Tag Archives: BBC

January 29, 2015

Open Letter to Ron Jones regarding BBC’s The Big Questions’ tweet:”Is it time to lay the Holocaust to rest?”

By davidgroen1

 

BBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Jones,

“Is it time to lay the Holocaust to rest?”  I would say “good question”, but in truth it is not a good question.  It is not a wise question, nor a sincere question.  It is a question that exhibits ignorance and hate and lack of understanding of the world as it is meant to be.

I do not know what connection you or your personal viewpoints have to this question tweeted by BBC’s;The Big Questions, but since it is produced by Mentorn Media and you are the Executive Chairman, it is you I will address regarding this matter.

Naturally, as a Jew, I am beyond offended.  I am only in my 50s, so the fact that I never knew my grandparents nor my mother’s only brother and my father’s younger sister, should already indicate that this is not ancient history we are talking about.  To be frank, even if it was ancient history I would find this question offensive.  Should we put Passover to rest as well while we’re at it?  After all, it WAS only Jews who were slaves in Egypt.

6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.  To make it easier for the small-minded people at the BBC to comprehend, that is the equivalent to filling up Wembley Stadium 66 times.  The question is not an example of enlightenment through journalism, rather an irresponsible, ignorant, and quite honestly a disgraceful opening for a discussion that should not even be considered in the civilized world.

The very question is not much different from blatant Holocaust denial, a media tool perpetuated most significantly by the Iranian government, a regime that has expressed its desire to wipe Israel off the map, a process that would lead to almost the same amount of Jewish deaths.  The question might as well be, “is it time to get rid of the Jews?”

Even from a non-Jewish perspective the question is offensive.  It’s not as though we live in a world without evil.  We still see people getting tortured, persecuted and murdered.  Is it time to put slavery to rest?  How about the Cambodian genocide? Or the Armenian genocide? For that matter we might as well put the Rwandan genocide to rest as well.  After all, we would hate to get in the way of BBC’s quest for enlightenment.

Even without putting the Holocaust to rest the Jewish people face threats and challenges.  If we put the Holocaust to rest it will lead to those acting as though it never happened, empowering those that wish to see it happen all over again.  We as a person are not prepared to let that happen and nothing a staunchly Arab-influenced BBC does will change our resolve.

NEVER AGAIN is the motto many of us live by, and that is exactly the opposite of putting the Holocaust to rest.  Get over it.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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January 12, 2015

Open Letter to Tim Wilcox, BBC reporter at Paris Rally

By davidgroen1

BBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Wilcox,

I write this to you regarding your unprofessional and inappropriate actions as a BBC journalist at the Paris Rally.  The other day I was sitting in a meeting with 3 African-American women.  When they commented on how they appreciated the respect I was showing them and that they felt that people of color are not always treated with the necessary respect, I responded with a theory I have maintained for quite some time.  I said that no matter what a person says, when you are any type of minority, you know who has a problem with you based on what you are as opposed to who you are. I spoke of the fact that 2 people can say the exact same thing to me, and I can feel who is the anti-Semite and who is not the anti-Semite. It is with this in mind that I say that regardless of your veiled attempt at merely playing devil’s advocate, we know that the words in your interview come down to the fact that you just don’t like Jews.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH INTERVIEW

Why else would you pick this time Mr. Wilcox, a time when the Jewish people are in pain, when all people of decency are in pain, to make this argument in such a public forum? Is it because your own career is more important to you than the 12 murdered artists from Charlie Hebdo?  Is it because the 4 murdered people in the Kosher supermarket have no importance to you?  Personally I am guessing both of those statements are accurate. Why else would you pick yesterday to make this sort of statement?

Whether you understand what you did wrong or not, it is important that you hear this from as many people as possible.  On a day when the French people were in mourning, when Jewish people worldwide were saddened, frightened and angered, to inappropriately use this moment to express a political commentary supposedly through a leading question was nothing short of despicable.

I could go into a long essay as to why your question wasn’t even based in accurate fact, but to be quite frank Mr. Wilcox, that is not the most important point here.  It is often said that the reporter should never become the story.  By using this platform to show the world your bias against Israel you became the story.  Your lack of professionalism and clear anti-Semitism is a disgrace to journalism.

Before I end this letter I wish to make one very ironic point regarding your inappropriate question and clear anti-Israel sentiment.  Had you committed the same unprofessional act of self-serving bigotry against an even somewhat radical Muslim nation, your life would very likely have been in danger today.  After all, don’t forget why you were in Paris in the first place.  Instead you inaccurately went after Israel, a nation where people are allowed to criticize without threat of death or physical harm.

You may be enjoying the notoriety you are receiving today, but in the end the cream always rises to the top, and therefore I am fairly convinced this will do little to benefit your career.  To be quite honest, that is my hope.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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December 2, 2014

Stupid Mario

By davidgroen1

mario_balotelli

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the category of “too many soccer balls to the head”, Mario Balotelli has managed to insult the very people who helped make him the man he has become.  Balotelli made the following comment next to Nintendo character Super Mario; “jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew.”  What you may not know is that Balotelli’s foster mother is a Jewish woman and daughter of Holocaust survivors.  Balotelli, who was born in Italy, is the biological son of parents from the African nation of Ghana.  So he coined, pun intended, 2 stereotypes in 1 sentence, making comments about black people and Jews he clearly thought was funny, but in reality was offensive and stupid.  I found this BBC article on how too many headers can damage the brain and figured this might explain a lot; CLICK HERE TO READ BBC ARTICLE.

I read his apology and find it acceptable, but what people like Mr. Balotelli need to realize in the future, is that we live in an age when anti-Semitism is so popular it gives the appearance of a high-profile soccer player getting caught up in the thrill of it all. Either way nothing about this is very impressive.  It would be nice to see him use his Jewishness in a positive way in the future, and truly become Super Mario.

 

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September 19, 2014

Open Letter to Henk Zanoli: the Dutchman who returned his Holocaust medal

By davidgroen1

henk.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Zanoli,

Maybe it’s the fact that I am the son of Dutch Jews who survived the Holocaust and that I have an inherent faith in the people of Holland, but when I first heard this story I knew something had to be wrong.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  I know the Dutch are from perfect and that with the ultra liberal influence in the country it is certainly possible that someone could come to a misguided conclusion as to what is a human rights issue and what is not a human rights issue.  I also know there is a growing and increasingly powerful Muslim population in Holland which could very well lead to someone getting misinformation when it comes to events regarding Israel and Gaza.  I took all of this into account and subsequently remained silent when I heard of how you returned your Holocaust medal because you felt you could no longer hold the honor due to the death of 6 of your relatives from an Israeli bombing in Gaza.  After all, who am I to criticize a man of your courage and decency?

Mr. Zanoli, your actions speak for themselves.  You saved a Jewish child from the Nazis putting yourself in grave danger. That in itself should tell everyone that your intentions are good.  My concern here is not with your intentions but with the intentions of those close to you.

Sir, my mother is 92 years old and I often believe sharper than many people half her age, so unlike many others I do not have some preconceived notion that your age impacted your decision.  The only impact I believe your age has is in on your value system.  By that I mean that you have an old-fashioned and decent value system.   All this leads me to believe that in giving back your medal you did so because you felt the deaths of your family members in Gaza was an act by the Israeli government in direct contradiction with those values. What I am not sure of however, is whether or not you know the whole story.

I am truly sorry for the deaths of any and all innocent civilians, particularly the members of your family that were killed in the aforementioned bombing.  I truly am.  I am also saddened by any grief this may have caused you.  That said I am concerned as to whether or not you are aware of the unfortunate connection certain members of this family have to Hamas, an organization with ideologies similar to those of the Nazis.  Although the BBC made every effort to avoid telling this part of the story, your great-niece, the woman who married into this Palestinian family, has a brother-in-law who is a member of Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades.  This is a terrorist organization committed to the death of Jews to the same extent that the Nazis were when you behaved in the courageous and righteous fashion that you did so many years ago.  My understanding is that her brother-in-law was in the house at the time of the bombing.  It has also been reported that visiting the home on the day of the bombing was Mohammed Maqadmeh, also a member of Al Qassam. To put it in a different perspective, Al Qassam is to Hamas what the SS was to the Nazis. Brutal murderers with almost no conscience.  Again let me say that you have my most sincere condolences for your loss, but I believe the presence of 2 terrorists on the premises at the time of the bombing is an important factor that can not be ignored.

Putting this in perspective, the allies killed at least 25,000 Germans in the bombing of Dresden.  Many were civilians who had nothing to do with the war. However, the enemy they were fighting was evil, and despite the close connection they may have to you, this part of your family consisted of, or interacted with people who were just as evil.  I am not saying the family deserved to die.  I would never say that.  But just like there were innocent people that died in Dresden to help preserve our freedom then, unfortunately there are innocent people that will die to preserve our freedom now.  It is just  an additional tragedy that they were related to you.

Mr. Zanoli,  there is no question that the innocent women and children that were killed this past summer in Gaza are tragic victims of a most unfortunate situation. However, with these new details coming to light they sadly may have been victims of the cynical actions of the members of Hamas who consistently used their citizens as human shields.  I am hopeful that you understand that these are people who would not hesitate to do this to your family regardless of how close they may seem to you and despite the decency you’ve exhibited in your life.

Once again, it is my respect for you and human life that makes me feel sadness for your loss.  I just hope the picture is entirely clear to you.  You at the very least deserve that much from people who may claim to care about you.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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