Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to have softened his hardline opposition to Israel. Three weeks ago he said Israel should be wiped off the map entirely. But now, Iran is willing to accept Israel's existance - as soon as the Jewish state moves to Europe.
Well, at least Europe is on the map.
But why Europe? Why not someplace nice and sunny, like the Bahamas or northern California? Because Ahmadinejad claims the Holocaust never happened, but since Europe thinks it did, it must therefore take responsibily and make space for the world's Jews.
"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail," Ahmadinejad said.
"Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, we ask the Europeans: Is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe -- like in Germany, Austria or other countries -- to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it," he added.
Muslims who deny the Holocaust better be careful or pretty soon they're going to start meeting Jews who deny the occupation. If Israeli soldiers really maintained control of the Gaza Strip, what army pushed them out? Are we really to believe the brutal occupiers got up and left one day on their own accord? And if there are no soldiers in Gaza now, lets not start rewriting history with the claim that they were there before. Maybe some of them crossed the border once in a while, but it was only to protect innocent Palestinians from the armed militias, who kill indiscriminately.
Lets face it, the whole "occupation" theory of Israelis in the Gaza Strip is just another version of the whole, "Jews control the world" cannard. And that theory was discredited long ago.
Of course, anyone making this claim has about as much integrity as Holocaust deniers, like the president of Iran. But I have to admit, there is a real power in denial. Even though "occupation denial" was meant as a joke, even as I wrote the words, I could feel something happening inside. The act of denial is a potent substitute for responsibility. How much easier it is to deny something than to own it and and make amends. There is even something cleansing in that. If we can really convince ourselves that something terrible never happened, the stain on our psyches seems to vanish almost instantly.
