To put the quotes into perspective: They are from Imre Kertész, a writer who lived through ww II. Some of his most famous works are detailing his experiences from the holocaust. Of course he’d say he is happier seeing the star of david on a tank than on his concentration camp uniform. That doesn’t mean he’d agree with what Israel is doing currently.
I don’t feel it fair to say things like “genocide or be genocided is a really bad mindset” after reading this quote, as this is clearly not about that. Its about having the means to protect yourself. I’m fairly certain there isnt any “lets genocide everyone else” behind it…
“Are those the only 2 options? Pretty bleak worldview…” Well what do you think, why wuld someone who survived a genocide think that having the means to protect themselves would be better than being genocided?
nah. sure, it might be called “understandable,” just as any cycle of violence has a predictable, “understandable” tendency to repeat. that doesn’t make it acceptable, though.
this quote isn’t from 1946. a quick search shows that israeli forces first used tanks extensively around 1973. this situates Kertész’s remarks not just in response to the Holocaust, but in the context of over two decades of the Nakba, displacement, destruction, occupation, and the early stages of apartheid against 1.4 million Palestinians.
i don’t see evidence that Kertész was a zealous zionist, but this quote—given the atrocity lurking behind the words—is definitely worthy of interrogation and critique. that kind of questioning is part of universal healing, understanding, and growth.
To put the quotes into perspective: They are from Imre Kertész, a writer who lived through ww II. Some of his most famous works are detailing his experiences from the holocaust. Of course he’d say he is happier seeing the star of david on a tank than on his concentration camp uniform. That doesn’t mean he’d agree with what Israel is doing currently.
I don’t feel it fair to say things like “genocide or be genocided is a really bad mindset” after reading this quote, as this is clearly not about that. Its about having the means to protect yourself. I’m fairly certain there isnt any “lets genocide everyone else” behind it…
“Are those the only 2 options? Pretty bleak worldview…” Well what do you think, why wuld someone who survived a genocide think that having the means to protect themselves would be better than being genocided?
nah. sure, it might be called “understandable,” just as any cycle of violence has a predictable, “understandable” tendency to repeat. that doesn’t make it acceptable, though.
this quote isn’t from 1946. a quick search shows that israeli forces first used tanks extensively around 1973. this situates Kertész’s remarks not just in response to the Holocaust, but in the context of over two decades of the Nakba, displacement, destruction, occupation, and the early stages of apartheid against 1.4 million Palestinians.
i don’t see evidence that Kertész was a zealous zionist, but this quote—given the atrocity lurking behind the words—is definitely worthy of interrogation and critique. that kind of questioning is part of universal healing, understanding, and growth.