In recent days mass media have been broadcasting statements from an Israeli official, Matan Vilnai, that if true would have been quite shocking and extremely unnerving: `The deputy defence minister said the stepped-up rocket fire would trigger what he called a `bigger holocaust` in the Hamas-controlled coastal strip.`
The truth is fortunately quite different. The Hebrew word Mr. Vilani used is `shoah`, a common word in hebrew meaning simply catastrophe. So what is the source of confusion?
The massacre of about 6 million Jews and millions of Gypsies, gays, Jehovah Witnesses, Communists and dissidents by the Nazis and their allies before and during WWII is referred to in the English speaking world as `Holocaust`. The term itself is derived from Greek first coined to denote the holy burnt offerings to God in the temple in Jerusalem. As it is not hard to imagine, the Jews never referred to this tragic part of their history by that name in Hebrew. Instead that particular event is always denoted as `Ha-Shoah`, literally meaning `THE catastrophe`.
The simple definite article `Ha` (THE) might seem trivial but is very important in this context. The word `shoah` is a very common word used repeatedly in every day speaking and in various situations. However it is never used for the `Holocaust` without the complete form with the definite article preceding it, and completely consciously so. Mr Vilani therefore never used the term Holocaust.
The damage however is already done, and once more, just like the forged pictures during the Lebanon war, are broadcast by well known media outlets who should have known better and has given further ammunition to the enemies of the Jewish people in their propaganda war against them and their independent modern state of Israel. For instance It has already managed to inspire a hateful anti-semitic cartoon on this website.
Events like these show why freedom of speech and a venue to have free dialogue is so important in our world today. Thanks to the opportunity given to all of us in this website, and the free land in which it is able to continue to exist, we have a chance to talk about it and realize what the truth actually was. I hope one day all Iranians can have the blessing to live with such freedom in their own land.
Side Note: It was mentioned in the comment sections of another thread in this website that the case of Ahmadinejad`s by now infamous quote of `wiping Israel off the map` is a similar case. That is however unfortunately not so. This is Ahmadinejad`s quote: `The Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem (een rezhim-e eshghalgar-e qods) must [vanish from] the page of time (bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad).`
First of all, the regime in Iran does not make a distinction between the Israeli Government and the country of Israel, they are both referred to as the Zionist regime or the Zionist entity or as here the regime occupying Jerusalem. That`s because, as I am sure you know, the regime in Iran does not recognize Israel as a country and as a state. Unless you can show evidence that the officials of IRI ever distinguished between the state of Israel and the Israeli government, your version of his speech means the same thing as the eradication of the state of Israel.
Second he is very specifically speaking of what `must be done`, not as you claimed something that will just end up happening by itself. He is quoting his Imam as what muslims should actively pursue and make happen, not a prediction of what would eventually happen by itself. I know this is the kind of spin infamous characters like Juan Cole wanted o give to his remarks but it doesn`t stand the test of detailed analysis.
Furthermore, this was not a single and isolated quotation. He has repeatedly asked for the destruction of Israel, called it a filthy bacteria, as has his Imam Khomeini. It has also got to be seen in the context of speeches by Rafsanjani and others, who directly and openly and officially mused on the costs and benefits of nuking Israel.
The two cases are simply not comparable.
