Germany Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Germany Project - Essay Example Stories like Binjamin Wilkomirski's Fragments are accepted with no proof. In fact, to question a survivor story is to risk the case of being called anti-Semitic. Finkelstein has pointed out that today's society wants to be victims. Whether a Jew, African American, Native American, homosexual, woman, or other minority groups, people want to belong to a victim group. While Finkelstein did intensive research, his use of imagery and outlandish words make this story a little less credible. If he would have stuck to just the facts, Finkelstein might have gotten his point across better. Finkelstein points out that real history is being ignored in favor of an exaggerated glorified account that exploits the true Jewish suffering in the 'Nazi holocaust'. When first approaching this book, many readers might think Finkelstein is being anti-Semitic. However Finkelstein raises some good points. His main point is the Nazi holocaust happened. It is a historical event. The Nazis committed crimes agai nst humanity. Finkelstein acknowledges that the Nazi holocaust was wrong, but he wants the world to sympathize will all suffers not just the Jews of the Nazi holocaust. His point is war and atrocities have happened since the beginning of man and still occur. All of these atrocities are horrible; the Nazi holocaust is not any less horrible, but not more horrible than any other atrocity. By using the Holocaust as beacon to rally people to the Jewish cause dishonors the victims and survivors. He explains: The claims of Holocaust uniqueness are intellectually barren and morally discreditable, yet they persist. The question is, Why? In the first place, unique suffering confers unique entitlement. The unique evil of the Holocaust, according to Jacob Neusner, not only sets Jews apart from others, but also gives Jews a "claim upon those others." (Finkelstein 25) All human suffering should be sympathized with, not just the suffering during the Nazi holocaust. This is not to lessen or dismiss the Nazi holocaust, only to put it in proper perspective. Finkelstein suggests after World War II no one in America, or around the world cared about the Nazi holocaust. Some historians theorize that Jews did not want to talk or share about their horrible experience. Finkelstein dismisses this theory. He believes that no one wanted to know or think about it, especially in America. Finkelstein explains: The standard explanation is that Jews were traumatized by the Nazi holocaust and therefore repressed the memory of it. In fact, there is no evidence to support this conclusion. No doubt some survivors did not then or, for that matter, in later years want to speak about what had happened. Many others, however, very much wanted to speak and, once the occasion availed itself, wouldn't stop speaking. The problem was that Americans didn't want to listen. (Finkelstein 9) Even American Jews did not want to listen. After the war everyone wanted to forget about the atrocities of World War II. The Allies had won. It was a time for victory, not time to remember how many Jews had died. The Holocaust Industry began after the United States started backing Israel as part of US Foreign Policy. When Israel fought the War of Independence America cautiously backed the Arabs due to the oil in the region. It did not look like Israel would survive. However after Israel not only won, but doubled their land size, the US started