Not lazy to say Holocaust Trump stood firm
In her article (Time to stop making lazy Holocaust parallels, January 22), Karen Pollock argues that “lazy” comparisons devalue the Holocaust.
I understand the desire of many that the Jewish people should own the concept of ‘Holocaust’, although the word is of classical derivation. The Holocaust was unique in many ways: the number of victims, area of operation, industrial nature, conception in a ‘cultured’ country and its pursuit, relentlessly, long after the progenitors anticipated their defeat.
But to the victims and their families of, say, the genocides of Rwanda, Darfur, Cambodia and Bosnia size, location and historic differences are of no consequence. Understandably so, for the commonalities are more compelling than the distinctions.
Ms Pollock acknowledges that people see the Holocaust “as a defining example of something horrifying — a symbol of evil”. Surely this is sufficient, for every sincere reference to the Holocaust, even if inexact, is a remembrance of it.
Stuart Goodman
Brentwood CM14
Miriam Shaviv asks how Orthodox Jews can still support Trump? (January 22). Orthodox Jews understand the difference between what is yikar (important) and what is tafel (trivial). They preferred the brash Trump over Hillary Clinton because Trump’s actions proved that he understood Israel and cared deeply for America and the world. Their conservative values are aligned with Trump’s and not with the liberal Left’s: border integrity, supporting the police and the military, strengthening the economy and improving the lives of the underprivileged, confronting the malign forces of China and Iran, etc. All such policies were strongly favoured by the Orthodox as they witnessed their benefits on the ground.
Saying that the moral crisis in America began with the assault on the Capitol is to ignore the Left’s long-standing curtailment of free speech, propagation of identity politics and cancel culture, where whites have to apologise for their ‘privilege’ and for belonging to an ‘evil civilisation’.
Months of protests which saw many dead and properties vandalised were ignored or lauded by the Democrats as ‘peaceful and democratic’, whilst every effort by Trump in any direction was met with relentless opposition. Such hypocrisy was not lost on the Orthodox.
The Democrats bear at least equal responsibility for the Capitol riots; their sanctimonious stance does not fool the Orthodox.
Eda Spinka
London NW4