Listen to them, the 'Children of the Night'

The quote, “Children of the Night,” was used by Bram Stoker in his Dracula series and was a reference to wolves. Yet the term could sadly apply to many of the children of today’s world—caught in wars, conflicts, and migration for whom the hope of waking up and seeing a new dawn, may well be impossible.

One of the early reminders of this from the last century could likely be the Holocaust Museum established at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, at the site of the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. 

On a visit, there is a hushed silence as the tour guide explains what transpired here. The most moving site is an area that exhibits the belongings of those who were sent to the gas chambers. What tugs at the heart is to witness among them the shoes, toys, and callipers of little children, who were condemned to death, just because they belonged to the Jewish race. 

In memory of the six million Jews and the millions of others who were tortured and killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust (1941-1945), a memorial day is observed on January 27 every year. The date was chosen to mark the liberation of the inmates of the Auschwitz camp in 1945.

This year the ceremony was held on a larger scale at Auschwitz, as 80 years
had gone by since the liberation, and most of the world media, particularly the Western media, covered the event in great detail.

One heard the testimonials of the families and descendants who were affected by the Holocaust. Whilst victims were named and remembered, warnings were issued about the dangers of intolerance and hatred. There was a reiteration of the need for global unity and solidarity to oppose violence and prejudice (anti-Semitism) and a celebration of the resilience of those who managed to escape the long Nazi arm and rebuild their lives. Survivors, historians, and educators stressed the need for keeping alive the message of the Holocaust so that future generations could build a world of empathy and respect.

Watching this solemn ceremony, one could be excused for thinking if these messages were just paying lip sympathy or were they only applicable to people of a certain wronged race, the Jews?

Just a few days before the Holocaust Memorial ceremony, Israel and Hamas arrived at a ceasefire agreement. According to Al Jazeera (one of the few channels that gave a voice to the Palestinian
victims), 46,707 people were killed in Gaza, of which 18,000 were children. While these are official figures, analysts
and activist groups believe that the numbers could be much higher.

Using Hamas as the fig leaf, Israel has subjected Palestinian civilians to 15 months of daily bombardments (including of hospitals), displacements, injuries, starvations, and finally death. Ignoring global condemnations and cases at the International Criminal Court, Israel carried on its bombardments, which in many cases has resulted in generations of families being sent into oblivion.

What then can present generations imbibe from the Holocaust when the victim becomes the persecutor? While there are sane voices amongst the Jews, they are not loud enough. For others, most of all the Zionists who stand squarely behind the Israeli State, anyone who critiques the genocide in Gaza is an anti-Semite. 

The greatest champion of human rights and democracy, the United States, has turned out to be the biggest hypocrite in its support of Israel and weaponising it in its destruction of Gaza. For the beleaguered Palestinians, it is a toss-up between the Democratic frying pan and the Republican fire. In the hard-nosed world of geopolitics, Israel and the Jewish lobby hold sway.

For the Americans who believed the Trump rhetoric of ending all wars and cast a vote in his favour, the announcement that he wants to build a Riviera in Gaza must have come as a shock. Even more disturbing is his suggestion that neighbouring Muslim countries provide a permanent home to Palestinians. In true Trumpian flip-flop, he then suggested that they be accommodated temporarily while the great rebuilding of the Gaza Strip happens. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s smile and rejoinder at Trump’s statement at their joint press conference seemed to give an indication of his future expansionist plans for Israel. 

As their numbers dwindle, the Palestinians could suggest that Trump and Netanyahu might be well-advised to put up a Palestinian Museum at Gaza, like the Holocaust Memorial at Auschwitz.  

(The author is an independent writer)