Top of the list is the discredited Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, who speaks of the mutation of anti-semitism into "something else". Amos Oz's contribution is enigmatic:
There is a rise of fanaticism: Islamic, Jewish, European. It's American fundamentalism.
Maybe there's a typo in there.
For Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, the legacy of the holocaust is "the human rights framework enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration."
For Ariel Sharon, the legacy of the holocaust is to justify every Israeli atrocity.
The Allies knew of the annihilation of the Jews and did nothing. Israel learnt that we can trust no one but ourselves. This phenomenon - of Jews defending themselves and fighting back - is an anathema [to] the new anti-Semites. Legitimate steps of self-defence which Israel takes in its war against Palestinian terror - actions which any sovereign state is obligated to undertake - are presented by those who hate Israel as aggressive, Nazi-like steps.
Irene Kahn, Secretary general of Amnesty International, suggests that the war on terror and the scepticism about American motives have made humanity vulnerable:
There are countless failures to learn from Auschwitz evident in the modern world. We have failed to build a community of shared security and vulnerability. America's war on terror has polarised groups across the Arab world. The atrocities in Sudan show that, in the face of mass crimes against humanity, the international community is unable to find a mechanism to protect people.
Something I feel is missing from all the comment is whether the holocaust could have happened without the war. I'm not saying that it couldn't but it is an argument I've heard before and I really don't know. All I'm saying is that I'm surprised it hasn't been said with all the coverage there's been.
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