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Op-Ed: "Complicit": FDR's Refusal to Save the Jews on the MS St. Louis
INN ^ | Sunday, April 19, 2015 7:04 PM | Prof. Phyllis Chesler

Posted on 04/20/2015 8:05:33 AM PDT by Olog-hai

The more we learn about the Holocaust, even as it recedes into the “mists of time,” the more my blood boils, the closer I come to tears.

Last night, I traveled far out into Syrian-Jewish Brooklyn, where there are not only Syrian shuls but Egyptian, Lebanese, and Iraqi shuls as well—sometimes two or three on a single block. […]

Retired lawyer and filmmaker Robert Krakow was screening his film Complicit, which is about America’s and FDR’s refusal, in 1939, to allow the Jewish passengers on the German ship, the MS St. Louis, to enter the country. More than 900 Jews were on board the luxury liner that was sent back to the European death camps. […]

According to Robert Krakow, FDR’s “political ambitions won out over humanitarian need.” Roosevelt wanted to “win a third election.” He therefore decided that he had to convince American voters that he was strongly “isolationist and anti-immigration.” He was enabled in this undertaking by his anti-Semitic advisors, including diplomats such as Joseph Kennedy, FDR’s Ambassador to the UK, who hobnobbed with his Nazi German counterpart and conveyed that many Americans shared Germany’s anti-Semitism. …

(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Egypt; Germany; Israel; Syria; US: Massachusetts; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cannes; complicit; egypt; fdr; france; germany; holocaust; israel; josephkennedy; massachusetts; robertkrakow; syria; theholocaust; unitedkingdom; waronterror
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To: SVTCobra03

Read the posts. Your comments and references are off and in error.


41 posted on 04/20/2015 10:49:26 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: nothingnew

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/03/franklin_roosevelt_ibn_saud_and_american_jews.html


42 posted on 04/20/2015 10:49:48 AM PDT by laotzu
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To: Hostage

What am I talking about? Throwing about the abusive phrase “America-hating Jews” as if that were some sort of major societal problem threatening the USA. Bad enough that Obama himself has been actively alienating religious Jews both here and in Israel.

Shooting the messenger is not valid criticism, especially in defense of FDR, whom you equated with all of “America” in essence. Chesler may be both progressive and feminist, but absolutely not in the sphere of antisemitism and Islam. Nobody’s perfect, and it is still the case that facts need to be faced.


43 posted on 04/20/2015 10:52:43 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Hostage
FDR was not anti-semitic. His administration had more Jewish cabinet members and advisors than any previous presidential administration in the nation’s history.

There was a huge amount of anti semitism expressed by Roosevelt's opposition, spearheaded by Father Coughlin. This is in large part why Jews have been solidly Democratic ever since.

44 posted on 04/20/2015 10:53:04 AM PDT by Bubba Ho-Tep
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To: All
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45 posted on 04/20/2015 10:54:03 AM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep
Coughlin “spearheaded” the opposition to FDR? No. He was once a huge supporter of FDR who soured on him over the New Deal’s results. An organization called the “National Union for Social Justice” was the “spearhead” of GOP opposition, when they were not affiliated with the GOP? which called for bank nationalization and criticized capitalism as heavily as communism?
46 posted on 04/20/2015 10:59:24 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

American Jews are not a homogeneous lot. The NY contingent are especially odious in their political views.

But the liberal NY Jews have a real problem today. Israeli Jews love Ted Cruz and vice versa. The NY liberal Jews hate Israeli Jews and Ted Cruz.

I’ve already placed my bets on whose going to win this beauty contest.


47 posted on 04/20/2015 11:08:06 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Olog-hai

> “Chesler may be both progressive and feminist, but absolutely not in the sphere of antisemitism and Islam.”

“The Enemy of my Enemy is not my Friend”,
-— Benjamin Netanyahu, 2015 before the Congress of the United States of America


48 posted on 04/20/2015 11:11:27 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Hostage
Hostage: "There were many camps where deaths were taking place from horrible conditions and forced labor."

Not so much in 1939, certainly nothing remotely approaching the millions killed in death camps during the war.

In 1939, the basic Nazi idea was to encourage Jews to emigrate to other countries, for example, Palestine:

Yes, there were concentration camps in 1939, but Krystallnacht (November 1938) is the more typical experience:

Bottom line: during the 1930s life for Jews in Nazi Germany became increasingly intolerable, and every Jew who could, eventually chose to emigrate, most to nearby countries like Holland & France.
Sadly, as it turned out, that was not far enough away to escape the coming Holocaust.

Hostage: "Hitler explained the camps were necessary to protect Jews and others from anti-semitic pogroms in the East and also from angry Germans who felt betrayed by Jewish bankers in WW I."

Sorry, FRiend, but I think you are confused about this, and need to spend some serious study time learning real facts of history.

49 posted on 04/20/2015 11:12:55 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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To: Hostage

Wrong context.

Arutz Sheva does not willy-nilly allow ultra-leftist op-eds, to boot. The typical progressive stance on the Jewish State is an anti-Zionist one.


50 posted on 04/20/2015 11:16:14 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Hostage

“Hitler explained”? Hmm. Feelest thou an opus coming on?


51 posted on 04/20/2015 11:17:52 AM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: LS; Cicero; Olog-hai; Hostage
LS: "I think academic scholarship has already come around to the position that FDR screwed the Jews."

While I hate to disagree with you on such an important subject, my guide to this is:

FDR and the Jews (2013) Richard Breiteman

Breitman's thesis is that Roosevelt cared more, and did more than is usually recognized these days.

52 posted on 04/20/2015 11:21:44 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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To: BroJoeK

That quote of Hitler about being protective of the Jews was indeed written in magazines of the time. There were other quotes as well by Hitler that were menacing and clearly meant as warnings for Jews to leave or face consequences.

But in certain instances when Hitler was interviewed and asked about the purpose of the camps, he commented they were for their protection.


53 posted on 04/20/2015 11:23:19 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Olog-hai

This progressive piece that you posted here would never have been viewed by even a fraction of a fraction of conservatives had it not been posted on FR. It’s not worth even a minute to view it outside FR.

But because it’s posted on FR, it gets a read. And the read quickly falls into the category of similar tripe previously posted coming from the same regional and political origins.

This piece is nothing new. But it is new to Freeper newbies on this subject. Now they have the correct view thanks to your truly.


54 posted on 04/20/2015 11:29:17 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: dfwgator
dfwgator: "Hitler speech January 30, 1939: 'Europe will not have peace until the Jewish question has been disposed of...' "

Sure, but the question at hand is whether Jews were being mass-murdered on a "death camp" scale at the time of the MSS St. Louis incident.

The answer is: no, not yet.

55 posted on 04/20/2015 11:29:41 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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To: BroJoeK

True, but I do think it does speak to what Hitler’s eventual plans were. Certainly he did know that a world war was coming because he was already in the planning stages of “Fall Weiss” (The invasion of Poland).


56 posted on 04/20/2015 11:31:45 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Olog-hai
Olog-hai: "They were already talking about “life unworthy of life” in 1939 though..."

I agree, in hind-sight we can look back and see some early warning signs of what was to come during WWII.
But as of pre-war 1939, none of that had yet happened, and nobody then could fully imagine the Holocaust's future horrors.

57 posted on 04/20/2015 11:34:30 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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To: BroJoeK

That’s a good reference. And I have done extensive reading of similar sources. FDR was very accomodating. He truly cared about America. I don’t think he was as intelligent as Reagan or Cruz, but he had no plan to bring this country down. He was at worst disillusioned.

The problem is that the real history, the motivations and sentiments of the people at the time are constantly being attacked by the Left. It is never-ending and historians and commentators have a responsibility to rebut these American hating leftists.

I’ve even heard and read from several leftists that FDR was a ‘Holocaust Denier’. There’s just no end to their insanity.


58 posted on 04/20/2015 11:36:57 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Hostage; Olog-hai; LS
Sounds like you and I are on the same side here.
While there's much I don't like about FDR's socialist leanings, he was not wrong about everything.

It is at least arguable that Roosevelt did all he lawfully could do to help Jews.

Of course, in those days (I know you won't believe this!) a President was still expected to obey the laws, even regarding illegal immigration, in stark contrast to today's President.

And that contrast may explain why the left is taking such a "Roosevelt was evil" approach to this subject.

59 posted on 04/20/2015 11:47:46 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective.)
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To: Olog-hai

> “Wrong context.”

You would be wrong.

Netanyahu has also weighed in on the “Ship of Fools” and the failure of American military to liberate the death camps sooner.

But he did not do it to disparage FDR. He did it to warn Jews everywhere that by the time a Holocaust is upon you, it’s too late to rely on your allies.

It’s very similar to telling Americans to not rely on getting help from a 9-1-1 call because you may be dead before the police arrive. It is better to have a gun in your hands to assure survival.

I have a very dear friend who is quite well-known and I won’t mention his name. But he an older Jew living in Manhattan. He is very wealthy. One of his assets is a high rise covering an entire square block of Manhattan. And his stock holdings are so vast I’ve lost track of his updates to me.

He’s one of the nicest persons anyone could know. He’s also one of the meanest. If a tenant is one day late on the rent, the tenant and their belongings are out on the street the next day. No mercy.

I like most everything about him. He’s ultra-intelligent, detailed and precise.

But when it comes to Israeli Jews, he goes bipolar. He flips and becomes a raging animal. If his finger was on the button, rest assured the missile would be launched.

But his take on the “Ship of Fools” was “let them land anywhere but America”. Go figure.


60 posted on 04/20/2015 11:56:41 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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