The events of October 7 have led many in Israel to draw comparisons with the Holocaust (and not only among politicians who cynically exploit Holocaust memory). Indeed, the atrocities of that day evoked the horrors recounted in Holocaust-era testimonies: boundless cruelty, humiliation, burning of homes with residents inside, hiding in closets, utter helplessness, and more. Copies of Mein Kampf were found in Hamas tunnels in Gaza, and a deep sense of terror returned in the most blatant manner to our daily lives. However, we must emphasize the differences rather than aid those who question the Holocaust’s uniqueness and its singular, unparalleled nature.
The starting point is fundamentally different: On October 7, Jews were living in their national homeland and not as a scattered, defenseless minority in the Diaspora, subject to the mercy of others. Sovereign Israel—with the strongest army in the Middle East—“failed massively,” yet it possessed all the means to defend its Jewish citizens. Moreover, the scope of the Holocaust is incomparable to October 7: Six million murdered, including 1.5 million children, in a systematic and total genocide that lasted four years, utilizing advanced technology and gas chambers.
The essence of Zionism and the vision of the State of Israel are based on the Jewish people's ability to take responsibility for their fate and shape their future. Those who engage in such comparisons perpetuate a “victim” image and prefer a discourse of victimhood over one of accountability.
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning) teaches us to choose hope, and it is important to learn from him. According to Frankl, we cannot always change our circumstances, but we always have a choice regarding our attitude in any given situation.
On this day, it’s important to remember that Holocaust survivors in Israel outlined the values and vision that guide us in the Survivors’ Declaration, read at the ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem in April 2002:
“The lessons of the Holocaust must form a cultural code for education toward humanistic values, democracy, human rights, tolerance, and opposition to racism and totalitarian ideologies. Tolerance for others and for differing opinions is the foundation for preventing the spread of hatred . . . From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, the call of Hillel the Elder goes out to the world: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow human being!”
The events of October 7 have led many in Israel to draw comparisons with the Holocaust (and not only among politicians who cynically exploit Holocaust memory). Indeed, the atrocities of that day evoked the horrors recounted in Holocaust-era testimonies: boundless cruelty, humiliation, burning of homes with residents inside, hiding in closets, utter helplessness, and more. Copies of Mein Kampf were found in Hamas tunnels in Gaza, and a deep sense of terror returned in the most blatant manner to our daily lives. However, we must emphasize the differences rather than aid those who question the Holocaust’s uniqueness and its singular, unparalleled nature.
The starting point is fundamentally different: On October 7, Jews were living in their national homeland and not as a scattered, defenseless minority in the Diaspora, subject to the mercy of others. Sovereign Israel—with the strongest army in the Middle East—“failed massively,” yet it possessed all the means to defend its Jewish citizens. Moreover, the scope of the Holocaust is incomparable to October 7: Six million murdered, including 1.5 million children, in a systematic and total genocide that lasted four years, utilizing advanced technology and gas chambers.
The essence of Zionism and the vision of the State of Israel are based on the Jewish people's ability to take responsibility for their fate and shape their future. Those who engage in such comparisons perpetuate a “victim” image and prefer a discourse of victimhood over one of accountability.
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning) teaches us to choose hope, and it is important to learn from him. According to Frankl, we cannot always change our circumstances, but we always have a choice regarding our attitude in any given situation.
On this day, it’s important to remember that Holocaust survivors in Israel outlined the values and vision that guide us in the Survivors’ Declaration, read at the ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem in April 2002:
“The lessons of the Holocaust must form a cultural code for education toward humanistic values, democracy, human rights, tolerance, and opposition to racism and totalitarian ideologies. Tolerance for others and for differing opinions is the foundation for preventing the spread of hatred . . . From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, the call of Hillel the Elder goes out to the world: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow human being!”