My Response to Roger Waters

picprHere is my response to Roger Waters’ “Open Letter”.

From the time I was a teenager I enjoyed the music of Pink Floyd. Sadly, the devious and disingenuous behavior of Rogers Waters has so disgusted me that the very sound of the music has been tarnished. I am a Jewish man and the son of Holocaust survivors yet I will first make a point not connected to my personal background. To call Israel an Apartheid state is an insult to every person of color who suffered under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. The South Africans who were victimized were never given any opportunity to live as equals in the society and I dare say would have been happy to have received the rights that Israeli Arabs have been given in the past, including the opportunity to be members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. And unlike the victims in South Africa, the so-called representatives of the Palestinians have unleashed terrorist attacks on Jews worldwide for decades, killing scores of innocent men, women, and children. Hamas controls Gaza, not Israel. The PLO stole from the West Bank Palestinians, Israel did not. Even when Israel has put restrictions on Palestinians, they have never been as active in keeping the people down as Fatah or Hamas have in their attempts to make terrorist activity against Jewish interests the number one business export in the “occupied” territories.

On a personal note, Mr. Waters, and I believe I speak for many Jewish people when I say this, I am on to you. You’re music, some of the most intelligent music I enjoyed in my early years reveals an intellect too advanced for you not to know the truth and reality. Your behavior and so-called cries for justice are merely an expression of a hatred for Jewish people and their right to live in a free and sovereign state. I have seen it too often in my life and I recognize the methods people use to hide their true motivations. I suppose you question the number 6 million as well? Maybe not publicly, that would be really bad for business, but most likely in the privacy of your own home. And it is very much about business isn’t it? That is why you have taken what was once the most successful non-commercial piece of pop culture and recycled it ad-nauseum. Because it sells. Well I am no longer buying it, for a true artist, like Alicia Keys or Sir Paul McCartney, a gentleman whose shoes you can’t even shine, will take their true art and attempt to spread love and joy, not use their platform for self-serving, hypocritical, political revisionist history. I would tell you to learn the truth but we both know you do know the truth. You just have made the unfortunate choice to distort it and in the process destroyed every ounce of integrity you ever had.


REsolution or Solution?

1012256_564360523634177_1019801182_nThe reason for the title is very simple and straightforward and the capital RE is not a typo.  This quote by Palestinian Authority Leader, Mahmoud Abbas sends a very important and concerning message.  However, it is not just the straightforward substance of the message, one I would like to hold up in the face of ignorant anti-Semites like Roger Waters and Alice Walker, but the not so subtle hidden message in it as well.

When Hitler’s Nazi Germany murdered 6 million Jews it did so under the program referred to as the “Final Solution”.   I believe it to be no coincidence that Abbas refers to this as a “Final REsolution”.  In using wording that only has 2 letters separating it from terminology used by Hitler, Abbas is sending a not so subtle message to the criminals that back him as well as Jewish people worldwide as to what would be considered by many in the region as an ideal “resolution”.

I believe in peace as an ideal and would love to see a peaceful outcome to this very volatile situation, however, it needs to be based in one very vital premise.  The Jewish people have every right to live in peace in their country.  The leader of the other side must make this unequivocably clear, not only in his words but in his actions as well.   If he is unable or unwilling to do so the Jewish people will continue to be in danger not only in Israel, but worldwide.  A situation we all know to be unacceptable.  Regardless of whether it is called a “Final Solution” or a “Final Resolution”


No Big Loss

6-25-12-Mohamed-Morsi_full_600For those who never knew or forgot, this is one of the reasons why we should have no problem with what is happening to Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcnK3Kiw1Eg


Totally Unrelated

LEBLONJAMESSo you may ask why am I posting this on Holland’s Heroes.  The reason is that in the event that many people see this picture I want them to see the website Holland’s Heroes.  So yes, it is totally unrelated and a shameless way to bring traffic to Holland’s Heroes and make people aware of the book “Jew Face”.

This picture was taken by me, and in fact when I saw the 2 bottles on the shelf I actually asked the bartender to rearrange them to create the appearance you see here.   Another example of what happens when someone has too much time on their hands.  But you must admit it’s clever and relevant today.  Just not relevant to this website.  Oh well.


Honor One Mother and You Honor Them All

momdayBeing fortunate to have the blessing of my mother in my life, and never taking it for granted, on this Mother’s Day I was more cognizant than usual of those close to me who no longer have their mother in their lives.  Occasionally I have felt as though I was possibly being insensitive to them when speaking of the enjoyment and benefit I get from my mother.  However, when I stopped and thought about it a little deeper I felt there was a common message I was getting from every one of them, be it a conscious message or unconscious one.  The message I felt I was getting was, “you better realize how lucky you are and make the most of it.”

There are people who matter to me who have lost their mother in the past year, and many more who matter to me who have lost their mother in previous years.  Nothing I can say can ever change the facts, however I feel that I can honor them all in one very poignant way.  By honoring and loving my mother and thanking God she is still here for me to do so.  I would love and honor my mother regardless, as I am sure everyone reading this would do for theirs as well,  but on this Mother’s Day I offer this message back.  In showing my love and respect to my mother, I also do so to honor all mothers, those living and those who have passed on, and by realizing the blessing it is to have my mother in my life I am making the statement that I recognize the blessing that all our mothers will always be to everyone one of us.


Why we need to Thank Israel

syriaWhen I first heard about Israel’s attacks on Syria I was somewhat perplexed.  Although it is well-known that Syria is an enemy of the Jewish state, to initiate aggression carries disturbing overtones and consequences.  Then I realized that I of all people should have no trouble understanding what Israel has done over the past few days.  Having  spent over a year promoting my book “Jew Face”, I have utilized my blog not only to sell the book but to do my part in increasing Holocaust awareness so that “Never Again” is more than just a slogan.

Israel’s attacks on Damascus makes that statement with the loudest voice.  The attacks were carried out to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.  These weapons would then have one purpose and one purpose only.  To kill Jews.  In a day and age where this is still tolerated by a large portion of the world, the government of Israel is making it clear that every Jewish life has value, and that any clear-cut threat against its people will not only not be tolerated, but will be met with whatever force necessary to prevent it.  Are you paying attention Ahmadinejad?

As an individual I am not and never have been a soldier in any military.  But as a Jew I am extremely grateful that there is a Jewish Army, the Israeli Army, that is run by people who will never allow Jewish people to be threatened without the strongest resistance.  Israel will undoubtedly get criticized by the masked and blatant anti-Semites around the world, but fortunately they take the approach that that is of little or no consequence in light of the bigger picture and situation at hand.  Protecting Jewish life.  Thanks to the State of Israel, “Never Again” feels like anything but empty words and collectively the Jewish people are safer as a result.


Long Live the King..and Queen

501327-king-willem-alexanderAs Queen Beatrix of Holland steps down and her son Willem Alexander becomes the new King of Holland, Holland’s Heroes takes a moment to recognize and congratulate a monarchy that has over the years shown courage, decency, and integrity towards all its people.


Do You Own the Book?

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The original purpose of Holland’s Heroes was to make people aware of the book “Jew Face: A story of love and heroism in Nazi-occupied Holland”.   The website has developed into a place designed to increase Holocaust awareness, address important issues of the day, and show the connection between the past and the present.

If you appreciate my writing, feel a connection to the Jewish people, or both, I urge you to read the book “Jew Face”.  Here is why.  In this book, the story of the experiences of my parents, Nardus and Sipora Groen in Holland between 1940-1945, I make every effort to convey a larger picture than that of what they experienced.  I was always taken by Steven Spielberg’s style in movies about eras in history.  In Amistad he tells the story of one trial as a basis to convey his take on slavery in America.  In Schlinder’s List he tells the story of Oscar Schindler as a basis to tell the story of the Holocaust.  What I attempt to do in the book “Jew Face” is use the story of my parents as a basis to tell the story of the Holocaust, specifically the story of what took place in Holland.

CLICK TO BUY THE BOOK

What sets this book aside from many other Holocaust related stories is the positive and inspirational feeling one gets from reading about the strength and courage of a number of people, starting with my parents.  This book is without question a love story of two people who came together during the worst of times.   I am proud to say that my writing reveals the great love and respect I have for both my parents, my father of blessed memory who passed away on June 13, 2007, and my mother, who at 92 is Thank God, alive well, and someone who still provides love and support to so many, including me.

Are you inspired by courage and decency?  This book is for you.  Are you a romantic?  This book is for you.  Are you into history? This book is for you.  Are you Jewish?  This book is for you.  Are you reading this post? This book is for you.

I want people to know this story, and I can say with complete confidence that those who already have read it have been inspired and moved by the experiences of the people in the book.  If you like my writing style, thank you.  However the greatness of the book is in the people I was so honored to write about and would love to share with all of you.

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The Manufacturing of Terrorists: The Real Human Rights Violation

MummyBomberL_468x468As everyone tries to make sense of the Boston Marathon bombings, I sit and wonder why people refuse to accept the reality of the situation.  I maintain that the refusal is based in fear.  Maybe it is fear of the bad guys and the perception of what they will do if you openly hold them responsible for the destruction they are bringing to our planet.  Or maybe it is fear of coming across as too radical.  After all, everyone cares what their friends think about them.  Don’t believe me?  Just check Facebook or Twitter.  Maybe it’s the fear that the truth is just too hard to swallow.  What truth do I speak of?  The fact that that there are modern day Nazi-style regimes either in place or springing up all over the world.  Except this time they are masquerading as so-called religious, more specifically Muslim nations and organizations.

First I will explain the legitimacy and importance of the comparison to Nazi Germany.   The best way to understand the comparison is to look at today’s Germany.  Although no nation is perfect, the Germany of today is a civilized, tolerant, peace-loving society.  Germany did not import new people into their populous after 1945.  However, after the Allies defeated Hitler’s regime, Germany rebuilt, and the basic decency that exists in most human beings became more prevalent than the morally corrupt, evil principals of Nazi Germany.  It is hard for some to believe that Germany could ever have become a good country after 1945, but the fact is that it has.  The point I am making is that in general, it is not the people who are bad, it is their leaders.  And although it was not only justified, but necessary to kill Germans before Hitler’s government fell, many of those killed could in fact be deemed victims as well; as is the case with a large percentage of the world’s Muslim population today.

Hitler rose to power by feeding off the discontent of the people.  After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles was instituted as a means to control and punish Germany for their aggression.  With no desire to make their lives better, Hitler used the people’s subsequent hunger, bitterness, and desperation as a way to not only gain power, but to control their actions.  Anyone Hitler hated, most notably the Jews, was responsible for the plight of the German people, and by making the people believe that not only was their misfortune their fault, but that by eliminating them things would improve, he successfully created a power source that was responsible for mass murder unlike the world had ever seen.  The same formula is being used today.  Except today’s governments and leaders are going one step further.  They are actually creating the misfortune.  I am by no means saying that Hitler was a better man.  I am merely stating that he did not have to crush the morale of his people.  That had already been done prior to his ascent to power, and arguably with justification.  These Muslim regimes have drained the life from the very people they claim to care for the most. 

Now fast forward to the 1960s and the formation of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).  The PLO was a group that portrayed itself as freedom fighters, fighting for the rights of the displaced Palestinians with the sole purpose of creating a homeland for its people and destroying the State of Israel.  It’s weapon of choice, terrorism against Jews worldwide.  Although tragically successful in murdering people, the PLO accomplished one thing over everything else it claimed to want to accomplish.  It made Yasser Arafat a very rich and powerful man.  And rich he became, owning Hotels in the Swiss Alps and amassing a fortune while his people suffered under the misconception that it was the fault of guess who?  The Jews.  I wonder how many people took the time to facetiously thank Yasser Arafat, the founding father of modern terrorism for the bombing in Boston.  He not only set the stage, but he was complicit in the creation of the new blueprint.

The attacks on September 11, 2001, or as we now refer to it, 9/11, were attacks organized by Osama bin-Laden, but perpetrated by Saudi Arabian nationals.  Saudi Arabia, a nation so wealthy that the royal family recently gifted its people $36 billion in the hope of placating the  population enough to avoid uprisings similar to so many other Arab nations since the start of the “Arab Spring”.  Like so many other corrupt governments, the Saudi royal family has managed to keep its people down, creating a segment of the population that feels its only future and purpose is to destroy those responsible for their life’s deficiencies.  What was once only Israel’s fault is now also the fault of the entire western world, mainly the United States.  They convince their people that the reason things are so bad is the dominance of the corrupt, non-Muslim infidels of Israel and the United States.  By doing this they believe they strengthen their power base and maintain control of the government and yes, more importantly the money.  After all, happy people tend to gravitate towards Democracy, a dangerous concept for these people.

As other nations and organizations use this same model, they teach their children that murdering people is OK, as long as you do it with a purpose.  If the Jews and Americans are evil, anything you do to hurt them makes your life worthwhile.  The fact is that these children are victims as well.  They are victims of a violation of Human Rights unprecedented in history. They are being made into terrorists.   If Hamas and Hezbollah truly value the lives of their people, would they teach their young to blow themselves up?  If these children were given a chance for a life do you truly believe they would want to be part of this despicable behavior?  Of course not.  As some would like to believe that the reason the Palestinians and Israelis do not live in peace is the creation of Jewish settlements, the real reason there is no peace is because the beginning of peace marks the end of Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately even  regimes such as the current Iranian government and the Saudi monarchy.  I find it ironic how I once loved Pink Floyd because the music was so intelligent only to find myself now having trouble listening to their music because their front man Roger Waters has shown such ignorance and stupidity in calling for boycotts against Israel.   Is he really that stupid?  Or is he too afraid of the truth.  The truth that in order to maintain their power over their people, these leaders manufacture terrorists, and do so at such remarkable efficiency that they have now begun to do what so many other successful manufacturers do, export their product, as seen last week in Boston.  You see now they have found a new method.  Target young Muslims anywhere in the world and if they are fortunate enough to be malcontents, teach them how their life can have meaning by killing innocent people.

I know that seeing the United States give financial aid to Egypt’s new government is a hard pill to swallow seeing how the Muslim Brotherhood’s rhetoric is as bad as the other’s, but the truth is that supporting the governments that arise out of the Arab Spring may just be the last peaceful option.  If somehow these new governments would provide their people with real purpose and a hope at a decent life, the hope would be, albeit it unlikely, terrorists would no longer have such a significant breeding ground.  If however it does not work, the only way to eliminate it will be by powerful force, force that will most likely cause loss of life we have not seen since World War II.  The problem is, using the analogy of cancer, when force conquered Nazi Germany and their allies in World War II the cancer was a series of highly recognizable cancers in specific parts of the world body.  Today’s cancer has spread so intricately worldwide it will be much harder to eliminate.  And don’t look to the United Nations for help.  The reason the UN has not only recognized, but supported terror groups and evil regimes over the years is because of one thing, money.

And finally, before anyone reads this and thinks this is an anti-Islam rant, know that the motivation for writing this is the very pleasant interaction I regularly have with an Egyptian street vendor.  I look at him and realize the people are not the problem, their leadership is.  Sadly, should anyone rise up from within their ranks and attempt to lead the people in a better direction, a direction of peace and at least the potential for prosperity, that person’s life would be in immediate and grave danger.  After all, anything that stands in the way of their manufacturing process, the one that manufactures terrorists, would be something they would need to eliminate.   If you are frightened or saddened by this harsh reality remember this.  Not facing it will ultimately lead to a worse one.  One that should be unacceptable to any civilized human being, whether or not that human being is a Jew, Christian, Muslim, or any other believer or non-believer.

 

 

 

 


This is My America

Diamondbacks Yankees BaseballTo all those who hate America, disrespect America, under appreciate America, and betray America, my statement to you is a very strong one.  We are not only the greatest country in the world but very possibly the greatest country the world has ever known.  I am a very proud Jew.  I love Israel.  I am very proud of my Dutch background.  I love Holland.  I spent formative years in England and many of my closest friends are British.  I love London.  But America is the pillar on which civilization stands and the strongest line of defense against evil and brutality today.  My America is a nation that stands together and fights the forces that want to destroy civilization.  Ultimately there is no Blue State or Red State, Conservative or Liberal, Democrat or Republican. There is only the United States of America.  The greatest country on earth.  I say this with a loud and proud voice and with no apologies or inhibition.  This is my America.