The Holocaust Industry - Essay Example

? Not many books can change an ideology ingrained in a society. Finkelstein's The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering changes a way the reader perceives the events surrounding the 'Nazi holocaust'. Finkelstein explains in detail why 'The Holocaust' has become a business, a foreign policy based issue, and an excuse to cover up other crimes against humanity. Since many individuals were born after the 1970's this generation has forgotten about the aftermath of WWII and the silence many nations had about the Nazi holocaust. Individuals growing up in the shadow of 'The Holocaust' industry has a warped sense of history. Stories like Binjamin Wilkomirski's Fragments are accepted with no proof. In fact, to question a survivor story is to risk the case of being called anti-Semitic. Finkelstein has pointed out that today's society wants to be victims. Whether a Jew, African American, Native American, homosexual, woman, or other minority groups, people want to belong to a victim group. While Finkelstein did intensive research, his use of imagery and outlandish words make this story a little less credible. If he would have stuck to just the facts, Finkelstein might have gotten his point across better. Finkelstein points out that real history is being ignored in favor of an exaggerated glorified account that exploits the true Jewish suffering in the 'Nazi holocaust'. When first approaching this book, many readers might think Finkelstein is being anti-Semitic. However Finkelstein raises some good points. His main point is the Nazi holocaust happened. It is a historical event. The Nazis committed crimes against humanity. Finkelstein acknowledges that the Nazi holocaust was wrong, but he wants the world to sympathize will all suffers not just the Jews of the Nazi holocaust. His point is war and atrocities have happened since the beginning of man and still occur. All of these atrocities are horrible; the Nazi holocaust is not any less horrible, but not more horrible than any other atrocity. By using the Holocaust as beacon to rally people to the Jewish cause dishonors the victims and survivors. He explains: The claims of Holocaust uniqueness are intellectually barren and morally discreditable, yet they persist. The question is, Why? In the first place, unique suffering confers unique entitlement. The unique evil of the Holocaust, according to Jacob Neusner, not only sets Jews apart from others, but also gives Jews a "claim upon those others." (Finkelstein 25) All human suffering should be sympathized with, not just the suffering during the Nazi holocaust. This is not to lessen or dismiss the Nazi holocaust, only to put it in proper perspective. Finkelstein suggests after World War II no one in America, or around the world cared about the Nazi holocaust. Some historians theorize that Jews did not want to talk or share about their horrible experience. Finkelstein dismisses this theory. He believes that no one wanted to know or think about it, especially in America. Finkelstein explains: The standard explanation is that Jews were traumatized by the Nazi holocaust and therefore repressed the memory of it. In fact, there is no evidence to support this conclusion. No doubt some survivors did not then or, for that matter, in later years want to speak about what had happened. Many others, however, very much wanted to speak and, once the occasion availed itself, wouldn't stop speaking. The problem was that Americans didn't want to listen. (Finkelstein 9) Even American Jews did not want to listen. After the war everyone wanted to forget about the atrocities of World War II. The Allies had won. It was a time for victory, not time to remember how many Jews had died. The Holocaust Industry began after the United States started backing Israel as part of US Foreign Policy. When Israel fought the War of Independence America cautiously backed the Arabs due to the oil in the region. It did not look like Israel would survive. However after Israel not only won, but doubled their land size, the US started looking at backing Israel. The US did not feel sorry for the Jews after WWII, only after they became a power did the US start the rhetoric that the Jews should be treated specially because of the Holocaust. Finkelstein states: Then came the June war. Impressed by Israel's overwhelming display of force, the United States moved to incorporate it as a strategic asset. (Already before the June war the United States had cautiously tilted toward Israel as the Egyptian and Syrian regimes charted an increasingly independent course in the mid-1960s.) Military and economic assistance began to pour in as Israel turned into a proxy for US power in the Middle East. (Finkelstein 11) It became necessary after the Russians supported and supplied Egypt with planes and weapons. Israel became a pawn in the Cold War. The US kept a hold in the region through support for a strong Israel. When Israel became important to the US after the Six Day War, the Holocaust became a good propaganda tool. The Jews are entitled to Israel and the Occupied Territories because of the Holocaust. Finkelstein suggests: "Holocaust awareness," the respected Israeli writer Boas Evron observes, is actually "an official, propagandistic indoctrination, a churning out of slogans and a false view of the world, the real aim of which is not at all an understanding of the past, but a manipulation of the present." In and of itself, the Nazi holocaust does not serve any particular political agenda. It can just as easily motivate dissent from as support for Israeli policy. Refracted through an ideological prism, however, "the memory of the Nazi extermination" came to serve — in Evron's words — "as a powerful tool in the hands of the Israeli leadership and Jews abroad. The Nazi holocaust became The Holocaust. (Finkelstein 23) The problem is Israelis should rightfully inhabit the area, not because of the Holocaust, but because of the work, money, and war each Israeli has put into the region. Israel was not given to the Jews. Israel was first bought by Zionists and then won by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The Holocaust is just propaganda used to raise billions of dollars for the region. Israelis are just as guilty as everyone else worldwide that makes money from the Holocaust. Israel is not the only one that uses the Holocaust to raise money, promote an agenda, or exploits the event for personal gain. American Jews have used the Holocaust as a battle cry for their causes as well. Finkelstein points out while there might be some slight anti-Semitism in America, Jews have it good here in America. In fact, identity politics and The Holocaust have taken hold among American Jews not because of victim status but because they are not victims. As anti-Semitic barriers quickly fell away after World War II, Jews rose to preeminence in the United States. According to Lipset and Raab, per capita Jewish income is almost double that of non- Jews; sixteen of the forty wealthiest Americans are Jews; 40 percent of American Nobel Prize winners in science and economics are Jewish, as are 20 Percent of professors at major universities; and 40 percent of partners in the leading law firms in New York and Washington. (Finkelstein 16) American Jews have more freedom than their German counterparts during WWII. It also helps that American prejudice is colored based, not so much religiously based. Jews can blend in with their white neighbors. They are not discriminated against like in Europe or the Middle East. Finkelstein also suggests that individuals benefit from the Holocaust Industry as well. For example, Binjamin Wilkomirski's Fragments was accepted with no proof at all. Finkelstein explains: Like Kosinski, Wilkomirski portrays himself as a solitary child survivor who becomes mute, winds up in an orphanage and only belatedly discovers that he is Jewish. Like The Painted Bird, the chief narrative conceit of Fragments is the simple, pared-down voice of a child-naif, also allowing time frames and place names to remain vague. Like The Painted Bird, each chapter of Fragments climaxes in an orgy of violence. Kosinski represented The Painted Bird as "the slow unfreezing of the mind»; Wilkomirski represents Fragments as "recovered memory.” (Finkelstein 28) No proof was every given to back up his story. To suggest a survivor’s story needs proof is to call for an outcry of indignation. The problem is every legitimate survivor has some type of proof. This proof can range from pictures, Nazi records, pre-World War II records, tattoos, and other tangible proof which can be provided. Wilkomirski had nothing and the top Holocaust experts validated him. History is being manipulated without any regard with the truth. Finkelstein had many legitimate points. However his use of imagery discredited his main points. For example: Apart from the frailties of memory, some Holocaust survivor testimony may be suspect for additional reasons. Because survivors are now revered as secular saints, one doesn't dare question them. Preposterous statements pass without comment. (Finkelstein 43) If he would have left out words like “frailties”, “revered” “secular saints”, and “perposterous” his research might have been more credible. It must be noted that Finkelstein's parents were survivors of the Nazi holocaust. He feels very passionately about the issue. It might have been better if he would have remained neutral. Finkelstein would have had more creditability. The Nazi holocaust was evil. The fact is many events in history have been evil. One evil is not greater than another evil. The Nazi holocaust should not be used as a distinct historical event in order to fund Israel, Jews, or even imposters. The survivors and victims should be honored by trying to prevent other injustices in the world from happening. Finkelstein might have used imagery to get this point across, but he did instill this idea. This book was worth reading and mulling over. References Finkelstein, N.G. The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. US: Verso, 2000. Read More