There are signs of growing antisemitism, and Jews are at the heart of all this - opinion

• Published date: 27 March 2024
• Author: YISRAEL MEDAD
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It shaped all of our past and present. Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza — all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?"

A fortnight later, Jonathan Jakubowicz, who directed Resistance, joined many in Hollywood who criticized Glazer's remarks, saying "conflict disinformation prolongs the war." Indeed, Glazer was spreading disinformation.

But Glazer's first problem was that within days, both men who were standing next to him not only distanced themselves from his remarks but denied that they had approved them in any way. Glazer fabricated their support, it would seem.

The Zone of Interest producer, Len Blavatnik, who invested in Israel's Channel 13, had his spokesperson release to the media that he "didn't clear the speech." Danny Cohen, another executive producer, repudiated Glazer's statement, saying, "I just fundamentally disagree with Jonathan on this." They may be disappointed that, at present, Glazer has managed to have public opinion discuss not the film but a few inanities he uttered.

Glazer's second problem was people not grasping his syntax.

The cultural reporter at the Vox site tried to be helpful. What Glazer meant to say, she clarified, was that "he and his collaborators reject that Jewishness and the Holocaust are being used to justify the ongoing military offensive in Gaza." She suggested that Jews around the world have perceived that their identity "has been co-opted."

But is this charge that the Gaza campaign is justified by referring to the Holocaust true? Or is it the truth that Jews are being reminded of the atmosphere and political reality that existed prior to the Holocaust? When Jews could not enter the Palestine Mandate because the number of certificates was curtailed and then severely restricted. When Western democracies turned Jews away from their countries and instead sought a comfortable arrangement with Nazi Germany. When Jews had no protectors. When very few cared about Jews at all.

The issue in Glazer's speech

Thus, we arrive at the third problem in Glazer's speech. Instead of helping people relate to what happened at Auschwitz and to the character and personalities of the Nazis who sought to exterminate the Jewish people – subjects of his film – and the...