Posted on 01/29/2018 4:44:08 PM PST by IsraelBeach
Israel President Rivlin Addresses Poland, Anti-Semitism At Holocaust Remembrance
By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Athens, Greece — January 29, 2018 … Israeli President Rivlin commented on Poland’s denial of its role in the Holocaust.
Rivlin, who is visiting Greece, stated that in relation to the new Polish legislation that Poland’s decision to place in prison those who speak of Poland’s complicity with Nazi Germany is a reminder that it is still beholden upon Israel, all Jews and Christians to fight for the memory of the Holocaust, as it happened. Research into the Holocaust must be free, open, and sincere. The duty to remember is a duty to recognize, to know, to try and understand what happened. With the aim to ensure, Never Again.”
“We are witnessing the return of anti-Semitic, racist and neo-Nazi outlooks, many manifestations of anti-Semitism are once again reverberating around the world, radical movements are gaining strength, the new right-wing parties are winning electoral achievements – Jews feel less secure in their countries – these are phenomena that should be denounced.
We must not give in to anti-Semitism or xenophobia, we must fight anti-Semitism, racism and hatred of every kind.”
“We must firmly oppose those who conceal anti-Semitism under the guise of delegitimizing Israel – as well as extreme right-wing parties which do not hide their anti-Semitic background, but declare that they love Israel. There is no such thing as loving Israelis and hating Jews, or loving Jews but hating Israelis.”
President Reuven Rivlin this evening, addressed a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, held by the Jewish community in Athens.
In attendance were Holocaust survivors from the Greek Jewish community, among them; Itzik Mizen, 90, who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau; Frances Hogo, 90, who survived Bergen Belsen; Fortunita Hananel Gani, 91, who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau; and David Moshe, 95, who survived Mauthausen. Also attending was Greece’s Education and Religious Affairs Minister, and the Speaker of the Greek Parliament.
“Seventy-three years have passed since the flames of the Auschwitz crematoria were put out” began the President and continued, “Auschwitz has become a symbol of the whole Jewish Holocaust. The United Nations decided that 27th January – the day that soldiers of the Red Army entered Auschwitz and freed the inmates – should be an international day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust. And yet, on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the lower house of the Polish Parliament passed a law to criminalize talk of “crimes of the Polish nation”, threatening custodial sentences those who use different expressions.
This decision is a reminder that it is still beholden upon us to fight for the memory of the Holocaust, as it happened. Research into the Holocaust must be free, open, and sincere. Just as was said by the former Polish President, “One cannot fake history, nor rewrite it, nor hide the truth. Every crime, every offence must be condemned, denounced, must be examined and exposed.” So he said.”
“The Jewish people, the State of Israel, and the entire world must ensure that the Holocaust is recognized for its horrors and atrocities. Also among the Polish nation there were those who aided the Nazis in their crimes. We will not forget that.
There were also others among them who struggled to save the lives of Jews and were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. Our obligation as children of the Jewish nation, to the memory of our brothers and sisters who were murdered will always be above all other considerations.
The duty to remember is a duty to recognize, to know, to try and understand what happened. To understand how the most terrible destruction in history was made possible. With the aim to ensure, Never Again.”
“In recent years there has been increased interest in the Holocaust of Greek Jewry, and I want to thank the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, and the Government of Greece for their efforts to deepen the knowledge and remembrance in this field,” said the President. He continued, “Tomorrow I will participate in the corner stone laying ceremony for the Holocaust Museum in Thessaloniki.
Last year, an agreement was signed between the Greek Education Ministry and Yad VaShem in Jerusalem, to train teachers on educating about the Holocaust. Around two decades ago the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a book on Greeks who were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and just a week ago another book by Gerorge Pilichos, the most comprehensive documentation of Greek Jews and Christians sent to Auschwitz. And yet, we still do not know enough about the Holocaust of Greek Jews.”
Rivlin added: “We are witnessing the return of anti-Semitic, racist and neo-Nazi activity, many manifestations of anti-Semitism are once again reverberating around the world, radical movements are gaining strength, the new right-wing parties are winning electoral achievements with the use of anti-Semitic slogans.
These things are happening not centuries after Auschwitz, and not in distant lands. They are happening now on European soil, and elsewhere. Jews feel less secure in their countries, there are those who are forced to hide their Jewishness – these are phenomena that should be denounced. We must not give in to anti-Semitism or xenophobia, we must fight anti-Semitism, racism and hatred of every kind.
This is the time for public diplomacy and education! Against xenophobia, against racism, and against anti-Semitism.”
“Those who enter into an alliance with anti-Semites and anti-Semitism, those who adopt their language, have no part in the family of nations. We must firmly oppose those who hide their anti-Semitism under the guise of delegitimizing the State of Israel. As well as extreme right-wing parties that do not hide their anti-Semitic background, but repeatedly declare that they love the State of Israel.
There is no such thing as loving Israelis and hating Jews, or loving Jews, but hating Israelis.”
Earlier, the President met with leaders of the Jewish community, including the President of the Jewish Communities of Greece and Vice President of the World Jewish Congress, David Saltiel, and President of the Athens Jewish Community, Minos Moissis, along with representatives from Jewish communities in Volos, Chalcis, Larissa, Corfu, Kavala, and Trikala.
“All the children of Israel are responsible one for another,” the President said, “This is true today more than ever”. He said, “The Holocaust harmed the Jewish people, but it also damaged humanity. This harm can only be healed through education in an uncompromising struggle against all hatred or racism”. He praised the community and its leaders for its success in playing an important role in this, and for preserving the community.
Earlier in the day, the President and First Lady participated in the “7 in 70” event, during which a medal of recognition was awarded by the Israeli Ambassador to Greece, to Greek citizens who have made significant contributions to the relationship between Greece and Israel over the seven decades of Israel’s independence. Seven recipients were awarded the honor for their contributions in the fields of politics, culture, economy, sport, music, Jewish communal relations, and literature.
“Our two peoples are brother nations. And there were those who once said, ‘twin souls’,” said the President, “Today, in this joint event, we cherish the men and women who built and build the connection between Greece and Israel”.
“You, the men and the women at the heart of this event, you are our muses in building the bonds and laying the bridges between the nations, between our peoples. Connections built under the guidance of successive Greek prime ministers, presidents, foreign ministers of the Hellenic Republic, members of parliament.”
“Today, as Israel celebrates 70 years of its independence, we are pleased to recognize each and every one of you for your contribution to the ties between Israel and Greece.”
Israel is having a hissy fit over the new Polish law which I don’t agree with this Polish because it criminalizes people for what they say.
Its an anti-speech law in essence.
The Israelis by their noise making are doing something here.
They are helping the EU and other anti-Polish government entities like Soros funded NGO’s to paint Poland’s government in a negative light.
Why make an enemy of a friend? Poles were also victims of the Nazis AND the Soviets. This is not the best path.
Ps to Rivlin,you are quoted as mentioning right wing antiSemitism. Ok. But please remember that the vast majority of the worst, most deadly anti- semitism has proven to come from the left ( national socialism, communism, some of the Extreme leftwing DNC in recent years, etc). Please be alert to the hatemongers on the left also. Thanks.
Stop yelling at the good child, Israel.
They can go shove it, While I don’t agree with the polish law for freedom of speech purposes the fact that POLAND is one of the safest countries for WOMEN to visit because they have been keeping out the ISLAMIC RAPE-U-GEES unlike Germany and Sweden which have both become shit-hole countries.
Anyone worrying about Poland becoming anti-Semitic is not seeing the literal MILLIONS of anti-Semitic being imported into the EU by the like of Frau Merkel and the rest of the beta-male Ethno-Cucks in the EU parliament.
On that list of worrying about jew hating, Poland is waaay the hell on the bottom of that list of anti-Semitic countries to worry about....PERIOD
Poland was a place of refuge for Jews for 500 years until succumbing to Russian interference (and eventually German invasion). Jews aren’t permanently safe anywhere, even the USA, outside of the Land of Israel.
Poland seems historically less guilty of Jew-hate than most of Western Civilization.
Rivlin should give it a rest and say Kaddish.
This attack on Poland reflects the reality that Israel considers Shia Islamic Iran its worst enemy so it aligns itself with Sunni Islamic Saudi Arabia, the perp of the Syrian Civil War and the Muslim “migrants” Poland is trying to keep from crossing its borders.
The crying about the Holocaust is getting as bad as the crying about slavery.
We really need to get past this.
Haven’t the Germans limited some “free speech” as related to World War II? Why not allow the Poles too? “Polish Death Camps”, didn’t Obama say something like this?
Netanyahu also got behind this, I hope he wouldn’t let Soros influence him per another posting here.
Those were the camps of the Nazis, I’m sure in every country the Nazis invaded, they had collaborators (same for Japan in invading the countries it did, I know they did in some countries). It’s grossly unfair to call them “Polish death camps”, Obama made this gaffe and apologized for it. See: https://www.yahoo.com/news/obama-says-regrets-polish-death-camp-gaffe-110255389.html
Facts don’t matter. There appears to be anti-Polish bigotry among some of Israel’s politicians. Thankfully most Israelis understand that Poland is on the right side against Israel’s enemies. Really dumb to keep poking allies and friends in the eye. Every. Single. Country. invaded by the Nazi’s had a scumbags that worked with them. Hell, there were even Jewish among the collaborators.
“” “” Poland seems historically less guilty of Jew-hate than most of Western Civilization.”” “”
That might be true but for some weird reason most of so-called ‘pogroms’ took place in Poland. And Holocaust has mostly happened in Poland too.
As for Israel-Polish friendship:
Palestine has Poland’s ‘unswerving support’
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reaffirmed Poland’s support for Palestinian independence on Wednesday during a meeting of the Joint Polish-Palestinian Ministerial Committee.
http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/154287,Palestine-has-Polands-unswerving-support
Also in 2010 Poland hunted and deported for trial a Mossad agent suspected of killing a Hamas official in Germany.
Apparently, there were a lot of Jews in Poland in the 1940s, if there were “pogroms” against Jews in the past, that makes me wonder about history. I don’t fault the Chinese for the Japanese whipping the stuffing out of parts of China in World War II.
The Germans or Nazis if one must, set up and built the concentration camps in primarily Germany and Poland. The camps were filled with Slavs too. We know, Hitler did not like Slavic people as well.
http://levswar.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/8/5/27857003/4768945.png?673 Death camps mainly in Poland.
I would do a lot of research before blaming the victim, Poland in this.
There were actually relatively few Jews in Germany. If Germans wanted to kill them in large numbers, they had to do it in Poland. And that’s what happened.
Ukrainians (who invented pogroms) and Russians were far worse to Jews than Poles.
jjotto , thanks for that.
Also, as for Poland and Palestine, that’s old cold war stuff it looks like if one is including the 1980s. The Soviets and the Warsaw pact countries were partners with most of those Arabic countries.
Actually it’s still about Germany.
The anti-Israel trend in EU has got a significant boost since left leaning liberals started the domination over German government around 2000.
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