8/17/2019 Yom Hashoah

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 Thank you Netanel for your response, and thank you to everyone for keeping this

conversation civilized. First, I’d like to clarify. I have no problem with om !a"hoah

in general, what I do have a problem with, is holocaust victims being used as

political points, and #ews being tacit during other genocides.

$ften, people use the holocaust in order to %ustify the e&istence of Israel 'which

doesn’t need to be %usti(ed). om !a"hoah was not even originally meant tocommemorate the fallen. It was put near the day of the *arsaw +hetto prising,

and in the month of Nissan. If we wanted to have a solemn day, we wouldn’t put it

on an uprising, in a celebratory month. -aybe, ristallnacht, in -ar /heshvan would

be a better (t. 0ecause of placement and other factors, om !a"hoah has become a

glori(cation of our strength 'which is not a bad thing, but om !a"hoah isn’t the

right time).

 om !a"hoah has become a time for nationalist ideologues and young Israelis to

drape themselves in the 1ag and cheer as if we have %ust won a football match, not

as if we are remembering victims. *e use om !a"hoah to compare our national

struggle to those of victims in the holocaust. The two events aren’t analogous.*hile it is true that Iran and most 2alestinians would wipe us out in a heartbeat, if

they only had the chance, the fact is that they don’t have that chance. 3nd we

shouldn’t compare our struggle now, to the death of millions. It seems utterly

disrespectful

*e often %ustify the e&istence of Israel on the backs of holocaust victims. *hile the

!olocaust is a reason why Israel e&ists, we shouldn’t %ustify our e&istence on that

alone. Is it not enough to say that 4retz isroel was the land promised to the #ews5

Is it not enough to say that the #ewish people deserve a state, like any other nation5

*e don’t need to %ustify the e&istence of a state on the backs of martyrs 'many of

which didn’t support 6ionism). The return to Israel was our goal ever since the

beginning of our e&ile 'l’shana haba b’yerushalayim). *hen 6ionism became amodern political movement with Theodor !erzl, he didn’t need a holocaust to %ustify

it. For Theodor !erzl, and for all 6ionists pre789:9, it was enough to say that the

 #ews should have a state because we are a distinct nation, and our homeland was

promised to us.

3nd to go back to what Theodor !erzl and 3had !a’am both said 'in di;erent ways),

is that Israel should be a moral compass for the world. *hile we are doing a good

 %ob, it isn’t good enough. Israel was the (rst to respond in !aiti and in Nepal. Israel

gave meals to thousands of +eogrian refugees. Israel created Tsunami warning

systems for Indian $cean nations after the Tsunami in <==>, and gives 3I?"

education in enya, we tend to remain tacit on political issues. *e didn’t take astance in the "udanese genocide, the @wandan, or the 0osnian genocide. *e do not

recognize the 3rmenian genocide, only because we are scared of how the world will

respond if we take a strong stance. 3s the world’s only #ewish nation, Tikkun $lam is

the obligation not only of every #ew, but of our country as a whole. 3nd maybe,

instead of using !olocaust victims to %ustify our 'not at all similar) national struggle,

we should focus on how we could help and care for others that are going through

situations that were similar to what they went through.

8/17/2019 Yom Hashoah

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In conclusion, there are many good things about om !a"hoah. For e&ample, The

nesset reading of names, and the sirens. Those are true acts of respect and

commemoration for the #ewish martyrs and heroes 'anyone who survived the

!olocaust is a hero). !owever, om !a"hoah shouldn’t be a day to %ustify our state,

further political goals, and pat ourselves on the back for our strength. Instead, we

should use om !a"hoah to truly commemorate the victims of the holocaust, and tocare for others going through a similar struggle.