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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Putin dedicates Red Army memorial... in Netanya, Israel

There's something really strange going on here. I think I mentioned previously that Russian President Vladimir Putin was here on Monday, and is here today, for a visit. The real reason for the visit was to dedicate a monument to the Red Army in Netanya.
“This is an opportunity to thank the Red Army,” said Peres. “Had it not defeated the Nazi beast then it is doubtful we would be standing here today. In World War II the Soviet Union prevented the world from surrendering.”

Putin, who spoke after Peres, expressed his gratitude to the president for his speech.

“What I just heard has warmed my feelings toward the Jewish people and especially toward Israel,” he said.

“I am thankful for everything that has been done to commemorate those who died during World War II.”

Putin said the Holocaust was one of the “darkest episodes of history” and that Russia “put an end to it” by saving “the world.”
Really? No Roosevelt (who did little to save Jews but did a lot to save Europe)? No Churchill? No US and no Britain?
Earlier, Peres said he was certain Russia would not stand idly by in the face of threats from Iran and Syria, given its role in vanquishing threats to world peace such as the Nazis.

Putin made no reference to either country in his remarks.
Great. Just great.
The Victory Monument, as it is officially called, was a joint initiative of Israel and Russia implemented by a committee with members from both countries. It has two parts The first is a tunnellike passage made of black concrete symbolizing the hardships and sacrifices of the war. It leads to the second part, an open space overlooking the sea where two giants wings made of white marble have been erected.

More than half a million Jews fought in the Red Army in WWII against the Nazis; 120,000 were killed.
Yes, but this isn't a monument to those Jews. It's a monument to the Red Army.
The idea for a monument to commemorate them originated two years ago when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu proposed it to Putin during a visit to Moscow.
See above.

My friend Gary P, who lives in Netanya, comments:
Israel builds a massive memorial to the Red Army on prime seafront. Not the PM, not the Knesset, not the Foreign Ministry, but someone somehow without those entities holding public debate or budgetary approval.

The Memorial is not to Jewish soldiers or partisans but the entire Red Army, forced conscriptions, death marches, pogroms and Babi Yar included.

No one to date ever suggested to the Allies, and certainly not their Jewish soldiers from D Day to freeing the concentration camps, from Midway to Munich, from el Alimein to Hiroshima. You're welcome.

Putin then comes for the opening, but does not visit Yad VaShem.
Indeed. Why are we kissing up to the Russians like this? Is it because Russia is about to replace the US as the world's superpower? What could go wrong?

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5 Comments:

At 2:55 PM, Blogger Hutzpan said...

"Babi Yar" has nothing to do with Red Army, actually.

 
At 3:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No. Russia is not going to be the next world superpower.

China is.

But, yes, the Israeli tushy licking is dispicable. Stupid Jews.

 
At 5:27 PM, Blogger NormanF said...

I agree with Shy Guy.

Truthfully, the Russians did the big share of the grunt's work in defeating the Nazis.

The West was late to the game and was almost knocked out of it.

This is not to take away the achievements of the Western allies on D-Day and in liberating Western Europe.

But the Eastern Front saw an appalling loss of 26 million lives.

Here is something Jews can learn from the Russians: learn to stand up for yourselves - and stop being Stupid Jews!

 
At 10:24 PM, Blogger Empress Trudy said...

It's all about Cyprus and the increasingly close relationship between Cyprus and Russia. Russia is bailing out Cypriot banks, NOT the EU. Cyprus has gas and oil. Cyprus has new bilateral relations with Israel. Cyrpus is a favored tourist destination of Russians.

 
At 7:32 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

The Western Allies: the British, Americans, Canadians, the Free French... Czechs, Poles,Dutch,etc liberated the Bergen Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald, Mauthausen,Struthof in Alsace, and other death camps in the the territory they liberated in Europe. Why do they not have a memorial in Israel too??? This is an insult to Western Allies who fought and died in WW II. These men also fought to liberate part of Europe from the Nazi's and liberated the camps listed above. A few days before the dedication of the Red Army Memorial Putin was in Bethlehem at the dedication of a street there in his name!

 

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