We want to highlight a speech made by Conservative peer Lord Wolfson on Holocaust commemoration. He made three key points, but we believe there are four important takeaways.
1. The Holocaust was no accident; it was an attempt to rid the world of Jews
“First, let us be clear about the unambiguous aim of the Holocaust,” he said. “It was the systematic and industrial murder of Jews with the aim that there would be no Jews left in the world.”
“The Holocaust was put into effect by means of laws which explicitly referenced Jews and made special provision for them.”
“The Nazis had no trouble using the word Jews. They knew who their victims were and, just as importantly, why they were the victims. The Jews were to be murdered simply and only because they were Jews.”
The Holocaust was no accident. It was not part of a broader conflict. Fuelled by hatred of Jews, it was an attempt to wipe them off the face of the earth. It was not driven by anything the Jews had done, it was simply because of who the Jews were.
Some have tried to argue that Hitler didn’t hate the Jews, and that the Nazis sided with the Zionists. These are outright lies meant only to undermine Jewish suffering and diminish just how evil the Holocaust was.
2. The Holocaust is unique and should not be lumped in with other atrocities
”Secondly, let us be clear about the uniqueness of the Holocaust. Just as we do not remember the victims by denying why they were victims, we do not commemorate the victims by lumping the Holocaust together with other genocides and tragedies. We must not globalise the Holocaust.”
Every year, there are attempts to combine all genocides with Holocaust Memorial Day. We do not agree with this. While all racism and discrimination are wrong, antisemitism is unique because of the spiritual aspect behind it.
The Jews are God’s chosen people and as such they have been targeted wherever they go. The Holocaust is not the first genocide against Jews, there have been many attempts to wipe out the Jewish people. The Holocaust is the largest genocide in history. Millions more Jews were killed in the Holocaust than people killed in any other genocide. The Jewish people have by far been the largest victims of genocide on earth.
The Holocaust was so severe that there are fewer Jews alive today than there were before the Holocaust, over 80 years ago.
The Holocaust must not be diminished by lumping it together with other atrocities.
3. Ireland is at risk of God’s judgement
Then using the recent speech by the President of Ireland at a national Holocaust commemoration event, who referred to the Holocaust as an “attempted genocide”, Wolfson said: ”Thirdly, we certainly do not remember the victims by denying that there was a genocide at all or by using the murdered Jews of the Holocaust in some perverted form of inverted history to attack living Jews. ”
Returning to the Irish president, and his reference to Israel and Gaza in his controversial speech, Wolfson added:” I will not trouble the House with what he said, as it does not merit repetition in Hansard—or, frankly, anywhere else.
“His words were so incendiary that Irish Jews who protested [they quietly stood and turned their backs] the president’s use—or, I should say, misuse—of that sacred platform were forcibly removed from the venue.
The Irish President is anti-Israel and has spoken out against Israel, repeating lies about ‘genocide’ and other falsehoods. It was no surprise that he took the opportunity to show Jews his true nature while standing in front of them.
For someone to call the world’s largest genocide an “attempted genocide” is an absolute disgrace. It undermines all other genocides and the fight against antisemitism today.
And, when someone who is outspoken against Israel is unable to call the industrialised slaughter of six million Jewish men, women, and children a genocide, then their attitude is not merely anti-Israel, it is antisemitic.
It was a disgrace what happened at that Holocaust event in Ireland, but it is just one symptom of a broader problem. The government of Ireland is making repeated steps that show itself as no friend of Israel. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Hamas received a warmer welcome than an Israeli delegation.
Ireland needs to change its ways as it is risking coming under the judgement of God Almighty. God will not bless a nation that curses Israel.
4. We cannot honour dead Jews if we fail to defend living Jews
The only good thing to come out of the President of Ireland’s speech is the lesson we learned about the importance of standing with Israel and the Jewish people today.
The sight of Jews being dragged out of a Holocaust commemoration event because they simply stood up, in silence, and turned their backs, shows that Jews in Ireland are not even allowed to protest peacefully without suffering consequences.
Lord Wolfson said, “Jews being manhandled out of a Holocaust commemoration event; how could that happen? It happens because there are too many people who are only too willing to attend and speak at events commemorating dead Jews but who are nowhere to be seen when it comes to protecting living Jews.”
We often hear politicians giving lip service to the Holocaust, or saying they are fighting against antisemitism, but not backing it up with action. Rarely are they as blatant as the Irish President. However, we believe that you cannot properly combat antisemitism unless you stand with Israel.
Israel is the world’s only Jewish state. It is the homeland of the Jewish people given to them by God Almighty.
God is both the creator of Zionism and the creator of the Jewish people. As such, Satan wants to destroy the things of God. The attempt of the Nazis to wipe out the Jewish people in the 1930s and 1940s has the exact same antisemitic spirit driving it that causes Hamas and other terror groups to actively try and wipe out the Jewish state. And the sight of three Israeli hostages being released looking just as emaciated as victims of the Holocaust did when they were liberated from camps should be something that wakes people up to this reality.
The global hatred of Israel, particularly from political groups and governmental bodies, is part of the problem. They are enabling those who are seeking a second Holocaust against the Jews. In fact, anti-Zionism is fuelling antisemitism.
True Holocaust remembrance requires standing against antisemitism in all its forms—including defending Israel.
