A group of eight Holocaust survivors drew parallels between the current political climate and that of Germany in the 1930s. Some of them condemned the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD).

Eight Holocaust survivors have urged young people to shun far-right parties and vote to protect democracy at the upcoming European Union elections.

“For millions of you, the European elections are the first election in your lives. For many of us, it could be the last,” read the open letter, unveiled in Berlin on Tuesday.

“We couldn’t stop it back then. But you can today,” the eight authors wrote.

  • Jeena@jemmy.jeena.net
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    5 months ago

    I hope they will be able to do the same for the Israeli youth, because there the theocratic fashists are in power right now already.

    • AmidFuror@fedia.io
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      5 months ago

      They’re doing this because they’re German, and they are trying to influence politics in the place they live.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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        5 months ago

        Also, the person you talked to seems to think the Holocaust was solely a genocide of Jews with a comment like that. Any of those eight could have been Roma, LGBT+, disabled… all kinds of possibilities.

        Israel wants to be connected to the Holocaust in a deeper way than it should be. And I say that as a Jewish person.

        • Jeena@jemmy.jeena.net
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          5 months ago

          The persons great grandfather died in Auschwitz because he was fighting for a independent Silesia.

          But yeah, …

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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            5 months ago

            Cool. Half my family died in the Holocaust. I still don’t associate it with 2024 Israel like Netanyahu wants.

            • Jeena@jemmy.jeena.net
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              5 months ago

              Are you saying German holocaust survivers should only protest German fashists and not Israeli fashists because if they do then they associate the Holocaust with Israel and thus help Netanjahu with it?

              I have a hard time understanding your position.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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                5 months ago

                Why exactly would Israelis care what they had to say? Unless the answer is “because they’re Jews and the Holocaust is a Jewish thing,” I can’t think of a reason.

                • footoro@sh.itjust.works
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                  5 months ago

                  I mean this is still about the EU-elections and not Germany specific. The far right is a huge problem in all of Europe and some of the worst already dictator like fascists like Orban not only seek to actively undermine the EU wherever they can, but they’re also best buddies with Israeli politicians.

                  I think it’s important to remember as you said that the holocaust wasn’t only about Jews and that Zionism doesn’t equate Judaism, but to draw a connection between fascists in Europe and fascists in Israel who happen to commit genocide right now doesn’t seem so far fetched in general.

                • barsoap@lemm.ee
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                  5 months ago

                  Oh there’s a simple reason why Israelis should care: Because sliding into fascism is a calamity for everyone, yes, also for the perpetrating people. Maybe that’s what all this is about, they want to understand that through personal experience. Ride the death drive for a while.

                • nyctre@lemmy.world
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                  5 months ago

                  For the same reason young Germans should care. For the same reason everyone should care. Because fascism is bad and everyone should listen to these people and vote against it. Op simply pointed out that there’s a pretty fascistic government in power right now in Israel and hopefully the youth(and everyone else for that matter) will take some inspiration and vote against it.

                  At least that’s what I take from that.

                • Jeena@jemmy.jeena.net
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                  5 months ago

                  My thinking was in the lines why they are doing in Germany too. They say look what the fashists did, never again! Same message would make sense in today’s Israel too.

      • Jeena@jemmy.jeena.net
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        5 months ago

        That’s good, I’m just hoping they could go together with the holocaust survivers who live in Israel and be role models there too, god knows we need them there too.

        • KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Homer Simpson isn’t an argument. I simply don’t follow your lead of framing anything and everything to do with Jewish people against the actions of the Israeli government.
          Most Jews don’t live in Israel, and (depending on how you count) 1/5 to 1/2 the people living in Israel aren’t Jews.

          • footoro@sh.itjust.works
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            5 months ago

            But OP never said Jewish? I don’t know how to interpret the comment given that this is the internet but seemed more like a never again means never again for anyone kind of thing?