In 2010, I visited the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, where the profound impact of a young girl grappling with the horrible conditions imposed by the Nazi occupation became palpable.
Anne Frank, born in 1929, symbolizes resilience during the darkest days of World War II. Fleeing Nazi persecution, she and her family sought refuge in Amsterdam, hiding in the "Secret Annex." Anne's poignant diary documents the daily struggles and emotions of those in hiding, offering a universal message of hope and tolerance. Tragically, the family was discovered in 1944, cutting short Anne's life.
Her diary, however, survived and went on to become one of the most powerful and widely read accounts of the Holocaust, ensuring that Anne's voice continues to resonate across generations, reminding us of the human cost of intolerance and the importance of preserving the lessons of history.
The haunting reality of her struggle and ultimate tragedy touched me deeply and left me with a deep sense of grief.
Now, as I am following many of what Gazans write here without knowing if they will survive the night and to know that this time the horror comes from those who capitalized on the misery of millions, akin to Anne's ordeal, I am overwhelmed with a profound sense of nausea.
This sentiment echoes the wisdom of Hannah Arendt who, as a German American historian, bore witness to the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a central figure in the orchestration of the Holocaust.
Arendt's exploration of "the banality of evil" emerged from her articles on Eichmann's trial by which she meant that all of us have the potential to become evil and come to terms with it going on about our daily lives compartmentalizing that evil has nothing to do with us.
I think it is high time to see the wisdom in Arendt’s words, as I grapple with the disconcerting statements made by Israeli President Herzog asserting, “There are no innocents in Gaza,” or the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) perspective stating that their aim is “destruction, not accuracy.” Even more disturbingly, the sentiment expressed by individuals such as Israeli-French lawyer Nili Kupfer-Naouri, who contends that even infants are not innocent...
More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in this conflict since Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, with more than 8,000 of them being children and women. Additionally, approximately 2,700 individuals are reported missing, presumed to be trapped or deceased beneath the rubble.
The heart-wrenching reality is compounded by the awareness that millions of Israelis seem to harbor a shared banality of evil, a corrosive mindset that can capture any human being if they are taught to believe in their superiority, entitlement and the perceived superiority of their lives over others.
While Israel may mistakenly believe it has found a “final solution for the Palestinian question,” however, history serves as a stark reminder that such approaches have proven misguided and unsustainable in the past.
