| Title | : | The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 185984488X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781859844885 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2000 |
In an iconoclastic and controversial study, Norman G. Finkelstein moves from an interrogation of the place the Holocaust has come to occupy in American culture to a disturbing examination of recent Holocaust compensation agreements. It was not until the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, when Israel's evident strength brought it into line with US foreign policy, that memory of the Holocaust began to acquire the exceptional prominence it enjoys today. Leaders of America's Jewish community were delighted that Israel was now deemed a major strategic asset and, Finkelstein contends, exploited the Holocaust to enhance this newfound status. Their subsequent interpretations of the tragedy are often at variance with actual historical events and are employed to deflect any criticism of Israel and its supporters. Recalling Holocaust fraudsters such as Jerzy Kosinski and Binjamin Wilkomirski, as well as the demagogic constructions of writers like Daniel Goldhagen, Finkelstein contends that the main danger posed to the memory of Nazism's victims comes not from the distortions of Holocaust deniers but from prominent, self-proclaimed guardians of Holocaust memory. Drawing on a wealth of untapped sources, he exposes the double shakedown of European countries as well as legitimate Jewish claimants, and concludes that the Holocaust industry has become an outright extortion racket. Thoroughly researched and closely argued, The Holocaust Industry is all the more disturbing and powerful because the issues it deals with are so rarely discussed.
In a devastating new postscript to this best-selling book, Norman G. Finkelstein documents the Holocaust industry's scandalous cover-up of the blackmail of Swiss banks, and in a new appendix demolishes an influential apologia for the Holocaust industry.
The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering Reviews
-
Wow, what a book. I had this book for a few months and, after seeing the author on a documentary about the Holocaust, bumped the book to the top of my To Read pile.
This work discusses the Nazi holocaust (the historical event) and how the Holocaust (capital H) was created after Arab-Israeli War in 1967. Finkelstein describes how organizations representing victims of Nazi brutality use tactics similar to those the Nazis used to get money from businesses, countries, and other groups that have any connection to Nazi Germany.
I don't think a Gentile could have written this book without having a death warrant placed on him. While I try to keep an open mind about anything and might not believe everything Finkelstein used as examples, I feel that if even half of what is in the book is true, that it's very, very sad. The survivors and their descendants deserve the return of what was taken from them, but it should be their decision on what to do with any compensation, not groups who fought on their behalf in the courts but then use the settlement to pay for things in Israel or to fund some project of the group.
This is a fairly short book (and small, maybe 7" x 5"), and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Nazi holocaust, the Holocaust (the created, emotionally-charged "ideological representation" of the historical event), or any type of social justice should read it. -
A short, vengeful, insightful, informative, rendition of The Holocaust Industry. Eye-opening, maybe, for some readers, but not so for others. The reason being that Prof. Finkesltein's information have been shared already by various other historians, who also lost their tenure, and were named and shamed for their "Holocaust Denial". One such victims was Prof. Thomas Dalton.
Debating the Holocaust: A New Look at Both Sides. His book was banned in 57 countries.
Then there's
Two Hundred Years Together by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. This book is still banned in most countries. What a cruel irony. The author struggled to get his other books smuggled out of Russia to become best sellers world wide, only to be hit by a new wave of restrictions by a different contingent of free speech oppressors in, what us all were forced to believe, a free democratic society.
I did not dare review this book:
Breaking the Spell: The Holocaust, Myth & Realityby Nicholas Kollerstrom.
Prof. Finkelstein's other book,
Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, was another rendition of his sadness (that's actually what it is) with the current events in the American Jewish contingent. It is actually a worldwide debate raging in the Jewish psyche. Yet another of his controversial and much despised books, Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom", exposed, what is now regarded in many quarters of the world, as the biggest concentration camp in human history.
Other books, which received the same treatment:
The Master and Margaritaby Mikhail Bulgakov;
The Myth of German Villainy by Benton L. Bradberry. This book is so explosive that I did not venture into a review, but it is also the book strengthening Finkelstein's argument in The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. Supported by impeccable research, including photos, this book turns everything we knew upside down.
And on and on it goes. A lot of muckraking went on to banish all these 'anti-Semite' / 'Holocaust denying' books from hitting the streets.
I've read so many books on this issue lately, which I did not list on GR, that I will suffice with the ones I actually did mention on GR.
About this book: Prof. Finkelstein addresses a few issues:
1) The extortion of money from Germany and Switzerland;
2) The lies and deceit surrounding the Jewish victims of WWII; - one famous example is the writings of Jerzy Kosinsky, regarded as a literary giant until his lies behind his Holocaust experience were exposed. I'm addressing this issue in my review of his novel
Being There. There are sadly thousands more of these Holocaust myths being presented as the truth. And nothing BUT the truth.
This reminds me of the quote by Mark E. Levine: You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough.
3) The creation of "The Holocaust"-brand after the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. The 'brand' enabled a small group of money-grabbers to enrich themselves instead of the real Jewish victims of WWII.Holocaust awareness,” the respected Israeli writer Boas Evron observes, is actually “an official, propagandistic indoctrination, a churning out of slogans and a false view of the world, the real aim of which is not at all an understanding of the past, but a manipulation of the present.” ...
This short book is meticulously researched and copiously foot-noted. Excellent research concludes Prof. Finkelstein's argument. It depends on the reader what will be taken away from this information.
The Holocaust has proven to be an indispensable ideological weapon. Through its deployment, one of the world’s most formidable military powers, with a horrendous human rights record, has cast itself as a “victim” state, and the most successful ethnic group in the United States has likewise acquired victim status. Considerable dividends accrue from this specious victimhood – in particular, immunity to criticism, however justified. Those enjoying this immunity, I might add, have not escaped the moral corruptions that typically attend it. ...
The current campaign of the Holocaust industry to extort money from Europe in the name of “needy Holocaust victims” has shrunk the moral stature of their martyrdom to that of a Monte Carlo casino.
Norman Finkelstein's parents were both holocaust survivors. He has a dog in the fight. He treasures and respect his background. He is no 'Jew-hater' as so many anti-Finkelstein prophets want to portray him. He is passionate about the plight of the Palestinians. He has an undisputed love for humanity.
Since his book Gaza created so much animosity in some circles, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in the situation, I was wondering why the Palestinians don't sue the Israeli government for compensation, like "The Holocaust" managed to extort from anyone associated with the Nazis. Wouldn't that be fair? And what about all the survivors of WWI & WWII who lost millions of family members in a war they did not start and did not want? Britain lost almost their entire nobility. The latter acted as leaders in the war. Isn't it time for the Jewish organizations who financed these wars to start paying compensation? That's my spark thrown onto this already raging debate.
Excerpt from The Myth of German Villainy:
... the deciding influence in taking America into the war was the pressure on President Wilson by American Jewish financiers. It was these powerful Jews who had financed Wilson’s political career. Without their financial and media support, he probably would never have become president. These Jews exerted extreme pressure on Wilson to take the United States into the war on the side of Britain to ensure an Allied victory, in exchange for the Balfour Declaration which promised the Jews a homeland in Palestine after the war. ...
America’s entry into the war was perhaps the greatest disaster in European history in its unintended consequences. ...
With the offer of the Zionists Jews to bring America into the war in hand, Britain rejected Germany’s peace offer and decided to take the Zionists up on their proposition. The British promised the Jews that if they could, indeed, bring America into the war, that Palestine would be theirs. The Zionist Jews went to work immediately. ...
Prof. Finkelstein's parents received $3500 compensation from the war. They were regarded as "Green Horns", 'unrefined' and not worth the effort to be accepted into society. There were many of these 'Green Horns' who were exploited by lawyers and Jewish organizations to gain financially from The Holocaust. Did this resentment fired up Finkelstein's irk to run over the American Jewish establishment? He is raging against the injustice of it all. Organized groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League, shook down Europe, according to the author, via fraudulent claims, by extorting billions of dollars from Swiss and German Banks (as well as government, in effect the German citizenry). Seventy years of extortion paid by generation who never participated in the events. In the end these groups, and the lawyers, only enriched themselves.
The Israeli situation is so complicated and should be considered from different angles, as I'm sure are done where it matters. I have empathy with all the people suffering, including the Jewish & Palestinian citizens. There's no right or wrong - for me at least. There's only tragedy and hope as far as I am concerned.
The most important though is freedom of speech. And that right, as it originally appeared in a 1906 biography
Friends of Voltaire by Beatrice Evelyn Hall, and wrongly attributed to Voltaire himself, must reign in all shapes and forms. The book was written under a pseudonym, S. G. Tallentyre.From Hall's book: "What the book (Essays On The Mind, (by Helvétius, 1715-1771) could never have done for itself, or for its author, persecution did for them both. ‘On the Mind’ became not the success of a season, but one of the most famous books of the century. The men who had hated it, and had not particularly loved Helvétius, flocked round him now. Voltaire forgave him all injuries, intentional or unintentional. ‘What a fuss about an omelette!’ he had exclaimed when he heard of the burning. How abominably unjust to persecute a man for such an airy trifle as that! ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,’ was his attitude now."
Beatrice Evelyn Hall INTERPRETED Voltaire's words with that expression. Voltaire never said it himself. (Just a little tidbit for interest's sake).
I respect Prof. Finkelstein's right to freedom of speech. There are a gazillion books on this raging debate. This author is a dissenting voice. His arguments are sound, whether the reader agrees with it or not.
Would there have been a change in South Africa, if there were not a few million dissenting voicing from within the Afrikaner community who brought a different perspective, and new historical facts, to that particular debate within the enclave? Would any change happen anywhere in the world if introspective, robust debate is not allowed among ourselves?
We have to listen to these voices. History MUST HAVE different voices. -
هذا الكتاب صادم بالنسبة وليس بصادم. صادم من ناحية الحقيقة التي حملها موضوعه، وليس بصادم حيث إستمرارية طغيان وجبروت والظلم الأمريكي.
The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering
أول مرة عرفت فيها فينكلشتاين عندما قرأت له كتابه رحلة أميركي يهودي بحثًا عن الحقيقة وهالني أن اقرأ ليهودي كان مقدر لوالديه النجاة من الحرب العالمية الثانية وكذلك من النازية. رغم يهودية المؤلف وتضرره أسرته من أثر النازية خلال الحرب العالمية الثانية (1938 – 1945م) ويذكر بعد سرده أو خلال سرده لمعاناة اليهود من النازية كيف استخدمت الجماعات اليهودية وأمريكا صناعة هذه الحادثة لمصلحتهم.
يبحث المؤلف موضوع إستغلال المنظمات اليهودية لما يعرف بالمحرقة النازية لليهودية وكيف أحسنوا تضخيم وتوظيف هذه الحقبة التاريخية التي لم تمكث سوي سنوات قليلة من فترة الحرب العالمية إستثماراً يجانب كل إنسانية منذ خمسينيات القرن الماضي حتي اليوم وفق كل رئيس أمريكي ووفق معظم كبار زعماد أوروبا برضاهم أو بالضغط عليهم سياسيًا فأبتزوا أموال البنوك والحكومات بمساعداتهم. رغم أن الضحايا لم ينالوا شيء من المساعدات.
كذلك يعمد المؤلف للتركيز علي دور البنوك السويسرية وهذا أمر كان صادم بالنسبة لي.
مما وجدت في الكتاب :
وجود كمية عظيمة من قائمة المصادر والمراجع و(الوثائق) وهذه أمر غاية في المنهجية البحثية.
حيادية المؤلف رغم يهوديته التي ستقف عائقًا أمام أي متطرف صهيوني أو إسرائيلي للطعن في فحوى موضوعه البحثي.
الكتاب يفتح الباب لعدة تساؤلات عن عدم إهتمام أمريكا تفسها بحقوق المنكوبين من الأفارقة والهنود الحمد وهم أصحاب حقوق مثلهم مثل اليهود فلماذا لا يدفع لأحفادهم تعويضات؟ ولا يقام لهم متاحف تخلد نكبتهم؟ تمامًا كما حدث مع اليهود بسبب النازية؟ فهؤلاء ومعهم ضحايا فتنام وأهل فلسطين كل هؤلاء هولوكوستيون من منطق نظر اليهود فأين حقوقهم!!.
الكارثة العظمى هي إختزال الحرب العالمية في العنصر اليهودي دون أي متضرر آخر.
دفع ألمانيا في المقام الأول ثم سويسرا - حيث البنوك - ومعظم دول أوروبا وخصوصًا الشرقية لدفع تعويضات للضحايا الذين قد يصلهم النزر اليسير والأكثرية تتغدى عليها المنظمات اليهودية الأمريمية وهذا يصب في مصلحة أمريكا ثم إسرائيل والمنظمات الصهيونية وبهذا تبقى إسرائيل أرض خصبة وصديق عظيم في الشرق للمصلحة الأمريكية - حتي يأتي البديل – وأهدافها.
هذا الكتاب بإختصار شديد هو فن التكسب من صناعة الهولوكوست بكل جدارة يهودية ممكنة.
بعيدًا عن نظرية المؤامرة التي أرفض الكثير منها ومؤمن بما يثبت منها. أصبح الكثير مما تعرض له اليهود إبّان الحرب العالمية الثانية بالتحديد على يد النازية – رغم إيماني بحدوث بعضه – من قبل هتلر بالغ اليهود في تضخميه وتقريره علينا كواقع بهذه الأرقام والوحشية وكأن الحرب العالمية لم تعني غير القضاء على اليهود حتى غفل أعظم مؤرخو أوروبا وأمريكا وحتى الصينيون واليابانيون عن دخول جيوش هتلر روسيا وإسقاط فرنسا ودورهم في بولندا ودخولهم النمسا، والنرويج، وهولندا، وبلجيكا، ولكسمبورج، والدانمارك... الخ ومع ذلك لا يبقى غير اليهود فقط اليهود من يخرج لنا عرقهم دون بقية الشعوب ولم نعد نذكر من كل محارق العالم غير زعم (محركة اليهود : الهولوكوست المزعوم) أو كما يسميه المؤرخ الفرنسي (محرقة الأفران السحرية) سخرية منه لعدم وجودها. حيث أنه ليس ثمة وثائق تخبرنا عن هذه المجازر والأفران والقتل بالغاز ووووو الخ.
لكن الثابت أن حدث لليهود مثل ما حدث للبولندين والغجر والمعاقين وحتى العرب لم يسلموا من النازيين ومعسكر اوشفتس وفلسنبرغ وماوتهوزن خير دليل لوجود عرب ضمن ضحايا ألمانيا.
لكن الأبحاث والقصائد والروايات والأفلام والمسرح والتسجيلات الحديثة والقديمة الوثائقية لا تصوّر أو تذكر شيء عن ماعاناه الغجر وشعوب السلاف في بولندا وروسيا وماحصل للشيوعين والإشتراكيين – هاتين الفئتين الأخيرتين قد أجرمت بما فيهما الكفاية في البشر وستفعل أعظم من فعل هتلر بعد الحرب خصوصًا الشيوعية – وما فعلت النازية في المعاقين وأصحاب العاهات و��أنهم يبنون دولة حديثة كالمدينة الفاضلة خالية من المرضى تحت ماعرف بـ"القتل الرحيم” لهم، وغيرهم الكثير من الضحايا. لكن وحدهم اليهود من يبرزون لنا كضاحيا!.
ــــــــــ
،
أبحثوا عن الكتاب في طبعته الثانية أو أي طبعة لاحقة مابعد الأولى فقد تم تعديل الكتاب وإضافة مايوازي الكتاب في نسخته الأولى دون أي إخلال بل هي إضافات أعظم من معلومات الكتاب في نسخته الأولى.
، ،
ثمة تلاقي معرفي عظيم بين كتابات فينكلشتاين وتشومسكي فيما يخص مواقفهما من الصهيونية والقضية الفلسطينية والعدو المحتل لدولة فلسطين إسرائيل.
أخيرًا:
ستشعر بمدى سخريتك من عروبتك عندما تجد عرب باحثين وأساتذة جامعات ومدعّي ثقافة صدقوا الهولوكوست بكل أبعادها وتطورها ومبالغتها في الوقت الذي يرفضها يهود!! -
Norman Finkelstein is a phenomenon.
He enrages people by always sticking to facts. Backing up his words with copious footnotes referencing the facts upon which he makes his statements, he marches like Sherman through Georgia, laying low everything in his path. All dissemblers must flee before him because there is no rebuttal to the truth.
He is the same in his public appearances, citing the works of the person he debates to turn that person's own words back upon him.
This logical, relentless, driving method is much needed in the area where he is an expert - the terrible hypocrisy that is Israel.
Being Jewish, with parents who were subject to the Holocaust and whose other relatives died in it, no one can say the man has no standing. He has devoted his life to investigating and exposing the myths and falsehoods that crowd densely around the Jewish State. His is a voice greatly needed in the United States, blind as this country is to the machinations of Zionists while subject to Zionist influence at all levels of government, industry and finance. This country stands alone in supporting the decades old oppression that Israel exerts over the natives of Palestine - the largest single factor in the deterioration of the prestige of the United States over the past 40 years.
In this book, Finkelstein examines what can only be called the shakedown of Europe by organized Jewish groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League, claiming to act in the name of the victims of the Holocaust but mainly working for their own enrichment. It relates in detail how the Swiss banks and Germany were harassed into provide huge payments to the groups which they intended to use for themselves.
In this grand scheme, non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust were scarcely mentioned, the number of Jewish victims was inflated, people who were nowhere near the death camps were included and the imaginative writing of people who claimed to be survivors of Nazi atrocities but weren't, are lauded as true accounts. So bad was it that actual Holocaust victims sued the Jewish groups for the proceeds.
As Finkelstein relates, United States banks were just as free in dealing in gold with Hitler's Germany as were the Swiss banks. But since the Jewish groups who pressed for reparations were based in the United States and needed U.S. clout to pressure the Europeans, American involvement with Nazi Germany never surfaced.
As the Jewish organizations pushed for quick settlements in the name of survivors nearing death from old age and poor health, once the money was obtained the payouts were delayed for years by these same organizations as they successfully took much of the money for their own projects. An impartial investigative team under Paul Voelker came up with the facts after three years of research but the Jewish organizations had already pressured the Swiss banks into a huge settlement before the Voelker report repudiated most of what had been claimed.
It's a disgusting story, but very much in keeping with the story of Israel - a state that wants the world to pity the plight of Jews in history while at the same time denying any sympathy due the native Palestinians that it rousted from their land at gunpoint.
Israel exists only because of the Holocaust card that it has played relentless to this day. Norman Finkelstein deserves praise for following the truth wherever it leads and whomever it indicts.
What is the lesson to be learned? It is that any people who have protection to do wrong will do so. Jews are people just like everyone else but the Holocaust has allowed some of them a free ride under the protection of the guilt of others and the horror of the event that intimidates people frightened that they might be called anti-Semitic. Are we witnessing this invisible protective force crumbling before the facts of Israeli behavior? No. Even the Amnesty International report on Israel's apartheid has been swept aside. But the effort for justice must continue.
Finkelstein's account of the lack of interest in the Holocaust or Israel by American Jews prior to the 1967 war is astounding and profound evidence of the construction of the Holocaust Industry from that time.
Every one of us should first examine ourselves for fault before going after others. This book is the work of someone who does so. It is a quick read, infuriating, and should prompt any American reader to speak up against Israel and for the benighted Palestinians who have been part of the huddling masses the United States has resolutely ignored since 1948. -
Uncomfortable Reading
Has anyone read Binjamin Wilkomirski's Fragments? Or The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski? Did you like those books? Did you find yourself affected by either of them? Perhaps they're on your favourite book shelf right now?
If any of the above is true for you, then I would advise you pick this book up. The validity of these authors and their work is the tip of the iceberg in what The Holocaust Industry targets within its conseicse 171 pages.
I've been listening to Finkelsteins strict analysis of Israeli policy for a few years now. However, this is my first outing with the Professors. written work. It's not a random choice that I picked out this essay first (he's written a fair few). This book caused a riot when first released, and still the repercussions of it's criticisms and expośe of the so called Holocaust Industry hold relevance today.
After reading a few reviews of Finkelsteins other work on goodreads, I was expecting a fairly dry, difficult to diffuse, but ultimately intillectually satisfying book. What I received instead, was a pretty amazing read with a damning indictment of a handful of people profiteering from the compensation money paid up by Germany and Switzerland for the horrors of the Holocaust. Not only this, but Finkelstein makes some very poignant observations over the fact that the United States government could have equally shared blame for the same accusations the above countries received.
His further critique of the ideology behind the holocaust in the United States is also very eye opening. I won't press any further as it's a short book and deserves a readers full attention (its available online via PDF), but Finkelstein is a moral force to be reckoned with. I fear for any dishonest author / intellectual who finds themselves caught in his sights and believe me when I say, there are more than a few he locks onto here. Not only this, but he manages to be very funny at times, but only when mocking those who are dishonest in their claims and validity.
Overal, It's a crushing attack. I cant recommend books like this enough, as they ask the uncomfortable questions that others would turn their eyes away from.
Don't stand too close. -
Norman Finkelstein is the son of two Holocaust survivors. He is vocal against Israel's crimes against Palestinians, and is strongly opposed to using one of the worst tragedies in history to justify genocide. His willingness to speak the truth without mitigation has put him in many difficult situations; even leading him to lose his job as a university professor.
The Holocaust Industry, however, deals with a different subject. In it, Finkelstein discusses how the nazi holocaust was used to service the greed of individuals and organisations with their own private agendas. It's an intense read to say the least. Finkelstein does not hold back.
Because of what his parents went through, particularly his mother, he takes this subject very personally. He's not wrong to do so.
The term "Holocaust Industry" is used to refer to this wide array of organisations and individuals who claim to be defenders of Jews and Holocaust victims, while in truth they only aim to serve their own interests.
According to Finkelstein, the Holocaust industry has spread the following false ideas into mainstream American culture:
1) Gentiles have an inert hatred of Jews. They possess an irrational need to spill Jewish blood.
2) The Jews have suffered because they are superior to the Gentiles, and it’s the Gentiles jealousy of the Jews that had created silent executioners during the Holocaust.
3) The Holocaust is a unique event in history. To even suggest that the suffering of any other group is just as tragic constitutes holocaust denial.
4) To criticise Israel in any way is an act of anti-Semitism, which will lead to a new Holocaust.
One cannot say that Finkelstein is exaggerating since he offers more than enough support. One citation after another, footnotes extending more than half the page, some of the most detailed referencing that I have ever come across, only serve to strengthen his credibility (that along with his outstanding academic achievements in political science).
Finkelstein explores in depth how "the Holocaust Industry" demanded compensation from countries such as Switzerland and Germany several times over in the name of the actual survivors while, the survivors received very little (Finkelstein's mother only recieved $3500 out of a deal that offered billions in compensation). He explains how the money went to fund "Jewish cultural projects" that, instead of insuring the rights of the survivors or the heirs, only continued to serve the interests of a chosen few. He also goes into great detail about the hypocrisy that lies behind the "Industry's" outcries and accusations of anti-Semitism.
'When Germans or Swiss refuse to pay compensation, the heavens cannot contain the righteous indignation of organised American Jewry. but when Jewish elites rob Jewish survivors, no ethical issues arise: it’s just about money.' (page 86).
The quote refers to how actual Jewish survivors of the Nazi holocaust received very little from the monetary compensation, while the bulk went to financing “various pet projects” and individual payments to rabbis and “outstanding Jewish leaders”.
Finkelstein also discusses the extortion of poor Eastern European countries by the "Holocaust Industry" right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The demands this time, unlike the many compensation demands against Germany and the Swiss banks, were not publicised; as it might come off as 'grave robbery'.
'To justify the pressures exerted on Eastern Europe, he (Stuart Eizenstat) explained that a hallmark of "Western" normality is to "return or pay compensation for communal and private property wrongfully appropriated". For the "new democracies" in Eastern Europe, meeting this standard "would be to commensurate with their passage from totalitarianism to a democratic states." Eizenstat is a senior US government official and a prominent supporter of Israel. Yet, judging by the respective claims of Native Americans and Palestinians, neither the US nor Israel has yet made the transition.' (page 134).
Finkelstein has been criticised as a self-hating Jew. However, the truth could not be more different. It is his unwillingness to accept the exploitation of his heritage, and his parents' suffering, that motivates him to speak. If anything, it is his self-respect as a Jew that has driven him to take up this position.
In conclusion, The Holocaust Industry is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more than the superficial on this topic. People like Finkelstein care about the truth; they deserve to be heard. -
When you start a book like this, you sort of go, "Jeeze, I almost hope I don't like it," because you know if you do, you're going to have to explain yourself. And, confound it, I liked it.
I want to conflate a couple of the points from the letters section of this book with an anecdote of my own:
In 2005, while I was living in China, the whole of China became incensed at yet another inaccurate history textbook published in Japan. The text described the Nanjing Massacre (a.k.a. The Rape of Nanking) as "The Nanjing Incident." In response, the Chinese government mobilized college students. They took to the streets, chucked bottles at the Japanese embassy, and called for a worldwide boycott of Japanese goods.
Around the same time, I'd attempted to set up an information booth/charity collection for the genocide in Darfur (a genocide, it should be noted, that the Chinese government helped to arm in exchange for oil). The response was supreme indifference. They claimed that they'd love to help but, pitifully, there were too many Chinese citizens in need of help first.
"Why," I asked, "is the rest of the world meant to care about a massacre that occured 70 years ago when you don't care about a genocide ocurring right now?"
It's because people are consumed by this implicit belief that they really are special. OUR pain is greater. THIS crime is unprecedented. And so on and so forth. And when you feel you've been wronged, you can justify any theft or crime of your own. I've seen this attitude elsewhere in the world, too. Apologies are rarely recognized and when they are, they're not enough. Generations of people cling to the idea of reparations, no doubt because it's tough getting by in this world and people will take what they can get. But perpetuating guilt perpetuates conflict. It's terribly short-sighted.
This is part of what Finklestein tries to point out about Israel and it's important that he does. Communities need dissent from within. God forbid you're an outsider.
Look at what they're saying about Gunter Grass. Suddenly Grass is an anti-semite and banned from Israel, despite his belief in the right to a Jewish nation. All anyone can do now is point out that he'd served in the Waffen SS. Well, so did the Pope. If even a bad poem can get their panties in a bunch, clearly they need to hear from dissenting Jews. Of course, then they just say that he's a self-hating Jew. The larger Jewish community has sealed itself off from valid criticism. Plenty of other groups do the same.
Remember when Bill Cosby had some hard words for the black community in America? Oh, how they were pissed. He'd betrayed them! And what would the white people think when they heard him talk like that? Do you remember what he said? He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "I don't care what the white people will say. I'm not talking to the white people. I'm talking to YOU." His point, obviously, is that you can't worry about how others might twist the argument. You have to deal rationally with what you know. So, yes, white supremecists loved Cosby's criticism. Sure, radical Palestinian factions adore Grass's poem. And of course neo-Nazis have clung to Finklestein's arguments, but you just can't let that affect your thinking. Do they have a point or don't they?
Of course, Finklestein needs to be kept in check, too. At the end of the documentary "American Radical," Finklestein tells the Palestinian media that he believes there is hope and that that hope is Hezbollah. That made me wince a little. I don't agree, but I do get why he has such an extreme reaction to bullying.
First they laughed at Finklestein, calling him unbalanced. Then they banned him from Israel (like children in tree-houses), and next?
“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident.”
~ Arthur Schopenhauer
Let's hope we all see jingoism for what it is, very soon. -
Unlike the precision of research that his characteristic of Norman Finkelstein when it comes to the issue of the Israel-Palestine conflict, 'The Holocaust Industry' is a disorganized and ultimately spotty work of political science.
Finkelstein's aim is to present an "anatomy and an indictment of the Holocaust industry," meaning the subsequent exploitation of the historical tragedy that was the Holocaust for political and financial ends. The book is composed of three basic sections, 'Capitalizing the Holocaust,' 'Hoaxers, Huxters, and History,' and 'The Double Shakedown.'
Chapter one deals with the evolution of American awareness of the Holocaust as an event throughout the course of the post-war era. In it, Finkelstein alleges that the Holocaust was basically not discussed in America prior to the June 67 war in Israel. The majority of his arguments here are quite correct, though the general thrust of the argument is borrowed heavily from Peter Novick's book, 'The Holocaust in American Life,' which Finkelstein cites as a major influence but not a "radical critique" (5). In this section, Finkelstein oscillates between sharp political analysis and careless ranting. He includes bizarre footnotes to designate his 'terminology' such as footnote 7 on pg. 13, which states: "In this text, Jewish elites designates individuals prominent in the organizational and cultural life of the mainstream Jewish community." Unfortunately for Finkelstein, this is not really a proper "organization" which can be referred to on a whim. It are these kinds of generalizations which severely limit the quality and veracity of the arguments presented.
Chapter 2 deals with the apparent influx of fraudulent "Holocaust literature" which has inundated the American public with pro-Israeli propaganda. Finkelstein discusses hoaxes like Wilkomirsky's "Fragments," and Kosinsky's "The Painted Bird," and rails on Elie Wiesel for charging for his lectures. While it is true that many individuals have turned a profit off of the Holocaust in this way (particularly in recent years), this argument remains entirely too reductive. What about the excellent and serious-minded work of Primo Levi, Ruth Kluger, and Paul Celan? Are these artists and historians trying to capitalize off of the Holocaust as well? At what point does an author become a Holocaust "Huxter"? The problem with this line of argumentation is that it lumps individuals into one enormous category that they may not necessarily deserve.
The final chapter is the strongest of the book. Finkelstein ruthlessly scrutinizes the actions of the WJC in their claims against Swiss and German banks for Holocaust Survivors. He has documented a record of falsification that is difficult to believe. After winning the European monies (at an inflated sum), the relevant organizations subsequently refused to distribute the money to the actual Holocaust survivors. This is a difficult topic to stomach, and it raises many troubling questions. However, Finkelstein's evidence in these final sections is a valuable resource.
The Holocaust Industry suffers from its polemicist ravings and broad generalizations. At the heart of it is an important issue, namely the issue form of historiography and memory regarding the Holocaust and other outrageous acts of genocide. Finkelstein is angry that the Holocaust has apparently been elevated above all human suffering, and he is angry that individuals have positioned themselves in such a way as to capitalize off of this horrible tragedy. Yet his work deteriorates in his tendency to rant and rave, as well as his frequent use of generalized and unsupported claims. Near the end of the book, Finkelstein writes that "The abnormality of the Nazi holocaust springs not from the event itself but from the exploitative industry that has grown up around it." (150). Are there no other instances of the exploitation of human tragedy? I am inclined to cite 9/11 and the U.S.S.R under Stalin as other examples of the same phenomenon. -
The Holocaust Industry
By Dr. Norman G. Finkelstein
للنسخة العربية من التقيم أدخل الرابط
http://mt-awf.blogspot.com/2011/09/bl...
I'll divide my review into sections so you can skip what you don't want to read in this review:
a) About the writer:
the first time I heard about Norman was 6 moth ago I was watching a clip where he was arguing a point with TV program host who had the same opinion as me after watching the clip I was amazed and fascinated with the compelling argument of Dr. Finkelstein and this rarely happen with me as I reach my conclusion and opinion based on careful study.
Dr.Finkelstein is an amazing researcher and well trained political scientist. He has an admirable sense of justice and moral value. His parents were holocaust survivors the rest of his families were not as fortunate and none of them survived.
b) About the book:
1) Research and referencing: this where Norman truly shine I spent reading about reference in the footnote more than reading the actual book of course if your not interested in reading them you can skip them and just read the actual book. As for the research this book is full of an amazing amount of relevant information and compelling evident of his conclusion.
2) The content: The main idea of the book is about the deprivation of the Holocaust survivor by the American Jewish organization from there rights in the compensation obtained from the Swiss banks and Germany and other country on there suffering and how these organization used the suffering of the holocaust victim to black mail the Swiss bank and Germany form there own self interest with the help of the American Government and the former President Clinton.
3) The 1st edition and 2nd edition addition: Dr. Finkelstein added a lot of important research on the Swiss banks issue that almost equals in amount to the actual book content.
4) Writing style: its trade book so the writer presents the subject by introducing the conclusion and documented with the evidence throughout the book. Sometimes the writer use the famous Hyake style to give the writing little pit of flavor which mistaken by some as an angry or sarcastic tone.
C) Book criticism:
1) Some of those who's Norman quoted in the book claimed that he miss quoted them or selectively quoted them but they failed to give even one example of these claims even when they been asked to do so and if you checked the book yourself you will find no basis for these claims.
2) Some accused the book of having an angry tone and that because the writer sometimes used the famous Hayek style to give the writing little pit of flavor which some mistaken it to be angry or sarcastic tone and you can see after finishing the book there are no basis for these claims.
3) Some accused the book content of being just a propaganda if you read the book you will find that the amount of facts and information dismiss such claims and those who claimed such thing failed to prove there claims when asked to.
4) The only thing I think Norman should have changed is the title "The Holocaust Industry" which in my opinion caused a lot of people to judge the book without reading it. -
* محتوای کتاب و میراثش برای خواننده
به نظرم کتابی است خواندنی درباره ی استفاده ی اقتصادی از هولوکاست؛ درباره ی اینکه چگونه برخی افراد و سازمان ها برای منفعت فردی و برای پیاده کردن نظرات خود هولوکاست را به ابزاری برای جلب اعانه های مردمی از یک سو و ادعای خسارت های بین المللی از سوی دیگر بدل کرده اند
مچ گیری های کتاب از این و اون هرچند جالبن اما طبعا نتایج قابل تعمیمی بدست نمی دن. اون مطالبی که به نظرم ماندنی تر و تفکربرانگیزتر به نظر می رسن اینها هستند: الف) اینکه چگونه برنامه ها و سازمان های به اصطلاح حمایتی عملا باعث میشن خود قربانیان فراموش بشن یا حداقل در حاشیه قرار بگیرن - چه این فراموشی حاصل فساد اقتصادی این سازمانها باشه، چه حاصل بوروکراسی و چه به دلیل اولویت یافتن برنامه های کلی و درازمدت و ...؛ ب) اینکه چه راهکارهایی می شه اتخاذ کرد - مثلا در موافقت نامه های اعاده ی حیثیت یا تودیع خسارت و ... - به صورتی که سازمان های واسطه این وسط پول رو نخورن؛ ج) اینکه احساسات در حوزه ی تاریخ چقدر می تونه خطرناک باشه - مثلا این تکیه ی مدام به اینکه هولوکاست در تاریخ بی نظیره یا فراتر از فهمه؛ و اموری از این دست
* نقد کتاب
کتاب چیزهایی رو نداره؛ مثلا اشاره ای اینکه رسانه ها به مسائل مطرح شده در کتاب چه واکنش هایی داشتن؛ اینکه طرف های آلمانی و سوئیسی و ... چه راه کارهایی اتخاذ کرده بودن تا در جریان انتقال پول دلالانی ظاهر نشن؛ و ...
* هشداری برای خوانندگان اینگونه متن ها
البته اونی که بخواد این کتاب رو از منظر حرف های سیاسی ای از قبیل انکار هولوکاست بخونه همون بهتر که نخونه. به نظرم نباید این مغالطه رو کرد که افراد و سازمان های فاسد موجب زیر سؤال رفتن اصل قضیه میشن؛ همینطور نباید رویکرد دوگانه رو برهانی برای رد نفس موضوع دونست. اینکه سوئیس و آلمان از سوی سازمان های منفعت طلب تحت فشار بودن نباید از یادمون ببره که سوئیس و آلمان واقعا مقصر بودن و باید خسارت می دادن. اینکه آمریکایی ها به یهودی ها بیشتر از سیاه پوستا پرداخته اند نباید باعث بشه فراموش کنیم که یهودی ها باید حقشون رو بگیرن
* به ما ایرانی ها چه دخلی دارد
نباید گمان کرد که این موارد مال دیگران هستند و به ما دخلی ندارند - همان چیزی که نویسنده در مورد آمریکایی های چسبیده به هولوکاست اما بی خیال سیاه پوستان و ... می گه. مثلا در افقی دیگه، مورد الف مذکور در مورد نسبت ما و بازماندگان جنگ خودمون هم صادقه. اینکه بسیاری از معلولین و ... وضع نامناسبی دارن اما مدام از "فرهنگ ایثار و شهادت" حرف زده میشه؛ مثل اون هایی که دائم برنامه های آموزشی ��ر��ی هولوکاست می ذارن و موزه و ... می سازن در حالی که یهودیان بازمانده در فلاکت مردند و سودی از این پول ها گیرشون نیومد. بگذریم که بحث فساد هم در بنیاد شهید این روزها مطرح شده. مورد ج هم تو یه افق دیگه در مورد نسبت خود ما با رویدادهای تاریخی صادقه. این روزها که محرمه؛ باید پرسید که این همه تأکید برای یکه بودن عاشورا جز اینکه امری احساسی یا حداکثر ایمانی باشه چه مبنایی داره؟ اینکه وقتی کسی مرگ امام حسین و سقراط را در کنار هم ذکر کرد، برخی حس کردند "توهینی" رخ داده از کجا برآمده؟ علی ای حال این مسائل و دیدگاه ها مختص کفار و غربی ها نیست؛ بلکه اشتباهاتی است انسانی و ما همه باید محتاط باشیم -
I admire Finkelstein's intent in this book. He's trying to show how the various foundations and institutions which now claim to represent the Holocaust and its victims have become self-serving profit centers, using historical guilt as a way of filling their own coffers first and foremost. (That human institutions tend to perpetuate themselves by hook or crook is a conclusion that shouldn't shock most people at this point in history, but maybe I'm just too cynical).
That being said, this is kind of a disaster. His assertions about the way U.S./Israeli relations changed from 1948 through to the present is unsubstantial, narrow-minded, and cherry picks what ultimately seems like rather trivial data. It's an insult to reduce ANY two nations relations to such a small minded framework. This is a historical topic which demands an entire volume unto itself; trying to cram it into a short chapter in a 150 page book is ludicrous.
Furthermore, he spends far too much time going after people like Jerzey Kosinski, Elie Weisel, etc, Holocaust writers who have either deceived with their writing (Kosinksi) or whose personal political beliefs about what constitutes genocide look increasingly naive/offensive in the Post-War era (Weisel).
Attacking sacred cows might be fun, but ultimately attacking an individual for being crass and hypocritical is a child's game compared to the work of clearly showing malfeasance and corruption in institutions themselves.
Finkelstein's section on the World Jewish Congress suit against Swiss banks for survivor money is muddled, poorly written and seems more like a personal rant than a cool, clear-headed critique of the organizations and ideas at play. A topic this divisive and potent deserves a deeply well researched, deeply rational approach placed in a meaningful historical context. I appreciated Finkelstein's passionate anger over the issue, but this is a topic which demands more than spleen to make it comprehensible. -
ما الذي حصل فجأة لكي يفتح موضوع الهولوكوست؟ لماذا لا يخلوا منهج تعليمي في أوروبا من دروس عن الهولوكوست وان فرانك، وأفلام عن الهولوكست.
ما السبب وراء الكم الهائل من الأفلام والكتب التي تنتتج كل سنة عن الهولوكست، وكأنه الكارثة الوحيدة التي حل بالعالم.
هنا ، نحن لسنا بصدد مناقشة حقيقة الهولوكست وأعداد من ماتوا، وأظن من المهين تبرأة نظام نازي والقول ان الهولوكست لم يحصل نهائيًا، ولكن النظام النازي كان ضد المعاق واليهودي، والعربي، فهو يريد السيادة لجنس معين، وهنا نحن بصدد الداروينية الإجتماعية التي لا يقبلها اي إنسان
الكاتب هنا يسلط الضوء على سبب التركيز على الهولوكوست، سبب إنتشار العديد من المتاحف والكتب والأفلام. فجأة، بدون أي إنذار، ورغم ان الهولوكست لم يكن بالصورة منذ البداية.
الكاتب ، عاش أمه وأبيه في المعسكرات النازية وكانوا من الناجين، ولكن الكاتب لم يرد يومًا إستخدام الهولوكست لتبرير ما يحصل في فلسطين، او كتبرير لإيجاد وطن قومي لليهود.
هذا الكتاب مهم لمن يهتم بموضوع الهولوكست، او اليهود بشكل عام.
صحيح ان الكتاب مليء بالمعلومات، والأسماء، والتواريخ، ولكنه قيم جدًا. الإعلام كان السلاح الأقوى في يد اليهود لسنوات طويلة، وكانت أوروبا وما زالت تستمع لما يريد اليهود قوله فقط. -
Everybody loves conspiracy theory. This book seems like one huh? Yes, this book fell on same heavy criticism (just look at the title) on promoting a conspiracy theory. But if you want to make sense of the theories, with footnotes and citations, proofs and facts, this book surely deserve a treat. For a clarification, in this book the author used two different terms, Nazi holocaust and The Holocaust. Nazi holocaust referring to the historical event and The Holocaust refer to its capitalization later turns 'industry'.
In the words of the author:
"Although the explanatory value of conspiracy theories is marginal, this does not mean that, in the real world individuals and organizations don't strategize and scheme. To believe otherwise is no less naive than to believe that a vast conspiracy manipulates worldly affairs"
Now, I want to make some remarks about the book.
1. How the Holocaust becomes center-staged in the world.
The author express a strange phenomena of when the holocaust started to be capitalized. The 'industry' come-about is post 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Thus the capitalization was not because of the Israel's alleged weakness and isolation, not the fear of a second holocaust but rather its proven strength and strategic alliance with the US that led them gearing up the 'industry'. It is a power consideration. This consideration enable their long-commited crimes to be masked in the slogan of 'we are the actual victims' all this long and it enables nobilization of the pursuit of their cause; that is to find a just redemption of horrific past crimes put on them. i.e In the planet of Israel, they are no other victims except the jews.
2. US - Israel relationship.
No doubt about it. US (president, senior officials etc) has long been heavily lobbied to become a strong supporter and ally of Jewish groups and Israel. This book explores, US - Israel hypocrisy, and how both benefited from each other. It now seems odd to put only Israel in trial of mass crimes against the world without having the US sitting with them in the same benches.
3. Two premises of the Holocaust Industry
1) Holocaust as a categorically unique historical event
2) Holocaust marks the climax of an irrational, eternal Gentile (non-jews) hatred of Jews.
With these two dogmas, Holocaust is being marketed to be unchallengeable, an unparallele event in the course of history. To stay otherwise is to be charged as a holocaust denier. This establishment is important for the industry to further and put forward its agenda. The author put forwards several arguments against these dogmas that worth to be read.
4. Getting organized
You cannot but praised the Jews for their strong organizations. The organizations have successfully turns the table game and they overwhelmingly profited directly from the Holocaust Industry throuse thes startups. Through setups, they managed to gather compensation moneys by, in the author word 'blackmailing' countries that becomes the safe havens for Jewish money during the holocaust era; by pressing charges that the countries were denying the survivors and the heirs their money back (mostly eastern european). This is actually the central theme of the book. The deprivation of the true holocaust survivors of their compensation money by the large strong, US-backed Jewish organizations; that self-proclaimed themselves as the official representatives for the 'needy survivors' that later profited them for their self-interests.
5. Zionist-Jewish long-standing hypocrisy
You might dislike when peoples of religious background turns to you, throwing this mass accusations of Jewish hypocrisy in history. If then you like a secular version of it, this is one for you.
6. Commitment to various projects and education
Another trait that deserved to be exampled and praised. The Jewish Organizations, that allegedly reported of mishandling billion of funds they gathered by compensating the holocaust survivors from European countries, surely cleverly act even in mishandling it. They put commitment to fund various projects, such as memorials, museum, educational programs, not to mention to the new-born illegitimate state of Israel. It is reported in US when the industry started to flourish there are more than 1000 academic publications on the topic of holocaust. That was how dedicated they were! The power of education!
7. Self-created Antisemitism
As I had mentioned above, the Jewish Organizations profited by blackmailing European countries by allegations such as; deny entry of refugees into their country during holocaust era and mishandling of holocaust victims money whom deposited their money to the countries as a safeguard from holocaust. With manipulation of facts and numbers, they managed to pull out billions, 1.25 billion from Swiss for example. And then they reported a rise in antisemitism in the European countries. And the fact is that it is still rising till today, now, worldwide. Should we say to them, you dont't say?
I would certainly say that this is my very brief remarks on the book. Do not misjudged the book by its title, take the book and read.
One more thing, the book is written free from any reactive and emotional sentiments. The goal is not to marginalize and hate the Jews but to expose the marginal jewish-zionist that have long exploited and tarnished the sufferings of Jewish people. -
The only value to the book is its coverage of exploitation by certain individuals and groups of real Holocaust and WWII victims for self-enrichment. Specifically, law firms and lawyers that took arguably excessive portions of damages awarded to victims. There's something quite distasteful about it.
The rest of the book, however, is simply an attempt to slander Zionism. Bear in mind that Finkelstein is an open communist, and he has stated that he doesn't "believe in states". His excuse for focusing solely on Israel while ignoring all other states, however, is that it is his field of academic expertise.
The book is an attempt to delegitimise Zionism by stating that invocation of the Holocaust is used disingenuously when discussing contemporary Israeli politics. It's as if Finkelstein is unaware of the overlap between Jews, Judaism, Zionism, and Israel. All of these ideas are inseparable from one another. Given this obvious fact, it stands to reason that the ultimate example of Jewish vulnerability to those who wish us harm is the Holocaust. Moreover, the Holocaust fuelled a huge number of early Zionists to flow to Israel. While the legitimacy of Zionism is certainly not predicated on the Holocaust, history as it is makes both Zionism and the Holocaust connect. There is nothing untoward about Zionists referencing the Holocaust in discussions about Israel, Jews, and Zionism; as all of these things are deeply interconnected - it is a hugely important part of our contemporary national history.
This book is not for the serious reader, but if you're an Arab and/or Muslim that hates Jews and views Israel as a historical mistake that is to be undone, you will love this book. Additionally, if you're a leftist that always sympathises with who you perceive to be the loser and admire the political views of Noam Chomsky and Gore Vidal, you will appreciate this book. Conversely, if you're a serious and honest reader, you can learn all of the worthwhile information that this book contains (which is very little), by reading Raul Hilberg's work. -
The Holocaust Industry exposes the reparations scam where Billionaire Jews and The World Jewish Congress basicly publicly blackmailed the Swiss and Germans in the name of helping Jews who were allegedly victimized during WW2 and pocketed the Lions share of the shake down for themselves. It also makes the point that what went on in concentration camps during WW2 was never politicized or used as propaganda until the late 60s at the earliest. Simon Weisenthal is also shown to be a fraudster to the point where some of his claims are actually laughable. You can't really find much in the way of flaws with this book. One thing that I think people need to take home with this book is that the "elite" Jews could care less about about the masses of Jews and use and discard them like pawns in a game of Chess. I wish the masses of Jews would wake up to this fact and stop defending their exploiters and calling anybody that points out their evil as an "anti-Semite". I mean just because somebody thinks George Bush is a scumbag I don't start shreiking and accusing them of hating all white people.
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In contemporary US society, we are taught genocide as a neutral object of observation. We learn about the Holocaust as a historical event, learn the specific memoirs that communicate the only “truth” of the Holocaust, and take away the specific lessons taught to us. However, The Holocaust Industry completely exposes that lie for what it is: the Holocaust is not neutral. To be more specific, how we think and interpret the Holocaust is not neutral. Like all things in capitalist society, the Holocaust’s legacy is conditioned by social, political, ideological, and economic interests that are never neutral to the constant antagonisms of class society and class power. Finkelstein masterfully paints this complex picture in the span of roughly 150 pages, exposing the marked shifts in Holocaust scholarship, the different lessons taken away, the history of frauds parading themselves as experts on the topic, and the various organizations within the Holocaust Industry that blackmail countries for “Holocaust compensation money” and then proceed to pocket the money for themselves.
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It was really informative, but felt narrow in focus. I wish it had gone into more detail about the relationship between the US and Israel.
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While examples of genocidal mass slaughter, slavery and deportation abound, the Nazi persecution of the Jews has, since the Six-day War according to author Finkelstein, been afforded a special status as an 'holocaust' requiring especial punishment and restitution. This, sadly, has amounted to a lucrative industry whereby special interest groups have amassed great funds by means of extortion, funds of which only very small portions have gone to the actual victims of Nazi crimes. Prime culprits in this programme have been Israel and the United States, both of which have been responsible for crimes comparable to those of the Nazis, neither of which have been held to account accordingly.
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In the course of interpretation reduction is natural – we can only really grasp so much from a summary – and historical reductionism in particular is suprisingly common. However, what Finkelstein argues here is that the reduction of the holocaust to a genocide of Jews is not incidental, it has been caused for ideological purposes.
Finkelstein opens his book with a clear distinction between the event known as the ‘nazi holocaust’ and the ideological distortion of that event known as ‘The Holocaust’. By all accounts (including Finkelstein’s) the nazi holocaust happened. However, the distortion of that event into a framework that only accounts for Jewish suffering is not only false but also overlooks many other groups that suffered in that event.
The primary argument for this new interpretation is that the Jewish people had a unique experience in the concentration camps. Some even go so far to use faulty logic and phenomenology to reinforce this position. Either way, that argument is false and can easily be proven to be false. In Nazi Germany throughout the 30s and 40s Slavic, Polish, Roma, Sinti, Communist, non-heterosexual, non-binary, disabled and homeless people also experienced persecution on a similar level to Jewish people. That list is by no means comprehensive but it does demonstrate the point: Jews did not uniquely suffer under Nazi rule. As a side note, there has also been a misinterpretation of the forms of persecution used in Nazi Germany. Murder and slave labour were performed, but the Nazis also sterilised, aborted, euthanised and attempted to exterminate those classed as inferior. If we are to learn from the events in Nazi Germany then we must view Nazi persecution as a whole and not as a direct attack on any one particular group.
Finkelstein has made some controversial comments comparing Nazi Germany to the Israel-Palestine conflict. For the past 20 years he has been blacklisted, harassed, denied tenure and critisised for that view. However in recent years the international community has come to recognise those statements. The Human Rights Watch in 2021 categorised Israel as an apartheid state which has failed to enforce the rights of Palestinians going as far back as 1967. Which also happens to be the same date that Finkelstein claimed the Holocaust Industry began. From 1967 Israel has displaced, ghettoized, ethnically cleansed and persecuted the Arab people – which clearly bears comparison to the actions taken in Nazi Germany.
Finkelstein has been justified through these current events and his bravery to discuss this 20 years ago says a lot about his moral character.
As a final note, I want to say that I am disgusted by some of the other reviews on this site. At the time of writing the second highest review of this book recommends Nazi-propaganda that attempts to deny the holocaust (not the fiction invented in post-1967 but the real persecution in Nazi Germany). Not only is this person immoral but they are also a moron as they must believe that Finkelstein is a holocaust denier. This is why Goodreads needs moderators. -
نورمان فنكلستين
أب وأم يهود ناجين من معسكرات النازي وهم صغار, اسرة الاب والام كلاهما قضى في تلك المعسكرات, المنطق يقول سيخرج هذا الطفل من تلك الاسرة مشوه وكاره للعالم بعدما حكى له والداه ما شاهداه وقاسياه ويقول ان تلك الام ستغذيه على الكراهية ولكن صدق او لا تصدق ما حدث هو العكس وللمزيد عن حياة نورمان شاهد هذا الوثائقي "وثائقي _ نورمان فنكلستين يهودى ضد التيار الجزء الاول / الثاني"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbMNS...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQIbo...
وابدأ الحديث عن الكتاب بأجمل ما جاء فيه وهو ختام مقدمة المؤلف بمقولة والدته
"وإزاء عذابات الأفارقة الأمريكيين والفيتناميين والفلسطينيين كانت عقيدة أمي دائما هي : كلنا ضحايا هولوكوستيون!"
يبحر معنا المؤلف في تاريخ الهولوكوست وكيف كان يتم تجنبها عقب نهاية الحرب العالمية الثانية من أجل السير في ركب السياسة الامريكية وايضا تجاهل اسرائيل من قبل النخب اليهودية الأمريكية وحتى عدوان 1967 كانت الدراسات والكتب حول الهولوكوست قليلة جدا جدا.
ثم بدأ التحول عقب هذا العدوان وظهور حليف قوي لأمريكا في الشرق الاوسط تستطيع به الاستغناء عن العرب وبدأ الاتجار بعذابات اليهود وغيرهم في معسكرات النازي ليتم اختزال الجميع في اليهود فقط وتبدأ الكتب والمحاضرات والقصص المؤلفة تظهر وبقوة ويتحول شخصيات كانت مشهورة بصمتها الى متحدثين رسميين
تظهر شخصيات تنسج قصص خيالية عن عذاباتهم في معسكرات النازي وتتلقفها صناعة الهولوكوست بالجوائز والمحاضرات والمقالات ثم يتضح انهم ليسوا ناجين وليسوا يهودا حتى
الكتاب يكشف محاولات الصهاينة لوضع الهولوكوست في ذاكرة العالم اجمع كحادثة فردية ليس لها مثيل وحدثت لليهود لأن العالم بطبيعته معادٍ للسامية.
الكتاب يكشف زيف اسطورة دور مفتي القدس الشيخ أمين الحسيني في الهولوكوست ويكشف أصلها "وللأسف قالها المفتي السابق الأفاق شيخ السلطان على جمعة في حديث صحفي " ولكنها اختراع من صناع الهلوكوست استخدم للربط بين العداء النازي لليهود والعداء العربي لإسرائيل
يكمل الكاتب ليوضح لنا كيف تم ابتزاز المانيا وسويسرا وأغلب دول أوروبا من أجل الحصول على المليارات كتعويضات لضحايا الهولوكوست الذين لم تصل لهم بل استحوذت عليها المؤسسات الصانعة للهولوكوست
وكيف تم ابتزاز الدول الفقيرة في اوروبا الشرقية للحصول على تعويضات بإسم الهولوكوست
هذا الكتاب الذي كتبه يهودي الأصل والنشأة يكشف لنا حقارة ودناءة وخيانة الكثير من المؤلفين العرب المسلمين بالإسم الصهاينة القلب والقالب
كتاب يستحق القراءة والتدريس. -
من أين أبدأ؟ أليس هناك قاع لانحطاط بعض البشر وتجارتهم بالمآسي للتربح من ورائها؟
هل وجدت في التاريخ امبراطورية أحقر من الولايات المتحدة؟
يعرض نورمان فنكلشتاين، اليهودي لأبوين من الناجين من محارق النازيين، في هذا الكتاب لما يدعى "صناعة الهولوكوست" التي جعلت من مأساة شملت اليهود والغجر والمعاقين صناعة رائجة تدر عشرات المليارات على بضعة أفراد ومؤسسات في الولايات المتحدة والكيان الصهيوني.
لماذا يدفع العالم تعويضات طائلة لضحايا المحارق النازية؟ ولماذا توجد متاحف تخلدها في 17 ولاية أمريكية، ومخصصات مالية في جميع الولايات لنشر الوعي وبها؟ لماذا يوجد في واشنطن متحفًا لرثاء ضحايا الهولوكوست من اليهود وحدهم، بينما قوبلت طلبات بناء متحف للأفارقة الأمريكيين بالرفض القاطع؟ ولماذا تتغنى أمريكا بحقوق ضحايا الهولوكوست بينما رفضتهم سلطاتها أثناء وقوع الجرائم، وسطت على ممتلكاتهم وحساباتهم البنكية ورفضت دفع أي تعويض لورثتهم؟
إنها أكبر حملة ابتزاز سياسي وعاطفي ومالي في التاريخ! ستكتشف أن لفظ الهولوكوست نفسه ينطوي على دلالة دينية ترسخ تفوق اليهود، وأن المحارق لم تحظى بهذا الاهتمام البالغ لا بعد انتهاء الحرب العالمية الثانية، ولا بعد قيام الكيان الصهيوني ... بل حدث ذلك فقط بعد أن اكتشفت أمريكا أهمية الكيان في الحفاظ على مصالحها الاستراتيجية في المنطقة؛ ثقافة القوة كما عرفها إدوارد سعيد.
سخرية سياسية تشبه فضح ناعوم تشومسكي للإمبريالية الأمريكية .. يكفي مثلا أن تقرأ أن أم الكاتب، وقد نجت من معسكرات النازيين بعد أن سجنت هناك 6 سنوات تلقت تعويضًا شهريًا يقدر ب 3500 دولارًا، بينما كان رؤساء بعض المنظمات اليهودية يجني 500.000 دولارًا شهريًا رغم أنه لم يتعرض لهذه المأساة من الأساس! بل قد ابتزت مثل هذه المنظمات سويسرا وألمانيا ودول شرق أوروبا الفقيرة ملوحة بالعقوبات الاقتصادية الأمريكية إذا رفضت الانصياع ودفعت صاغرة ما يطلبه أولئك الجشعون باسم "ضحايا الهولوكوست المحتاجين".
مرة أخرى يتأكد لي أن أغلب الضحايا لا بواكي لهم، وأن من يطويهم النسيان لا يبعثون إلا لمصلحة ما، فإن تبدلت المصالح غابوا للأبد؛ ولكن مع ذلك أتأكد أن التاريخ، بخلاف ما نميل للاعتقاد، لا ينفرد المنتصرون والانتهازيون بحكايته ... الحقيقة أقوى من خداعهم، ودائمًا هناك من يحكي ما حدث مثلما حدث فعلا.
قوة الثقافة هي السبيل الوحيد لمواجهة ثقافة القوة، وهي الطريق لإنصاف الضحايا مثلما يستحقون .. هذه هي رسالة الكتاب -
Sebenarnya terjemahan tajuk dan blurbnya sangat jauh dari tujuan asal buku ni. Aku beli buku ni sebab aku ingat ni buku teori konspirasi yang menafikan tentang tragedi holocaust TAPI TIDAK! Tidak sama sekali!
Kerana, secara ringkasnya buku ni mengisahkan tentang bagaimana kaum yahudi pasca holocaust mengeksploitasi tragedi nazi gila tersebut untuk mengaut keuntungan! Holocaust memang terjadi, benar-benar terjadi, memang ramai yahudi yang mati, tapi bukan sahaja yahudi yang mati, rakyat jerman yang anti-nazi, gipsi, OKU, dan ramai lagi bangsa lain yang turut dibunuh. TETAPI! Bila kita dengar perkataan HOLOCAUST, kita akan automatik sinonimkan dengan genosid yahudi. Betul kan?
Jadi, kenapa tajuk asalnya INDUSTRI HOLOCAUST: EKSPLOITASI KESENGSARAAN YAHUDI (terjemahan literal) ? Kerana zionis telah menjadikan peristiwa ini sebagai alasan besar untuk memohon belas simpati dunia sehinggalah mereka dapat seketul tanah besar di asia barat, iaitu PALESTIN!
p/s: buku ini agak berat, penuh dengan fakta, terjemahan BM juga kurang baik kerana banyak terjemahan istilah2 guaman/profesional berbunyi agak pelik, lebih baik baca versi inggeris asal untuk lebih mudah hadam (rasanyalah). -
I love dissidents. I consider it virtuous to state your opinion without regard as to whether it is safe or legal to do so. Technically in the United States and some other countries (not including Australia) your freedom to speak is legally protected. However dissidents can lose their jobs / damage their careers, be threatened, harassed, sued, shunned and subjected to travel bans. I consider none of these to be legitimate tactics for dealing with those one disagrees with, even if they are all legal.
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I feel like I went into this book supporting some of the key arguments put forward by Finkelstein. For example, I find it difficult to argue against the idea that the Holocaust or Holocaust 'guilt' is often used as an ideological tool.
However, I found his writing oddly unconvincing. While I do not have in depth knowledge of Elie Wiesel, I found it hard to take Finkelstein seriously when large parts of this text seem to read as a personal vendetta against him. Im sure that Wiesel had his faults but can he not be credited at all for bringing some of the horrors of the Holocaust into the public consciousness? Does he not have the right to share his story? I am not saying that Finkelstein does not have the right to criticize but I find it difficult to imagine that Wiesel was quite the devil he is made out to be - the now former "CEO" of a ruthless industry that shamelessly exploits the memory of the Holocaust to its own advantage.
There is also no mention of writers such as Primo Levi who in my mind provides fascinating and genuine analysis of the Holocaust. Furthermore, the sections on the financial 'shakedown' of Swiss banks I found scannable at best. Again, I do not doubt that the Holocaust 'guilt' has been used a tactic by organizations, but it always felt like Finkelstein was more concerned about proving himself right than providing an objective view of the issue. While it maybe rediculous to criticize an author for 'over-researching' his/her topic, it seems incredible that Finkelstein has failed to find a single piece of evidence that challenges any of his arguments. Overall I found the writing dull and unbalanced. -
نورمان فلنكستين في كتابه يحاول بتحليل سياسي ونقدي مدهش للأحداث بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية وبعد حرب حزيران ، توضيح أو فهم كيف أُسهمت وأُستغلت المحرقة اليهودية النازية “ الهولوكوست ” للمصالح السياسية لبناء إسرائيل و كسب التعاطف العالمي مع اليهود . ينقسم الكتاب في فصولٍ ثلاث ، تحدثَ الفصل الأول منه عن تحويل الهولوكوست النازية إلى هولوكوست ترسخ و تذكر بالمحرقة كمأساة تُبرر لليهود أفعاله الشنيعة على الأراضي الفلسطينية . وأَوضح بكثير من الدلائل إختفاء ذكر الهولوكوست عن الوعي الجمعي لليهود أنفسهم بعد الحرب العالمية وظهرورها فجأة بعد حرب حزيران في محاولة لتثبيت دعائم الذكرى في عقول اليهود حول العالم وتذكريهم بأن دولة إسرائيل أنشئت كسبيل للخلاص من مصير مميت كالهولوكوست . وإنتقل بعد ذلك إلى الفصل الثاني ليحكي حول الناجيين الكاذبيين و المثقفين المزيفين المدعيين اليهودية و النجاة من الهولوكوست في سبيل الحصول على التعويضات التي حصل عليها اليهود بعد الحرب . وإنتهى الكتاب بالتركيز على سبب ظهور مصطلح “ معاداة السامية ” بالحديث عن جشع المؤسسات اليهودية بإستغلال الهولوكوست للحصول على بمالغ طائلة تقدر ببلايين الدولارات من الدول التي رفضت إيواء اليهود في الحرب كسويسرا واتهامها بإستغلال الأموال اليهودية المودعة في البنوك السويسرية .. إلخ . كتاب كهذا يستحق القراءة ، يستحق القراءة بجدارة لتتجلى للقارئ - أي قارئ - الحقائق و تتضح الكثير من الأمور .
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this was a deeply uncomfortable read at points -- in a very, very good way. there are individual claims made that i might side-eye a little, but the broad picture here is, i mean, absolutely fucking brutal, and correct! particularly obsessed with his complete evisceration of my own personal enemy elie wiesel.
so many useful and clarifying points made in this. that the "holocaust industry" only emerged in full after the six day war; that the demands for compensation made by the US to post-soviet eastern european countries were framed as a return to democracy over 'totalitarianism' and a reification of 'western' 'democratic' values; that the 'holocaust kitsch' (a PHRASE) and the spectacle-making of the shoah feeds into the notion of israel as the sole salvation for jews against an endless persecution. (i knew that the mythos of western antisemitism as an eternal, entirely mystified threat was manufactured to sustain and naturalise israel in the diaspora but i did not realise Quite How Literal it could get.) and of course, the relationship between US settler colonialism and nazism and the usefulness of a holocaust voyeur in occluding america's own imperialist position. just a vv sharp, very direct, precise account. -
He asks the questions and theorizes in a way no Gentile is allowed to. When non-Jews question the number killed, talk about non-Jews dying in the Holocaust, compare it to other historical events, question Israel, wonder if the Holocaust has been used for ill gotten gain, etc, they are called Holocaust deniers and anti-Semitic.
I'm glad Finkelstein has dared to tackle these tough topics. He's a lightening rod, but at least the ideas are out there for us to discuss, agree and disagree with. -
I picked up Mr. Finkelstein's book because it is deeply divisive, with some admonishing the author as "paranoid", "fanatical" (Omer Bartov, Israeli military historian) and an "obvious crackpot" (Gabriel Schoenfeld), while others lauded it as "the most intelligent political critic in the US". You will likely find that the former have Alan Dershowitz's "Case for Israel" proudly sitting on their bookhself, while the latter likely oppose Zionism in all its forms. Being neither, I approached this book with a truly open mind.
The outcome? Well, there's a lot of good in "The Holocaust Industry", as well as a lot of bad - thus the three-star rating (2.5 stars may have been more adequate, but goodreads doesn't offer the option). Before I go into a more in-depth discussion, I would like to make three critical points. First, No, Finkelstein is absolutey not an antisemite - or at least, there is nothing in this book that can be construed as antisemitism. Second, Finkelstein is indeed extremely critical of Israel, and there is evidence of an anti-zionist stance throughout the book. Last but not least, the book does not in any way, shape or form attempt to minimize or question the Nazi Holocaust - rather, it is a commentary on the way the event was historicized and, in Finkelstein's view, recuperated by Jews as well and the state of Israel.
The book is organized in three main chapters. Each deals with a well-defined topic, and can be read in isolation. As such, each deserves its own analysis and rating. Chapter 1 gets a "1", Chapter 2 gets a "3" and Chapter 3 gets a "4" - averaging to a 2.5 or so
In the first chapter ("Capitalizing the Holocaust"), Finkelstein argues that the Holocaust was only construed as a historical reality in the 1960s. He also defends the opinion that Israel only became important to American Jews following the Arab-Israeli war in 1967. This is by far the weakest chapter of the book. While the argument is novel, the evidence presented is rather weak and "negative" (i.e., the absence of visible support for Israel and absence of significant Jewish scholarship on the Holocaust serves as proof). Finkelstein also readily dismisses the view that repressed memory in a trauma may account for the delay. I am sorry Finkelstein, but it is likely that - just as in any trauma - framing the Nazi Holocaust did take time and introspection. This is also the shortest chapter, and very much feels like a botched job.
I have mixed feeling about the second chapter ("Hoaxers, Hucksters and History"). Finkelstein makes a potent argument about the framing of the Holocaust as both 1) a unique historical event, like no other and 2) the climax of a historical, millenial-old anti-semitic sentiment in Europe. Finkelstein rightly remarks that the Holocaust is then portrayed as an Absolute Evil, one that bears no comparison, making any historiographic work around it sacrilegious. These claims, Finkelstein then argues, are then used to give the state of Israel an incompromissible authoritarian hold over its morality, thereby making any and all criticism of the Jewish state akin to a reenactement of the Jewish genocide (and thus, becomes antisemitism). There is value in this argument, and Finkelstein brings powerful examples - for instance, on how display of non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Holocaust museums around the United States is the result of the deliberate efforts of the like of Elie Wisel (evidence is provided a-plenty). The discussion of two fraudlent survivor accounts also adds fuel to the fire: it is not so much that these books are scandalous frauds that constitutes a problem, but the fact that their content and authors were publicly defended even after the fraud had been exposed. So why 3 stars? Well, for one, the style is unnecessarily polemical and defensive. In a very unscholarly fashion, Finkelstein consistently makes jabs at Israel, which detracts greatly from the argument presented here. Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Finkelstein consistently refers to a Holocaust industry and comes out as a conspiracy theorist. His argument does make sense, but I personnally believe that what happened is the result of an accidental congruence of views, interests and behaviors of individuals rather than the outcome of some politically-planned campaign by the state of Israel.
Last but not least, Chapter 3 ("The double shakedown") is the best of the book. Its argument is most novel - Holocaust survivors (including Finkelstein's parents) were robbed of Holocaust reparations as much by Jewish organizations claiming to act on their behalf (and who diverted the funds to various Jewish and pro-Israel causes) as they were by the various states that persecuted them. He also argues that such organizations indulged in unwarranted litigations, leveraging political goodwill to extort funds from various countries and companies. This chapter is extremely well-researched, with an overwhelming - and ultimaetly very difficult to question - set of evidence. Several prominent Holocaust scholars who were otherwise critical of the book applauded Finkelstein's accomplishment here. Raul Hilberg states: "I refer now to the part of the book that deals with the claims against the Swiss banks, and the other claims pertaining to forced labor. I would now say in retrospect that he was actually conservative, moderate and that his conclusions are trustworthy. He is a well-trained political scientist, has the ability to do the research, did it carefully, and has come up with the right results." I give this chapter only four stars for two reasons: first, I feel that at times Finkelstein is overly complacent to countries like Switzerland in their role in the Holocaust. Second, the style feels very dry and the whole thing reads like a law journal. However, I would argue this ultimately supports the argmuent made here.
So here you have it. A mixed review of a book that elicits anything but mixed reviews. I suppose I must be a contrarian. -
*1.5
I feel strongly about reading books you know you might not like: I want my options challenged. I decided then to read this highly rated book for some counter-perspective on Israel through the lens of the Holocaust industry, as someone who engages in pre-Holocaust history and literature as much as possible. I spent the last year in college studying this stuff, I’ve written way too many papers, and I have so, so many opinions on post-Holocaust/Holocaust memorial-ism that I could go on about it for hours.
Anyways, If it’s not apparent, I believe in a Jewish homeland. Generally speaking, I like Israel. Despite this, I am not without criticism, but at the end of the day I am an American with no skin in the game, and the country is not going anywhere anytime soon. As my Israeli coworkers (and chosen family) like to complain about, “These Americans have no idea what our country is like” (and to make it clear, they said this to both our protestors AND the overeager American Jews supporting our business).
To begin with, the political nature of American Jewry beginning in the first chapter is not dealt with well at all. The author makes very strong, very broad condemnations of their power simply because Finkelstein believes them to be in the wrong. There is no moral framework he supplies to us, and we are supposed to agree. Why? I wanted him to convince me! But he refuses to engage! While there are many valid criticisms of the identity of diasporic American Jewry I can think of (mostly surface-level critiques of its shtetl-philia), Finkelstein’s insistence that its alignment with Israel is the lynchpin of its banality is frankly a gross overstatement. I think at its core, and I’m figuring this out the more I read the various theories, is that Finkelstein views world politics through such a contrarian lens that it ultimately horseshoes into extremism. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say Finkelstein’s writing enables extremism and antisemitism on both the left and right.
I was almost not shocked then when I learned the author recently supported noted anti-Holocaust author David Irving and even writes about him in this small book. Finkelstein clearly uses his family’s Holocaust tragedy and his parent’s survivor status as a shield to any countercriticism, in the exact way that he is accusing American Jewry of doing when they do not engage with criticisms of Israel.
The only chapter saving this from a straight 1-star rating is chapter 3. In it, Finkelstein finally lays out the crummy underworld of the Holocaust reparations world, and it is indeed, arguably, bad. Despite this genuine critique, the author continues to couch any moral answer to this to the horrible United States government. I want to shake him because I agree, that the US government can definitely suck, but it still is not enough of a reason for Israel to not exist. Finkelstein delights in whataboutism; I felt like I was reading a Fox News teleprompter as he deflected instead onto American ignorance of Native and African American reparations, the murdered non-Jewish groups during the Holocaust, and of course (Finkelstein’s favorite punching bag) the lies of Ellie Wiesel. All of these suck Mr. Finkelstein, this is not a “gotcha!” moment. I will gladly die on the hill of the need to remember the murder of Polish peasants, not only because they are human but because I believe they offer a key to fighting Eastern European anti-semitism. But none of these negate Jewish suffering. And hey, Mr. Finkelstein, guess what? My entire Polish family was murdered by the Soviets. Eat shit.
Ultimately, this book is polemic without giving me a good reason to change any of my opinions. You should have complicated feelings about Israel—but the book does not offer the nuance the subject needs. Finkelstein is a master of laying down a claim with evidence and construing it to the most inane, dangerous conclusions. These conclusions, when extended with the most forgiving evidence, are weak. There are very valid ways to critique the state of Israel without slipping into vague Holocaust denialism. This book does not offer them. -
Seperti halnya kaum Yahudi Israel yg membenci kaum muslim , Saya juga membenci mereka...
Dari cerita sejarah, Holocaust kemudian lahir menjadi ‘indutri politik’ dan menjadi pemeras dolar. Norman G. Finkelstein, membongkar faktanya dengan begitu bagus.
Selain Presiden Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, belum pernah ada tokoh di dunia yang berani secara terang-terangan mengatakan keberadaan holocaust hanya sekedar mitos. Sebab, bagi banyak orang, khususnya di Barat dan Eropa, menolak keyakinan keberadaan Holoucaust bisa dianggap sebagai ‘anti semit’ dan sebuah pelanggaran tidak sepele. Holocaust, yang diklaim kaum Yahudi sebagai peristiwa pembantaian oleh Nazi Jerman di bawah Adof Hitler di masa Perang Dunia II –kaum Yahudi juga menyebutnya sebagai ‘the final solution— dan dianggap menyebabkan lebih dari enam juta kaum Yahudi ‘dibantai’ di ruang gas di kamp-kamp Auschwitz tak lain hanyalah ‘kebohongan’ tergoranisir dan tercanggih di abad ini.
Kecuali orang tak tidak waras, bagi kebanyakan orang normal, meyakini lebih dari enam juta kaum Yahudi disiksa dan dibantai adalah sulit dinalar. Bagi yang percaya propaganda murahan seperti ini, membantai jutaan orang –secara matematis membutuhkan 137 orang perjam-nya untuk dibantai—adalah omong kosong yang tak bermutu. Sebab, selama Perang Dunia II, hanya ada segelintir kamp-kamp di Jerman. Selain itu, kota Austchwitz adalah kota kecil. Seharusnya Jerman harus menyediakan ratusan kamp di kota kecil itu.
Bahkan selama 6 hari pada Oktober 1999, sebuah tim Australia yang dipimpin oleh Richard Krege --seorang insinyur elektronik terkemuka-- melakukan pengujian terhadap tanah pada bekas kamp Treblinka II di Polandia, di mana para sejarawan Holocaust meyakini jutaan orang Yahudi dibunuh di kamar gas kemudian dikubur secara massal, tak mendapatkan bukti apapun, kecuali kebohongan.
Sejak mendirikan negara tahun 1948 dengan merampas tanah Palestina, Israel tidak begiku dianggap penting di dunia. Bahkan ketika Israel ikut bersekutu dengan Perancis dan Inggris menyerang Mesir tahun 1956 yang membuat semenanjung Sinai jatuh, Israel tetap tak dianggap berarti.
Bahkan Amerika Serikat (AS) kala itu lebih memilih “Negara Arab” untuk menjaga hubungannya karena dianggap lebih menguntungkan secara politis di masa depan.
Sampai-sampai banyak warga Amerika yang lebih mengenal Holocaust dibanding sejarah penting mereka sendiri seperti peristiwa Pearl Harbor, di mana sejarah jatuhnya bom atom oleh Jepang. Bahkan hingga hari ini, tak ada penghargaan lebih tinggi melebihi Holocaust di Amerika Serikat (AS).
Begitu dahsyatnya “sihir” Holocaust, sampai-sampai bagi yang tak mengakui –termasuk yang menolak dan mengingkarinya—harus berhadapan dengan penjara. Tak kurang dari beberapa ilmuwan penting seperti; Robert Faurisson, Profesor Roger Garaudy (Perancis), David Irving (Inggris), Ernest Zandel (Kanada), Gatsom Amadeus (Swiss), George Ashley (AS), Dr. Joel Heyward (New Zealand), kesemuanya harus menjalani hukuman atas keberanian mereka menentang fakta adanya “kebohongan” Holocaust.
Buku ini merupakan salah satu buku laris di Eropa, Timur Tengah, Asia, dan Amerika. Penulisnya adalah Norman G. Finkelstein membuktikan sendiri kebenaran skandal bernama Holocaust. Sebuah fakta sejarah yang tiba-tiba berubah menjadi “industri politik” dan bisa memeras berbagai negara, terutama Amerika Serikat. Termasuk pemerasan bank-bank Swiss. Sang penulis, Norman G. Finkelstein –yang mengalami sendiri peristiwa itu, karena berdarah Yahudi—membuktikan banyak kebohongan yang kini terus-menerus dipaksakan ke seluruh penjuru dunia. Setidaknya, buku ini teramat penting bagi yang silau oleh tipu daya Yahudi.
Sebagaimana kata koran The Times, “Buku ini meneriakkan skandal. Ini adalah sebuah polemik yang disuarakan dengan keras.” [cholis akbar/Haryo W/hidayatullah.com]
