this post was submitted on 23 May 2025
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One justification for European Jews moving to Israel that I've heard is that they're victims of the Holocaust escaping Europe after the war. IIRC it's also one of the stated reasons Germany and the EU have unquestioning support for Israel.
I don't claim to know what's best for Holocaust victims, but is moving back to their homes in Europe not an option even after the war? Aren't they basically admitting that Europe is so antisimetic that even after Hitler was defeated it's still not safe for Jews to live there, and/or straight up admitting that they genuinely don't want Jews in Europe?
The service of that myth is part of why German support for Israel is so over the top, yes. Actual treatment of Holocaust survivors in Israel could be really shitty, with high rates of poverty and mistreatment by Zionist settlers. A Hebrew slur against diaspora Jews of the time, “sabonim”, was slang for “coward” and stemmed from the use of Holocaust victims’ body fat to make soap.
However, following the money gets to the real heart of the issue. West Germany retained an enormous amount of money and property that Nazi Germany had stolen from Holocaust victims. Monetary support for Israel and encouraging immigration let the state dodge liability for reparations to individuals. Read more here: https://jacobin.com/2020/11/postwar-west-germany-support-israel-whitewashing