The Liberal Avenger
The future of Palestine?
From the Times (UK):
An Israeli minister gave warning today that the Gaza faces a holocaust if Islamist militants there do not end their daily barrages of home-made Qassam rockets, and their increasing use of Iranian-built Grad missiles.
The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves, Matan Vilnai, the Deputy Defence Minister said.
The use of the term “holocaust” is usually restricted to descriptions of the Nazi genocide of the Jews in Europe in the Second World War, and many Israelis resent its use in any other context. Mr Vilnais deployment of the word appeared to show Israels growing frustration that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza refuse to curb their attacks, despite heavy tolls inflicted in Israeli air strikes and tank raids.
As Israeli media relayed his controversial comments, Mr Vilnais spokesman was forced to issue a clarification. The minister used the Hebrew term ’shoah’ which means ‘catastrophe’ and in this context does not refer to the ‘the Shoah’ - the Holocaust, he said.
So Vilnai is now saying that he intended to convey a nuanced, non-inflammatory message? That he didn’t think that anyone would connect “shoah” and the Holocaust?
Everything has to be understood in context. The context for Vilnai’s remarks is an ongoing policy of Apartheid and ethnic cleansing by the state of Israel. In light of the escalation of hostilities, and in light of the growing influence within the Israeli government of flagrant racists like Avigdor Lieberman, it’s hard to see how Vilnai’s comments can be seen as anything other than a call to kill Palestinians.
(cross posted at appletree and This Old Brit)
