»Frozen images of past shame prevent them from thinking clearly about the present«

Philosopher and Director of Einstein-Forum, Susan Neiman, lashes out at German "historical Reckoning with the Holocaust gone Haywire"

Susan Neiman has written an important piece about “Historical Reckoning gone haywire”. It was published in the New York Review of Books just last week. But even though Neimann’s essay starts off with an observation about the shortcomings of American History, to which it returns after some 6,000 words, the whole piece is unmistakably a warning about the weaponization of antisemitism. “Philosemitic McCartyism” is the term Neiman used to describe a mindset which does not stop at attacking even “descendants of Holocaust Survivors”. And - without explicitly addressing it - Neiman obviously takes a stand in favor of hearing out Vera Sharav’s warning of “Never Again is Now Global” in the face of events during the so-called “pandemic” that saw ominous parallels with totalitarian policies in the 1930’s before and after the Nazis came to power.

Neiman writes:

“The most astonishing feature of this philosemitic fury is the way it has been used to attack Jews in Germany, including some descendants of Holocaust survivors (…) now living there.” — Susan Neiman

This is what happened most prominently to Martin Arieh Rudolph of the Israelite Community in the City of Bamberg, who was accused by self-annointed anti-fascists of doing damage to the interests of the Jewish Community when he recognized the contours of an “iceberg of contempt for humanity” during Covid in his speech commemorating the Night of Broken Glass (“Kristallnacht”) on November 9, 2022.

“In the name of atoning for the crimes of their parents and grandparents, non-Jewish Germans publicly accuse Jewish writers, artists, and activists of antisemitism.” — Susan Neiman

Neiman, though, who is well aware of brutal Cancel-Culture, especially in Berlin, avoids any reference to Covid. But it is the temporal reference “in the past three years”, that drives the point home: Especially over the peaceful civil protest against unscientific and destructive government decrees (yet another parallel) did the historical reckoning with the Holocaust become “twisted”.

“So it isn’t the absence of historical reckoning with the Holocaust but a twist on it that has led today’s Germany into a philosemitic McCarthyism that threatens to throttle the country’s rich cultural life. In the past three years, German historical reckoning has gone haywire, as the determination to root out antisemitism has shifted from vigilance to hysteria.” — Susan Neiman

Neiman rightly sees hysteria, where vigilance is warranted. In fact, it is the hysteria of the German Judiciary which is threatening to punish vigilance when charges against Holocaust Survivors (who as per the President’s Commission have an obligation to warn of possible dangers) are not dropped, or when state prosecutors go after experienced, competent and respectful scientists such as Sucharit Bhakdi even after a Judge has already cleared them of accusations.

Susan Neiman is an important and respected voice. She makes a very urgent call for debate and discussion “with care and nuance”.

“Ultimately it should be possible to examine historical crimes with care and nuance, though we know these qualities are in short supply. One lesson Americans can learn from the Germans is how badly things can go wrong when care and nuance are missing.” — Susan Neiman

This is what brought me to support Vera Sharav. Yes, “Never Again Is Now” may seem a strong warning. But do not make the mistake and call it lacking in care or nuance. Very few people are with us today who have seen what Vera Sharav, Sarah Gross, Henny Fischler, Kati Egett or Irène Tokayer (download her statement on behalf of Sucharit Bhakdi) saw. We have a moral obligation to take all the time necessary to carefully examine and discuss Vera Sharav’s warning. In every nuance or dimension which technological progress has made possible over the past 8 decades.

If you are in the position to do so, we encourage you to become a paid subscriber or donate to Vera Sharav’s Organization, the Alliance for Human Research Protection. The AHRP has started the NEVER AGAIN IS NOW GLOBAL project and your donations and paid subscriptions will help us succeed.

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