The Jews And Israel’s Genocide In Palestine: A Distinction-Opinion
By Prof. Femi Olufunmilade
When Adolf Hitler launched World War II (1936 – 1945) and killed six million Jews across his conquered nations of Europe, was he doing the will of the German people?
The answer is a capital NO! Most Germans couldn’t understand why the extermination of Jewish people had to be part of Hitler’s quest to conquer the world.
But they were helpless, even though objectionable. Hitler was in power and their objections weren’t enough to stop him from destroying Jews, including hundreds of thousands of German Jews.
A similar scenario is playing out in Israel. Yesterday, (29th April 2024), I watched live broadcast of the persisting pro-Palestine protest on campuses of topnotch American universities on the CNN: University of Columbia (New York City), University of California, University of Texas at Austin, George Washington University (Washington DC), Virginia Tech etc.
I was touched when, in one of the protests, I saw a group of students with a placard that read: “Jewish Students for Palestine”. The placard spoke for itself. It was on the same wavelength with previous protests by Jewish groups across the world and within Israel who had condemned what may be rightly described as the Benjamin Nethanyau war in Gaza. As we speak, there are Israelis in police custody and prisons held by Israeli authorities for protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
It reminds me of white South Africans were in the trenches with blacks during the anti-apartheid struggle. White men like Arch-Bishop Trevor Huddleston, Joe Slovo of the Communist Party of South Africa and, among many others, those who were hiding Nelson Mandela in their mansions in Pretoria after he was declared wanted for terrorism, all attest to the fact that there’s something called “common humanity”, which bond is stronger than race or colour.
It was a measure of the deep appreciation that Mandela had for Joe Slovo and his sacrifices in the anti-apartheid struggle that he appointed him the Minister of Housing when he became president in April 1994.
Notwithstanding the fact that Joe had been diagnosed with a terminal cancer, which took his life nine months later in January 1995.
Joe is like the millions of Jews in sympathy with oppressed Palestinians. They believe in a common humanity that sees no boundaries in God’s love of diversity manifested in our multiple racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groupings.
As we condemn and campaign against the slaughter of over 30,000 people, mostly children and women, and bodily injury to over 70,000 in Gaza, we should separate the sheep from the goats. This is not a war on behalf of Jewish people. This distinction should be noted. The war has long ceased to be a retaliatory response to Hamas’ attack of 7th October 2023. It has morphed into a Hitleric genocide orchestrated by a blood-thirsty evil man and his clique in power.
Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyau and his cohorts in the reality show of horror in Palestine should someday face justice at the International Criminal Court for genocide.
Olufunmilade is a Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies; and Director, Buratai Center for Contemporary Security Affairs, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Nigeria, he can be reached at femiology@gmail.com.
