The JC reported today that the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has “amended its statement of purpose expressly to include a denunciation of Holocaust denial.”
The JC was very happy to report that the statement on the PSC's website now reads: "Any expression of racism or intolerance, or attempts to deny or minimise the Holocaust have no place in our movement."
I must admit that I am puzzled by the PSC’s new statement. I still do not know what holocaust denial entails. Can anyone deny a historical chapter? Can any one deny Napoleonic Wars? Are there WWI deniers around, or Ancient Greece Deniers? I don’t think so. The word ‘denial’ doesn’t belong to the historical discourse. It actually fits into religious and dogmatic narratives.
However, this is certainly the first time I have come across the notion of ‘Holocaust minimizing’. I really can’t imagine what it is. I can think of people who minimize the ‘impact’ or ‘significance’ of an event in the past, but to my knowledge, holocaust minimizing’ doesn’t make any sense in English.
It seems as if the PSC was reacting in panic to an orchestrated Zionist attack.
And indeed, the JC brings up the details. The “PSC has come under increasing pressure over views held by some members of its branches. Some have been accused of Holocaust denial and promoting Jewish conspiracy narratives.” In other words, the JC basically informs us that the PSC surrendered to Zionist pressure. This shouldn’t take us by a complete surprise. Zionist pressure can be very effective. This week, for instance, we saw President Obama advocating the Likud mantra to the UN general assembly.
As one would anticipate, the JC was kind enough to report that “the move has been welcomed by Jewish anti-Zionists such as Tony Greenstein.”
Along the years I have heard Palestinians, Muslims and Arabs complaining that British Solidarity organizations hardly reflects their voice. At least now they know why.
I am not a member of the PSC, yet, I would like the PSC to be strong and effective. I hope that the PSC find within itself the necessary wisdom to recover from this fiasco. I am sure it will.
No comments:
Post a Comment