Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Back in March I attended a talk by eminent Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis. During the question and answer session a questioner asked him about the odd phenomenon of Philosemitism that exists in some sectors. For instance, in Prague - who's Jewish community's structures were left in place by the Nazis to serve as a sort of museum to an extinct race - there occurs the odd spectacle of Jewish festival events held in which none of the actors are Jews, to which Professor Lewis sardonically quipped, "Yes, they like it that way."
I was reminded of that anecdote while reading this story of a Kristallnacht commemoration march in Norway - in which Jewish symbols were forbidden. (via Eurabian Times):
In some circles, the Holocaust is just a club of convenience - used to bludgeon political enemies and then cast away. If simple slogans like "We are against racism" run into the reality of real, living Jews and the real, living politics they bring with them, it's the people who are cast aside in favor of the slogans - and we all know what country the average European Leftist considers to be home to today's real racists.
The group's web page states that the group is a-political. But in effect, they've co-opted Kristallnacht - a particularly Jewish event - and sought to turn it generic.
It's wrong...but ironic. They've actually managed to erase the Jews, just like...well, you know.
Update: Sounds like something similar happened, unsurprisingly, in Sweden.
Update: Much more here.
Update: Yet more here.
Link
Older article but worth a look again
Of course, the real story just isn't that juicy.
http://blog.bearstrong.net/001500.html
Thanks for stopping by Oyvind. I've actually been following that thread. The tack you guys are taking is that in fact, Jews were not banned from the event - something I didn't state here - and are still debating how welcome any overtly Jewish symbols were. My problem is with any Kristallnacht commemoration that seeks to turn the even generic. I'm also not particularly sympathetic with an event of this kind that does not allow the Israeli flag. This is symptomatic of a certain decay in the Euro-Left and even bastardization of the words "anti-racist" (in the way that the people from International ANSWER render the expression meaningless) that I find scornworthy.
I will add that I have personally been in contact with several people in the Jewish society in Norway, including Christine Mohn in the Norwegian Association against Anti-Semitism, who is a member of the Jewish congregation in Oslo.
While critical of SOS Rasismes use of the anniversary for other political issues these sources have told me that Jews were present and that they experienced no problems being there. The only Jews not allowed to be present were a small group connected to the far right Democratic Party and the extreme anti-Islamic group Forum Against Islamization. Two of them were later expelled from the Jewish congregation in Oslo because of this.
I have also written about a possible solution to make the commemoration more including for both Jews and non-Jews on the link above.
Øyvind
Press release from Det Mosaiske Trossamfund (Jewish society of Norway, my note), 16.11.04. By Rolf Kirschner, president of Det Mosaiske Trossamfund.
Unfair critique of SOS Rasisme
Det Mosaiske Trossamfund has noted that a debate has evolved in the media after a group of people were stopped by the police in connection with SOS Rasismes demonstration in memory of the Kristallnacht, 9th November.
In connection with this there have been accusations against SOS Rasisme that we want to comment:
It is in no way right that DMT as a congregation or Jews as individuals were unwanted in connection with the demonstration. We find it regrettable that such claims have been raised. It's also completely unknown for us that Jewish symbols, like the Star of David, should have been unwanted in this connection. What we were told, and found to be a correct decision is that [SOS Rasisme] did not want to allow national flags in the demonstration. As far as we know, this was done to prevent the demonstration from ending up being a demonstration with connections to the Middle Eastern-conflict or the war in Iraq.
DMT was invited to take part in the arrangement, but we refused. This is because of our scepticism to the development of the arrangement in Oslo the last few years, because the demonstration in our opinion has developed into a political manifestation that go far beyond the original intention. For us who are surviors and decendants of those who survived the atrocities of the Nazis it is worrying that forces that in many ways use the same argumentation against Jews as the fascists and Nazis once did are invited to take part in such a commemoration. To put it even clearer:
The Kristallnacht was the start of the Nazi persecution of Jews in Europe, and what happened this night was to a large degree attacks on Jewish stores and institutions. Today we see that groups on the far left wing of the political spectre and some Muslim groups (that we hope are not representative for most Muslims) use the same means. Jewish schools, retirement homes, graveyards and society houses is being attacked over almost the whole of Europe, as is Israeli embassies and consulates. There has been signs of this also here at home, and it is mainly the same groups that are being these actions here as in the rest of the world. For us as Jews it is impossible to take part in a commemoration against racism when other participants carry posters that, in Arabic, have clearly racist messages. We are however aware that SOS Rasisme has noticed this and that they made every attempt to prevent such things this year. The arranger deserves good words for this, and therefore we find the critique against them regrettable in this connection.
Eventhough we have been critical to parts of the commemoration we have had, as a Jewish congregation, no wish to stand in the way of the yearly arrangements, or any wish to damage them in any way. We have also in no way encouraged our members to keep away from the demonstrations.
As Norwegian Jews we are concerned with dialog as a way to reach increased understanding. Therefore we dissociate ourselves from any action that front confrontation and build up under more opposition and hate between [different] groups. That is why we found it very unwise of some of our members to act in a way that clearly would have been provocative on the others that took part in the commemoration 9th of November. That we were made aware that people that are connected to extreme right groups was a part of this made it unbearable for us. This is why what happened also had the consequense that two of our members were excluded from our congregation.
It is repeatedly said that there is an increasing anti-Semitism in the society. To a certain degree this is also correct, but in the debate that has surfaced now, it is important for us that the Jewish society in Norway does not experience this as a immidiate problem. We see the tendencies, we warn against them and we are glad to see that both the government and the public sphere raise the issue. It is therefore completely wrong to claim that Jews feel unwanted in Norway, or that anti-Semitism has reached a level creating problems. It is simply not right, and such claims should not be used unless a situation arises where it is necessary. And with the help of G-d we hope that this will never be a case.