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Friday, June 6, 1986
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
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© 1986 by The Detroit Jewish News (US PS 275-520)
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CANDLELIGHTING AT 8:46 P.M.
VOL. LXXXIX, NO. 15
Quivering History
Detroit's Holocaust Memorial Center achieved a milestone this week.
The Michigan Senate vote to appropriate $100,000 for the HMC's
operating budget recognizes the outreach nature of the center, and the
thousands of non-Jewish Michigan residents who are utilizing the HMC's
unique facilities.
Although the appropriation still faces political maneuvering and a
legislative conference committee, state recognition and support of the
Holocaust Memorial Center's educational role has important overtones 40
years after the Shoah.
Holocaust revisionists, neo-Nazis and anti-Semites have worked for
years to plant seeds of doubt about the Holocaust in the minds of new
generations which were not born until after the tragic events of World
War II. Those seeds are now starting to sprout anew. Discussions about
"other victims" of the Holocaust, such as Czechs, Poles and other
nationalities, only dilute the unique tragedy and the unique lessons
learned at the cost of six million Jewish lives.
Denying the uniqueness of Jews as the targets of Nazism denies
the lessons of the Holocaust experience: the isolation and brutalization of
a group of people for the political ends of another. Failure to recognize
and understand the Nazis' isolation process only hastens the day when
Jews, and other groups, can be singled out as targets by a ruthless
majority. It also ignores the role of "other victims" in the destruction of
European Jewry.
The Michigan Senate has taken a major step by placing the
Holocaust Memorial Center on equal footing with other museums in
Michigan. State assistance will help strengthen the flickering lessons
achieved at the expense of six million Jewish martyrs.
OP-ED
Fight Against Anti-Semitism:
Time For Stronger Tactics
BY BERL FALBAUM
Special to The Jewish News
Does anti-Semitic political
strategy promote anti-Semitism?
When faced with anti-Semitism, is it
better for Jews to turn the other
cheek? Do protests exposing anti-
Semitism provoke new anti-Jewish
feelings?
These are the kind of questions
which have been debated in the
Jewish community for years. The
constant fear, still very profound, is
that when Jews protest against
bigotry they give rise to either re-
newed feelings of anti-Semitism or
actually give birth to anti-Jewish
feelings.
But it is time that Jews — as a
culture — recognize:
• The moral obligation of pro-
testing anti-Semitism regardless of
the consequences.
• The argument that protests
breed anti-Semitism is simply not
true; indeed it is a contradiction. It
implies that if the protests were not
made, anti-Semitism would not
flourish. If that were true, the
argument whether to protest would,
of course, not be necessary.
• Appeasement of bigotry and
prejudice has never served any cul-
ture, particularly Jews.
• A passive posture gives anti-
Semites reassurance that Jews have
learned little in the thousands of
years of persecution, culminating in
the unimaginable Holocaust.
• Anti-Semites assume — and
rightly so — that they can spew
their hatred unchallenged.
Frankly, it is time for the
Jewish people to step up to anti-
Semitism as blacks have confronted,
successfully, radial discrimination.
Indeed, it is somewhat ironic
that Jews participated in the civil
rights marches • and protests, rarely
raising the argument that the pro-
tests would increase racial polariza-
tion. Yet, these same Jews and
others have yet to even consider a
picket line or mass demonstration
against anti-Semitism.
It is true that blacks considered
the same argument when Rosa
Parks initiated the civil rights
movement by refusing to give up her
seat to a white man on a bus. Her
Jews, who participated in
the civil rights marches
and protests . . . have yet
to consider a picket line
or mass demonstration
against anti-Semitism.
historic gesture gave rise within the
black community to arguments that
she and the succeeding protests
would only heighten anti-black feel-
ings.
But under the leadership of the
late Rev. Martin Luther King and
other civil rights leaders, blacks rec-
ognized and accepted the premise
that the only way to counter bigotry
is to confront it. And blacks have
been successful in creating a
psychological acceptance of their
protests. There are no cries from
South Africa that racial protests in
this country or throughout the world
against apartheid are an interfer-
ence in the political process of that
country. At least, they receive little
political credence. •
Yet, the Soviets and now the
Austrians frequently use that de-
fense when Jews protest the Russian
persecutions and point to the back-
ground of Kurt Waldheim who may
very well lead the Austrians as
president.
Continued on Page 12
Israeli Justice?
The Israeli Cabinet's decision this week to replace the Attorney
General who went against its wishes in ordering a criminal investigation
of the head of Shin Beth, the internal security organization, will not put
an end to the questions he sought to raise.
The issues raised here are basic ones, involving the need to maintain
the highest degree of security vs. the need to maintain the highest degree
of democracy.
It is clear that Israel faces extraordinary pressures and that its first
responsibility is to protect its citizens. Some point out that the events in
question took place during a crisis and that the terrorists were beaten to
extract vital information about whether or not there was a bomb on board
the bus. But others worry about a nation that condones execution before -
indictment, no matter how extenuating the circumstance.
Replacing Attorney General Zamir may be a temporary solution to "
making public an inquiry into this matter, but Zamir has turned over his
files to the police and the investigation ,should not be abandoned. Perhaps
a secret investigation is the solution, given the importance of keeping
Shin Beth personnel and operational procedures out of the public eye. But
Israel must pursue this case, painful as it may be, because she cannot
allow her democratic principles to be compromised.
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