Beautiful, balanced and honest,, as always. Of course, many, many Poles were killed during the brutal and inhumane German occupation. But Jews were targeted, terrorized and killed solely because they were Jews, and in much greater numbers. We can mourn all victims of the Nazis but we can never accede to claims of moral equivalence.
Sensitive, beautifully written article. Thank you. Portrays the complex relationship the Jews have had with Poland for generations. The current Polish government makes the argument that Jews and Poles were both victims of Nazi aggression. While it is true that Nazi war crimes took place on Polish soil against the will of the Polish government, and that many innocent Poles were murdered by Germans, it is absurd to try to equate the level of victimization. Poles suffered as conquered citizens; difficult but survivable. Not the case for Jews, who were hunted down as a race, at times, even often, with Polish complicity. This kind of growing erasure of responsibility for the collaboration of average citizens during the Holocaust in right wing Eastern European capitals is dangerous. It is understandable that Israel would want to retain ties with Poland...we do now have a shared history, with a massive Jewish cemetery on their soil. The physical proof of this great crime must be maintained and yes, visited, in order to be understood. But truth and a reframing of history should not be the cost.
Beautiful, balanced and honest,, as always. Of course, many, many Poles were killed during the brutal and inhumane German occupation. But Jews were targeted, terrorized and killed solely because they were Jews, and in much greater numbers. We can mourn all victims of the Nazis but we can never accede to claims of moral equivalence.
Sensitive, beautifully written article. Thank you. Portrays the complex relationship the Jews have had with Poland for generations. The current Polish government makes the argument that Jews and Poles were both victims of Nazi aggression. While it is true that Nazi war crimes took place on Polish soil against the will of the Polish government, and that many innocent Poles were murdered by Germans, it is absurd to try to equate the level of victimization. Poles suffered as conquered citizens; difficult but survivable. Not the case for Jews, who were hunted down as a race, at times, even often, with Polish complicity. This kind of growing erasure of responsibility for the collaboration of average citizens during the Holocaust in right wing Eastern European capitals is dangerous. It is understandable that Israel would want to retain ties with Poland...we do now have a shared history, with a massive Jewish cemetery on their soil. The physical proof of this great crime must be maintained and yes, visited, in order to be understood. But truth and a reframing of history should not be the cost.