They Should Be Ashamed
The victim has become the abuser. We’ve seen this plot play out in our families, the lives of our friends, and on TV. We recognize how a person who was maltreated as a child grows up to perpetrate the same sorts of emotional and physical abuse on their children. We also know that sometimes the abuser acknowledges the harm they are causing and changes their ways.
It’s time for the State of Israel to awaken and choose a new path. I believe they are capable, that there are enough menschen (honorable people) left who remember the past and will choose a better future.
How Israel is repeating the Holocaust
The State of Israel was created for and by a people who were terrorized and victimized not only during World War II but for centuries before that. Unfortunately, they seem to be repeating the past, but as perpetrators this time. Here’s a brief overview of how Israel is repeating the Holocaust.
Last-century’s ghetto
Have you heard about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising? (1) It’s a story that gives me chills because of the Jews’ bravery and determination in the face of overwhelming Nazi force.
The Warsaw Ghetto, a walled-off section of the city only for Jews, was created in 1940. Four hundred thousand people were forced to live in less than 3 ½ km². (2) That’s eight times the capacity of Yankee Stadium in a space the size of Central Park, New York City. Multiple families and strangers shared crowded homes because there was no other choice.
People only left the ghetto with Nazi permission to perform forced labor, or soldiers would shoot them. Food was scarce, with a daily calorie allotment of around 1100. (3) And medical care was left to whatever the Jewish people themselves could manage inside the walls.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the ghetto inhabitants rose up against their oppressors. The trigger was the forced deportation to death camps in 1942. Once they realized what was happening, the Jews organized their defense with smuggled weapons. They successfully defended one group against German troops.
They were encouraged by this victory and obtained more weapons, trained more defenders, and built bunkers. When the Germans came back in 1943 to empty the ghetto and eliminate all the inhabitants, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began on the eve of Passover. Hundreds of Jews stood their ground against thousands of German troops with tanks. Although they only took out a dozen soldiers, it was enough to make the Nazis retreat.
The Jews maintained their defense day after day for nearly a month. Sometimes, they fought only with their bare fists. A few escaped, some killed themselves, and the rest were murdered or captured.
Hold this story in mind as we review modern conditions in Gaza.
Modern ghetto
The Gaza Strip is significantly larger than the Warsaw Ghetto. However, it has one of the highest population densities in the world. (4) It includes eight refugee camps.
Gaza has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world (5). At the same time, nearly 100% of Palestinian adults can read and write. (6) That’s one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
However, Palestinians don’t have freedom of movement. Gaza is blockaded by Egypt and Israel, who insist on buffer zones. These barriers are on land, air, and sea, and they are constantly shrinking inward, further limiting land where people can live and find food. Previously, they also decided how many calories Gaza residents were allowed. (7)
The state of Israel controls almost all of Gaza’s electricity, water, and telecommunications. (8) If you’ve been watching the news lately, you may have heard that Israel has cut off these essential services and blocked humanitarian aid, including medical supplies. It’s not the first time.
It doesn’t take much thinking to draw parallels between Gaza and the ghettos.
No one is winning this war
In a way, you could compare current events to the story of David and Goliath. Hamas is not nearly as well-equipped as the Israeli Defense Forces. (9, 10) Although Hamas has Iran’s support, Israel has billions of dollars worth of US funding.
Furthermore, the Palestinian people in Gaza are literally trapped in the middle. They can’t leave the conflict and flee to another country. Israel directs them to “safe” zones within the Strip, then bombs those areas. (11)
But comparisons aside, this isn’t a situation where single combat will save the day. At the time of writing, approximately 18,000 Palestinians have died and over 1000 Israelis. Each of these lives is precious to someone.
A cease-fire is needed now
I can’t help but think if my home country, the USA, would stop funding this war, that Israel might pause the genocide of the Palestinian people. If enough nations step forward to call for a cease-fire, perhaps Israel and Hamas might listen.
I know that there are Israelis and Jews worldwide who are calling for peace. I’ve seen them protesting in defense of Palestinians. They are aware of the Holocaust’s consequences for the victims and the perpetrators.
People can learn about the past and choose to create a better future.
It’s possible, it’s doable, and it’s necessary right now.
Sources: (all accessed 08 December 2023)
1. Holocaust Resistance: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (19 April — 16 May, 1943) at The Jewish Virtual Library https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-warsaw-ghetto-uprising
2. Jewish ghettos established by Nazi Germany, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ghettos_established_by_Nazi_Germany
3. Ghettos, History and Overview at The Jewish Virtual Library https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-ghettos
4. Gaza Strip, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip
5. Press Release on the Results of the Labour Force Survey Second Quarter (April–June 2023), Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=4559
6. Defying odds: Palestine has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, by Diana Alghoul, published 06 September 2018, The New Arab https://www.newarab.com/news/palestine-has-one-highest-literacy-rates-globally
7. Israel set calorie limit during Gaza blockade, AlJazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/10/18/israel-set-calorie-limit-during-gaza-blockade
8. Blockade of the Gaza Strip, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockade_of_the_Gaza_Strip
9. How do Hamas and Hezbollah compare with Israel militarily? By Monir Ghaedi, 21 October, 2023, DW (Deutsche Welle)
10. How big is Israel’s military, and how much funding does it get from the US? https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pWbfja6U8cEJ:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/how-big-is-israels-military-and-how-much-funding-does-it-get-from-the-us&hl=en&gl=pt&client=firefox-b-d or https://archive.ph/TMxHd (original link https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/how-big-is-israels-military-and-how-much-funding-does-it-get-from-the-usc was valid until approximately 12:45 UTC 08 December 2023)
11. As Israel’s bombing hits declared ‘safe zones’, Palestinians trapped in Gaza find danger everywhere, published 19 October 2023, PBS https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/as-israels-bombing-hits-declared-safe-zones-palestinians-trapped-in-gaza-find-danger-everywhere
