Opposition fumes after Netanyahu invokes Holocaust in speech

Opposition fumes after Netanyahu invokes Holocaust in speech

www.haaretz.com

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the opposition on Wednesday of submitting a no-confidence motion against the government on the same day in which Israel and Germany held a historic joint cabinet session in Berlin.

Netanyahu said the timing of the opposition's parliamentary motion was "inappropriate," a statement which elicited furious catcalls from lawmakers of Kadima, the largest faction that is not participating in the premier's center-right coalition.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Some highlights from the article:

The premier was summoned to the Knesset on Wednesday after 41 opposition MKs co-sponsored a motion calling on the government to answer for what it termed "the Netanyahu government's failure on diplomatic, economic, and social issues."

"After the Jewish people were annihilated, after six million of our people were exterminated, the government of the Jewish state comes to Berlin, touching distance from Hitler's bunker, and this was a moment of grandeur that certainly unites all members of parliament and all the rows of the plenum," the prime minister said.

Kadima MKs were enraged at Netanyahu's invoking of the Holocaust in the parliamentary debate.

"Have you no shame?" MK Yohanan Plesner asked rhetorically.

I would like to know that too Mr Netanyahu...when enough is enough? Again and again invoking Holocaust to gain sympathy. Tbh even Israel's opposition minister's feel embarrassed now.

Opposition MKs: Netanyahu is a lapdog for religious parties

Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu's opponents in parliament expressed outrage at a proposed law which would grant a municipal tax exemption to synagogues which provide Torah instruction.

The bill was submitted by Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev. Kadima lawmakers say the new exemption would cover synagogues with Haredi wedding halls.

"The ink is barely dry on the disgraceful 'jobs law' [which would add more deputy mayors in Jerusalem] and Netanyahu has decided once again to kowtow to Shas and impose new levies on the local authorities and the taxpayers," Plesner said.

"Rather than show weakness and grant exemptions to Haredi wedding halls, the time has come for Netanyahu to start demonstrating leadership and grant exemptions to hospitals and to real socio-economic needs," he said.

What about Churches and Mosques? No exemption for them then how can it call itself democracy where not everyone is treated equally and discriminated against again and again.

www.haaretz.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Last time Israel and Germany made news was last month in December

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz will demand between 450 million to 1 billion euros in reparations from Germany on behalf of Jews forced into slave labor during the Holocaust, it emerged on Sunday.

Minister Steinitz will reportedly present German government with the demand on behalf of 30,000 Israeli survivors of forced labor in wartime ghettos, during a joint session scheduled to take place in early 2010 in Berlin.

Israel to seek another 1b euros Holocaust in reparations from Germany

last time I checked over a hundred million people died in WW2, do the rest of us non jews invoke that on every occasion.................

My signature pretty much sums it all up. Avraham Burg wrote a very interesting book about this subject that you might want to read. The Holocaust has become a (psychological) blackmail card and an excuse to justify wrongdoings.

Israel fully takes advantage of the situation that Germany put itself in. Israel regularly purchases military equipment from Germany at highly discounted rates and has often also received equipment for free.

reply to post by December_Rain


Didn't Germany already pay them? Isn't this enough?

the five power plants built and installed by West Germany between 1953 and 1956 quadrupled Israel's electric-power-generating capacity. West Germans laid 280 kilometers of giant pipelines (2.25 and 2.5 meters in diameter) for the irrigation of the Negev (which certainly helped to "make the desert bloom"). The Zionist state acquired 65 German- built ships, including four passenger vessels

West German reparations have been paid out through several different programs, including the Federal Indemnification (or Compensation) Law (BEG), the Federal Restitution Law (BReuG), the Israel Agreement, and special agreements with 12 foreign countries (including Austria).

It stipulated payments for Jews who had simply been required to wear the yellow star, even in Croatia, where the measure was ordered by non-Germans. Payments were also ordered for any Jew who was ever in a concentration camp, including the one in Shanghai, China, which was never under German control. The BEG law authorized payments to any Jew who was ever arrested, no matter what the reason. This meant that even Jews who were taken into custody for criminal acts were entitled to German "compensation" for "loss of freedom.

The Canadian Jewish News reported in December 1981 that by the end of 1980, "The number of successful claimants is 4,344,378. Payments have reached 50.18 billion German marks."See 20. The Focus On article cited above noted that between October 1953 and the end of December 1983, the West German government paid out 56.3 billion marks on a total of 4,390,049 claims from individuals under the BEG legislation

By 1963, the German people had already paid out 20 billion marks, and by 1984 the total had risen to 70 billion.See 25. In late 1987 the West German parliament approved an additional 300 million marks in "restitution to the victims of National Socialist crimes." The Bonn government announced at that time the 80 billion marks had already been paid out and estimated that by the year 2020 the payoff would total 100 billion marks which, at recent exchange rates, would be the equivalent of $50 billion.See 26.

Source

Such a horrible thing to happen to so many people should never be used for political and monetary gain in this way.

reply to post by Nammu


You're right. It should never be used for political or monetary gain.

So...why am I (a white Jew in the US) paying and being blamed for slavery in America again?


--

point being- Jews in Israel are not the only people with long memories.
Where are the 100+ threads a day complaining about this in America? Why is it all about Israel?

Originally posted by cjcord
reply to post by Nammu

 

point being- Jews in Israel are not the only people with long memories.
Where are the 100+ threads a day complaining about this in America? Why is it all about Israel?

Not that long - it was only 65 years ago. Many survivors still alive, many children of those killed still alive, many relatives. They have EVERY RIGHT to keep reminding the world of it, again and again, and the rest of us (non Jews) have an obligation to ensure it doesn't happen again. That's why I find anti-Semitism so disgusting and abhorrent. And more often than not "criticism of Israel" is quite hard to distinguish from plain old Jew hatred.

Netanyahu was in Berlin visiting a holocaust memorial. The opposition took the opportunity to stage a vote of no confidence. I think that's pretty treacherous and he has every right to call them up on it.

Originally posted by mattpryor
That's why I find anti-Semitism so disgusting and abhorrent. And more often than not "criticism of Israel" is quite hard to distinguish from plain old Jew hatred.

I quote my own signature especially for you

All is compared to the Shoah, dwarfed by the Shoah and therefore all is allowed – be it fences , sieges ... curfews, food and water deprivation or unexplained killings. All is permitted because we have been through the Shoah and you will not tell us how to behave."



If the former leader of the World Zionist Organizations thinks there's something wrong with using the Holocaust to justify whatever crime Israel commits, then I believe there is nothing wrong with people who agree with him. Or are you going to tell me now that Burg is a self-hating Jew?

Disgusting is the double standards that we, the West, maintain. Disgusting is the people who talk right whatever crime Israel commits because their people have gone through the Holocaust. Disgusting is how the pro-Israel side classify every criticism towards Israel as Jew hatred. Don't you dear criticizing Israel, they are above the law.


[edit on 20-1-2010 by Mdv2]

reply to post by Mdv2


Criticism of Israel is not Jew hatred.

Allow me to demonstrate:

Israel should NOT have withdrawn from Gaza under US pressure and should not have uprooted Jewish communities in Gush Katif.

Israel should have RE-OCCUPIED Gaza after Operation Cast Lead, kicked out Hamas and restored law and order.

See? legitimate criticism.

Now go and look at any random article on Press TV and look at the comments. Legitimate criticism or Jew hatred? And then you wonder why we get confused between the two?

reply to post by mattpryor


I'll add few more constructive criticism:

Israel should have booted radical zionist who control the govt. and it's policiy and moderate/ rational citizens should take control of Govt.

Israel should dismantle illegal settlements and return Palestinians their land, end the blockade/ occupation.

Israel should stop taking aids from foreign countries ( US/ Germany/ EU)

Israel should not discriminate against it's minority citizen and should make equal laws.

Israel should pay compensation to victims of it's Apartheid policies.

Israel should prosecute fairly the people who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in IDF and it's Govt. branch.

I think that will do for now.

[edit on 20-1-2010 by December_Rain]

Originally posted by mattpryor
Netanyahu was in Berlin visiting a holocaust memorial.

Actually his visit was economic, diplomatic policies etc. It's not wrong to remember the dead but it does not make sense to do it again and again when one is doing business. It seems lil' cheap and loses it's meaning and value.

I'm confused.

Has everyone forgotten that Israel was formed as a "Jewish State"?...
Just wondering.

reply to post by December_Rain


Perhaps you would like me to quote from the Haaretz article which you posted since you either seem to have a short / selective memory, or only read the bits of articles that support your argument.

The premier held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and took a tour of a memorial situated near the Brandenburg Gate in honor of European Jewry murdered during the Holocaust.

The prime minister also visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin and met with the speaker of the Bundestag.

It's pretty shocking that Kadima used this time as an opportunity for a political attack, and Netanyahu was within his rights to complain about it.

My feelings are that this is yet another "Look at the Jew complaining about the holocaust! When are they gonna SHUT UP about it!" thread. Maybe I'm being harsh or misjudging you, in which case I apologise, but looking at some of the reactions you got I think I'm not too far off.

reply to post by mattpryor


No need to apologies mate, your opinion are always appreciated even though our ideas differ.

How long will the Jews continue to pull the "holocaust Card"? Seriously, what happened to them was horrific, but it's in the past.

I know this is comparing apples to oranges...but, the blacks have gotten over their enslavement here in the US.

I guess that they will continue to "milk" the issue until no one listens/sympathizes with them anymore.

Maybe once the last living victim/prisoner dies, then they will have to let it go...as at that point none of them can say that it happened to them directly.

Now, please don't go flaming me, I am not a hater...just wondering what the "statute of limitations" is on this issue.

Originally posted by Aggie Man
How long will the Jews continue to pull the "holocaust Card"? Seriously, what happened to them was horrific, but it's in the past.

I know this is comparing apples to oranges...but, the blacks have gotten over their enslavement here in the US.

I guess that they will continue to "milk" the issue until no one listens/sympathizes with them anymore.

Maybe once the last living victim/prisoner dies, then they will have to let it go...as at that point none of them can say that it happened to them directly.

Now, please don't go flaming me, I am not a hater...just wondering what the "statute of limitations" is on this issue.

Emphasis completely MINE:::


you must have missed my post above...
are you kidding? What in the world would make you assume this statement has any basis in reality? You must not live in the US.


ETA: let me do for you what i had to do for another poster earlier:

linky link

[edit on 20-1-2010 by cjcord]

Originally posted by cjcord

Originally posted by Aggie Man
How long will the Jews continue to pull the "holocaust Card"? Seriously, what happened to them was horrific, but it's in the past.

I know this is comparing apples to oranges...but, the blacks have gotten over their enslavement here in the US.

I guess that they will continue to "milk" the issue until no one listens/sympathizes with them anymore.

Maybe once the last living victim/prisoner dies, then they will have to let it go...as at that point none of them can say that it happened to them directly.

Now, please don't go flaming me, I am not a hater...just wondering what the "statute of limitations" is on this issue.

Emphasis completely MINE:::


you must have missed my post above...
are you kidding? What in the world would make you assume this statement has any basis in reality? You must not live in the US.


ETA: let me do for you what i had to do for another poster earlier:

linky link

[edit on 20-1-2010 by cjcord]

That is right winged propaganda...I have many black friends, none of which want or would accept reparations. There may be a few, as there are no absolutes in this world.

reply to post by Aggie Man


I think some parties (groups) in Israel for eg. Netanahyu likes to make use of it at every international stage for illicit means ( the term milking). I remember a haaretz article last year which commented the same

Netanyahu's speech / Cheapening the Holocaust

Again saying that since Netanahyu party is so closely linked with extreme radicals also known as zionist, he would not mind "using" Holocaust. That being said it is not wrong to remember the loss of life and loved ones, but everything has an appropriate time and means. When one starts to overdo it, it loses it's meaning and value.

reply to post by Aggie Man


Right winged propaganda? I see. So...my growing up in Atlantic City NJ and my experiences with VERY angry African Americans who blamed their life circumstances on every white citizen there is..propaganda? When I lived in New Orleans during Katrina, when I heard large groups of people blaming lack of aid on "Slave masters"--- that's propaganda? So...because you happen to have lived a very nice life with very happy people around you, MY experiences are shoved off as propaganda? Wake up sweetie, there's a big world out there.

I have no political stance, i speak from my own experiences only. I refuse to be brushed off by someone crying politics.