If recent years have shown us anything it is that underneath the veneer of becoming more civilised much of humanity is still barbarian at heart. Man's inhumanity to man is a continuous blot on our species and the Holocaust more than anything is a testament of the evil we are capable of inflicting on each other.
Russia invades Ukraine and brutalises its people (think Bucha) and Putin's bullying is given a nod by Trump because he is pursuing his own aggressive agenda.
The Middle East, as always, is a tinderbox just waiting to go off and in fact during the Gaza War it did go off.
In simple terms, Hamas attacked Israel, and Israel struck back hard because of a prevailing post-Holocaust mentality that says "never again". Did Israel go too far, almost certainly yes. Should they stop their provocative establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory - well it will help even it just removes an argument that Hamas uses, but let's also remember that there were unsubstaniated rumours that Hamas literally cooked living babies in ovens during the attacks of 7th October 2023. While it seems that this was not actually the case, the widespread uptake of the story only enflamed the situation. That aside Hamas were certainly guilty of committing other atrocities and many Gazans danced in the streets and celebrated when Hamas brought back the spoils - specifically dead bodies and hostages who were brutalised and raped - from their attack.
Where is the humanity - whatever the oppression?
I know there is a lot to be said about if you treat people as animals then inevitably they behave like animals and while there is a certain justification for what Israel did, it went way too far. Whatever the circumstances, it is the sea of humanity - just regular people - whether in Israel or Gaza - who paid the price during the war. We need to recognise humanity on an individual level and respect the right of each and everyone of us to co-exist. Regular people, wherever we are, just want to live in peace with our families and just get on with life without bothering others. Yet this near-universal desire is all too often absent because of the selfish lust for power of just a few individuals and their blind followers.
Live and let live - four simple words.
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, which also marks the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz and let us take a moment to reflect on the horrors that Auschwitz has come to represent and let us also remember that Auschwitz was responsible for only (and I use this word incredibly reluctantly, but only to serve to illustrate the scale of the human tragedy) 1.2m (of 6m) Jewish* Deaths and much of the Holocaust was carried out all over Eastern Europe in places like Sobibor, Treblinka and Babi Yar just to mention a few.
* I am not dismissing the deaths and suffering of other peoples at the hands of the Nazis here, but today is focused on the Holocaust hence my specific emphasis on the suffering of the Jews - the Shoah
Today I give the final word to probably one of the greatest speeches in film history. I urge you to listen, and Mr Putin, Mr Trump et al wake up. You know he is making sense.
As always stay safe and well my friends.
