The Shoah and Attitudes.

Attitudes towards the Shoah and its remembrance have a habit of revealing some people's truer attitude towards Jews, particularly nowadays with the increase of antisemitism and the nasty streak of animosity which has entered the public discourse.

Invariably the Shoah, Israel and the current conflict in the Middle East are linked, but it is perfectly possible to have distinct and different views on these three separate topics.

It is perfectly possible to acknowledge the indescribable horror of the Shoah without disparaging Jews or Israel.

It is perfectly possible to think that events in the Middle East are brutal, terrible and unnecessary without disparaging the memory of the victims of the Shoah.

Yet does that always happen? No, certainly not.

It is common amongst people that have a strong animosity against Jews (call them what you will: antisemite, Jew hater, Jew baiter, Holocaust denier, Holocaust revisionist, white supremacist, inveterate conspiracy theorist or neo-Nazi, it is all the same), it is common that they will not acknowledge the magnitude of the Shoah, its horror, its brutality or extent.

It is common among these people that they would rather bite off their tongue than make a comment which shows a degree of empathy towards the suffering of the victims of the Shoah: Jews.

But that is an extreme fringe in society, or at least we like to think it is?

Consider how certain people will metaphorically cough, look the other way or change the subject when the issue of remembrance and the Shoah comes into view.

Now they may not share any of the views held above by those nasty extremists, and yet you have to wonder why certain people are almost embarrassed to show the slightest degree of empathy towards the suffering of the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s.

That above all reveals their innermost attitudes, and how little some parts of humanity have learnt from the past 60 plus years.

So if you are one of these certain people that are uncomfortable showing any compassion toward Jews on Holocaust Memorial Day, then it's probably time to reflect on your innermost thoughts, neuroses, bitterness and what your subconscious attitude tells you about your truer character.

That is, if you have the courage.