Obama to Visit Buchenwald Concentration Camp Friday As Iranian President Says Holocaust a „Big Deception“

Obama to Visit
Buchenwald Concentration Camp Friday As Iranian President Says Holocaust a „Big Deception“

THE ISRAEL PROJECT (TIP)

 

 

TIP’s Conference Call with German Scholar Matthias Küntzel
German/English-speaking Experts on Israeli-German Relations
TIP’s Press Kit for President Obama’s Trip to Germany
TIP’s Press Kit for President Obama’s Trip to Cairo
Twelve Ways to Prevent Iran from Acquiring Weapons without War
As Obama Visits Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Culture of Hate Persists

Two days before President Barack Obama’s landmark visit to Buchenwald concentration camp, [1] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated his denial of the Holocaust, calling it a „big deception.“ [2]
„The identity of the liberal democracy has been exposed to the world by its protection of the most criminal regime in the history of humanity, the Zionist regime, by using the big deception of the Holocaust,“ Ahmadinejad told a gathering of 600 international scholars in Tehran June 3.
Obama will travel to Dresden Friday (June 5) as part of a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany and France. Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel [3] and German Chancellor Angela Merkel [4] will accompany Obama to the Nazi death camp. Before the Buchenwald stop, Obama will meet Friday in Dresden with Merkel. [5]
The Nazis killed about 56,000 prisoners at Buchenwald – one of the Nazis‘ largest concentration camps [6] – before U.S. forces liberated the camp in April 1945. Buchenwald housed a total of 250,000 prisoners. Obama’s great uncle – Charles Payne – was part of the 89th Infantry Division [7] that on April 6, 1945 liberated Ohrdruf, [8] one of 88 Buchenwald subcamps across Germany. Ohrdruf was the first camp freed by U.S. troops. [9] Buchenwald lies in east-central Germany, about five miles northwest of Weimar. [10]
Obama’s final stop in Germany, before continuing to France, is Landstuhl medical facility, where Obama is to visit U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. [11]

„As President Obama commemorates the Holocaust, we look forward to his continued work to make sure there’s not a future Holocaust caused by Iran,“ said The Israel Project Founder and President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. „Stopping Iran’s military nuclear program is urgently needed and there are at least a dozen things that can be done peacefully to achieve that goal.“
Holocaust-denial and anti-Israel statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

·        „The identity of the liberal democracy has been exposed to the world by its protection of the most criminal regime in the history of humanity, the Zionist regime, by using the big deception of the Holocaust.“ [12] (June 3, 2009)

·        „The West has created a situation of false pity for itself and is using it to oppress other nations… We attacked the issue of the Holocaust and even they didn’t believe such a thing occurred, because we attacked their main weak point.“ [13] (May 28, 2009)
• „A brief review of the events after World War II shows that the Holocaust issue – with the dimensions they define for it – is an excuse to continue dominance and expansion of influence of the victors, especially America and Britain in the international arena.“ [14] (Jan. 28, 2009)

·        „After the Second World War, they created a scenario called ‚pogrom against Jews.‘ All over Europe and the countries under Western rule, an anti-Jewish movement has been concocted. The climate of propaganda and psychological warfare on the one hand and on the other hand using the issue of ovens burning human beings, they have concocted a myth of deprivation and innocence for the Jews of Europe. They use this pretext of the innocence of Jews and the suffering of some Jews during the Second World War. Riding on the crest of a wave of anti-Jewish sentiments, they have laid the foundations for the Zionist regime.“ [15] (Oct. 5, 2007)

·        „Israel is destined for destruction and will soon disappear.“ Israel is „a contradiction to nature, we foresee its rapid disappearance and destruction.“ [16] (Nov. 13, 2006)

·        „Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces…. Although we don’t accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: 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.“ [17] (Dec. 8, 2005)

·        „Israel must be wiped off the map … The establishment of a Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world […].“ [18] (Oct. 26, 2005)

 

 

German/English-speaking experts on Israeli-German relations

In Germany:

Dr. Matthias Küntzel (click here to listen to TIP’s conference call with Dr. Küntzel)
Author, political scientist based in Hamburg; member, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East
Tel: +49-(0)4533-204533
E-mail: MatKuentzel@aol.com
Web site: http://matthiaskuentzel.de
Expertise: Threat of Islamic Fundamentalism and Iran

Bio: Matthias Küntzel (b. 1955) is a political scientist and noted author. His most recent book, „Jihad and Jew-Hatred: Islamism, Nazism and the Roots of 9/11,“ was the grand prize winner at the 2007 London Book Festival. In 2004, Küntzel was named a research associate at the prestigious Vidal Sassoon International Centre for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in 2006, he joined the board of directors of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). His essays have been published in more than 10 countries in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Il Foglio (Italy), Le Meilleur des Mondes (France), Letras Libres (Mexico) and The Times Educational Supplement (U.K.). From 1984 – 1988, Küntzel was a senior advisor of the federal parliamentary faction of Germany’s Green Party. Küntzel’s main fields of research and writing are anti-Semitism in current Islamic thinking; Islamism; Islamism and National Socialism; Iran; and German and European policies towards the Middle East and Iran. Küntzel holds a Ph.D. in poltical science from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Ilan Mor
Deputy Chief of Mission
Israeli Embassy Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)170-7582203
E-mail: ministry@berlin.mfa.gov.il

Aaron Sagui
Speaker
Israeli Embassy Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)170-7582244
E-mail: press@berlin.mfa.gov.il

Deidre Berger
Director
American Jewish Committee Berlin Office/Ramer Center for German-Jewish Relations
Tel: +49-(0)30-22 65 94 0 (x11)
Fax: +49-(0)30-22 65 94 14
E-mail: BergerD@ajc.org

Dr. Yves Pallade
Director of the Foreign Affairs Network of B’nai B’rith Europe
Tel: +32-(0)2-6469298
Fax: +32-(0)2-6468949
E-mail: yvespallade@bnaibritheurope.org  
Expertise: Israeli-German security and military cooperation, public opinion und media – mutual perception, political relations

Dr. h.c. Johannes Gerster
President, German-Israeli Friendship League
Tel: +49-(0)6131-227962 (office); +49-(0)177-7572083 (cell)
Fax: +49-(0)6131-226090
E-mail: j.gerster@gmx.de
Expertise: Israeli-German relations, 60 years Israel – 60 years democracy, Middle East conflict

Stephan Kramer
General Secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany / Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland
Tel: +49-(0)30-2844560
Fax: +49-(0)30-28445613
E-mail: sjkramer@zentralratdjuden.de  

Klaus Faber
Secretary of State (ret.); Lawyer; Founding Member of the Board of Directors in the Coordination Council of German NGO’s Against Anti-Semitism
Tel: +49-(0)331-624551
Fax: +49-(0)331-6004035
E-mail: Klaus_Faber@t-online.de  

Claudia Korenke
Vice-President, German Israeli Friendship Society / Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft; President, German-Israeli Economic Society (Frankfurt); Board Member, Coordinating Council of German NGOs Against Anti-Semitism
Tel: +49-(0)69-97585614
E-mail: claudia.korenke@korenke.com  

Sacha Stawski
President and Editor-in-Chief, Honestly Concerned e.V.; Founding Board Member, Coordinating Council of German NGOs Against Anti-Semitism
Tel.: +49-(0)172-6797701
Fax: +49-(0)721-151433263
E-mail: sstawski@honestly-concerned.org

Prof. Dr. Diethard Pallaschke
Spokesperson for the Board of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, SPME-Germany, e.V., Berlin
E-mail: lh09@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

Dr. Martin Kloke
Tel: +49-(0)30-851-9565; +49-(0)30-89785-8375
E-mail: martinkloke@freenet.de  
Expertise: Left-wing ideology in Germany and its attitude towards Israel, Israeli-German relations

Barbara Kraemer
Contact, Coordination Center for Israeli-German Youth Exchange
Tel: +49-(0)3491-4202 60
E-mail: barbara.kraemer@conact-org.de
Expertise: Youth exchange, Israeli-German relations

Patrick Müller
TAPIR Fellow, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
Tel: +49-(0)30-880 07-419
Fax: +49-(0)30-880 07-5415
E-mail: Patrick.Mueller@swp-berlin.org  
Expertise: Middle East conflict, European and German policy in Middle East, Barcelona process

Prof. Dr. Manfred Lämmer
Institute for History of Sport, Deutsche Sporthochschule Cologne
Tel: +49-(0)221-4982-3830
Fax: +49-(0)221-4982-8470
E-mail: Laemmer@dshs-koeln.de, info@m-laemmer.de  
Expertise: Sport in Jewish history and culture, rule of sport in Israeli-German relations

Marianne Krüger-Jungnickel
Executive Director, Deutsche Technion-Gesellschaft e.V.
Tel: +49-(0)30-88 55 44 04
E-mail: krueger@dtgev.de  
Expertise: Israeli-German sciences cooperation

 

 

In Israel:

Shimon Stein
Former Israeli Ambassador to Germany
Tel: +972-(0)52-8515621
E-mail: shimonstein@yahoo.com  

Dr. Lars Hänsel
Tel: +972-(0)2-567 18 30
Fax: +972-(0)2-567 18 31
E-mail: office@kasisrael.org  
Expertise: Israeli-German relations in politics and culture

Prof. Jose Brunner
Tel: +972-(0)3-6409731
E-mail: joseb@post.tau.ac.il  
Expertise: Compensation for Holocaust-survivors

Grisha Alroi-Arloser
Executive Director, Israeli-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Tel: +972-(0)3-6133516
Cell: +972-(0)54-5788969
E-mail: alroi@ahkisrael.co.il  
Expertise: Israeli-German business ties

Dr. Ruti Eitan
Prof. for Modern History, Sapir College Sderot
Tel: +972-(0)54-6755278
E-mail: ruthe@sapir.ac.il  
Expertise: Israeli-German science cooperation

Ilana Lowi
Ministry of Science and Technology
Tel: +972-(0)50-6231183
E-mail: ilana@most.gov.il  
Expertise: Israeli-German science cooperation

Dvorah Ben-David
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel
Phone: +972-(0)50-6203195
Expertise: Cultural exchange between Israel and Germany

David Witzthum
Chief Editor, Channel 1
Tel: +972-(0)2-530 1160 (office); +972-(0)50-895 951 (cell)
Expertise: Israeli-German relations, media coverage

 

In the United States:

Dr. Maren Lorenz
Research Fellow, German Historic Institute
Tel: +1-202-552 8946
E-mail: lorenz@ghi-dc.org
Expertise: Israeli-German relations in education, Holocaust, history, war and violence

 

________________________________________

Footnotes:

[1] Sweet, Lynn, „Obama at Buchenwald concentration camp; U.S. Holocaust Museum upcoming Chicago programs,“ Chicago Sun-Times, June 3, 2009, http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/06/obama_at_buchenwald_concentrat.html

[2] „Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a ‘big deception,“ AFP, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i33Vai0UH84v7P645PZYWTCNmj0w

[3] „Once war-torn Dresden gears up for Obama visit,“ DPA via Khaleej Times Online, June 3, 2009, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/June/international_June225.xml§ion=international

[4] „Merkel to accompany Obama on visit to concentration camp in Germany,“ DPA via Haaretz, May 31, 2009, http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1089248.html

[5] „US President Obama Meets Old Europe Against Backdrop Of WWII Sites,“ AFP, June 3, 2009, http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200906030539dowjonesdjonline000433&title=us-president-obama-meets-old-europe-against-backdrop-of-wwii-sites

[6] „Buchenwald,“ Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005198, accessed June 3, 2009

[7] Eddy, Melissa and Wiesigel, Jochen, „President visits camp linked to great-uncle’s past,“ Associated Press, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQuoldGERuJx8odWnzg_pAI5krXQD98J4CMO0

[8] „Merkel to accompany Obama on visit to concentration camp in Germany,“ DPA via Haaretz, May 31, 2009, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1089248.html

[9] „Ohrdruf,“ Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006131, accessed June 3, 2009

[10] „Buchenwald,“ Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005198, accessed June 3, 2009

[11] Shear, Michael D., „Obama’s Middle East Trip a Balancing Act,“ The Washington Post, June 2, 2009, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/06/02/obamas_middle_east_trip_a_bala.html?wprss=44

[12] „Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a ‘big deception,“ Agence France-Presse, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i33Vai0UH84v7P645PZYWTCNmj0w

[13] Cohen, Dudi: „Iran: Holocaust is West’s Achilles‘ heel,“ YnetNews, May 28, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3723051,00.html

[14] „Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/NR/exeres/AE96E291-9DA7-4148-AF14-273A06174A7B,DB7611A2-02CD-43AF-8147-649E26813571,frameless.htm

[15] „Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_4

[16] „Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_5

[17] „Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_6

[18] „Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_6