The Holocaust Industry (24 page)

To: "'[email protected]'"

Subject: Thanks

Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 21:44:47 +0100

Dear Mr Finkelstein,

I have just finished your book on the Holocaust industry. My attention

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was drawn to it by the interview that you gave to the British Channel 4 News.

While waiting for the book to arrive I read the comments on the book

(mostly negative) in the press.

Now I have read it all I can say is that those writing the criticisms

were clearly prepared to do so without waiting for their copy to arrive. Apart

from all the usual abuse, specific comments were made

(that you think you are the first person to make these points, that you should

have referred to the writings of Novick etc., etc.) which prove that the

reviewers had not read the book.

Well, now I have read it. I found it disturbing, difficult, startling and

illuminating.

I am not Jewish but I have always been interested in Jewish culture and

was brought up by old-time communist parents to think of racism, of which

the most outstanding example immediately to hand for someone born as I was

in 1941 was anti-Jewish racism, as a scourge of mankind.

I have therefore been saddened to see the role played by the government

of Israel and by leading Jewish organisations on various issues. In

particular I dislike the tendancy to treat any criticism of Israel of the activities

of Jewish organisations as proof of anti-Jewish racism. I often read the

London Jewish News which I pick up at my local supermarket. It is quite a

good community paper but on such matters is is appaling. When I have

tried to question their dismissal of criticism of Israel by Jews by abuse

rather than by argument they simply don't reply.

After reading your book I understand these things much more clearly. I

was particularly interested in your point about the money of Holocaust

victims in American banks.

Above all I can now make sense out of things which before puzzled me. I

fear that the grip of the Holocaust industry is such, even on a fairly

independent minded person such as myself, that I would not have dared to

hypothesize some of the solutions which you demonstrate to be matters of

fact.

Once again, thanks.

I shall now go on to read some or your other books.

Yours sincerely

David Pavett

______________________________________________________________________

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Congratulations!

Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 01:17:41 EDT

Dear Prof. Finkelstein!

I could not put it down. Just stopped reading it...The Holocaust Industry.

Coincidentally I had just finished reading "The Holocaust in American Life"

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and this is where I want to direct my question. David Novik mentions that

Simon Wiesenthal just made up the figure of 5 million non-Jews who perished

in the holocaust. I have been trying to find a book by a reputable scholar

about these non-Jewish victims. I tried the web and could not find

anything. Do you have any recommendations? I would appreciate it.

I will also check your web site later.

I have a lot of admiration for you and your courage. Along with Noam

Chomsky you have become one of my favorite scholars.

Although I am not a scholar, I have been a peace activist for about 14

years, since I became a US citizen. I am post W.W.II German born and raised,

worked for the AFSC as a volunteer in their Middle East Program and aside from

carrying the guilt of being a German, I am intensely interested in Holocaust

and Middle East scholarship, but only from trustworthy authors. I have

read Raul Hilberg's books and several others you mentioned in your bibliography.

I am also interested in the non-Jewish victims.

Thank you for your help and keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Dorothea Sege

______________________________________________________________________

From: Whitman Symmes

To: [email protected]

Subject: Congratulations!

Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 14:37:46 -0700 (PDT)

Dear Prof. Finkelstein:

You stand out like a beacon in noxious smoke.

Your integrity and objective perceptions are

superbly humanitarian.

I will continue to follow your output.

Respectfully,

Whitman Symmes

______________________________________________________________________

To: [email protected]

Subject: Support

Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 14:31:19 +0300

Dear Sir

A brief message - I saw your recent BBC interview on 'Hardtalk' and would

just like to congratulate you on your handling of the interview. You were

scrupulously fair and more than answered the rather generic and facile

questions that were put to you.

I've spent the last ten working years of my life in and around the

middle-east (including two years working in the West Bank and Gaza strip)

and have seen at first hand what the distorting mirror of the holocaust

industry has done to the region. It is an immense relief that someone has

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finally spoken so clearly and sanely on the whole subject.

It is unfortunate that you have had to (and doubtless will continue to

be) vilified for attempting the painful process of telling the truth. Please

be assured that there are many people who welcome and appreciate the work

you are doing (not incidentally - right wing anti-Semites as some would prefer).

Please don't despair - it is a part of history that on both a moral and

political level must be revised.

With very best wishes

Alan Smart

_____________________________________________________________________

From: "Serge E. Grynkewich, II"

To: [email protected]

Subject: The Holocaust Industry

Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 18:05:06 +0800

Dear Sir:

I tend to agree with your assessment that the holocaust has been turned

into an "industry" by certain groups. And this is, indeed, sad and a

disgrace to the memory of all those who suffered during the holocaust

era.

Living in Asia, as I do, there is little ever said or done about what

happened here during the holocaust era. So much attention and money

havebeen paid to one group that quite unfairly the suffering of many asian

peoples has gone virtually unnoticed. Atrocities were carried out here,

but very little has been written about them and much less done to

address the issue.

I support your efforts in giving a more balanced treatment to the entire

issue and to change it from an "industry" to something more encompassing

and educational for all concerned.

I also am concerned that should the holocaust "industry" continue, the day

will come when people tire and grow angry at the fact of just one group

deriving financial benefit from what happened. Then the risk of facing

another holocaust becomes even more real.

Regards,

Serge Grynkewich

Philippines

______________________________________________________________________

To: [email protected]

Subject: Alone no longer

Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 20:04:07 -0400

Have no idea who reads this but I am reading The Holocaust Industry

and it's like listening to myself speak with an index to history.

I have found living here in New York very unsettling. I am Jewish but

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secular. I used to be happy to identify myself as Jewish until I

married into a world of crazy, foul racism.

My wife L.R. and I (P. N.) have felt marginalized by the

hysteria of New York Jewish culture. The bent finger stabbing out

insults about blacks and Arabs. "We never had any hand outs!"

Watching Hillary, Lazio rush to see who can cause a serious conflict in

the Middle east is dismaying to say the least.

This will not work out well for American Imperial interests. It will

solidify European anti American feeling, speed up the integration of

the EU as a force and result in boycotts and bombs of American business.

Americans have no idea how much their country (nothing personal) is

hated. Though no one has any fantasies about Arafat, we Europeans hate

the way Israel is allowed to get away with murder. The only other

country that has America's blessing in genocide is Turkey a friend and

ally of Israel and America.

Also if American Jews think Arafat is going to use his armed police

force as an army they will be sorely disappointed. No, instead the

world will have images of armed Israeli settler and troops machine gunning

Arab stone throwers.

I have never felt so ashamed and angry. I hate this know nothing

attitude. As you are aware trying to engage Upper West Side Jews in a

logical argument is impossible.

Bring up American slavery and my ADL committee mother-in-law tells me

how much worse the black would be if they stayed in Africa. Then trying

to discuss compensation for segregation and slavery and I get a lecture

about Jews being slaves in Egypt. "What about the Jews!"

As another friend once told an English friend of mine; "what have the

blacks ever given to American culture?" Bill Clinton's stance with Arafat,

sounds just like America 1860.

Well, that's my life. So thanks for the book.

P. N.

P.S. My grandfather went to hear Hitler speak. He wanted to know. When

I tell this story to my wife's relatives here they simply think of him as

being stupid. Fact is in England there was no way of knowing what

Hitler really planned. Grandpa caught the next train from Nuremberg to Berlin

to persuade his family to leave. That part of the family disappeared.

I think I honor him by always testing the truth and listening to my

enemies.

______________________________________________________________________

From: "Paul"

To:

Subject: new book

Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 22:45:52 +0100

dear norman,

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just a short note. you don't know me but i have just finished reading

your new book. i have to say that it is one of the most thoughtful and

elegant books i have read in a long while. it really made me question my own

views on anti-semitism, the holocaust, and neo-nazism. i entirely agree with

your argument and think that the book is of great value.

with all best wishes,

paul johnson

department of sociology and social policy

university of newcastle