The shamed Siren — why I won’t publicly mark Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025
I will not stand still, observing the solemn two-minute silence, because I recognise the absurdity: Here I am living the routine of life’s pleasures, even though I know what is happening a few kilometres south and east of here. Standing still will make this absurdity even more grotesque. ■ The fact that we did not annihilate all the residents of Gaza and “only” managed to make them suffer horribly is not a reason to praise the “most moral country in the world”
By Ariel Rubinstein • Translated by Sol Salbe
This week I will not stand to attention during the siren of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
I will not stand solemnly because at the same time, the soldiers of my country’s army, armed with the best lethal weapons, properly equipped with steely weapons and flak jackets, aided by navigation and guidance apps- some of the best products of the clever Israeli hi-tech industry (and only a little lacking in fulfilling the dictates of their conscience) will stand still, looking over the shabby tent camps and the ruins of the cities of Gaza.
I will not stand to attention, because when the siren sounds, civil administration officials in Judea and Samaria will rise from their seats, and the siren will only interfere with their task of plotting and planning how to dispossess more Palestinians from their homes, make their lives miserable, and push them into the “permitted zone.”
I will not stand to attention because I cannot reconcile solemnly standing to attention while at the same time government minister of my country’s ministers will be proud of the fact that they are denying basic living conditions to two million Gazans. Those “two millions” may not seek our well-being uppermost in their minds, they are human beings, just like me.
I will not stand still because I know that after the siren, the prime minister will be filmed for another propaganda video intended to create an associative link between critics of Israel & the Palestinians, and the Nazis: As he said, “Jewish lecturers and researchers are beaten up and humiliated. Incited thugs break into classrooms, smash windows. It’s reminiscent of things that happened in German universities in the 1930s.” and “in a children’s room in Gaza, which served as a Hamas terror outpost, our soldiers found a copy of the hateful book ‘Mein Kampf,’ translated into Arabic.”
I will not stand still because Holocaust Remembrance Day instils in us the axiom that “the whole world is against us,” though the world, including the Arab world, is almost completely silent while Israel does almost everything it feels like doing in Gaza and the Occupied Territories.
I will not stand to attention because this is a false show of national unity. For this demonstration I am supposed to stand to attention with those whose values and mine have nothing in common, and what we have in common is that we speak the same language and carry (perhaps) a similar genetic baggage. I will do so without qualms about setting myself apart from the community. I still believe that Zionism is a worthy answer to the horrors of the Diaspora. But the 50th anniversary of a regime of Occupation and dispossession and now the war of vengeance in Gaza arouse heretical thoughts.
I will not stand to attention because since the Simchat Torah massacre we have been preoccupied endlessly with the ritual of death. If Holocaust Remembrance Day had a positive content, we would use it to praise previous generations who were wise not to become hooked on this loss, and instead of obsessing with vengeance and punishment, chose to continue with their lives, to give birth to us and establish a state. If Holocaust Remembrance Day were a day of learning a historical lesson, it would focus on learning the roots of antisemitism and fascism and the tendency of people to follow the mob and idolise dictators. But instead of dealing with the roots of antisemitism and the brutality of human beings (all of them), Holocaust Remembrance Day became a ritual of sniffing up nationalist feelings as if they were a line of cocaine.
I will not stand still because I have no consolation. Yes, I have heard that the world is rich in examples of nations that have acted in a more evil way than we have. But these are not my nations. The loss of “humanity” does not require the Wannsee Conference and compliance with the legal requirements of the definition of genocide. The fact that we did not annihilate all the residents of Gaza and “only” managed to make them suffer horribly is not a reason to praise the “most moral country in the world.”
I will not stand still because the siren is an act of state worship, and I was raised not to worship idols.
I will not stand still because I recognise the absurdity: Here I am reclining over the keyboard, living the routine of life’s pleasures, even though I know what is happening a few kilometres south and east of here. Standing still will make this absurdity even more grotesque.
Rarely does a person who feels giddy honestly say to themselves, “I can’t do that.” But what I have to say is that if the reader also senses the chilling absurdity of standing to attention during the siren on Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, they are not alone. The shamed siren.
