A newsletter on American Jewish - German relat

1. AN AMERICAN JEWISH – GERMAN INFORMATION & OPINION
NEWSLETTER
dubowdigest@optonline.net
GERMANY EDITION
May 7, 2011
Dear Friends:
My apologies for this edition being late. However, with the Easter and Passover
holidays and my being away in Washington for the AJC Global Forum (It used to be
called the Annual Meeting) life intruded on the time available for me to do my writing
and editing. Laziness will not keep the next edition from being late. What will are a
brief vacation and then my trip to Germany accompanying the 31st annual AJC –
Adenauer Foundation Exchange group. So, the next time you hear from me will be
sometime in mid-June.
Incidentally, I’ll be in Berlin from May 24th to June 1st. If any of you have time, how
about a cup of coffee or a glass of wine together? If you’re available, please drop me
a note at dubowdigest@optonline.net.
Enough personal stuff. Let’s get on with the news…
IN THIS EDITION
THE HAMAS – FATAH AGREEMENT – Will it help the peace process?
ANOTHER AMERICAN JEWISH VIEW – In the interest of fairness, you should know
that not all American Jews are of one opinion on the peace process.
BIN LADEN & AMERICAN JEWS – Amazement that not every one sees his demise
as something positive.
THE GLOBAL FORUM – The German Defense Minister makes a major speech.
POVERTY WITHOUT POVERTY – How an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community lives
in non-poverty like poverty.
1

2. A DROP IN ANTI-SEMITISM: BUT FROM WHAT? - When is a reduction not a
reduction?
HOLOCAUST DISTORTION – How important is correct memory?
THE HAMAS – FATAH AGREEMENT
Maybe you can figure it out. I cannot! Hamas and Fatah have come to some sort of
a unity agreement. JTA reports, ―The Palestinians will continue to handle any peace
negotiations with Israel despite the Fatah-Hamas unity agreement, Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said.
Abbas told reporters Thursday that the Palestine Liberation Organization, which he
heads, will continue to be responsible for handling negotiations, Haaretz reported.
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States
and the European Union, is not a member of the PLO.
Abbas' comments came a day after his Fatah movement and Hamas, which controls
Gaza, announced following a meeting in Cairo that they had reconciled and would
form a national-unity government and hold new elections within a year.
Abbas has not yet announced the composition of his "unity Cabinet." An official unity
agreement ceremony is scheduled to be held next week in the Egyptian capital.
The new unity government "has nothing to do with politics," Abbas said.
Israel has said that it will not negotiate with Hamas, which does not recognize the
Jewish state and calls for its destruction. The new unity government also poses a
dilemma for the U.S. administration, which has funneled hundreds of millions of
dollars to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority but has pledged not to support or deal
with a government comprised of Hamas. That would only change if Hamas
renounced violence, pledged to uphold existing agreements with Israel and
recognized Israel's right to exist, U.S. officials have said.
On Thursday, top Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar said his organization would not
participate in peace talks with Israel, Ynet reported. But, Zahar said, Hamas will not
stop its partners from talking to Israel. "If Fatah wants to negotiate with Israel over
trivialities, they can," he reportedly said.
I understand why Mr. Zahar said what he did. After all, the Preamble to The
Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) of August 18, 1988 states,
―Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it
obliterated other before it‖. I truly believe that Hamas thinks that the peace
negotiations are trivial because they will not lead to Israel’s obliteration.
2

3. No one knows as yet knows what the “agreement” calls for except an interim
government and elections within a year. So, it seems to me that it is more of a
public relations ploy than anything else. If there is seemingly a unified Palestinian
political group (no matter whether it is unified or not) I would guess that much of the
world will buy it and it might make easier for some nations to vote “yes’ in September
when the Palestinians try to get General Assembly approval of Palestine as a
country.
Will it help the Palestinians on the ground? I don’t see how it can. An announced
State without the necessary ingredients to be a State just won’t work. It will mean the
end of direct negotiations and that will be a tragedy for the Palestinians, especially
those in Gaza. Certainly the Israelis are not going to recognize any government in
which a substantial element is dedicated to its demise. The tax money it collects and
has been handed over to Pres. Abbas will probably stop until they are assured that
none of it will go into the hands of Hamas.
I could go on but I think it is better to wait to see if the unity agreement can work and
whether Hamas can alter it’s “not one inch” stance as far as Israel is concerned. One
thing is for sure. The peace talks as we have come to know them and which were on
life support at best can now be officially declared dead. Even at the best, nothing
can now happen for a year, the time of the Palestinian elections – if, indeed, they are
ever held.
It will be interesting to see how the U.S. and the EU react. They both have Hamas
listed as a terrorist organization. Will that continue? We’ll see!
ANOTHER AMERICAN JEWISH VIEW
I think it’s important for my readers to know that that there is, indeed, not total unity
in the American Jewish community on the future of the peace process. I think I’ve
made it clear that in my opinion the Palestinians, especially Hamas, are not really
interested in a two State solution as deep in their thinking and in their emotions they
feel as if all the land is theirs and that Israel should be removed. Again, in my
opinion they might even eventually stomach a peace agreement but that would only
serve as an interim step toward including all of what is now Israel in a Greater
Palestine. I believe that the best that can be arranged at present is some sort of “no
war” agreement with very modest, if any, modifications of the present situation.
While I believe that most American Jews basically agree with my view, there is,
indeed, a more peace oriented group led by an organization called J-Street that has
greater belief in the possibilities of “peace” than I do.
Following the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement J-Street issued a
statement. In it they state, ―News that a preliminary agreement on political
reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas has been reached poses one of the most
3

4. important challenges in years to those who hope to see a peaceful two-state
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
J Street’s reaction to events always starts from our guiding principle: an
unshakeable belief that Israel’s survival and security as the democratic home of the
Jewish people depends on achieving a two-state resolution to the conflict with the
Palestinian people – meaning the broadest possible cross-section of Palestinian
society. We are guided by our belief that Israel’s long-term security depends on
establishing two states with internationally-recognized borders.
Overcoming the split between Fatah and Hamas, and between the West Bank and
Gaza, has always been a precondition for final resolution of the conflict. In fact,
many who oppose a two-state deal have, in recent years, done so by arguing that
divisions among the Palestinians make peace impossible. Obviously, reconciliation
reduces that obstacle – but now skeptics of a two-state agreement have immediately
stepped forward to say that a deal is impossible with a Palestinian unity government
that includes Hamas.
We are well aware that there are those in Hamas who are not interested in a two-
state solution but who seek the long-term destruction of the state of Israel as a
Jewish national home. No one should have any illusions about the dangers and risks
ahead.
We also know, however, that the majority of the Palestinian people are willing to
accept a two-state deal and all the compromises it entails in order to end the
generations-old conflict. So we also believe that no one should doubt that there are
still very real opportunities available that should be explored, particularly since the
dangers and risks of the status quo are so significant.
If indeed this reconciliation deal is implemented – and history does give reason to
question whether it will – there are many questions that the new Palestinian
leadership must answer in the coming weeks and months. Is the Palestinian
Liberation Organization – as the official representative of the Palestinian people –
still committed to a two-state solution? Is it willing to reaffirm its renunciation of the
use of violence and terror against Israeli civilians? Will existing security
understandings be honored? Will rocket fire from Gaza be stopped?
These questions become all the more important in light of the possibility of United
Nations recognition in September of an independent Palestinian state. Yesterday’s
news does not change the calculus for both the United States and Israel that the
best way to avert a vote in September is for there to be a credible and realistic
diplomatic initiative underway that offers a realistic path toward peace and security.
The only way to answer the questions raised by these new developments is through
engagement and talks. We urge the United States, Israel and the international
community to respond to this new development with caution and questions, but not
4

5. with hostility. Encouraging movement in the right direction through engagement is
more likely to lead to a long-term peaceful resolution than responding, for instance,
by automatically cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority.
There are respected Israelis with impeccable security credentials – such as former
Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy – who have argued over the past year that
diplomatic engagement even with Israel’s sworn enemies is necessary if there is to
be a long-term resolution to the conflict. We believe that, with eyes wide open to the
risks, it is imperative not to shut the door to talks with a newly configured Palestinian
leadership – perhaps initially through third parties.
J-Street is obviously more hopeful about things than I am. Perhaps I’ll be proven
wrong but I believe that the Palestinians are set on going to the UN General
Assembly and are not in the least bit interested in talks. I’m sure they are counting
on the U.S. and the EU coming around to their way of thinking – namely that Hamas
isn’t so bad after all. A campaign to clean up the image of Hamas will be undertaken
in the not too distant future. Remember, the PLO, at one time was considered a
terrorist organization.
We will follow the situation for you in Jewish America as we go along. Stay tuned.
BIN LADEN & AMERICAN JEWS
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s death had no direct effect on the American
Jewish community. Like all Americans there was rejoicing that the world’s No. 1
terrorist had been killed by U.S. Navy Seals. Jews had never been the first priority
for bin Laden. Al Qaeda’s main targets had been the Western countries and Islamic
people who they saw (and still see) as enemies of Islam. As far as I can remember,
there have been no specific Al Qaeda attacks against Israel or Jewish targets. Jews
are, sort of, second class enemies.
I think all Americans, and specifically Jews who are interested in Middle East affairs,
were particularly horrified by the reactions of Hamas and, in Egypt, the Muslim
Brotherhood. The Jerusalem Post reported, “Ismael Haniyeh, head of the Hamas
administration in the Gaza Strip, said in response to the U.S. operation against bin
Laden ―we regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression
and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood.‖
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner slammed the comments.
Toner said ―Haniyeh’s comments were ―outrageous.‖ It goes without saying bin
Laden was a murderer and a terrorist. He ordered the killings of thousands of
innocent men, women and children, and many of whom were Muslim‖. .
Hamas’ ―bloodcurdling statement condemning the attack and shooting of bin Laden
is a useful reminder about where Hamas’ heart really lies,‖ said Robert Lieber, a
5

6. professor of government at Georgetown University. ―The apologists for Hamas are
out there; telling us that it really is moderate and that we have to deal with them, but
their statement on bin Laden tells us their center of gravity remains an extremist
one.‖
I always try to see things through other eyes when I hear of or read statements by
people I do not agree with. Trying to see the bin Laden killing through Haniyeh’s
eyes I find impossible. If he denounced the U.S. drone bombing which killed civilians
I could understand his anger. However, denouncing the removing of the man who
killed more Muslims than Christians or Jews and whose victims included many
innocent children boggles my mind. Of course, Hamas itself has resorted to terror
attacks and mass killing so, perhaps, Haniyeh felt some sort of kinship to bin Laden.
THE GLOBAL FORUM
The AJC Global Forum (It used to be called the Annual Meeting) in Washington was
quite an event. 1500 people attended the various sessions. Of German interest was
a major presentation by German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière (see below)
and two by my colleague Deidre Berger – one on the situation in Germany and the
other on integration. In addition, Stephan Kramer, the Secy. General of the Central
Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat) also spoke.
According to an AJC release:
―Israel’s security today is part of Germany’s raison d’être,‖ German Defense Minister
Thomas de Maizière told the AJC 2011 Global Forum. ―This is a principle that
determines our political action. It is also our response to our history.‖
De Maizière addressed the global Jewish advocacy organization’s annual gala
Thursday night on his first visit to the United States since he assumed the post of
defense minister. In the standing-room-only audience of more than 1500 was a large
delegation from Israel's National Defense College, including a German officer.
―It is living proof of the strong links that have been forged between the Bundeswehr
and the Israel Defense Forces,‖ said de Maizière. ―It also shows how vibrant are the
relations between Germany and Israel today.‖
The defense minister praised the close relationship between AJC and Germany,
which began shortly after World War Il at the governmental level, and over the
decades has expanded to civil society and the military. ―The AJC and the
Bundeswehr have been longstanding partners for 17 years,‖ he said. In 2009, the
then German minister of defense and AJC's executive director signed an
unprecedented agreement to jointly sponsor missions to Israel for German military
officers.
6

7. De Maizière spoke about the importance of the transatlantic partnership, the shared
role of the U.S. and Europe in furthering global stability, and how the current turmoil
across the Arab world presents opportunities to build democratic societies in that
critical region.
―The U.S. should consider that Europe remains in the long run the most stable and
the most predictable partner in the world,‖ said de Maizière. Emphasizing the pivotal
role of the transatlantic partnership, he added that ―we Europeans should not
cultivate any intellectual and arrogant anti-Americanism.‖
The defense minister suggested that an active transatlantic partnership ―can have a
stabilizing effect‖ in the Middle East and North Africa by encouraging and promoting
the build-up of new and hopefully democratic structures.‖
But he also raised questions about longstanding European polices in the Middle
East. ―We need to ask ourselves whether we took the easy way out in some
occasions in the past. We need to ask ourselves whether we failed to hear the call
for freedom the way we should have. And we need to ask ourselves whether we
were too preoccupied with our own economic interests,‖ de Maizière said.
Looking ahead, the defense minister stressed that ―the spirit of freedom cannot be
suppressed in the long run,‖ though achieving liberty and democracy will take time
and face innumerable hurdles.
―The power of the ideas of freedom and democracy is greater than the
powerlessness against the regime,‖ said de Maizière. ―In the times of Face book,
Twitter and social networks, these notions spread more rapidly and defy the force of
censorship.‖
While acknowledging that the international community faces ―tremendous
challenges‖ in dealing with the unfolding situations in a growing number of Arab
countries, he also emphasized that ―the establishment of a new order in which
human and civil rights are respected is first and foremost the responsibility of the
people themselves.‖
In introducing Minister de Maizière David Harris talked about the close relationship
AJC has with the Federal Republic. He asked those AJC people that had visited
Germany on an AJC program to stand up. Much even to my surprise, several
hundred rose indicating the interest AJC and its membership have in the relationship
between Germany and AJC.
(This article also appeared in the American edition)
POVERTY WITHOUT POVERTY
If you were to guess what sort of a community in the United States has the highest
7

8. degree of poverty you would probably guess that one with a large number of African-
Americans or Hispanics. If that was your guess you would be wrong!
In reality the poorest community in the U.S. is one made up almost exclusively of
very Orthodox Jews. The New York Times recently wrote, “The poorest place in the
United States is not a dusty Texas border town, a hollow in Appalachia, a remote
Indian reservation or a blighted urban neighborhood. It has no slums or homeless
people. No one who lives there is shabbily dressed or has to go hungry. Crime is
virtually nonexistent.
And, yet, officially, at least, none of the nation’s 3,700 villages, towns or cities with
more than 10,000 people has a higher proportion of its population living in poverty
than Kiryas Joel, N.Y., a community of mostly garden apartments and town houses
50 miles northwest of New York City in suburban Orange County.
About 70 percent of the village’s 21,000 residents live in households whose income
falls below the federal poverty threshold, according to the Census Bureau.
Kiryas Joel’s unlikely ranking results largely from religious and cultural factors. Ultra-
Orthodox Satmar Hasidic Jews predominate in the village; many of them moved
there from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, beginning in the 1970s to accommodate a
population that was growing geometrically.
Most residents, raised as Yiddish speakers, do not speak much English. And most
men devote themselves to Torah and Talmud studies rather than academic training
— only 39 percent of the residents are high school graduates, and less than 5
percent have a bachelor’s degree. Several hundred adults study full time at religious
institutions.
The fact that this group is able to live almost totally apart from the rest of its
surroundings is one of those amazing American stories. While not all speak English
well, they do vote – and they vote as a bloc. Therefore, local politicians are very
sensitive to their needs resulting in a considerable amount of government financial
aid.
You really should read the whole story which you can do by clicking here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/nyregion/kiryas-joel-a-village-with-the-numbers-not-
the-image-of-the-poorest-place.html?_r=1&hp
Incidentally, since almost all in Kiryas Joel are members of the Satmar Hasidic sect,
you can read about them as well. Click here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satmar_%28Hasidic_dynasty%29
A DROP IN ANTI-SEMITISM: BUT FROM WHAT?
The Jerusalem Post recently reported, ―There was a significant drop in the number
8

9. of anti-Semitic incidents in 2010 compared to 2009, according to a study released on
Sunday.
Titled ―Anti-Semitism Worldwide 2010,‖ the study cites a 46 percent drop in major
incidents of physical violence, threats, and major acts of vandalism, down from
1,129 in 2009 to 614 in 2010.
Nonetheless, the study, which was compiled by Tel Aviv University’s Stephen Roth
Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism and the Kantor
Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, said that 2010’s total of anti-
Semitic incidents is still the third-highest since efforts to record such statistics first
began in the 1980s.
The report draws a direct link between the high level of anti-Semitic incidents in
2009, a peak year for such events, and the IDF’s offensive against Hamas in
January 2009.
―It should be recalled that 2009 was an extraordinary year in terms of numbers of
anti-Semitic incidents, primarily due to Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s war in Gaza
which, especially in the first months of the year, provoked unprecedented anti-
Jewish activity worldwide,‖ the report, timed to coincide with Holocaust
Remembrance Day, stated.
―Since Jews and Israelis are often conflated into a single collective, events in the
Middle East often provoke anti- Jewish groups and individuals into perpetrating
hostile activities against local Jews.‖
The report mentions that while world opinion was largely against Israel for the 2010
raid on the Gaza protest flotilla that left nine Turkish citizens dead on the Mavi
Marmara, the event did not lead to a marked upswing in anti-Semitic acts like Cast
Lead did, largely because the confrontation was short-lived and included a relatively
small number of casualties.
European Jewish Congress President, Dr. Moshe Kantor said, upon release of the
report Sunday morning at the university, that ―if one were to remove the spike
resulting from Operation Cast Lead from the 2009 report then the 2010 report
demonstrates many similarities in terms of numbers and types of anti- Semitic
attacks as previous years.‖
He added that such figures show that ―anti-Semitism has not decreased in a
noticeable fashion across the European continent. On the contrary, the reduction is
minimal compared to the massive rise that has taken place over the previous two
decades.‖
So, what seems like a significant drop turns out to be no (or little) drop at all. In the
U.S. the Jewish community has worked hard to reduce the number of anti-Semitic
9

10. incidents and anti-Semitism in general. We’ve gotten it down to somewhere between
15% and 20%. It just doesn’t go any lower. I’m not exactly sure what the numbers in
Europe are. They probably vary strongly from country to country.
I’m sure they’re higher in Europe than they are in the U.S. Given the animosity
toward Israel, my guess is that the numbers will remain constant. Some feel that if
there was to be some sort of peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians
the numbers would quickly reduce. I doubt that seriously. Anti-Semitism is just too
deeply ingrained in the thinking of some and in places it is still part of the culture.
In the last 2 or 3,000 years Jews have learned to live with this sort of hatred. While
our goal is to eradicate it totally, I think most understand that the real goal is to
reduce it so that it does not impact upon the right Jews should have to earn a living,
live free from discrimination and be free to practice their religion. The best path to
realizing that goal is to keep working for democracy.
HOLOCAUST DISTORTION
On May 1st Jews around the world and particularly in Israel commemorated the
victims of the Holocaust with the Yom Hashoah holiday – Holocaust Memorial Day.
Meetings, lectures and special events were held at synagogues, Holocaust
museums and at public meetings. While the main purpose of such events is to
memorialize those that perished, there is a greater message and that is, as the
noted author, Manfred Gerstenfeld noted in a YNet News.com. piece, ―a prevention
of the repetition of genocide‖.
Gerstenfeld makes an important point in his article, namely ―There are, however,
strong indications that in today’s Western world Shoah distortion also creates a
major impact. Many think of Holocaust denial in this context. Far more frequent
however, is another extremely dangerous distortion of the Shoah’s memory, the
inversion of the Holocaust – that is, considering Jews and in particular Israelis as
Nazis.
This perception has now become a mainstream view in both Western and Eastern
Europe. A recent study in several countries by the University of Bielefeld on behalf of
the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation shows its permeation into European
societies. The study found that 63% of Poles think that Israel is conducting a war of
extermination against the Palestinians. The lowest figures in the study are from the
Italians and the Dutch respectively, with 38% and 39%.
In Hungary, Great Britain, Germany and Portugal, between 40% and 50% think this.
The study shows that, almost unnoticed, a new Europe with a widespread criminal
worldview has emerged.
10

11. The battle for maintaining a correct memory of the Holocaust and the fighting of
distortions will become more difficult as the last generation of survivors passes
away. This battle has to consist of many actions. They include, besides Holocaust
education, the continual recording of survivors’ testimonies, activities by the second
generation of survivors, public debate, research, activities in museums,
remembrance ceremonies, legislation and many more such efforts.
Gerstenfeld makes the point that many public figures (especially politicians) make
jokes about the Holocaust. I would add that many leaders, especially those in the
Middle East try to turn history on its head making Israeli soldiers into storm troopers.
As long as their animosity continues (hopefully not forever) they will continue to do
that. In any case, the use of the term “Holocaust” is bandied about frivolously and,
as time passes, the importance and meaning of the event will slowly diminish.
However, in my opinion, it is too important to be abandoned to the scrap heap.
Gerstenfeld suggests ways of maintaining its importance which should be supported.
I fear though that it is a losing battle. Perhaps it can be maintained somewhat and to
the degree that it can it is a useful tool in the prevention of mass murder in the
future.
**********************************************************************************************
See you again in June.
DuBow Digest is written and published by Eugene DuBow who can be contacted by
clicking here
Both the American and Germany editions are posted at
www.dubowdigest.typepad.com
Click here to connect
11

12. 12