Natalie Rothschild: Gaza is not Warsaw

The comparison of Israel to the Nazis sums up the childish and dangerous ‘binary thinking’ that is rife in international affairs today.

I also wish people would refrain from talking about the Palestinians and Israelis in terms of 'Holocaust', 'Nazis' and the 'Warsaw ghetto' not because there aren't similarities but because, until such time as six million and one individuals from another ethnic group get wiped out these are terms well and truly owned by Jews and to use them is to immediately bring down the wrath of not just supporters of Israel but many other Jews as well. In short - it's counterproductive.

Having said that, most people aren't foolish enough to make any kind of direct comparisons. Rather they are pointing out that some of the things being done by Israel look very like some of the things done by the Nazis and every other brutal totalitarian regime to innocent people. Given that there is also an ethnic dimension as well it's hardly surprising that parallels are drawn. But no, there aren't gas chambers and no there isn't a 'final solution' and no.........

Here's the deal. We'll stop referring to the Holocaust in relation to Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians and Israel can stop using it as an excuse for doing the non-Nazi, non-Holocaust, non-Warsaw ghetto type things that have been done to the Palestinians for the last sixty years.

Please forgive me for not going on and on about Godwins Law in this piece, as seems to have become obligatory amongst bloggers. Enough already.