Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)


German Guilt Diffusion At Yad Vashem Christianity Blamed Alba


The Holocaust Memorial Museum: Sacred Secular Space, by Avril Alba. 2015

At Yad Vashem: German Guilt Diffusion and Blame-Christianity Approach. Norman G. Finkelstein Was Right About Presumed “Holocaust Uniqueness” as a Rationalization for Holocaust Supremacism

In this so-so book, I focus on a few relevant issues:

SHIFTING THE BLAME FOR THE HOLOCAUST AWAY FROM THE GERMANS—WHERE IT BELONGS—AND ONTO CHRISTIANITY

Note that, while never once using the word “German”, author Avril Alba writes, “The display then continues to contextualize the experience of Nazi persecution within the long history of Christian anti-Semitism in Europe. The emphasis on anti-Semitism as the precursor and backdrop to Nazi racial anti-Semitism as the precursor and backdrop to Nazi racial anti-Semitism frames the Holocaust in explicitly ‘non-universalist’ terms. For example, short shrift is given to other factors pertinent to the persecution of Europe’s Jews, such as totalitarianism, fascism and Nazi race science. Some members of Yad Vashem’s historical theme expressed discomfort with this emphasis, particularly the lack of space dedicated to the radical nature of Nazi race science. While these factors are not totally absent, the display clearly points toward Christian and modern anti-Semitism as constituting the crucible in which the radical nature of Nazi racial anti-Semitism was forged.” (p. 114).

In other words, the blame-shifting at Yad Vashem not only exists, but is evidently so egregious that even some Jewish scholars have expressed opposition to it. Moreover, whatever the acknowledged German guilt affirmation that takes place at all, even THAT is subsumed within the broader meme of blaming Christianity for the Holocaust!

NORMAN G. FINKELSTEIN RIGHT: “UNIQUE SUFFERING CONFERS UNIQUE ENTITLEMENT” [p. 47 of THE HOLOCAUST INDUSTRY]

Author Avila Alba, using different words, and with especial reference to the USHMM (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum), almost echoes Norman G. Finkelstein as he writes, “Scholarly debate over Holocaust ‘uniqueness’ has now largely dissipated. However, at the time of the Commission’s deliberations it was an unavoidable question, LINKED AS IT WAS TO THE NEED TO JUSTIFY THE BUILDING ON U.S. FEDERAL LAND A MUSEUM/MEMORIAL DEDICATED TO A GENOCIDE PERPETRATED ON FOREIGN SOIL.” (p. 49; Emphasis added). What could be clearer?

“METAHISTORY” OR “METAPHYSICALLY TRUE”—OR WHAT DO FACTS MATTER?

Elie Wiesel claimed that the Nazis persecuted Jews before they persecuted anybody else. This is incorrect. The Nazis first persecuted the disabled in the “T4” operations. (p. p. 53). But who cares? Author Alba essentially endorses a Holocaustspeak doublethink as he quotes Michael Berenbaum in defense of Wiesel’s transparently false statement, “‘It was historically false but metaphysically true…” (p. 54). Elsewhere, Alba refers to “the metahistorical centrality in the USHMM’s vision”. (p. 72).

One can almost cynically ask, “So long as it benefits the Jews, what does it matter if it is factual or not?”

We once again hear the premise that the Shoah was “irrational” in that it was conducted “for neither territorial nor economic advantage.” (p. 49). But SO WHAT? And tell this tale to those Nazis that had gotten the contents of trainloads upon trainloads of booty from the murdered Jews.

Enter the equally false canned argument about the Nazis seeking the death of every single Jew (tell it to the Jewish Honorary Aryans), which is once again repeated in this book (p. 49, 53, 54), and the more false premise that, even were it valid, it would justify the preeminence of the Jews’ Holocaust over the genocides of all other peoples.

DESPITE THE PASSING OF ELIE WIESEL, THE MYSTIFICATION OF THE HOLOCAUST REMAINS VERY MUCH IN FORCE

Alba writes, “Thirty-five years have passed since Wiesel’s chairmanship of the USHMC, but his views on the Holocaust as ‘sacred mystery’ have remained constant”. (p. 55).

Funny how we never hear reference to any other genocide as “sacred mystery”. Is this racism, or what?

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