Aug. 15, 2007 THE JERUSALEM POST
 
  Comment: Facing up to decades of neglect towards Holocaust survivors
Efraim Zuroff
 
 

It would be hard to imagine a more just cause than helping needy Israeli Holocaust survivors.

Yet it is only recently, in the wake of protests by local survivors and social activists, that this issue has finally been firmly placed on the national agenda in such a manner that it can no longer be ignored.

In that respect, the publication today of the State Comptroller's first-ever report on the subject strongly confirms the general consensus that has emerged during the past year - that the Israeli government has ignored the plight of needy survivors for years, and is abysmally failing in its responsibility to provide them with adequate financial and medical assistance.

There are numerous explanations for the current situation. During the years after the establishment of the state, when Israel had other extremely pressing problems to deal with, there was little interest in the Holocaust and hardly any compassion for the survivors, often seen as the antithesis of the "new Jew" created in Israel.

The material problems they encountered, moreover, were not unique, and were shared by olim from other countries as well. The fact that Israel had received billions of marks in compensation from Germany to help absorb the survivors was not translated into generous assistance for individuals who had escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe.

As time passed, two concurrent processes took place. Israel prospered economically and the country's Holocaust consciousness deepened. During these years, most of the survivors were able to establish themselves and become reasonably financially secure without any special economic assistance, due to their talents and resourcefulness.

Sadly, the majority's success helped make it easier for the government to ignore the plight of those unfortunate survivors who were unable to overcome the legacy of their past trauma.

In recent years, the often-pitiful situation of the latter became worse, as the cuts in general benefits for the elderly were implemented at the same time that, for many of them, the problems associated with their traumatic experience became exacerbated by old age.

What is abundantly clear to almost all Israelis is that the State of Israel has a moral obligation to assist its own needy Holocaust survivors.

It is unthinkable that Israeli survivors will have to face cruel dilemmas such as having to choose between purchasing food and buying badly-needed medicines.

It is incomprehensible that Israeli Holocaust survivors will have to live without the glasses, dentures or other medical equipment they require, simply because of a lack of governmental assistance.

Such help represents the moral obligation of the State of Israel not only to the survivors of the Holocaust but, in truth, to all its citizens. Assistance in medical care and food represents the bare minimum we would expect from a Jewish state, a country founded on the vision of our prophets, who emphasized the need for social justice.

Yet in any discussion of this issue, one cannot ignore an added obligation that the State of Israel owes the survivors, one which underscores the imperative that our government has to provide them with a dignified existence (chayim b'kavod).

Ever since its establishment, the State of Israel has always presented itself as the bearer of Jewish continuity and the heir of the victims. As such, it was the recipient of billions in compensation and restitution, and the beneficiary of many types of political and economic support.

But such a status entails not only privileges but also obligations, and the same government which stands first in line to reap any possible economic or political benefits that emanate from the events of the Shoa also has to be proactive in fulfilling its own obligations toward those survivors who continue to suffer deprivation and poverty.

The State Comptroller's Report constitutes official recognition of decades of governmental failure and ineptitude in dealing with needy Holocaust survivors. Let us hope that it will also mark the beginning of the end of this moral failure and herald a new era in the treatment of Israel's survivors.

jpost.com

 

 
 

 

   
 
July 11, 2007 Globus
 
  "An Open Letter to Marko Perkovic"
Efraim Zuroff
 
 

I am probably the last person you were expecting to hear from these days, but in the wake of the controversy and polemics surrounding your recent concert in Maksimir Stadium, I thought that the best way to clarify the important issues being debated would be to turn to you directly. Before I pose my questions, I have to admit that you have inspired the love and support of Croatians all over the world, many of whom have rushed to defend you against my criticism. I have received letters from Australia, Canada, Germany and other places as well as from Croatia. While some were stupid in an abusive way (spelling my family name in small letters with the exception of a big "U") and a few were simply anti-Semitic ("Za dom spremni" and nothing else or "What have you done to stop killing poor Palestinians?"), most were written by reasonably intelligent people who are convinced that you are neither a fascist nor an anti-Semite. They claim that your sole motivation is pure and noble Croatian patriotism and love of family and the Catholic Church. They urged me to review all your lyrics to search for any trace of racism and some sent me the words of one of your songs. None of them could explain, however, why so many young people feel that your concerts are an appropriate place to appear in Ustashe uniforms and display Ustashe symbols.

Rather than attempt (without any opportunity to speak to you directly) to analyze your ideological philosophy and psychological make-up, which in my opinion hold the key to unedrstanding who you really are and being able thereby to determine whether you are part of the problem or part of the solution in insuring that Croatia will be a model democracy and not a proto-fascist state, I decided to share my concerns with you and offer you an opportunity to once and for all make clear where you stand on a number of critical issues.

Let me begin with the song "Jasenovac/Stara Gradiska." Everyone knows that you have sung it in the past, although not at your recent concert in Zagreb. Do you have any idea how painful its lyrics are to members of minorities living in Croatia? Can you imagine how a Serb, Jew, or Gypsy whose families were decimated by the Ustashe must feel hearing someone like you, the most popular singer in Croatia, a veritable cultural icon, sing of nostalgia for Ante Pavelic? Can you understand that one can be a 100% genuine Croatian patriot and unequivocally reject the NDH and the Ustashe? Or is Croatian patriotism, in your opinion, one indivisible package which begins with the Ustashe and continues to the present with every nationalist included, regardless of whether they behaved dishonorably and/or committed atrocities? That is something that urgently needs clarification.

In this regard, the fact that you have never apologized or expressed regret for singing "Jasenovac/Stara Gradiska" is very telling. It basically means that you stand behind those lyrics which more or less glorify Ustashe murderers, call for the elimination of Serbs, the replacement of President Mesic with an ultranationalist like Tudjman and the resestablishment of the NDH. I would add that the fact that you have never spoken out against the ubiquitous displays of Ustashe symbols at your concerts is another indicator that you personally have no objection to such paraphernalia. This could be for two possible reasons. The first might be that you identify with such symbols and are a "true believer" in the Ustashe ideology of Croatian ultranationalism. A more cynical explanation might be that you realize that those sporting Ustashe symbols are your greatest supporters and for practical/utilitarian reasons, you do not want to offend them and risk losing their support. Either reason does not put your behavior in a positive light.

I hope you realize that your success brings with it a large degree of responsibility, and especially because you have gained your popularity by addressing political issues. (if you were a celebrity because of success in sports or as a performer singing insipid love songs it would be different.) Thus many Croatians, and especially numerous youth, look to you for guidance and inspiration on the important political issues facing the country. And this is precisely why it is a tragedy if your concerts inspire displays of support or nostalgia for the Ustashe, rather than support for a pluralistic, tolerant Croatian democracy.

It is precisely because your patriotic credentials are absolutely impeccable that you must be among those who clearly and unequivocally reject the legacy of the NDH and the Ustashe. This will send a clear message to Croatians of all ages that one is not betraying his or her country by condemning the atrocities committed by the NDH and that one can be the most noble patriot by building a homeland which will be a model democracy which accepts minorities and fosters tolerance among different ethnic groups.

It is true that by doing so you will no doubt alienate at least some of your most fanatic supporters, but at the same time you will have gained something far more important-the respect and admiration of the numerous Croatians and others who until now could not have possibly identified with your message. Your forthcoming concert in Split at the end of this month would be a golden opportunity to finally let us all know what kind of future "Thompson" wants for his country.