Gerard P. Craughwell: Welcomes Holocaust Teaching, Compares Auschwitz to Palestine
Gerard P. Craughwell welcomed the announcement that the Holocaust is to be taught in secondary schools and warned that history has been downgraded in the curriculum. After visiting Auschwitz and Belsen, he compared those camps to the current treatment of Palestinians, criticised Netanyahu and world leaders for allowing the situation, and described the events as 'another type of Holocaust'.
Curriculum announcement
He welcomed the announcement that the Holocaust is to be taught in our secondary schools to junior search and leaving search students and expressed concern that history has been somewhat downgraded in the educational curriculum.
Visits to Auschwitz and Belsen
He recounted visiting Auschwitz in Poland and later Belsen, describing how he was led through the camps and recalling grim details of camp life, including the observation that the best job in the camp was cleaning excrement off the floors because it offered relative shelter.
Comparison with Palestine
He said he could not, in his heart, find a difference between what happened in Auschwitz and Belsen and what is happening in Palestine today, while noting they are not identical situations. He described tiny children scrambling through rubble with no hope and called the treatment of the Palestinian people horrendous, directly criticising Netanyahu and his thugs.
Appeal to leaders and context
Speaking on Holocaust Day, he suggested Netanyahu should visit Auschwitz to understand 'what man's inhumanity to man actually looks like', accused world leaders of 'sitting on their hands' as events unfold, and noted colleagues had spoken out or attempted to travel to the region.
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I welcome the announcement this week that the Holocaust is to be taught in our secondary schools to junior search and leaving search students. In welcoming the announcement, I'm somewhat concerned that history has been somewhat downgraded in the educational curriculum, and that is a pity. Two weeks ago, I visited Auschwitz in Poland, and as I walked through the Auschwitz camp and was led through what happened there, and later that day went through Belsen, I couldn't help but think about how man's inhumanity to man is re-establishing itself in the Middle East, and to see the horrendous treatment of the Palestinian people by Netanyahu and his thugs. And I think it's extremely important that we separate out the Jewish religion from the Israeli government and their actions, and what has gone on in Palestine. I couldn't, in my heart, find a difference between what happened in Auschwitz, what happened in Belsen, and what is happening in Palestine today. Okay, they're not being put into gas chambers, and they are not being housed for years in horrible, horrible situations. I mean, one of the things I learned in Belsen was the best job in the camp was cleaning excrement off the floors, because you were left alone inside in the building, you didn't have to suffer the guards all day, and you were somewhat warm in a situation like that. But then you swing and you look at what's happening in Palestine, and you see tiny children scrambling through rubble, with absolutely no hope whatsoever. So I think maybe Netanyahu should go and visit Auschwitz, and maybe he should realise for himself what man's inhumanity to man actually looks like. Because it is horrible, and it is absolutely unacceptable that in this day and age, the world leaders are sitting on their hands and allowing what's happening, happen. So I just feel that in light of the fact yesterday was Holocaust Day, I think there is another type of Holocaust going on in the world as we speak. And I think, I know my colleagues have spoken out quite a lot about it, and I know some of them have travelled out there, or at least tried to travel out there. And that's to be respected. But at the end of the day, it's the people in real power who are allowing this to happen. So I'll leave it at that. Thank you. Thank you.
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