now so far [advanced] as to accept that Jewish people have a right to be a self-conscious part of this society." Prien's political career, and her personal story, represent an arc of conflict, tension and reconciliation that echoes that of post-Holocaust Germany itself. "A question of responsibility" Born in the Netherlands to Holocaust survivors, Prien moved to Germany at the age of 4. Even as a child, she was heavily aware of the silence surrounding her family's identity. Her mother's warning that it was still too dangerous to talk about being Jewish — more than two decades after the war ended — shaped her early years. "There was always fear. My mother was afraid that there were too many Nazis still around," Prien said. "It wasn't taken for granted that you could talk about being Jewish. It was something you kept inside the home." But that silence eventually became intolerable. As a young teen, she said she began to understand that the democratic values she cherished — freedom, human dignity, anti-discrimination—- required defending. "I decided, 'I have to do something about it. Democracy is not something you can take for granted,'" she said. But Prien still waited decades before publicly acknowledging her Jewish identity. The turning point came in the early 2010s, when she was already a member of state parliament in Hamburg. Prien began pushing for systematic documentation of antisemitic incidents in schools. When a journalist asked why the issue mattered so much to her, she paused and then told him: "Because I'm Jewish." "That was the moment I realized I had a political voice," she recalled. "I had some kind of influence. And for me, it was a question of responsibility." Lessons from the past for the threats of today That sense of responsibility weighs heavily on Prien in today's Germany, where she said antisemitism is no longer confined to the political fringes. "We see rising antisemitism all over the world," Prien said. "They dare to be openly antisemitic. I think it's now more than after the end of World War II. They dare to be openly antisemitic, and that's also in Germany getting stronger and stronger. That has changed. And so we have antisemitic tendencies on the margins, but we also have it in the middle of society." While Germany once appeared to be a model of historical reckoning, Prien said she fears complacency is setting in. After some "honest decades," during which Prien says Germans confronted themselves with the stark realities of their country's history, "now, people are dying. And now we have to find new ways to talk about that." Prien thinks that should include a shift in Holocaust education. She wants German schools to expand from their current focus on the atrocities of World War II to also teach the history of Israel, the cultural contributions of Jewish Germans, and the origins of antisemitism. "Jewish identity is part of German identity," she told CBS News. "Young people need to know that Jews are not only victims. Jewish people are diverse. They have a voice. They are part of this society." Prien said she draws inspiration from figures including Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor who famously coined the phrase: "Be Human." That, Prien said, should be the foundation of any education system in a democracy: teaching empathy and human dignity. But it's not only historical facts and universal dignity that need defending, she said, it's also Germany's democratic fabric. "We are an immigration society," Prien said. "But we're not very good at having fair and equal chances for children who start with more difficult conditions." She sees educational equity and national democratic resilience as intrinsically linked. Prien is now leading efforts to limit mobile phone use in German elementary schools, warning that parents and policymakers have been too naive about the risks of digital exposure for young people. "We are anxious about the real world. We drive our kids to school and into the classrooms but we are not anxious about the stuff online," she said. "That has to change." Asked what message she has for young Jews with political ambitions in Germany today, Prien didn't hesitate: "Stay. Don't pack your luggage. This is a different Germany. This is a country where you can live safely. And it's our job to make that promise true every day." SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Post-WWII Germany's first Jewish cabinet member on finding her "political voice," facing the past Elon Musk says he and Trump administration sometimes have "differences of opinion"
Middle East Eye
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Germany's support for Israel's far-right alliance shatters its 'denazified' facade
Germany prides itself on being a denazified liberal democracy. Yet its unconditional support for Israel is not merely a political position but the core principle of its Staatsrason - a national doctrine holding that support for Israel is central to post-Holocaust Germany, and thus the very foundation of the German state's legitimacy. This position is inherently contradictory, as liberal democracy, by definition, cannot be reconciled with support for genocide carried out by a fascist apartheid state - let alone one openly aligned with far-right regimes. It demands a serious reality check. The reality became glaringly evident when the German Commissioner for Jewish Affairs, Felix Klein, withdrew from an upcoming conference set to be held in Jerusalem on combating antisemitism, upon discovering that fascist figures were among the guests. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Mr Klein accepted the invitation months ago, unaware of who else would be attending," his office explained. Klein's withdrawal serves as an implicit admission by the German state that Israel maintains alliances with white supremacists, fascists, Nazis and Holocaust deniers. This, in fact, reveals the core contradiction of Germany's posture: far-right politics are not only tolerated but directly supported - so long as the facade of a liberal, democratic, and denazified Germany is upheld. Old foundations After World War Two, the US swiftly reintegrated former Nazis into West Germany's government to counter the Soviet Union, despite the USSR playing the decisive role in defeating Hitler. Fear of communism led the West to rehabilitate ex-Nazis, who seamlessly rebranded themselves within the new West German state. West German Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966-69) exemplified this continuity. Exposed by journalist Beate Klarsfeld, he had deep ties to top Nazis like Joachim von Ribbentrop and Joseph Goebbels, actively engaging in Nazi propaganda and collaborating closely with the SS. By 1957, a staggering 77 percent of senior officials in West Germany's Justice Ministry were former Nazi Party members But Kiesinger was far from an anomaly - many of West Germany's postwar institutions were built on Nazi foundations. The country's intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), was led by Reinhard Gehlen, Hitler's former head of anti-Soviet intelligence. With CIA backing, Gehlen ran the Gehlen Organisation, an anti-communist espionage network composed of former Nazis, which was officially transformed into the BND in 1956. After the fall of the Nazi regime, the number of former party members in the West German justice ministry did not decline. On the contrary, their presence increased throughout the 1950s - culminating in 1957, when a staggering 77 percent of senior officials were former Nazi Party members. Given this deep institutional continuity, it is unsurprising that West Germany actively allied itself with white supremacist, fascist, and Nazi-linked regimes. Beyond mere complicity, Germany played a direct role in supporting fascist regimes worldwide - an involvement that persists to this day. West Germany backed apartheid-era South Africa, military dictatorships in Argentina and Chile, and Portugal's brutal colonial wars in Africa. It maintained close ties with Francisco Franco's fascist regime in Spain, offering it significant support. Moreover, West German mercenaries fought alongside Rhodesia's white supremacist military, further entrenching the country's role in upholding global fascism. Strategic alliances A unified Germany continued this legacy, with Angela Merkel openly supporting Aleksandar Vucic's authoritarian, fascist regime in Serbia - despite full knowledge of his long record of genocide denial and glorification of the 1990s atrocities and apartheid-like ideologies, in which he was directly involved. During the Srebrenica Genocide on 20 July 1995, Vucic - then a member of parliament - stood in the Serbian national assembly and issued a chilling threat to deter international intervention: "If you bomb, if you kill one Serb, we will kill a hundred Muslims. Let's see if anyone in the international community dares to attack Serbian positions," he said. What is behind Germany's complicity in Israel's Gaza genocide? Read More » Another figure Serbia has not only rehabilitated but actively glorified is Dragoljub Draza Mihailovic, a convicted war criminal and Nazi collaborator responsible for the mass slaughter of tens of thousands of Bosniaks during the Second World War. In addition, the country is now in the process of rehabilitating Milan Nedic, who served as prime minister from 1941 to 1944, overseeing a regime that played a direct role in the Holocaust. Under Nedic's rule, Belgrade became the first city in Europe to be declared Judenfrei - free of Jews. At the time, Serbian authorities proudly boasted of their "achievement" to the Nazis, seeking to elevate their status. By the end of the war, approximately 90 percent of Serbia's Jewish population had been eradicated. Germany's unwavering support for both Israel and Serbia reveals its entrenched complicity in global authoritarian and racist alliances. This alliance was made public when Serbian police allegedly deployed a sonic weapon - reportedly supplied by Israel - against peaceful anti-corruption protesters in Belgrade in blatant violation of Serbian law. Further underscoring this partnership, Serbian arms exports to Israel soared in 2024. Inviting fascism One of the most revealing recent examples of these alliances is the invitation of Milorad Dodik to a state-sponsored Israeli conference on combating antisemitism. Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, is best known for his repeated denial of the Obmana - the genocide of Bosniaks between 1992 and 1995. On 14 March, Bosnia's state prosecutors issued arrest warrants for three top Bosnian Serb officials, including Dodik himself. Despite this, Dodik is listed as a speaker on the Israeli conference's official website. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage for all the latest on the Israel-Palestine war The two-day event, scheduled for 26-27 March and organised by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, aims to bring together hundreds of experts, activists, government officials, civil society organisations, Jewish community representatives, researchers, and students from Israel and abroad to discuss contemporary antisemitism. Eli Tauber, a historian and member of the Jewish community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, criticised Dodik's invitation: "What is he doing there? Those who invited him should have known who he is and what he stands for. Whether they overlooked this intentionally or by accident, the responsibility lies entirely with them." Tauber further argued that Dodik's participation serves to push Islamophobic narratives about Bosnia. "Dodik has no place at a conference on antisemitism," Tauber concluded. Tauber's critique, however, misses a deeper historical reality: Israel's invitation of fascist figures like Dodik is not a mistake, but a continuation of a political strategy rooted in the very foundations of Zionism. Weaponising antisemitism Theodor Herzl, the founding figure of political Zionism, famously wrote in his diaries: "The antisemites will become our most dependable friends, the antisemitic countries our allies." This was not a moment of cynicism or despair, but a clear articulation of Zionism's strategic logic. Herzl understood that the very forces seeking to expel Jews from Europe could be leveraged to support the Zionist project of Jewish colonisation in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration was never an act of humanitarianism - it was a colonial project rooted in imperial interests and antisemitic logic By aligning with antisemites who wanted Jews out of Europe, Zionism positioned itself as a "solution" to the so-called "Jewish Question" - not by demanding equality within Europe, but by facilitating Jewish removal and resettlement elsewhere. Arthur Balfour, the British statesman behind the infamous Balfour Declaration of 1917, exemplifies this dynamic. A known antisemite, Balfour had earlier sponsored the 1905 Aliens Act - the first British law explicitly aimed at restricting Jewish immigration, particularly of Eastern European Jews fleeing pogroms in the Russian Empire. Seeing these Jews as a destabilising presence, Balfour sought to exclude them from Britain. Yet it was precisely this exclusionary mindset that made him a natural ally of the Zionist movement. By backing a Jewish homeland in Palestine, Balfour could rid Britain of unwanted refugees while appearing to champion Jewish self-determination. The Zionist movement embraced Balfour - and the British Empire - not despite his antisemitism, but because of it. The Balfour Declaration was never an act of humanitarianism - it was a colonial project rooted in imperial interests and antisemitic logic. Far-right friends This historical pattern did not end with Herzl or Balfour. To this day, the Zionist movement and the Israeli state have consistently aligned themselves with far-right and antisemitic forces to advance their geopolitical goals. Israel's far-right "friends" have included former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, infamous for his racist, homophobic, and antisemitic remarks - among them favourable comparisons to Hitler and mockery of Holocaust victims. Despite this, he visited Israel, participated in a memorial at Yad Vashem with Netanyahu, and signed new oil and arms deals. On 14 March, he made his first appearance at the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity over his deadly war on drugs. Furthering the 'far-right international': Likud joins the Patriots for Europe Read More » Across the world, right-wing movements idolise Israel as a model of European domination over indigenous populations. They view its demographic policies - from deportations and incarceration to apartheid walls - as a blueprint for their own nationalist agendas. In Europe, far-right parties like Austria's FPO and Germany's AfD incorporate Zionism into their racist ideologies while glorifying Nazi collaborators. The FPO uses Zionism as a concealment strategy for being "antisemitic to its core", yet its true character repeatedly surfaces - from torchlight processions and Nazi songs to leader Herbert Kickl downplaying SS crimes and styling himself as "Volkskanzler" in imitation of Hitler, to members giving Nazi salutes. Germany's AfD is not far behind: leaders like Bjorn Hocke and Alexander Gauland have mocked Holocaust remembrance, praised German soldiers in both world wars, and dismissed Nazi atrocities as a "speck of bird poop" in German history. Party members were also caught attending secret meetings with extremists to plan mass deportations. Figures like Dutch Islamophobe Geert Wilders and Sweden's far-right Democrats champion Israel's illegal West Bank settlements as the vanguard of western Judeo-Christian civilisation and frame Islam as a shared enemy. Wilders has even publicly advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians. No anomaly Herzl's chilling prediction that antisemites would become Zionism's "most dependable friends" was not an anomaly. It remains a core strategy of Zionism today. From Balfour to Orban, from Duterte to Dodik, Israel's alliances with the far right continue to support its colonial domination over Palestinians - all while claiming to represent global Jewish safety. By supporting Israel unconditionally, Germany does not merely tolerate its far-right alliances - it helps legitimise them on the world stage At their core, critiques like Tauber's, which suggest that such alliances are aberrations or mistakes, fail to understand Israel and overlook the deliberate logic behind its invitation to Dodik. Dodik fits seamlessly into the mould of Islamophobic fascists, white supremacists, and Holocaust revisionists whom the Israeli state has openly embraced. His presence at the conference only reinforces a deeper truth: Germany is not denazified. The Nunzis - the Nazi grandchildren who claim to uphold liberal democracy while preserving the ideological legacy of their forebears - merely maintain the illusion of a transformed state. By supporting Israel unconditionally, Germany does not merely tolerate its far-right alliances - it helps legitimise them on the world stage. In doing so, it embraces - whether it admits it or not - the very fascist forces it once claimed to oppose. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Sky News
27-01-2025
- General
- Sky News
King delivers speech to Holocaust survivors on 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation
The King has delivered a speech to Holocaust survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. "It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long for the world," he said on a visit to the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow, which he opened in 2008. The King's visit marks the first time that a British monarch visits Auschwitz, the concentration camp where more than a million people were murdered at the hands of the Nazi regime. Charles will join survivors and other dignitaries at the site, where a ceremony will be held at 3pm UK time. "The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task, and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future," the King said. "Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn." He went on to say there is "no greater symbol" of that rebirth than the centre he is speaking in itself. "In a post-Holocaust world projects such as this, this centre is how we recover our faith in humanity," he said. "They also show us there is much work still to be done," he says, adding that it's important not just to remember the past, "but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations". "This remains the sacred task of us all." Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
