Professor Zeev Sternhell, who died last week
at the age of 85, one of the world’s foremost authorities on fascism, was an
Israeli historian and political scientist. Zeev Sternhell was also a vociferous
opponent of Israeli right-wing politics and of the settlement and annexation policies
of Israeli governments.
Sternhell did not mince his
words and spoke of “growing Israeli fascism and racism akin to
Nazism in its early stages.”
Sternhell warned: “Like
every ideology, the Nazi race theory developed over the years. At first it only
deprived Jews of their civil and human rights. It’s possible that without World
War II the ‘Jewish problem’ would have ended only with the ‘voluntary’
expulsion of Jews from Reich lands. After all, most of Austria and Germany’s
Jews made it out in time. It’s possible that this is the future facing
Palestinians.”
Sternhell’s voice will be sorely missed.
Sternhell was a notable academic and politically a highly controversial figure. I think that sums him up. There is no need to put a halo around him.
ReplyDeleteHalos are due to the few, who speak out. We Jews, of all people, should know that.
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