Germany Rewriting Holocaust Responsibility
Germany’s policy of unconditional support for Israel, framed as Staatsräson, is often justified by Holocaust guilt. This narrative presents alignment with Israel as atonement for the genocide of six million Jews. However, this essay argues that Germany’s motives are self-serving, aiming to rewrite its history by shifting Holocaust blame onto Palestinians, particularly through distorted claims about Haj Amin al-Husseini. By exploiting the dead’s silence and silencing living dissent, Germany deflects guilt while bolstering its image.
Germany’s post-WWII atonement includes reparations and support for Israel, framed as a moral duty. Chancellor Merkel called Israel’s security part of Germany’s Staatsräson in 2008, a stance echoed by Olaf Scholz. In 2024, Scholz said he would not arrest Israeli leaders Netanyahu or Gallant, despite ICC warrants for Gaza war crimes, if they visited Germany. Germany also cracks down on anti-genocide protests, labeling them anti-Semitic. This suggests motives beyond guilt, including rewriting history by implicating Palestinians.
The Holocaust narrative is used to justify this policy, but Germany’s silence on distortions—like exaggerated claims about al-Husseini—implies a strategy to shift blame. Dead figures cannot protest, making them ideal scapegoats for a nation seeking to minimize its culpability.
Haj Amin al-Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (1921–1937), collaborated with Nazis from 1941, producing propaganda and recruiting for the Waffen-SS. Scholars like Jeffrey Herf (2016), David Motadel (2014), and Ofer Aderet (2015) confirm he had no role in Holocaust decision-making. The genocide began in 1941, before his November 1941 meeting with Hitler, driven by Nazi ideology from Mein Kampf (1925) and executed by Himmler, Heydrich, and Eichmann.
Yet, claims exaggerating al-Husseini’s role persist. In 2015, Netanyahu falsely suggested al-Husseini inspired Hitler’s genocide, a claim debunked by Yad Vashem. Germany’s failure to counter such distortions enables a narrative linking Palestinians to Nazi crimes. As al-Husseini died in 1974, he cannot refute these accusations, allowing Germany to subtly deflect its guilt.
Germany’s support for Israel serves multiple self-interested goals:
These motives show Germany’s policy is less about atonement and more about crafting a narrative that minimizes its historical guilt.
Blaming al-Husseini exploits his death—he cannot protest falsehoods. Meanwhile, Germany silences living voices by cracking down on anti-genocide protests, labeling them anti-Semitic. This conflates criticism of Israel with Holocaust denial, stifling debate about Gaza, where over 40,000 have died since 2023 (UN). Palestinian communities in Germany face surveillance and restrictions, further marginalizing them. This dual silencing reinforces a narrative casting Palestinians as culpable, justifying Germany’s policies.
Germany’s Holocaust guilt requires honest reckoning, not scapegoating. The genocide was a German crime, as established by Nuremberg Trials. To atone, Germany should: - Debunk al-Husseini myths to prevent Palestinian scapegoating. - Allow debate on Israel’s actions without equating it to anti-Semitism. - Critically assess support for leaders accused of war crimes.
Failing this, Germany’s Staatsräson appears as a tool to serve its interests, not a moral duty.
Germany’s support for Israel, justified by Holocaust guilt, is a self-serving strategy to rewrite history. By tolerating distortions about al-Husseini and silencing dissent, Germany shifts blame to Palestinians, exploiting the dead’s silence and marginalizing the living. This deflects its sole responsibility for the Holocaust, serving rehabilitation, domestic control, and geopolitical goals. True atonement demands rejecting revisionism and amplifying marginalized voices, not perpetuating a narrative that obscures Germany’s guilt at the expense of historical justice.