The JC Letters Page April 14 2017

Lithuania’s Holocaust hypocrisy

 Regarding Jenni Frazer’s article: Lithuania’s Shoah whitewash project (JC, March 31), the following are the facts: The Einsatzkommando 2 of the German security police reported the murder of 114,856 Lithuanian Jews as early as December 1, 1942. One hundred and thirty-nine Nazi personnel, of whom 44 were secretaries and drivers, and 95 were murderers, directed this slaughter. Local Lithuanians enthusiastically, and voluntarily conducted the killings.

Yet, inexplicably, the current Lithuanian authorities are unable to determine culpability, despite the fact that there are eyewitness accounts and signed orders, for example in the cases of Noreika and Skirpa. Monuments for Holocaust perpetrators litter Lithuania.

Clearly, Lithuania has an effective Holocaust denial industry, managed by the government. Their President states that she cares about the victims, but, ironically, not enough to investigate Holocaust denial by her Genocide Centre.

Lithuanian diplomats encourage Jews to travel to Lithuania and invest in the country. They express sympathy for their Jewish victims, and simultaneously hide the fact that they venerate many of the murderers and work vigorously to exculpate them.

Everyone should know the facts and not be misled by the beguiling propaganda of Lithuania’s professional diplomatic sales staff.

Grant Gochin, 
Los Angeles, USA

Leaky umbrella

The call by the Federation President for an “Orthodox” umbrella body is misconceived and divisive. 

I am a practising Orthodox (non-Charedi) Jew who considers himself well represented by the Board of Deputies. The Ultra-Orthodox left the Board of Deputies of their own volition. I am sure they would be welcomed back. When the Gestapo and KGB came knocking on Jews’ doors, they did not ask whether the occupants were Ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Masorti, Reform, Liberal, or Progressive. If Mr Andrew Cohen wants a separate body, let him set up and fund it. 

Leon Newmark (A former Deputy for the United Synagogue)
London N16

Academic career

I read with sadness the excellent obituary on Sir Elihu Lauterpacht (JC, March 24). However, three of my contemporaries and I who attended his lectures at LSE in 1952-53 were shocked to realise that the sophisticated, elegant, softly spoken barrister who constantly defended himself academically against his ebullient and colourful antagonist Professor Georg Schwarzenberger at UCL, was no more than three years older than us, his pupils.

In recalling those days, we would respectfully point out that, no doubt due to the demands of space, your article implies a continuous academic career for “Eli” at Cambridge. In fact, he spent at least two years prior to Cambridge at LSE, as part of the then tiny (now large) International Relations Department. I am sure he remembered with pleasure, that carefree episode in his illustrious career

Ken Turner B.Sc (Econ) LSE 1950-’53 
Ilford, Essex IG1 

Novelty value

Please tell Sara Elias (Why I love Pesach Cleaning) that, after 50 years, the enthusiasm will diminish; she will no longer have any desire to do any of it and, with a bit of luck, will be able to leave it to the next generation (or go away!)

Sharon Tarlow
London NW7

Livingstone: defining ‘antisemitism’, missing the target, or ‘sickening taste’? 

I am greatly concerned by the pressure being put on the Labour Party to expel Ken Livingstone for “antisemitism” by leading members of the Jewish community, including your journal.

It insults the memory of the millions who suffered, and were slaughtered under the Nazis to compare a misquoted comment by Ken to the Nazis.

My views are based on what my mother told me of her experiences in Vienna both before and after the Anschluss by Germany. For part of that time she was working to help desperate Jews get visas for the  UK or USA. (It is to the shame of both countries that so many were refused).

The reaction of some in the Jewish community to any criticism of Israel, or other Jewish matters, to cry antisemitism, feeds antisemitism rather than anything Ken may have said.

I have been brought up to be anti-racist. The Nazi era in Germany was most probably the most horrible example of racism in history .

One last question: Is it antisemitic to accuse a Jew of being racist? 

A few Jews still, in believing they are “God’s chosen people,” consider gentiles to be inferior. Isn’t that racist?

Patrick Schicker
Cambridge CB4

Hassan Nasrallah has stated that he wants all Jews to come and live in Israel so he doesn’t have to go to the trouble of hunting us down to kill us.

No doubt Ken Livingstone would therefore consider Hassan Nasrallah a supporter of Zionism.

Marc Levine
Edgware HA8

While much of the community seems to be having absolute kittens over Ken Livingstone’s comments on Nazism and Zionism, they seem to be missing a far more alarming fundamental point: he seems to believe that it was only in 1932 that Hitler “went mad”. 

The Final Solution did not happen overnight, and Mr Livingstone’s minimising of the processes leading to it is far more sinister  than uncomfortable suggestions that some Nazi-Zionist co-operation occurred before the War.

Daniel J. Levy
Leeds LS6

I was stunned to see former London Mayor Ken Livingstone let off with a one-year suspension from the Labour Party for his abhorrent comments linking the Nazis with Zionism.

It is appalling enough that a man who held such highly elected office would attempt to soften the historic image of the Third Reich, but a mainstream political party showing a level of acceptance to such comments leaves a sickening taste.

The question over whether or not Livingstone should have resigned is an irrelevant one as he’s a man who will not back down, as is evident by his response – what’s that saying about when you’re in a hole?

The Labour Party however should be ashamed of itself for failing to take decisive action and instead send out a message that once again raises serious questions of antisemitism within the party.

The Jewish community deserves better from its elected officials than for them to publicly lend credence to far-right conspiracy theories. I sincerely hope further action is taken.

Keith Prince AM
Conservative London Assembly Member for Havering and Redbridge