The Holocaust and the Zionist Conspiracy Behind it

by D. K.

A student essay from Dr. Elliot Neaman's History 210 class (historical methods - spring 1996)

Introduction

The Second World War began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland (1). The dictator during this period, Adolph Hitler, was a charismatic leader whose followers believed that he could lead Germany out of economic depression from World War I. It was during this second World War, that Hitler's plan for a stronger German Nation and the deep rooted anti-Semitism of Germany would finally come to a terrifying and tangible conclusion. Through the vision of Adolph Hitler, Nazi Germany would annihilate almost the entire population of European Jews. This plan evolved into what would later be termed the Holocaust.

According to the Revisionists, or Holocaust Deniers, the entire Jewish Holocaust is propaganda or a hoax. The Holocaust was yet another example of Jewish lies. Deborah Lipstadt asserts that, "The existence of the Holocaust is not up for debate, for to argue with a Holocaust denier about the authenticity of this event would give them a legitimacy and a stature they in no way deserve" (2). Relating to this monumental historical event, unlike most pieces of history, the indiscriminate idea of "two sides to every story," is completely inappropriate. As President Woodrow Wilson once said, "Yes, there are two sides to every question, a right side and a wrong side" (3).

The notion of 'the other side of the holocaust' is a denier's concept of distorting the truth and irrefutable facts. The deniers asseverate that the Holocaust was a Zionist conspiracy. Zionist aspiration was to gain the sympathy of the world in order to disguise their intention of inevitably controlling the world economy and politics. The real reason behind this profession is the anti-Semitic opinion of the deniers. The evidence that the deniers present are not new, revolutionary ideas, for anti-Semitic thought has around since the beginning of history. Therefore, explaining the background behind the denier concepts is key to understanding their claim of the 'Zionist conspiracy' and Jewish lies.

The deniers portray themselves as historians only interested in the facts (4). They attract groups of extremists who are seeking justice for the 'atrocities' committed against the Nazis and Germany. The central assertion for the deniers is that the Jews are not victims, but victimizers (5). The deniers assert that the Jews lied to the world in order to proceed with a plot to control the world banks and eventually the entire globe. The idea of a Zionist conspiracy to control the world, translates into modern day Holocaust denial. According to the deniers, "The Jews as a nation, or a people will stop at nothing to achieve complete political and religious domination of the world. The means by which this universal domination is to be achieved are set forth with great clearness and considerable elaboration" (6).

Revisionists believe that, the Holocaust was a "myth" to destroy Germany's good name and win international sympathy because of what the Jewish people claimed had happened to them during World War II (7). Numerous years after the war, relocated Jews were awarded sums of money from Germany. They were offered this as compensation for losing everything during this horrific war. The denier contention is that the Jews desired these large sums of money to degrade the Germans. With this money, the state of Israel could then be established. Therefore, the Holocaust was an invention of the Jewish and Zionist leaders. Israel was created from the guilt induced by the Jews. The Jews desired the creation of Israel so strongly that, according to deniers, they would lie or cheat their way into a situation to benefit all Jews.

Zionism

"The birth of the Jewish state, in 1948, was the fulfillment of the Zionist dream" (8). The Jews became a landless people who had wandered for thousands of years. By choice, they never accepted the customs of where they lived. To a Jew, assimilation into a 'strange' country meant giving up the goal of residing in a Jewish nation. They wanted to return to their historic homeland of Palestine. Jews has no nationality except that they were the children of Israel (9). Up until the late 1940's, the reality of Israel was a far-fetched dream. Zionist thought stems from this basic idea of Jewish nationalism. As M. H. said, "Jews were at best suffered, no where were they welcome or loved; there was a world of differences in body and soul between the Semites and those whose ancestors lived in North Europe (10).

Hess, a Jewish socialist who wrote in the eighteen hundreds understood this imperative concept of Jewish 'separateness'. "We shall always remain strangers among the nations. They may even be moved by a sense of humanity and justice to emancipate us, but they will never respect us, so long as we make, 'ubi bene ibi patria' our guiding principle, indeed almost a religion and place it above our great national memories. Religious fanaticism may cease to cause hatred of the Jewish in more culturally advanced countries; but despite enlightenment and education, the Jew in exile who denies his nationality will never earn the respect of the nation among whom he dwells" (11).

This vehement reaction to non-assimilation has caused animosity between Jews and gentiles. Conforming to gentile beliefs was not the manner with which the Jews desired to gain respect. Jewish individuality was significant to their intrepid traditions. "Zionism has always regarded assimilation as its main enemy, without clearly distinguishing between emancipation and assimilation. It has decried life in the Diaspora as physically unsafe and morally degrading, intolerable for proud self-respecting Jews" (12).

Zionism and the History of Anti-Semitism

To understand Zionism and the Jews one must learn their oppressive history. Zionism is a nostalgia for the lost homeland and the Jews dream of redemption from misery. The Jews had been without a nation since the beginning of written history. Unfortunately, many people believe the Jews do not 'deserve' Israel, that it was given to them out of guilt and therefore does not truly belong to them. It has been an uphill struggle for the Jews to gain national acceptance of their right to Israeli land.

The deniers manifest their notions of conspiracy and prejudice from old anti-Semitic ideas. A response to anti-semitism is Zionism. Zionism is a paradox. "If it had not been for the increase in tension and anti-Jewish persecution, Zionism might still have existed as a small literary-philosophical sect of idealistic reformers" (13). Anti-Semitism is long lived and evident since the beginning of history. Akin thoughts are still apparent in denier arguments.

There are a few concrete explanations for historical anti-Semitism. The Jews were confined to certain types of business. The gentiles were admit about suppressing Jewish business aspirations. They were allowed to pursue occupations that were undesirable to non-Jews. They were in the service industry: money lenders, lawyers, physicians, and other roles that were considered low class. The old speculation of pawn broking in the textile industry, jewelry, and second hand goods trade had a negative role that no one wanted or couldn't take because of religious beliefs.

The Jews though made these jobs into money making occupations. This caused a jealous reaction and created tension between the Jews and gentiles. "The Jews did not feel bound by guild rules of conduct, and the spirit of innovation, they developed by their checkered and dangerous existence in exile," (14) and this helped them further themselves into economic gratification. The Jews economic activity began to concern Christians with the threat of competition. From this arose bitter rumors about the Jewish character. The Jews supposedly spoiled all commerce, particularly retail trade. They sucked the blood of the poor and did not contribute his due taxes (15). The Jewish guilt of the ruin of gentile merchants has no merit, though, for if they were guilty then no Christian would ever go bankrupt in places where no Jew lives (16). The Jew was a swindler and dishonest business man who could not be trusted. Because of their customs, they were vicious and dishonest, incorrigible and incapable of regeneration (17). Jews were "vermin engendered by a long peace, a species born a totally rotten situation" (18).

These hateful ideas have not changed, but grown into a belief of a 'Zionist conspiracy'. After the Holocaust, a paranoid vision of the Jewish world conspiracy had a geo-political center in Zion (19). Ideas spread of Zionist plots to rule the world have its base in anti-semitism. If people give credence to anti-Semitic ideas as the 'Zionist conspiracy', then they will fearful of a Jewish state.

Denier Arguments

It is crucial in understanding the denier argument to focus on the 'Protocols' as they are a basis for modern holocaust rebuttal. The deniers argument is that the Holocaust is the Zionist lie to create a powerful Jewish state. With this nation, the Jews will be able to control the world from their influence, military authority and manipulating ways. A denier book that circulates the alleged Zionist plot is called the Protocols of the wise men of Zion. The deniers claim it was a document published in 1905 written by Serge Nilus, a Russian novelist. "The protocols set forth a comprehensive program for substantial destruction of all states (20). This document set out to blame the Jews for the freemason revolution in Russia during this period. Tsar, Nicholas II, was convinced that the Jews were engaged in a conspiracy for world Domination and Russian defeat because of this Bolshevist, or Jewish, propaganda. (21). The 'Protocols' are the alleged words written by Zionist Rabbis who plot to bring the 'goyim' (22) under Jewish control. "Our Kingdom will be distinguished by a despotism of such magnificent proportions as to be at any moment and in every place in a position to wipe out any goyim who oppose us by deed or word" (23). The Protocols have ostensible 'secrets' that were discovered and exposed by the gentiles.

The beguiling Jews, will achieve their complete monopoly of the world from this Zionist conspiracy. The result justifies the means. The Jews will direct their attention not so much to what is good and moral as to what is necessary and useful (24). This idea returns to the hoary notion that all Jews need and desire is self-indulgence, love of material possessions. Jews were driven by the need for superficial indulgence, not 'Christian' morals and values. Jews were opportunists waiting to deceive and cheat. "Evil is the one and only means to attain the end. the good. Therefore we must not stop at bribery, deceit, and treachery when they should serve towards the attainment of our end. In politics one must know how to seize the property of others without hesitation if by it we secure submission and sovereignty (25).

The Protocols continue saying that the Jews gather strength in their power over the press. Through the press, the Jews gain enough influence to sway gentile speculation. The Jews manipulated the press back in 1905 therefore, it is completely possible that they could influence global information causing the 'myth' of the Holocaust to be believed. This correlation is strikingly parallel to the Holocaust deniers.

The Holocaust deniers. make many of their allegations by impressions that Jews have incredible clout and power in the international community. "The Jewish international rights are to be strengthened at the expense of national rights of the several Gentile nations (26). They have enough influence to convince and manipulate the world's prevailing belief of what occurred during World War Two. The American press has the strongest Jewish propaganda machine in the world. Even Americans are deluded by Zionists for the media participated in the hoax of the Holocaust. There is no evidence of proof of these conspiracies, only undertones of anti-Semitic language and attitude. The claim that the Holocaust is a Zionist lie is proof of their anti-Semitic assertions (27).

W. Carto, founder of the denier's Institute for Historical Review, formed this society to "prove that the alleged murder of six million Jews was a hoax invented by Zionists to make people feel sorry for them (28). Denier H. Barnes, also agrees with this Zionist fraud, stating the "The Israeli politicians who derived billions of marks from German reparation, from non-existent mythical and imaginary cadavers numbers have been reckoned in an usually distorted and dishonest manner (29).
The deceitful Jews, once again, contorted truth and convinced the world of alleged atrocities committed. In denier reality, it was the Zionists who were the main force behind the holocaust. Jews fostered the myth of the Holocaust because it generated 'tremendous financial aid' for Israel and renders organized Jewry 'almost immune from criticism' (30). The Jews fraudulent six million was to achieve their political and military objectives (31).

Paul Rassinier, a socialist writer in the late nineteen forties, discussed the presence of the 'Zionist establishment' and their exaggerated experiences relating to the Holocaust. The 'Zionist establishment' made the death toll higher believing that from this lie, greater financial reward was inevitable. With the aid of Jewish historians and Zionist establishment, inflated the number of dead in order to 'swindle' the Germans out of millions of marks. The existence of Jews, supposedly killed, was kept secret in order to inflate the amount of money Israel was able to extract from the Germans (32). According to Rassiner, the Jews wanted to make the Germans the "everlasting milk cow". "Their dishonesty and that of the Jewish institutions with which they were formally or informally associated was motivated by a traditional Jewish vice: the move of money (33). The truth though is that Germany paid Israel money, not based on the death toll, but the cost Israel endured to absorb and resettle Diaspora Jews (34). The deniers attempt to paint Jews in a negative light; changing information, falsifying documents, and spreading vicious lies.

Evidence Against the Deniers

The Holocaust is a tangible, vicious attack of anti-semitism, and the belief that it is a farce, painfully demeaning to Jews and Gentiles alike. In all the teachings of the Torah, there is the predilection of 'love thy neighbor'. Jews are taught to honor their family, and G-d, to treat others with respect. The Torah focuses on caring and the importance of education. The core of Judaism can be explained from one story. A group of Rabbis, in the ninth century, were asked to explain the essence of Judaism in its simplest form while standing on one leg. All Rabbis struggled except Rabbi Hillel, a wise Jewish scholar. He declared, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you, that is the Torah, the rest is commentary." If one took the time to study what the Jews do teach each other, then the 'Zionist conspiracy' would have no basis.

In my ten years of religious training, I never heard an utterance of a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. We spoke of the value of learning, love, family, and respect for life. My upbringing was full of phrases such as, "respect your elders, and be kind to people, no matter who they are." I was brought up in a world of love, not hate and mistrust. I was never told that one day the Jews will conquer the Gentiles for retribution of the oppression they caused the Jews. Jews are not people who seek revenge, just understanding. It is more important for a Jew to debate historical, religious text and question the Torah, then to plot to kill the Gentile people. There is no Jewish conspiracy to control the world. Jews can barely keep Israel in their power, let alone the entire world. Jews want peace and closure to anti-semitic sentiment, not ignorant lies and hateful allegations made against them.

An interesting point to bring up is the fact that, Christianity and Judaism in their bare form are essentially the same religion. How can deniers claim that Judaism is an evil religion, if Judaism is the basis for their own religion? The two religions can not be that dramatically distinct, especially relating to moral values. Anti-Semites believed that the Old Testament was not intended for all mankind, even the Jews do not state; they want to keep these books for themselves alone. In this way to distinguish themselves from the 'Goyim', whom G-d would not have judged worthy of happiness (35). For the Jews were the people chosen by their G-d, who is the G-d chosen by his people, and this concerns no one but him (36). According to the deniers, Jews wanted to separate themselves because they felt the necessity for division. Anti-Semitic hostility evolved from these impressions that the Jews believed they could divide and conquer by keeping a separate lifestyle and distinct culture.

Ironically, Zionism's aim was to regain Jewish self-respect and dignity in the eyes of the non-Jews. Theodor Herzel, one of the founding fathers of Zionism, once wrote that Zionism was crucial to rebuild a Jewish national home for Jews to live as free men on their own soil, to die peacefully in their own homes (37).

Zionism is important to the Jews, because ignorance causes one to rationalize anti-Semitic ideas. Prevalent and imperative to the denier movement is to create drama and resentment towards the Jews. Of coarse this derives from ancient anti-Semitic notions. The Protocols is just one example of anti-Semitic literature. The Protocols were plagiarized from a document called the "Dialogues in Hell". 'Dialogues' was written in 1864 by Maurice Joly. This document is a conversation between Machiavelli and Montesquieu. 'Dialogues' is strikingly similar to the Protocols of the wise men of Zion. Both claim that they are the response to the call of the conscience and a tool of the coalition for good. Both profligate extreme anti-Semitic images. In truth, the Protocols written by S. Nilus, admitted that the Protocol document was a response to the growing animosity towards Bolsheviks and Jews, not from genuine accounts of Zionist plots.

Commonly, when nations were in times of economic turmoil, they turned to the Jews to blame. Jews were susceptible to abuse and attacked as the despoilers of the Gentile people. In Germany, they concluded the Jews spread anti-capitalist ideas forcing Germany into the ground. "The Jew had no spirit, no passion, soul, no inner capacity for life, no true music or poetry. He is a cold, loveless, purely cerebral being" (Wistrich 56). The denier consistently refers to old anti-Semitic stereotypes. The idea that Jews do not care about the human soul; only the Torah and Talmudic teachings. Therefore, it was easy to cheat, lie, and manipulate Gentiles because the Jews merely did not care. There was a belief that the Jews could survive off others misfortune because of this cerebral, heartless attitude. What a denier does not comprehend, is that even though a core aspect of Judaism is the Torah and its teachings, these teachings are words of kindness and love, sharing and friendship, not plots to control the world banks. One will never find conspiracy ideas in any Judaic writings.

Denier and anti-semitic literature both suggest that a Jew was Germany's misfortune. They polluted German thought by promoting liberal ideas, radicalism, and social democracy (38). It was easy to condemn Jews for German's political problems because of the Jews historic stereotype as the malicious intended. Jews dominated the press and stock exchange in a Semitic' conspiracy to dominate Germany and Austria (39). Jews needed to control these powerful, money making industries to slowly absorb non- Jewish power. With the control of the press, the Jews finally could portray themselves in a sympathetic light. The Jews plotted the Holocaust because they knew, with the world's condolences, they could achieve Zionist goals. Palestine would be theirs' for the taking. If the Jews had the influence that the deniers asserted, then why were they without a nation before 1948. If the Jews had the world's empathy, control of the banks and of the press, then how would the Zionists let the Holocaust occur? The deniers believe it was to gain Israel, but contradicts their whole Holocaust conspiracy story. With power over the press and government, can't the Jews avoid persecution? The truth is, the Jews did not focus on 'Zion' because most did not believe it would ever become reality. No one Jew could sway the Turkish, then British to donate this land. The Zionist conspiracy theory has no basis or proof. The Protocols and denier claims are plainly anti-semitic ideas. The deniers only want to cause harm, or to expose the 'real' history that has been keep closely guarded for so long. That is a denier lie.

Reality Versus Fallacy

There are consistent reoccurring themes in all this anti-Semitic, Zionist conspiracy thought. Assuming Christianity was superior to Judaism, anti-semitism was viewed as a 'natural' response to a concrete Jewish presence. It was an anti-semitism without Jews (40). Jew-hatred no longer required any connection with real relations. It was the cultural dynamic and the basic distinction that set Jews and Gentiles apart. By focusing attention on allegedly permanent, unchanging characteristics of the Jews as a social and national group, the anti-Semites hoped to delegitimize Jewish equality (41). No other religion has so consistently attributed the Jews a universal, cosmic quality of evil, depicting them as children of the devil, followers of anti-Christ or as the synagogue of Satan. (42). The Jews were the murderers of G-d. They were condemned to wander in exile, for they were the rejected and abandoned people of G-d. Jews became the "locust which have been sucking the marrow of Europe . They are returning to the promised land and are already looking for greener pastures. At best Zionism is the impotent effort of an unfit people achieve something constructive, but in the main it helps ambitious speculators as a new field in which to practice usury on a world wide scale" (43). This inflammatory statement and the denier arguments ignite anger in the minds of Jews. People who have been persecuted for centuries deserve and need a homeland.
Why is it necessary to justify Zionism? When the Jews finally found a home, is it called expansionism or unjust. Deniers believe that Israel is solely for the purpose to annihilate Germany. This statement, though, is ridiculous. The concept of 'Zion' has been around as long as the Jews. When the Jews are finally, after centuries, are presented the chance to a homeland they rejoiced, they did not focus on condemning Germany. There is an incredible paradox of the Holocaust surrounding this issue. The fact is, without the Holocaust, Israel would not have been given to the Jews. In many countries, they felt uneasy about the Jewish tragedy and the fact that not more had been done to save the Jews (44). Guilt is a powerful entity. "It took the destruction of European Jewry to realize Zionist aim. Zionism had not been able to prevent the catastrophe, on the contrary, the state of Israel owed its existence to the disaster" (45).

Stated simply, Zionist philosophy is the desire for a Jewish homeland. Anti-Semitic thought has altered the definition and purpose of the Jewish dream, Israel. Zionism is patriotism, but because of anti-semitism it takes on different negative connotations. In America, it is not prejudicial to be patriotic, but for a Jew, being a Zionist is considered racist. Zionists are accused of having expansionist ideals and of usury. People now believe, with the emergence of Israel, that a 'new type of nazism' has formed. Allegedly, the Jews claim that since, "they have departed from the laws of Abraham and Moses so far as to adhere to the dervish doctrine of, I am better than others; I was made of fire, and they were made of clay" (46).

"Zionism has racist principles, with its devilish schemes which generate chaos all over the world, with its dangerous plans to dominate, with its disregard for the appeals and resolutions of international organizations, and with its beastly octopus which has almost a decisive role in directing the policies of the greater countries in the world can not be viewed as a threat to this region alone, but to the whole world (47).

Conclusion

The Anti-Zionist assertions that the Jews will bring the destruction of the world is no different than that of a holocaust deniers idea of Zionist conspiracies to dominate world power. All have negative affects, and demand the destruction of Israel. Israel, it seems, is the center for all this altercation. Israel breeds fear in the minds of anti-semites because it is the answer to Jewish prayers. It gives the Jews a place, for dwelling and on a broader scale, the Jews become a world power. Deniers believe Israel will be the beginning of Jewish domination.

Deniers have no concrete facts, documents, or testimony to reinforce their claims. They do not give the full scope of information, deleting facts or words when it assists their cause. There is no "hard evidence" that supports their claims, only speculation. Unfortunately, their word has spread even if it is false and accusatory. The word of hate can travel like a wild fire, engulfing many.

The sad truth is that the denier claims are becoming widely accepted and less and less disputed. In the United States alone, there is an incredible rise of hate crimes related to race and religion. Today, one must face the reality of the Holocaust and the disheartening fact that people discredit the victims memory by crying "liar." For the victims and survivors one must keep the truth in print and expose the lies. One must constantly question the scholarly word, and search for the truth in documents, not historical opinion. George Braque once said, "truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented." From the oral testimony of the thousands of survivors and to the confessions of their killers this should be sufficient evidence to create not even a shred of doubt. More importantly though, the undeniable murder of six million Jews must never be forgotten.

Footnotes

(1) Lipstadt, Deborah. Denying the Holocaust, (New York, 1993) pg 5.

(2) Ibid., pg. 1

(3) Garraty, John A. The American Nation. (New York, 1995) pg. 679.

(4) Lipstadt, D. pg. 50.

(5) ibid. pg. 23

(6) Nilus, Serge. The Protocols of the wise men of Zion. (Boston, 1921) pg 9.

(7) Lipstadt, D. pg 23.

(8) Laqueur, Walter. A History of Zionism. (New York, 1972). pg 564.

(9) ibid. pg 40

(10) ibid pg. 45

(11) ibid pg. 50

(12) ibid. pg 591

(13) ibid pg 590

(14) Poliakov, Leon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Part III. (New York , 1968) pg 11

(15) ibid pg. 14

(16) ibid pg 16

(17) ibid pg 177

(18) ibid pg 386

(19) Wistrich, Robert S. Antisemitism. (New York, 1971) preface, xxiii.

(20) Nilus, Serge protocol 3

(21) Bernstein, Herman. The truth about the Protocols of Zion. (New York, 1935). pg 26

(22) 'Goyim' is a Yiddish word for non-Jews

(23)Bernstein, H. pg 309.

(24) Nilus, S. Protocol 2

(25) ibid. Protocol 1

(26) Bernstein, H. pg. 10

(27) Lipstadt, D. pg. 23

(28) McVay, Ken. "Embattled bigots" (Online, internet Feb. 5, 1996)

(29) Lipstadt, D. pg 74

(30) ibid. pg 5

(31) ibid. pg 95

(32) ibid. pg 56

(33) ibid.

(34) ibid.

(35) Polikov, L. pg 186

(36) ibid.

(37) Laqueur, W. pg 599.

(38) Wistrich, R. pg 59.

(39) ibid. pg 62

(40) ibid.

(41) ibid. preface xv.

(42) ibid. preface xviii

(43) Laqueur, W. pg 385

(44) ibid. pg 594

(45) ibid. pg 564

(46) Sharafuddin, Abdullah. Zionism and Racism. "Opening address by the president of the Libyan bar association." (Tripoli, 1977) pg 3.

(47) ibid. pg 4

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