Reflections on the Sufferings of Jewish Suffering: Norman Finkelstein - Term Paper Example

The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the sufferings of Jewish suffering: Norman Finkelstein Reaction Paper This book, written by Norman Finkelsteinand first published in year 2000, argues that American Jewish establishment utilized the memories of Nazi holocaust for gaining political and economic mileage and also to further political and socio-economic interests of the Israelis. In this book, he also states that, Israel, far from being a perpetrator of gross human rights violations, is actually regarded as a victim state, claiming that it has been more wronged against, rather than a state which has scant respect for human rights or human welfare, especially against members of the Jewish community. Perhaps, one of the strongest motivators for Finkelstein to write this book is because his own parents were sufferers and more importantly, survivors of the Holocaust which accounted for the lives of around 6 million Jews who were gassed to death in Nazi Germany concentration camps. Although his parents did not overtly express their innermost feelings on what they have endured in Nazi-ruled Germany as Jewish prisoners, it is evident that the atrocities had marred their psyches which they passed on to future generations. How do you feel about what you are reading? Finkelstgein’s narration has a ring of truth in it and is candidly honest in his assertations. Being a Jew, and that too a progeny of persecuted Jews during the Holocaust has not left bitterness in his writings, and as a matter of fact, his honest appraisals of what the present day Jews feel about the holocaust and its aftermath is candidly and faithfully rendered. As he says, “No monument or tributes marked the Nazi holocaust in the United States. To the contrary, major Jewish organisations opposed such memorialisation. The question is, why.” (Finkelstein 13). Perhaps as rightly pointed by Finkelstgein, the Jews did not wish to be reminded about the agonies and traumatic experiences they had witnessed or heard about, and also its after-effects on them and their families. Again, this was a milestone in their lives whose memories they did not wish to repeat into posterity and carry on the rest of their lives. Besides, there were also the facts that Nazism at that point of time was a dying phase and even American Jews wish to shrug away their past memories and wish to be identified more as Americans rather than Jews. An another aspect that has been correctly pointed out by the author has been in terms of the fact that with Israel allying itself with the mighty United States, it could be foolhardiness for any country to oppose Israel or its policies. His argument of the influence of the American Jewish privileged and select classes in using the Holocaust as an excuse for socio economic benefits holds limited support and validity for the simple reason that with American assistance to Israel only increasing over the years, the seemingly lost cause of the holocaust did seen to carry little conviction, especially among those segments of Jewish population who were too young to understand the truer and inner impacts of the Holocaust. This aside, there were major reasons to believe that the Jewish raking of old wound would not carry much weigh age in the changing world order and American Jewish relationships. Do you agree or disagree with what the author is stating: The author does seem to have raised relevant points about the fact that even Swiss Banks which were dealing with the issues relating to doling out recompense for holocaust victims took their orders from the elites in the American Jewish administration. While this may be hard to believe it may also be totally written off as a hoax. The fact that the Holocaust during the Second World War had turned ordinary Jews into powerful overlords later is no truism and is aptly described by the author when he says that “the Holocaust industry’s exploitation of “needy Holocaust victims” is the latest, and arguably, “the most unattractive aspect. (Finkelstein 13). However, one cannot agree with the author’s assertion that “The Jews perished because all gentiles, be it as perpetrators or passive collaborators, wanted them dead. “There were the killers- the murderers- and there were those who remained silent.” (Finkelstein 35). Jewish persecution has been a part of long standing history of this region and the Holocaust could perhaps be seen as a culmination of events that have been going on for a long time, perhaps even ending, as it were , a tumultuous blood stained chapter in the history of the subjugated and suppressed Jewish clans in medieval Nazi ruled countries. Hitler and his fanatic band were instrumental in sending a large number of Jews as martyrs for the cause of the country’s independence and the final rout and destruction of the German army, and the end of a tyrannical rule instigated and meticulously followed by the fuehrer himself. The Gentiles comprised of a large non Jewish and even Christian population who held strong sympathies with the Jews, covertly if not overtly and had pursued the cause in a more subtle and less expressive manner. The saying that Gentiles had contributed to the slaying of many Jews would be history at its distorted best, robbed of its authenticity and genuiness and reduced to bare lies and delusions. Again, it may be necessary to mention in this context that many younger generation Jews, stoking the dying embers of Holocaust memories could only corrupt their cultures and make them more hateful of its perpetrators and become anti-Semantic. The earlier generations have not doubt borne this stoically and had tried, as much as possible not to allow future generations to be influenced by its hatred and bitterness. The younger generation Jews are more forward looking, progressive minded and have left their past bitterness of the elders behind them. This is the general feeling one gets when reading this book which has been extensively researched and well scripted to achieve maximum reading competencies. Which are the most impressive parts of this book and depressive parts? The most impressive parts of this book has indeed been the portrayal of Jewish persecution and vivid descriptions of a number of books by noted editors that have been described in its content. The author has been able to offer deep critical appraisal and appreciation of the many books and writings about the Holocaust, including its impact on the people who have been affected by it- namely in terms of hatred spewed by an autocratic and military rule against a benign community. Perhaps, it was his misconstrued feeling that Jews possessed communistic leanings that made him go against them as a race, and mount such massive attacks against even civilian Jew population in the countries which he conquered. However, there are concerns with regard to real impact of Nazism and its impact on humans. “The current campaign of the Holocaust industry to extort money from Europe in the name of “needy Holocaust Victims” has shrunk the moral stature of their martyrdom to that of a Monte Carlo casino.” (Finkelstein 8). While it is indeed true that providing funds to needy victims is the main agenda of many victims, it is also true that these donations and resourced collected do not reach the real victims but long the line are distributed to many overlords and other powerful authorities in the administration who perhaps may be masterminding and controlling such fund collections . It is indeed pathetic that the Great Holocaust as it is termed has been shrunk to mere commercial intentions for minors to amass wealth at the expenses of more miserable and suffering masses, victims of the holocaust and their descendants. As a reader comments about the author, “He is a well-trained political scientist, has the ability to do the research, did it carefully, and has come up with the right results. I am by no means the only one who, in the coming months or years, will totally agree with Finkelsteins breakthrough.” (E Bookee) Works Cited Finkelstein, Norman G. The Holocaust Industry. Verso. 2003. New York. The Holocaust Industry – Norman G Finkelstein. Ebookee. 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2010 http://www.ebookee.com/The-Holocaust-Industry-Norman-Finkelstein-pdf-_71464.html Read More