“It should come as no surprise to those who have followed the views of leading paleoconservative Pat Buchanan over the decades that Buchanan has written a piece comparing Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk, facing deportation from the US to Germany, to Alfred Dreyfus and, um, Jesus Christ.”
A must-read by Gene at Harry’s Place, citing the invaluable Adam Holland.
Karl Pfeifer will be known to readers of this blog for his regular contributions. What you may not be aware of is that, after surviving the Nazi onslaught in both Austria and Hungary as a child, Karl went to what was then Palestine, where he served with the Palmach during the War of Independence.
Here are two photographs of Karl serving with the Second Regiment of Hativat Hanegev in 1948. In the top photo, Karl is the fellow wearing the scarf. In the photo underneath, Karl is in the center, wearing a steel helmet. As we mark the 61st anniversary of Israel’s independence, Karl’s experience is a reminder of why we shouldn’t take that independence for granted - and why we owe him and his comrades a huge debt of gratitude.
Israel is marking the 61st anniversary of existence as an independent state. They are celebrating. And so are we.
Do read Sara Miller: “I am always in Rabin Square for the siren for the dead, and for the dancing for the living. I am a Zionist, and I am proud. This is my country and I love it. Here I will remain.”
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This is a guest post by Karl Pfeifer, a veteran anti-fascist and journalist based in Vienna.
Austrian law prohibits public denial, belittlement, approval or justification of Nazi genocide or other Nazi crimes against humanity in a print publication, in broadcast, or in other media. The law prohibits public incitement to hostile acts against a church, religious society, or group because of its race, nationality, or ethnicity, if that incitement poses a danger to public order. It also prohibits incitement, insult, or contempt against these groups if it violates human dignity.
A hearty mazal tov to occasional Z Word contributor Terry Glavin, who was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence at the British Columbian Book Prizes ceremony. As anyone who knows Terry and his work will realize, it’s richly deserved.
UPDATE: Vildechaye provides the following clarification at Harry’s Place - third comment down
When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was “Tintin in Tibet”, a rollicking tale of how the tufted one treks through the Himalayas in order to rescue his pal Chang, the sole survivor of a plane crash. Published in 1959, the same year that Chinese forces crushed the Tibetan uprising, the book was not just a breathtaking introduction to the perils of mountaineering. It was instrumental in establishing an emotional bond between western readers and the Tibetan people. Indeed, the Dalai Lama recognized as much when he gave the book an award three years ago.
This is a guest post by Michelle Sieff.
Last Friday, I attended a “Durban Counter Conference” at Fordham Law School in New York. The event was sponsored by the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists and The New York Jewish Week. There were only about 40 people in the room, most of whom were over 50 years old. It was an assembly of alter cockers, an unfashionable scene for sure, nothing like the boho chic Darfur rallies and anti Iraq war protests I had attended in years past.
David Hirsh responds to the absurd attack on him penned by Jacqueline Rose and Antony Lerman (you can read my own debate with Lerman here.)
Continue reading ‘Antisemitism: Hirsh Responds to Rose and Lerman’
I’ve just written and directed a new video for AJC on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. You can watch it on YouTube here.
News of a very exciting initiative via Eric Lee of Labourstart. Trade Unionists Linking Israel and Palestine - TULIP - has just been launched “to challenge the apologists for Hamas and Hizbollah in the labour movement and to fight for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.” Spread the word.
This is a guest post by Karl Pfeifer, a veteran anti-fascist and journalist based in Vienna.
A few months ago, I reported on how the Austrian parliament elected a vice-president, Martin Graf, who remains a life-long member of the extreme right Olympia fraternity (Burschenschaft).
Continue reading ‘Austria’s Far Right Blames the Jews…Again’
This is a guest post by Walter Reich, Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior at George Washington University and a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Walter is a former director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
President Barack Obama will deliver the keynote address at Tuesday’s Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The theme for this year’s ceremony is “Never Again: What You Do Matters.” The theme emphasizes individual responsibility.
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