Is it right to use Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration to make points about the situation in Gaza?

[OpheliaWasntMad]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg8jvkk05no

And me.

👏👏

Some will link everything to Gaza. Nothing else matters. There is so much misinformation and the the Hamas PR machine has worked well on some in the west.

Agreed.

How can they not be linked? Israel was only created as a direct result of the holocaust. If there had not been a holocaust European guilt would not have created Israel. If Israel did not exist the current conflict/ war/ genocide in Gaza would not be happening. I’m not saying what is happening in Gaza is comparable to the holocaust, I don’t believe that to be the case, of course there are some similarities because you can always draw some parallels when people are suffering at the hands of others to other situations in which people suffered at the hands of others but there is clearly still a vast difference between the holocaust and almost any other situation in history, however from a historical and factual point of view the current conflict in the Middle East is only happening because Israel exists on what Palestinians believe was their land and Israel was only created as a result of the holocaust. That’s why it’s hard to separate one from the other at this current time where the conflict is making headlines news almost daily and has been for over a year now. It would be bizarre for a politician to ignore this conflict considering it is still very much active and unresolved and is likely to dominate and change the course of history in the Middle East, and the course of history for Israel and Jewish people, for years to come in ways we can’t yet know.

And some don't even seem to know the history of Israel/Gaza to understand why they're linked...

But what's the point of constantly comparing and linking the two? What does it even achieve?

The anti semitism on display here is really, incredibly shocking.

Agreed.

@Comedycook The relentless attempts to link the two are very telling. I used to give people the benefit of the doubt that their Holocaust inversion and universalisation came from a place of genuine ignorance and misunderstanding but not any more...

@MolkosTeenageAngst says it best, nobody has said the Holocaust is comparable to Gaza, not even President Higgins which is what this thread is about

They don't need to. Higgins shows his true colours without stating that.

That's your opinion, thankfully many others won't see it that way

Why mention it? Why mention it above other conflicts...afteral they're not comparable. So what in particular is it that would make someone deem it worthy to be referenced at a holocaust memorial event?

Have you actually listened to his speech? He talked about Israel and Oct 7, then briefly mentioned Gaza, as they are the same conflict? If he had left out Israel and Gaza and mentioned Sudan instead would that have been OK?

Yes I have read and heard the speech.

I would think it's incredibly unnecessary to mention any conflict in such a setting....a generic nod to peace and a world without hate/discrimination would have been ok.

Again..if you recognise the two scenarios aren't comparable, why would you even mention Gaza...?

There's concentration camps in north Korea...they are horrendous places if you care to read about them. Considering it was the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I would have thought even that would have been a better comparison.....

Not as trendy though...

I used to like him. He's an antisemitic scumbag

Thankfully many more don't see it yours.

No Jxws involved?

Indeed

Just saw the news by the way....over 700 people killed in the DRC this week.... No marches on the streets of London about it though....

Of course not 😢

Because he was mentioning Oct 7th and its the same conflict is it not? The Holocaust and Gaza are not comparable

And that's OK because the world would be very boring if we all had the same opinion 👍

It really is some incredible mental gymnastics to try to justify him bringing it up in his speech.

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So for some posters. Musk does a Nazi salute and that's grand. Trump literally advocated clearing out Gaza and that's grand too. But Middledy shows some empathy for both sides of a conflict and advocates for peace and that's wrong!

I assume the same posters would have been fine if he had mentioned Israel and the hostages and the ceasefire. The issue is only the empathy for Gaza?

He's talked at this event 7 times. Holocaust education Ireland know him and his thoughts on this situation. They knew right well that he'd mention Gaza and they wanted him to talk.

Higgins has spent his lifetime talking about human rights and civil rights and would not be objecting to any peaceful protest. The security in holocaust education Ireland should not have removed anyone.