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‘Israel, created in the wake of the Holocaust as the answer to the Nazi genocide of the Jews, has always insisted that any threat to its security must be seen as potentially leading to another Auschwitz. This provides Israel with license to portray those it perceives as its enemies as Nazis…’

In an opinion piece about whether what Israel’s doing in Gaza constitutes genocide, the writer duly notes Israel’s penchant for calling its enemies Nazis. What he doesn’t mention, but what intrigues UD, is the now routine tendency of Israelis to call other Israelis Nazis.

It’s gotten so bad that multiple efforts have been made to pass laws that would make it a crime to call someone a Nazi.

**********************

Most of the Nazi name-calling comes from Israel’s adorable primitifs, the ultra-orthodox.

Holocaust imagery has been an especially evocative tactic used by ultra-Orthodox Jews, particularly when they’ve felt their traditional way of life is under attack from Israeli society. Two years ago, ultra-Orthodox protesters wore striped prison uniforms and yellow Stars of David mimicking Jewish concentration camp prisoners.

Yoelish Kraus, who belongs to a fringe religious group that rejects the secular Jewish state, collects protest posters that the Ultra-Orthodox community has used. One, from the early 1980s, features a swastika, in protest of an Israeli archaeological dig of Jewish graves. Another compares a police chief to Hitler for his gruff handling of ultra-Orthodox street protesters.

(It’s much less routine for politicians to accuse other politicians of being Nazis, but it happens enough to worry people.)

With their prodigious fucking, Israel’s ultraorthodox are well on their way to demographic dominance, while the country’s educated are leaving in droves.

The sort of people who think it’s peachy to scream NAZI at the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors are gradually taking over.

Margaret Soltan, July 15, 2025 7:28AM
Posted in: forms of religious experience

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3 Responses to “‘Israel, created in the wake of the Holocaust as the answer to the Nazi genocide of the Jews, has always insisted that any threat to its security must be seen as potentially leading to another Auschwitz. This provides Israel with license to portray those it perceives as its enemies as Nazis…’”

  1. Dmitry Says:
    July 15th, 2025 at 4:29PM

    It has been cynically yet brilliantly used as a wedge issue on American University soil. Major Universities have surrendered to Trump and it remains to be seen how long Harvard can hold out. Very interested in your thoughts as a US academic.

  2. Margaret Soltan Says:
    July 15th, 2025 at 4:55PM

    I follow the antisemitic libels against American universities with sadness. But yes, I have to acknowledge that as an entryway into the destruction of hated elites, it’s pretty brilliant.

    I’m much less worried about Harvard (you can hold out for a long time with a $55 billion endowment) than about many less wealthy/powerful schools, some of which, as you say, have already begun surrendering.

    I will say this – and I know it’s very optimistic. Trump’s romp through the institutions will do such great damage that a backlash will be generated. It remains to be seen whether our still stupidly woke schools will be able to take advantage of that.

  3. Dmitry Says:
    July 15th, 2025 at 7:12PM

    I thought we had discussed endowments before but I can’t find my comments in the archives. My understanding is that endowments are targeted for specific objectives and that they cannot be used to replace research grants, salaries, and such unless the donor(s) had that in mind…

    Backlash: The Republican base rejoices at each of these victories and Trump is delivering on the “So much winning” pledge (aided by a subservient High Court.) Any damage will be fobbed off on the Democrats and will be believed.

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