Outright denial of the Holocaust is a phenomenon almost exclusively in the realm of utterly discredited figures who deserve condemnation. One of those figures is David Irving, who lost his libel suit against Deborah Lipstadt, an American professor and author,…
“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return / And come with song unto Zion.” (Isaiah 35:10) Seville, Spain, summer 1480 “The fire is painful to the flesh, but kind to the soul,” said the man in red velvet robes…
Hypocrisy is everywhere, perhaps, and it can be a full-time occupation to call it out. For years, the anti-Israel movement, which generally comprises advocates of social justice who envision themselves as defenders of human dignity and respect for the diverse…
There’s no use in pretending it doesn’t bother me. The woman has invaded my sacrosanct space and time! But what can I do about it? Let me explain. I have a precious and brief time that I dedicate to enhancing…
You don’t have to be a sports fan to have been intrigued by the biggest story in the National Football League the past month. Colin Kaepernick, the now back-up quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers made a stand (or a…
Robert Krell, left, and Elie Wiesel. (photo from Robert Krell) I met Prof. Elie Wiesel in 1978. I was 38 years old. He was 49. Elie, as he insisted I call him, came to Vancouver to speak at a commemorative…
There used to be just conservatives. Then there came the neo-conservatives, a largely American variation on the theme that venerates free markets, but marries it with an interventionist foreign policy. Neo-conservativism got a black eye after the interventionism its proponents…
Cancer. Now I’ve said it. Just saying it tightens up my gut. It makes me want to swallow. I look around to see if anyone can sense the anger, the blind rage that surges through me. I find myself breathing…
Binyamin Netanyahu may not have expected the international reaction he received when he accused opponents of Jewish settlements in the West Bank of supporting the ethnic cleansing of Jews. While he went too far, there is some truth to be…
In August, Poland’s right-wing cabinet approved a bill that would criminalize using the phrase “Polish death camp” or “Polish concentration camp,” with punishments including fines or imprisonment. The bill raises questions about Poland’s role in the Holocaust. It echoes the…
