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Commentary
by Dr. Gerhard Falk |
Denying the Holocaust
Last week
I called “anti-semitism” the most successful social movement in history
because it succeeded in its aim: killing 6 million Jews and more (if possible).
Another
aspect of this social movement is the denial of the Holocaust, which is now
given pseudo-scientific labels in an effort to convince the world that the
slaughter never happened. The Arab world, totally devoted to conspiracy theories
of all kinds, has always denied the Holocaust even as they deny the attack on
the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the murders in Pennsylvania which they
conducted here.
There are
also a number of Holocaust deniers who are not Arabs. The Nation of Islam, an
American group headed by Louis Farrakhan, also denies the Holocaust. This is
also true of the Communist party, which distributes its ant-Jewish hate sheet, Buffalo
Forum, on the campuses of all colleges in this city. Similar hate material
is distributed by the Communists all over the country. The current issue, dated
September 11, attacks Jews, i.e., Israel by pretending that Israel is
responsible for the bloodshed in the Israelis' own country. A. R. Fat is
highly praised, the terrorists are converted into “victims” and the Israeli
leadership is branded “war criminals”. This kind of hate has been a part of
the Communist doctrine since the ex-Jew Karl Marx (1818-1893) first wrote his
anti-Jewish diatribes in the 18th century. The Nazi propagandists actually
displayed anti-Jewish statements by Marx on banners strung across the main
streets of German cities.
Now, the
most notorious among the Holocaust deniers is David Irving, a British historian.
Irving is credited with having written some solid histories. He is best known
for his book The Destruction of Dresden, which deals with the bombing of
that German city and its total ruination. The material collected by Irving are
indeed reliable. His interpretation, however, lacks any understanding of the
fact that Dresden was bombed because the Germans caused the second World War and
not because the allies sought only to damage Germany.
When it
comes to the Holocaust, Irving lies in print. His so-called Goebbels Diaries
and other misrepresentations led Deborah Lipstadt, an American historian, to
publish her book Denying the Holocaust in which she demonstrates that
Irving is a liar. This led Irving and friends to sue Lipstadt and her publisher
because she showed in that book that Irving had falsified the evidence for the
existence of the notorious gas ovens used by the Nazis to murder 11 million
people.
Irving
sued Lipstadt and her publisher in a British court on the grounds that his
manuscripts would no longer be accepted by any publisher if Lipstadt’s
accusations were allowed to stand. Irving lost. This is very important in view
of the fact that there is a whole holocaust denying industry in Germany and in
California who call themselves The Institute for Historical Review.
This
so-called institute claims to have scientific evidence that the gas ovens never
existed; that Hitler knew nothing about the few Jews killed in the course of the
war; etc. and above all that Jews invented the holocaust story in order to
collect money for “Zionist actvities.” Many of the members of the IHR have
academic degrees and publish their venom in such books as The Zionist Factor;
The Hoax of the 20th Century; The Zionist Terror
Network; A Study of Hate Crime Hoaxes and Auschwitz-The End of a Legend. All
of these books are heavily documented with footnotes, etc. Yet, these documents
are also produced by the hate mongers who write these books and who devote
themselves to a possible revival of Nazi rule. Some of the members of the
editorial board of the IRH are European history professors who are willing to
use their credentials for the purpose of defaming the Jewish people and the
victims of their Nazi friends.
The
Institute for Historical Review has occasional conventions which allow Nazis to
hold speeches denouncing Jews. There speakers are applauded for denying the
Holocaust and for such statements as this: “If in the end the holocaust did
take place, then so much the better.”
Even now,
in 2002, the IHR publishes a journal and pamphlets devoted to anti-Jewish hate
which include the usual complaints that “A Powerful Jewish Lobby” is
controlling the policies of the U.S. government in supporting Israel. The long
time Nazi Arthur Butz, a professor of engineering at Northwestern University,
writes in the pages of this “journal” incessantly, quoting all kinds of
anti-Jewish propaganda by United Nations hate mongers and other would be Jew
killers. Even Jewish historians are quoted by taking partial statements out of
context and making them look like criticism of the Jewish people.
These
books and journals appear legitimate to naïve college students and others who
cannot tell the difference between real science which seeks the evidence no
matter where the search may lead, and the Institute for Historical Review which
concludes in advance that anything and anyone Jewish is to be demeaned and then
invents “facts” to support its ideology.
The
Holocaust deniers have few followers. Normally, their poison has little effect.
Nevertheless, some librarians allow this trash into their libraries, not
recognizing the difference between history and hate propaganda. Some students
read this and believe it. Therefore, we, the Jewish community, must always be
alert to this poison and continue to tell the truth about the Holocaust, about
Israel and about Zionism and above all be proud to be Jews and to say and
proclaim at all occasions: Anochi Ivri, I am a Jew.
The Torah
teaches: “Mevorchecho Boruch, v’aurecho orur – blessed be those who bless
you (Israel) and cursed be everyone who curses you”. (Bamidbor or Numbers-Balak
24:9).
Shalom
u’vracha.
Dr. Gerhard Falk is the author of numerous publications,
including Grandparents:
A New Look at the Supporting Generation (with Dr. Ursula A., Falk, 2002),
& Man's
Ascent to Reason (2002).
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