Its about the present, stupid. The past is just the past and means nothing if we don’t learn from it. Both the Stupid Jews and the Stupid Americans should take it to heart.

NormanF on January 27, 2010 at 12:29 pm

wow. You so “hit the mark” with this column! (and it especially resonates with your remarks about Steven Spielberg — how he vacillates between a “Schindler’s List” and a “Munich”).

J.S. on January 27, 2010 at 12:37 pm

I wonder if he’ll give another “shout-out” to his Uncle who helped liberate Auschwitz-Birkenau?

perception of truth on January 27, 2010 at 12:46 pm

If our Constitution were to be followed – and it should – there would be no billions of dollars in foreign aid sent to Israel (or to any other country for that matter) every year and no military aid would be given either. There would also be no unjustified wars or conflicts involving the U.S. in the Middle East just to protect Israel or fight its enemies. I’m hoping that the above constitutional principles would not be considered “hurting andd prosecuting the live Jews of today.”

ramjordan on January 27, 2010 at 1:08 pm

ramjordan seems to ignore the fact that America – like any country – has interests, and like any major power some of those interests lie abroad. Countries that share interests and values tend to watch each other’s backs. That certainly holds for the US and Israel.

A former professor of mine, AFK Organski from the U of Michigan, wrote a piece some time after we parted ways about what the US “gets” from Israel – intelligence, strategic cooperation, technology, etc. – and found the US got more than its money’s worth. The same doesn’t hold for Israel’s neighbors – Egypt, Jordan, the PA and Lebanon – who collectively get more from the US annually than does Israel, but return little more than heartburn.

And, as Obama must learn eventually, if one abandons one’s friends and allies, neither they nor others will be there when one needs them. Obama doesn’t yet realize how his disavowing the Bush-Sharon understandings of 2004 were taken in Israel, or what it means to US credibility and trustworthiness.

ramjordan tries to dress up his disinterest in the “live Jews of today” – 40% of whom reside in Israel – by referring to “constitutional principles”, but we see it for what it is.

Raymond in DC on January 27, 2010 at 1:44 pm

Rama lama ding dong: People like you are exactly why we must never forget the past and be vigilant in the present.

Do want the elimination of Israel?

Unjustified wars? You sure have a warped sense of what is just.

Sam Adams on January 27, 2010 at 1:47 pm

A visit to Dachau many years back still bothers me to this day.

There’s a picture on the right wall, past the entrance, with a Jewish mother carrying in infant in one arm, and holding the hand of her other child while walking to their deaths. (I’m crying now as I type this).

F*ck I hate evil.
And to think that muslims consider Hitler a hero.
Hitler vs. Mohammed – Side by Side Comparisons

Jew Lover on January 27, 2010 at 3:18 pm

How did the Germans come to worship and allow Hitler to do what he and his people did?

How did the Americans come to worship and allow Obama to do what he and his people are now doing?

Gosh…seems I’ve hit on a theme here. I wonder why?

RJ on January 27, 2010 at 4:08 pm

Maybe they didn’t post the video because he mispronounced too many words.

Little Al on January 27, 2010 at 4:41 pm

excellent work Debbie

we are in major need of help, and our current leadership is not helping…

pray for E.D.

lindap on January 27, 2010 at 6:14 pm

The Europeans played a game of appeasement with Hitler giving up countries without a fight to avoid a war. The Russians might not have had to liberate Auschwitz-Birkenau had they also not been part of the Axis war machine that helped destroy Poland in the first place.
http://www.anti-communist.net/katyn.html
Even with the fall of Poland in 30 short days the remainder of the Polish armies (Catholics and Jews) never stopped fighting and many were a major part of the British forces till the end of the war, taking part in most of the decisive battles in WWII, something they were never given real credit for. The allies payment to the Russians as thanks for their help in the war (which they halped start in the first place) and in an effort to appease Stalin was to put Poland and half of Europe under Communist control. Now here we are again trying to appease the new socialist Nazi movement, Islam. Sometimes people just don’t learn.
I visited Oswiecin(Auschwitz) back in the late 70’s. It’s something I’ll never forget. Though it was a bright beatifull day but you could feel the gloom, despair and death like walking through the ghosts of those who died there.
Debbie, newborn babies in concentration camps were torn away from their mothers and brutally murdered. The fact that your mother was born in and survived a place like that proves G_d had plans for you. Keep up the great work.

tS: I believe wholeheartedly that G-d has plans for me and you and all of us. But I must clarify and note that my mother was born in Bergen Belsen concentration camp, after the war, when it became a displaced persons camp. My grandfather and grandmother were liberated there, married, and lived there until they were able to leave Nazi Germany–but sadly not the bad memories–behind. DS

theShadow on January 27, 2010 at 8:27 pm

Debbie: “I don’t care what you think about the dead Jews from almost 70 years ago, if you are persecuting and hurting the live Jews of today.”

Exactly! I couldn’t have said it better myself. Another excellent post.

Also, the Shadow is correct about G-d having plans for you (as well as everything else that he wrote.) Indeed keep up the good work.

JeffE on January 27, 2010 at 9:42 pm

I am curious about your opinion of Holocaust survivors living in Israel who believe that the West Bank settlements must conform to Israeli law requirements to remain.

Stephen S. on January 28, 2010 at 12:51 am

Here’s how President Obama could impress me with regard to Israel:
Declare Jerusalem the Capitol of Israel, putting our embassy there.
Declare that the matter is settled-Israel is fully within it’s rights to set and protect their borders, including all of Gaza and the West Bank and the Golon Heights-everything that they wish to delcare as part of Israel. They probably don’t want to defend all the territory they’ve won in various wars, all they way down to Egypt-but whatever they decide upon-that will be the borders which Obama would accept…and help defend against all intrusion. If American troops can defend Afghanistan, they should be helping Israel.
President Obama would impress me if he did these things which no US President since 1948 has dared do.
C’mon, Barry! Your ego is big enough for you to think you could swing this! Think of the legacy, being ‘The One’ to fix the Middle East!
I promise it would be easier than getting your healthcare mandate passed.

Douglas Q on January 28, 2010 at 1:36 am

Bravo for you, Ms. Schlussel. Do you agree with me that people who hate Israel and gobble up Arab propaganda like ice cream are faking if they pretend to be moved by Anne Frank, may the al-mighty avenge her blood.
The Holocaust was NOT a tragedy and neither was the World Trade Center bombing. Tragedy is when the hero fails through some glitch in himself.

Miranda Rose Smith on January 28, 2010 at 2:11 am

Stephen S. on January 28, 2010 at 12:51 am said…

“I am curious about your opinion of Holocaust survivors living in Israel who believe that the West Bank settlements must conform to Israeli law requirements to remain.”

What, you mean JUDEA AND SAMARIA, the heart of Biblical Israel, the cradle of Jewish Civilization? What “opinion” is one to have other than, it is OUR LAND! The “Palestinian” Arabs who are able and want to live in peace in OUR LAND are welcome, but the tolerance we have been exhibiting for terrorists, and the coercion to do so by America and our betrayers from within, is deeply reprehensible.

America has already begun paying for supporting the terror against Israel.
http://www.arniegotfryd.com/content/view/257/33/
Please G-d America will wake up before it’s too late!

One can side with falsehood, or with truth, but not with both.

yonason on January 28, 2010 at 2:32 am

Dear Drdean: You are as tacky as a community bulletin board.

Miranda Rose Smith on January 28, 2010 at 3:27 am

Dear RJ: Leave ignorant, offensive comparisons of ANY U.S. President to Hitler, may he rot in hell, to the Democrats.

Miranda Rose Smith on January 28, 2010 at 3:51 am

First of all, our Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. Like Natural Law (the Ten Commandments, for example), the Constitution (as presently written) should be obeyed with no exceptions by our government and the people without reservation or questioning its validity. Many years from now, people will trace the downfall of this country to the failure of the populace to oppose the massive violations by our government of the Rule of Law (the Constitution). Indeed the masses have instead supported and condoned egregious violations of the Constitution and Natural Law.
Our Founding Fathers wanted us to engage in trade and commerce with all nations but with no entangling alliances like the alliance America has with Israel. Had this non-interventionist foreign policy been followed from the start, most of if not all the wars and conflicts involving the U.S. could have been prevented. We should have learned our lesson from the 1983 bombing of our Marine barracks in Lebanon wherein 241 Americans died – that there are deadly consequences when we meddle in the affairs of other countries. We should have cut off our entangling alliance with Israel when Osama Bin Laden stated in his “Declaration of War” against America in 1996 that the continuing support of the U.S. for Israel in its conflict with the Paletinians is one of the reasons for his declaring war against America – many terrorist attacks against Americans (like on 9/11) could have been prevented from happening.
All foreign and military aid to other countries is not for the President or Congress to give away to any country. Foreign aid is unconstitutional to begin with and those monies should stay here in America. Foreign aid should come from private sources – from a single person, a group of people or a corporation – taxpayer’s money and money printed out of thin air should not be used.
A strict obedience to the Constitution will result in less enemies and more friends, less wars and more trade and prosperity for everybody concerned. If you are a U.S. citizen, or someone who wants to become a U.S. citizen, if you live in America or if you just consider yourself an American, then there is no higher calling (except to your God) then to follow the American Rule of Law.

ramjordan on January 28, 2010 at 4:43 am

When can we start calling him… Obama al-Husseini, Grand Mufti of Washington?

Why? Because he shares that worm’s agenda even if he’s not as open about it, …yet.

yonason on January 28, 2010 at 4:57 am

An article with wich i can agree 100%.

Anti-semitism is on the rise again in Europe, coming from the left and the muslim migrants. Oh, and from the tiny few neo-nazis. Yes, there are neo-nazis in Europe, but they are a small tiny minority, maybe 0,1 % of population. The jew haters of today are the socialist left and the muslims. The support for Israel comes from the conservatives, which -unfortunately- after 50 years of welfare state have become a minority too.

Oh, and for clarification: Bergen-Belsen and Dachau were Concentration camps, not annihilation camps like Auschwitz. Terrible places, to be sure, but no gas chambers there. You can compare Bergen-Belsen or Dachau to the stalinist Gulag. The Nazis were scared enough of popular reaction to build the annihilation camps in occupied poland, not in Germany.

Zaza on January 28, 2010 at 6:55 am

“Oh, and for clarification: Bergen-Belsen and Dachau were Concentration camps, not annihilation camps” –zaza

Zaza is wrong. Dachau had a gas-chamber. And, the other camps which didn’t have gas chambers were also called, “Vernichtungslager,” = “extermination camp.” The Nazis (y”shm) didn’t need gas to kill, only to kill more efficiently.

List of camps.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/cclist.html

Y: To me, it is a distinction without a difference whether something was official a death camp or a concentration camp. Many Jews died in both through deliberate, wicked measures designed to murder them. DS

yonason on January 28, 2010 at 11:21 am

I think the criticism of Elie Wiesel is unfounded and unfair. Wiesel has defended Israel at Durban I and at many other points in his career. If he is not perfect, who is? I think an apology is in order or some clear demonstration that he has turned his back on Israel.

Debbie, your the comment was disgracefully mean-spirited, directed against a good and great man who has served the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust, everything he has earned in his postwar life has been directed towards preserving memory: you owe him an apology.

Thoughtful critic on January 28, 2010 at 12:04 pm

“Y: To me, it is a distinction without a difference…”

Yes, thanks. That’s what I was trying to say.

yonason on January 28, 2010 at 12:11 pm

People such as Obama and lefty Hollywood directors (Spielberg included) like dead Jews – they have a real problem with those who do not want to die and fight back now – and that means in Israel, Europe and the USA. Anti-Semitism has become chic among the Far Left and certain elements of the Far Right (that is, the Pat Buchanan insane wing). Chic and acceptable – and yes, acceptable within the Democratic party and liberal Jews who do not identify with Judaism and are clueless about a great religion. That includes the wackos at J Street and the rag known as The Nation.

Julian on January 28, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Right, Dachau had a gas chamber, my mistake. It just was not used.

Zaza on January 28, 2010 at 1:39 pm