Redemptive Anti-Semitism In The Holocaust
Introduction
One of the most pertinent forms of genocide, mass murder, has been imposed on various groups throughout the twentieth century. Perhaps the most prominent examples of genocide in the form of mass murder are the Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide.
The Jewish Holocaust was the systematic persecution and extermination of approximately two-thirds of European Jewry (“Introduction to the Holocaust.” USHMM.org.) Instigated by the German Nazi Party, outsiders also participated in the mass persecution and eventual extermination of the Jews. Mass killings began around the same time as World War II and persisted until the liberation of the remaining victims at the latter part of the war.
The Rwandan Genocide was the mass extermination …show more content…
A notable stance on anti-Semitism rooted in religious conflict is Saul Friedländer’s concept of redemptive anti-Semitism. Definitively, redemptive anti-Semitism is the redeeming of humanity through the elimination of the Jews. According to Friedlander, redemptive anti-Semitism was “born from the fear of racial degeneration and the religious belief in redemption (Friedländer, pp.87).” The idea lends itself as a primary motivator of the actions taken on behalf of German civilians during the persecution of the Jews. Such an idea can also serve as an important foundation for indifference to the Jewish plight—a necessary condition for the Holocaust to occur without interruption.
The Rwandan Genocide occurred during the latter part of the Rwandan Civil War after the assassination of former president Juvénal Habyarimana. Close associates of Habyarimana believed the Tutsis to be behind his assassination, thus prompting procession of a planned extermination of the Tutsis (Des Forges, pp.6). Nonetheless, the systematic killing was a result of a multitude of events for which the assassination served as a breaking
One of the most pertinent forms of genocide, mass murder, has been imposed on various groups throughout the twentieth century. Perhaps the most prominent examples of genocide in the form of mass murder are the Jewish Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide.
The Jewish Holocaust was the systematic persecution and extermination of approximately two-thirds of European Jewry (“Introduction to the Holocaust.” USHMM.org.) Instigated by the German Nazi Party, outsiders also participated in the mass persecution and eventual extermination of the Jews. Mass killings began around the same time as World War II and persisted until the liberation of the remaining victims at the latter part of the war.
The Rwandan Genocide was the mass extermination …show more content…
A notable stance on anti-Semitism rooted in religious conflict is Saul Friedländer’s concept of redemptive anti-Semitism. Definitively, redemptive anti-Semitism is the redeeming of humanity through the elimination of the Jews. According to Friedlander, redemptive anti-Semitism was “born from the fear of racial degeneration and the religious belief in redemption (Friedländer, pp.87).” The idea lends itself as a primary motivator of the actions taken on behalf of German civilians during the persecution of the Jews. Such an idea can also serve as an important foundation for indifference to the Jewish plight—a necessary condition for the Holocaust to occur without interruption.
The Rwandan Genocide occurred during the latter part of the Rwandan Civil War after the assassination of former president Juvénal Habyarimana. Close associates of Habyarimana believed the Tutsis to be behind his assassination, thus prompting procession of a planned extermination of the Tutsis (Des Forges, pp.6). Nonetheless, the systematic killing was a result of a multitude of events for which the assassination served as a breaking