Russell, who was speaking at a debate on the national curriculum in the House of Commons on Monday said, “On the assumption that the 20th century will include the Holocaust, will he give me an assurance that the life of Palestinians since 1948 will be given equal attention?”
The most obvious point to make about Sir Bob Russell’s nasty comment is that it trivializes the Holocaust by creating a false equivalence with the situation of the Palestinians.
But it’s not as though his words do the Palestinians any great service either. Russell’s remark seems calculated to stir up anger and controversy, rather than promote his supposed aim, to raise awareness of the Palestinians’ history. Here is a contrasting perspective from Bassam Aramin:
Some five years ago, Aramin’s 10-year-old daughter was killed by an IDF rubber bullet.
When he hears comparisons being made between the territories and the European Holocaust, he becomes indignant.
“This is a big mistake. These are very different things. As a person who lives under occupation, I surely can identify with feeling like a refugee – humiliated, weak, lost – but the tragedy of the Holocaust is very different,” said Aramin.
Gavin Stollar, of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, describes Russell as “a fringe marginal voice in the community”. However it is not so long since David Ward caused a similar stir, and Jenny Tonge lost the whip last year following a string of controversial remarks about Israel.
