When the masks fall…

[Nakam43]

* “What the anti-semite wants, what he prepares, is the death of the Jew” (Jean Paul Sartre)

On the evening of the 1st of August in the year 2006 an event took place that not even those who thought they had an idea about the anti-Semitism of the “traditional” Greek leftwing parties could envisage. After a mass evocation of anti-Semitic hysteria a pack of supporters of the Greek communist party and its youth wing “broke through the pig’s chains” (as they proudly wrote in the Rizospastis – the party organ), protecting the Holocaust Monument in Plateia Eleytherias[1] (“Place of Freedom”), and desecrated it with photos against the war in Lebanon.

The breaking of the taboo: upholding the respect for the memory of the victims of the Nazis, not by fascists, but by people calling themselves leftwing, is the latest climax of a recent series of anti-Semitic manifestations in both word and deed in which the Greek Communist party (KKE) has played a leading role.

And so we have the phenomenon of the most law-abiding of the leftwing parties, the most virtuous of organizations when it comes to following police directions, attacking these “uniformed workers” with extreme militancy solely when it is a question of desecrating the monument in honour of the victims of National Socialism, a monument which was built only after years of intensive discussion and lobbying.

The desecration of the Holocaust Monument and the jubilation of the anti-Semitic pack are akin to the rallying cries flaring up a moral climate which can only lead to a pogrom – attacking all those who count as Zionists. The so-called left already talk openly in their forums, spreading conspiracy theories “about the role of the KIS” (Central Israelite Council) in Greece .

We stand in full solidarity with the condemnation of the desecration of the monument issued by the Israelite Community of Thessalonica, which, among other things, states:

“This monument, inaugurated in 1997 by President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, was dedicated by the Greek state to the memory of the 50,000 Greek Jews of Thessalonica who were exterminated by the Nazis. Every and any attempt to combine this with other events is amiss and insults the memory of these innocent victims.”

We condemn this desecration as a nauseating anti-Semitic act and call all those who have not fallen to anti-Semitic hatred and ideology to offer resistance against such deeds and solidarity with all those who are in danger of becoming victims of anti-Semitic attacks.

Against the desecration of the Holocaust Monument .

Solidarity with the Israelite community, with the Jews in Greece .

Café Morgenland

Terminal 119 – for social and individual autonomy

[1] This was the site of the “round up” in 1942, and the following public humiliation and executions of Jews by the Nazis, which is why the monument was erected here. This lends a special historical onus on a demonstration here.

[Nakam43]

“….Don’t provoke the Greek folk“

(When the masks fall… part two)

After the non-desecration of the Monument for the Jews of Thessalonica murdered by the Nazis follows the non-protest against the Israeli community.

The KKE and the PAME have answered the condemnation by the Israeli community of the Monument’s desecration with a publication well suited to their deed: “it wasn’t desecration!” come their heartfelt cries. Not only do they declare that the condemnation of their act by the [Israeli] community is a “provocation,” which “directly injures the righteous democratic feelings of the Greek folk” (we won’t go into the question as to what can happen when the feelings of the Greek folk are hurt, as this is generally well known), but also announce that it is the [Israeli] community that belongs in the dock because it was actually the community who desecrated the Monument: “those who desecrated the monument are all those who remain silent, or who in fact support the bestiality of Israel and the imperialists against the peoples of the middle east”[1] (Rizopastis, 4.8.2006).

To put this straight, once and for all, whether the PAME and all the PAMEs together, whether the central and the de-central committees, their fans or their opponents decide that it was a desecration or not, is of no interest to us whatsoever, it is irrelevant, it does not play a roll, it has absolutely no place! The only thing which interests us, and the only thing which is relevant to our stance and behaviour, are the impressions and the feelings of the survivors and their descendants. It according to this single exclusive criteria that we judge this sort of act. Everything else is merely cheap bric-a-brac in a summer sale.

As emphatically as the KKE insists that, with respect to their anti-Zionistic tirade, they are doing their duty to oppose war, so bluntly do they show the ugly face of anti-Semitism. This is sufficiently demonstrated by their demand that Greek citizens of Jewish descent should “bare witness” to the war in Lebanon .

The problem has two sides: on the one hand they want to suppress how strongly their current anti-war stance which should commit them to condemn Zionism contrasts with their fervent attempts to avoid injuring the pride of Greek patriots in times of war mongering nationalistic outcry in Greece (for example, during the Macedonian question, or the Imia crisis where the “Turks” dared to steal a goat from a rock).

On the other hand the division which they make for the citizens of Greek territory, namely between an “outraged Greek folk” and “the Jews who remain silent” (and who are the target of this outrage) follows nothing other than the logic of a pure nationalistic excess. On top of this the comparison of the events in Lebanon with the Holocaust, that is, the equivocation of an act of war with the systematic, methodical destruction of 6,000,000 people in the gas chambers and elsewhere, indicates not that the KKE have not managed to attentively read the history of mankind, but rather that they are prepared to commit themselves to a new anti-Jewish pogrom.

The act has been interpreted by the whole of the left, by the whole of Greek society as a legitimate outrage against “the crimes of Israel ” and so forth (in the best case, they aren’t interested.) As is generally known the Israeli community is the highest power in Israel and Greek Jews are citizens of another country. So, and only so, can the title of the newspaper Kathimerini‘s article reporting the reaction of the community: “The placards from PAME: The Israeli reaction”[2] be explained.

So, and only so, can the instinctual utterances about the “Jews” made in the leftwing organisation NAR’s (an offshoot of the KKE) newspaper, dated 6.8.2006, with the opening title “The Jewish Murderers must pay” be understood. It appears that different Greek leftwing groups are at the moment trying to outbid one another with anti-Semitic slogans of annihilation[3], targeted against those who have always been stigmatized as the root of all evil.

And the others, all those with their research, their historical analyses, their articles, their grandiose commentaries about Hebraism, anti-Semitism and so on? Not a word of solidarity, a suspicious silence (the rare persons who have held their position in an extremely hostile environment and deserve our full respect, will remain the glowing exception in a society saturated in anti-Semitic poison).

And so, a week later, the perpetrators, cheered on by the neighbourhood took the next step in their revolutionary process: On 8.8.2006, at the demonstration against the war in Lebanon, in the alleys from Chirs, where the offices of the Israeli community are to be found, the demonstrators stuck their placards on the entrance to the office and demonstrated against the community because they “have still not issued any word about the bestiality of the Israeli Government”[4] and so on.

If the first deed was a desecration then the second was disgusting: Yes, our blood runs cold at the thought that quite possibly … people from the community, … forced to stay in their rooms … the shutters closed …; below the masses shouting, raving …; even if they cover their ears, in vain as the shouts of the outraged citizens on the street pierce their brains …; they must wait until the pack moves on so that they can safely return home…; hoping that the situation won’t escalate …; and these damned memories, that even after 60 years refuse to go away …

13 August 2006

Café Morgenland

Terminal 119 – for social and individual autonomy

[1] www.rizospastis.gr/storyPlain.do?id=3489133

[2] http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articl.../08/2006_193088 (http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_220602_03/08/2006_193088)

[3] After Auschwitz anti-Semitism is the same as annihilation. It forbids all other interpretations.

[4] „… there followed a fierce demonstration in the centre of Thessalonica. The way was opened by the Palestines with photos of victims of Israeli brutality in their hands and a star on their back (like the ones that the Nazis used to stigmatize the Jews) and complained that those who were then victims have now become perpetrators. The first port of call for the demonstration was the French embassy where a delegation from the organisers fixed photos showing crimes against civilians and children. They did the same at the entrance to the building where the American embassy is to be found, and then later in the Chirs alley where the offices of the Israeli community are, who have still not issued any word about the bestiality of the Israeli Government “ (9 August, Rizopastis)

http://www.rizospastis.gr/page.do?publDate...o=6&direction=1 (http://www.rizospastis.gr/page.do?publDate=9/8/2006&id=6806&pageNo=6&direction=1)

[Organic Revolution]

the greek communists have a streak of working with the police against the anarchists at demonstrations so its no suprise that they are holding up anti-semetic views.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2006, 03:46 AM
The problem has two sides: on the one hand they want to suppress how strongly their current anti-war stance which should commit them to condemn Zionism contrasts with their fervent attempts to avoid injuring the pride of Greek patriots in times of war mongering nationalistic outcry in Greece (for example, during the Macedonian question, or the Imia crisis where the “Turks” dared to steal a goat from a rock).

See, this is the root of the KKE's (Greek "Communist" Party) problem.

They are Greek nationalists, and long have been. With the collapse of the Soviet Union they've come unmoored, and their nationalist tendencies come out even more strongly. Along with other affinities with the radical ultraright.

They don't know what they're for - so they're increasingly defined by what they're against. With many left groups internationally, this means American imperialism - more than their own. Anti-American chauvinism has become the anti-imperialism of fools.

(The U.S. version of this is often opposition to Bush exclusively, and maybe the right wing of the Democratic party - not U.S. imperialism as a whole. If the Democrats are criticized, it's not for being imperialists - its for being insufficiently anti-Bush.)

With the unstated assumption that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, all kinds of rightist forces can be supported, or their ideas adopted, as long as they're against the Great Satan.

Much opposition to Israel falls under this. As Israel is primarily a U.S. client regime. (Heck, it historically helped the U.S. displace the former colonial powers (Britain and France) as the primary imperialist power in the Middle East.)

So that's why all kinds of rightist, chauvinist ideas, including anti-Jewish prejudices and conspiracy theories, have become acceptable to parts of the left, including the KKE in this example.

It's not because they've failed to accept the mainstream idea of the uniqueness of the Holocaust. On the contrary, it's because they lack a clear revolutionary approach and starting point.

I recommend this article on the mainstream roots of conspiracism (http://www.publiceye.org/tooclose/conspiracism-07.html), by a group dedicated to opposing all kinds of rightist influences on the left.


As is generally known the Israeli community is the highest power in Israel and Greek Jews are citizens of another country. So, and only so, can the title of the newspaper Kathimerini‘s article reporting the reaction of the community: “The placards from PAME: The Israeli reaction”[2] be explained.

Good point. Certainly it's a hallmark of masked anti-Semitism to blame all Jews for the actions of the Israeli government. Also to promote conspiracy theories, the attitude that Jews are not really loyal to whatever country, etc.

Yet the article also keeps referring to the "Israeli community" and not the "Jewish community" or Greek Jews. What's up with that?

Y'understand, I don't doubt that there are problems of anti-Semitism on the left, including in the KKE...and I've always opposed any symptom of anti-Semitism and rightist-tinged conspiracism that's popped up on the left, including on this board. (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=49655)

But I'm not automatically going to trust the account of organizations which are primarily concerned to demonize opponents of the Israeli state and its war in Lebanon. Organizations which, for many years, have been accusing all opponents of the Israeli state of being Jew-haters. The ADL's a typical example, in the U.S. - this has the tone of a similar organization in another country.

Speaking of which, who wrote this article and what's the original source? That's info that should normally be posted with any article. This one seems to be pasted a number of places on the net, never with any author's name.

[Nakam43]

http://www.cafe-morgenland.com/

[Wanted Man]

So it is anti-semitic to put up propaganda against the war in Lebanon? It may be in poor taste, but does this mean that the entire KKE hates Jews??? Don't be ridiculous.

Then I guess that this Belgian communist youth is also being anti-semitic:

http://www.chengetheworld.org/img/-2006/vredeskamp/report/gilles/IMG_0439.jpg

OMG! He's posing for a silly picture next to a war monument! This means that he, AND THE ENTIRE COMAC WANT TO KILL ALL THE JEWS!!!