ISRAEL SHAMIR -- The Battle for Auschwitz – II

The Battle for Auschwitz – II

ISRAEL SHAMIR • JANUARY 24, 2020

These days, Jerusalem could compete with Davos and Bilderberg. Most distinguished, high and mighty gentlemen have met here, at the Auschwitz Forum in Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center: kings, presidents, prime ministers; a living proof the Jews have some pull in the world.

The British Court of St James was represented by Prince Charles; France – by President Macron; the mighty US of A sent VP Pence, this supreme achievement of AI (he looks almost human, though not quite). There was also the Governor General of Australia, President of Austria, President of Albania, President of Argentina, President of Armenia, King of Belgium, President of Bulgaria, President of Hungary, Prince of Wales, President of Germany, President of Greece, President of Turkey, President of Denmark, President of Iceland, King of Spain, President of Italy, Governor General of Canada, President of Cyprus, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, President of Northern Macedonia, President of Moldova, King of the Netherlands, Crown Prince of Norway, President of Romania, President of Serbia, Vice President of the United States, the president of Finland, the French president, the Montenegrin President, Prime Minister of Sweden, President of the European Council, President of the European Parliament, European Commission President …

Their hosts used the occasion to the utmost. Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli Interim PM, compared Iran with Nazi Germany and said that destruction of Iran today equals the liberation of Auschwitz then. The Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, said there is no difference between anti-Semites and anti-Zionists; whoever is an enemy of Israel is the enemy of all Jewish people, very simple.

However, judging by Israeli media attention, there was really just one prominent guest, President Vladimir Putin. While he was in Jerusalem – less than one day – all the limelight was his; all other kings and rulers faded into the background. The power this man has, his grip on public mind and imagination, his charisma -is quite unprecedented. He was treated as an Emperor on pilgrimage, like Kaiser Wilhelm on his 1898 visit to this Middle Eastern town.

ISRAEL SHAMIR -- The Battle for Auschwitz

The Battle for Auschwitz

ISRAEL SHAMIR • JANUARY 20, 2020

 

Polish "Neo-Nazi" Protest

On Friday, January 17, 2020, three thousand salvos shook the earth of the Russian capital city; the sky over Moscow had been emblazoned by glorious fireworks. This was the repeat of the memorable salute given seventy-five years ago, on January 17, 1945 by 24 salvos of 324 heavy cannons at liberation of Warsaw by the Red Army. Ruined Warsaw had been saved from total loss.

This could be an excellent occasion for display of friendliness between the two Slavic nations. The Poles could remember 200,000 Russian soldiers and officers killed in action at Warsaw, and say: they died so we may live. They could thank Russia for the bountiful lands and great cities that were torn out of defeated Germany and presented to Poland: Danzig became Gdansk, Stettin became Szczecin, Breslau became Wrocław, and Posen became Poznań. They could thank Russia even for passing to the Ukraine the Ukrainian-populated lands that were under Polish rule between the wars, the rule that ended in a big massacre of the resident Poles by Ukrainian nationalists.