From Occupation to Occupy by Sina Arnold

Author:Sina Arnold
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780253063151
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2022-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Instrumentalization

The interviewees repeatedly criticize the instrumentalization of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is “manipulated,” used as an “excuse” for political ends. Holocaust remembrance is deployed as a “political weapon,” a “means for other purposes.” These “other purposes” mainly include support for Israel, nationalism, and anti-Muslim racism.

INSTRUMENTALIZATION 1: SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

In the eyes of the respondents, Holocaust remembrance is used to justify Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories. This can be seen in Israel, above all, but also in the United States. Catherine says, “What’s a horrible perversion to me is to excuse proimperialist actions and ideas by referring to the Holocaust. And that’s exactly what’s happened about Israel. I mean everything Israel does is justified because of the Holocaust.” The creators of this discourse are identified as “Zionism,” “pro-Zionist Jews,” or “organized Zionists,” such as AIPAC. As with the accusation of the dominance of Holocaust memory, often the entire American Jewish community is blamed. According to Selena, “not only Holocaust victims and their descendants, but all Jews who consider themselves as heirs of the Holocaust [. . .] still use the Holocaust to say, for example, if someone says, ‘You cannot treat Palestinians this way,’ they say, ‘Oh, but the Holocaust.’ ‘You cannot have a law saying that if a person wants to boycott Israel they should pay a fine.’—‘Oh, but the Holocaust.’”

She sees a connection between Jews in the film industry and support for Israel. The remembrance of victims is therefore selective

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