On January 27, Jews in India joined the world in observing the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day in 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp in Poland, was liberated by the Red Army. More than 70 years later, the Holocaust endures as a grim reminder of the intolerance that continues to exist in society. Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai Yaakov Finkelstein talks with The Hindu about the lessons we need to learn from the Holocaust, and the deepening ties between India and Israel.
Why is the remembrance of the Holocaust relevant today?
We view the Holocaust as a unique event in the history of humankind. It was an organised massacre of people by a government. Of course, there have been other genocides and atrocities. The Holocaust was Jewish but the message is universal in terms of phobia, intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism.
It is important to remember the Holocaust because the world has not learned the lessons yet. We see the repetition of atrocities against minorities, lack of tolerance and lots of violence. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe. We need to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, to be more respectful and tolerant towards others.
How relevant is it for India?
India has been a good example with lack of anti-Semitism, historically. But intolerance is intolerance. It can be against Jews, other religious minorities, it can be your colour, gender or political views. We have to educate people to be more tolerant. Even if there is one person who is intolerant, he can harm someone because of that and we need to get that one person educated.
Time and again, we hear stories about the Holocaust being unreal. Why does such an argument exist?
Holocaust denial is yet another aspect or face of intolerance and racism. People live in denial. In order to solve a problem, the first step is to recognise it and acknowledge it. We still have survivors, who are living testimonies to the atrocities. Not only Jews, but there are also Germans, American soldiers, citizens of Poland who can testify to the existence of the Holocaust. How can one deny such a huge scale phenomenon? We have to fight this form of intolerance too as it can be dangerous as more people start believing in it.
India-Israel relations have entered the 27th year. What are the key collaborations between the two countries?
It is a great milestone for us. We have managed to create a strategic bond that will extend beyond governments and exist for a long time. The bond is based on the fundamental needs and interests of both countries.
We have collaborations in the fields of agriculture, water, high-tech, cyber and fin-tech. We are getting the Israeli know-how in irrigation systems by setting up centres of excellence in various parts of India. We have also launched Israeli satellites on Indian launchers. So, from the grass roots to space, we have cooperation everywhere.
There is a growing number of tourists from India visiting Israel. After starting a direct flight to Tel Aviv in 2018, we had 80,000 tourists, which was double the number from the previous year. Our largest foreign community of students is Indians. We are now looking at more Indian movies being shot in Israel.
How do you plan to attract Bollywood?
There are advantages of Israel being a small country. In close proximity, you can have the mountains, forest, beaches, the Dead Sea and the deserts. Within an hour’s drive, you can change the location. Also, there are great technical skills of people who know to make cinema. Thus, assistance on the ground, manpower, equipment etc. can be found there easily.