Very few people risked career and life to save Jews during the Nazis. Yad Vashem institute is trying to separate the good from the evil and say thank you to the good Christians of Europe. As the years pass and more information is becoming available, we are seeing how difficult a task is and how mixed are human motivations. Many of those who saved Jewish lives - the good people of Europe - were not nice characters at all. In Hungary it was the criminal underground that was ready - for pay but not always - to hide and to get Jews out of the country. They were the ones that had no fear of doing things that were forbidden. The Schindler case revealed another shady character who stole Jewish factories but saved the lives of its (former) owners and workers. Now the case of a Belgian police chief - who had been awarded by Yad Vashem - us surfacing. The man was a raving antisemite, deported Polish Jews from Belgium, yet saved many others. Is he a good Samaritan?
I conclude that we should be open even towards antisemites like Prof. K.MacDonald, because fate is unknowable and one day we may find ourselves in the same front-trench. We should deal with them as political enemies that in the right circumstances may become potential allies.
2 comments:
This is an astute post.
Anon.
Loudmouths usually have hearts of gold. Who would you rather trust with your kids if you ever find yourself in that position. The Archie Bunker types, or those mouth platidudes? In Poland one had to be truly heroic to save Jews, for unlike in the West, brutal General Government held deported the entire village responsible for any such person.
Ivan
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