by Sakis Moumtzis
In Greece, the episode that was caused in Germany when the leader of the Palestinian Authority, in front of Chancellor Soltz, said that the Palestinians suffered 50 holocausts from the Israelis, was rather downplayed in Greece. Naturally, there was an uproar, with the chancellor himself declaring that "Germany will not allow the Holocaust to be turned into a commonplace."
But what Mahmoud Abbas said about the Holocaust is the permanent position of the moderate Palestinians, as the extremists are happy about it and say it publicly. But what can the biological, economic and social extermination of millions of Jews have to do with atrocities committed during a war? As is well known, the Jews of Europe lived peacefully within the local communities – small or large – respecting the laws, without causing trouble. Their successful economic activities brought to the surface the envy of some of their fellow citizens and thus, mainly in Tsarist Russia and Eastern Europe, they became victims of pogroms. The prejudices and superstitions that prevailed at that time in these societies contributed to this. Anti-Semitism, which developed first in France and then in Germany with its tragic end, are well-known facts.
On the other hand, the Arabs attacked Israel three times and were defeated all three times. In fact, the wars of 1948 and 1967 were not about settling borders, but the complete disappearance of the state of Israel. For the Israelis, they were wars of national survival. So what can the mass extermination of 6.000.000 Jews have to do with the atrocities committed in two villages in 1948 during a war?
The fact that Abbas made these statements in Germany shows that, above all else, he has no awareness of the concept of historical heritage, the burden that all peoples carry on their backs. And the German people are particularly sensitive about the deeds of previous generations during the period 1933-1945. The Holocaust was and remains a uniquely horrific event, unfathomable to the human mind, although almost eight decades have passed since then.