The Holocaust was responsible for the death of twelve million people, six million of them Jewish, and 1.5 million of the Jewish victims were children. This was such a gruesome, traumatic, and unforgettable event that scholars speak of Jewish history pre and post-Holocaust, using the “Catastrophe” as possibly the most critical marker on the Jewish timeline. The scars never fully healed over time, and it seems that more salt is being thrown at that open wound.
Historically, Poland was responsible for the death of over three million Jews during the Holocaust era, which amounts to half of all Jewish victims. Not ignoring the fact that many Poles were helpful to their local Jewish neighbors during that era, many chose to become co-perpetrators or bystanders. People always have choices.
The Death Camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, is without a doubt the most recognizable site and namesake when it comes to the Holocaust. I visited the site in 2010 to honor the memory of my maternal grandfather, who died there in 1942. For me, I needed to visit Auschwitz before I even went to Israel for the first time. All people should visit Auschwitz, if possible, to understand the level of evil humans are capable of.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of that camp on January 27, which has been set aside as International Holocaust Memorial Day. Every year, a special ceremony takes place at Auschwitz to remember the Holocaust, the victims and the survivors. Eighty years later, 249, 000 survivors are still alive, 49% of them live in Israel. Each year, multiple heads of state are present at this critical ceremony to show their respect and join the global community in an affirmation of the motto NEVER AGAIN, and Israel is always present.
Benjamin Netanyahu was planning on attending with a delegation from the Jewish state. He will not be there, but not by choice! Poland has confirmed that if Bibi steps on Polish territory, he will be immediately arrested in compliance with the ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
The Prime Minister of the very country representing the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust in general and the ones who died in Auschwitz, in particular, will be absent from the ceremony, and this breaks my heart. His presence would mean so much to the surviving victims and the families of Holocaust victims around the world. His attendance would honor the remembrance of many, including my maternal grandfather, who disappeared in the smokestacks of Auschwitz in 1942. Instead, and for his safety, Mr. Netanyahu will remain in Israel. This is where I believe that salt is being thrown at the Holocaust wound, a wound that will never close. Here is why this is wrong:
• Lack of international outrage: Except for a few countries who have clearly stated that they would not honor the warrant, most of the global community would arrest Bibi at worst or be completely silent about the insult to Israel. ICC warrants are binding as long as they are justified. In the case of Israel, the facts are clearly showing that genocide has not been committed. According to CIA.gov, the people of Gaza have grown by 2.02% in 2024, when according to genocide definitions, at least 25% of a specific targeted people group must be destroyed to constitute a genocide.
• Double Standards: There are so many countries in the world that openly commit crimes against humanity or genocide, sometimes on their very own people. What about the thousands of Syrians killed by Assad over the last few years? What about the current Ukraine/Russia conflict? What about China? Why is everybody silent unless the tiny Jewish state is involved? When I say involved, I don’t mean in a guilty fashion because Israel has gone above and beyond to save and preserve civilian lives, minimizing the possibilities of casualty in a way never seen before anywhere or anytime in modern warfare. Is there another agenda behind accusing Israel?
• Trivializing the Holocaust and Empowering Deniers: By forcing the Prime Minister of Israel away from the ceremony, many Jewish people might decide to remain absent in support of Bibi’s forced no-show. On the one hand, it would send a message of solidarity to the world and the ICC–not that they even care– but, on the other hand, it would succeed in reducing Jewish presence and trivializing the Holocaust. The foundation created by the postwar motto “Never Again” is slowly eroding. The Holocaust now stands on the shaky ground of historical revisionism. Deniers will become bolder if they see that the leader of Israel is being humiliated by the ICC, and he is, and with him, all Jews who are connected to the Holocaust, especially if the world doesn’t even show concern.
• Further Normalizing Antisemitism: I doubt that when the ICC issued the arrest warrant, they thought of all the ramifications that it would create. I do not give them that much credit. Yet, their move will help those who are working hard at archiving the Holocaust in the very back room of our collective memories to rot under dust and eventually become a myth at best. This is all happening in real-time, in front of our eyes, as modern antisemitism is becoming more normalized.
I am, again, not surprised by the world’s disdain for Israel and my people, but I am disgusted by how low people are going in their display of hatred for the chosen people. May all those of us who love, support, and pray for Israel become more vocal and more engaged in defending the Jewish State. Bibi Netanyahu might not attend International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 in person, but he will undoubtedly be there in spirit. Let’s join him in remembering the six million and their surviving family members and proclaim louder than ever…NEVER AGAIN!
We are the collective voice that Israel needs to hear, and we cannot afford to be silenced!
