Why does Israel celebrate only veterans from the USSR for fighting WWII?
The contribution by British and American Jewish servicemen and women to the defeat of the Germans in WWII has been sidelined in favor of highlighting that of the Russians.
By WALTER BINGHAMNETANYA MAYOR Miriam Feirberg Ikar stands with World War II Jewish veterans at a ceremony to mark 70 years since VE Day in the coastal city on Wednesday.(photo credit: RAN ELIYAHU)
It was 2:41 a.m. on May 7, 1945, in Reims, France, when German Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command and as instructed by Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, Hitler’s successor, signed the instrument of unconditional surrender of all German Forces on all fronts, ending the European phase of World War II, to take effect the following day.The witnesses were: on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Gen. Walter Bedell Smith; on behalf of the Soviet High Command, Gen. Ivan Susloparov; and on behalf of the French High Command, Gen. Francois Sevez.It was a great day in the history of the 20th century.Ever since then, May 8 is celebrated as VE Day – Victory in Europe Day.At the Nuremberg war crimes trial, Jodl was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was executed by hanging on October 16, 1946. At the same trial, Donitz was convicted of crimes against peace, and sentenced to 10 years in Spandau Prison.There is no doubt that without the efforts and sacrifices of the Soviet Red Army the war might have come to a different end. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 Jews served in various roles in the Red Army during World War II. Their contribution to victory was unmeasurable. Sadly, some 120,000 were killed in the line of duty, and the Germans murdered 80,000 who were prisoners of war. Many Soviet Army veterans received high honors.During the large Immigration from the former Soviet Union, hundreds of Jewish veterans arrived and settled in Israel. Some still have their uniforms. Others brought their medals with them. All of them can take pride in having had a part in the defeat of Nazi Germany.In Israel, too, VE Day is usually commemorated with an event at Yad Vashem and a veterans’ march through the streets of Jerusalem. This year, of course, these events are virtual.I have been reporting on these proceedings for some years. Every year, I look in vain for any meaningful reference to the thousands of Jewish men and women from the US, Canada, Great Britain and the several other countries that had governments and armies in exile, and who fought in World War II in the armies of the Western allies.
The speakers at Yad Vashem who did not speak in Hebrew gave their messages in Russian. The entire event was dominated by Russian veterans with their chests covered in medals and decorations. A few British and American veterans could be seen sitting among the large audience.The only reference to the British contribution was the wreath laid by British AJEX, the Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women.Among the medley of war songs played by the Israel Police Band was “It’s a long way to Tipperary” as a feeble contribution to the British veterans.EVER SINCE the large immigration from the former Soviet Union, the contribution by British and American Jewish servicemen and women to the defeat of the Germans in WWII has been sidelined in favor of highlighting that of the Russians.However, it was not only British-born Jews who enlisted in the armed forces of the Commonwealth. Some 10,000 Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria also entered into the service of the Crown. Many of the older refugees were interned as “enemy aliens” soon after their arrival but were then given the choice to enlist in the army, still as aliens.Because of the paranoia about enemy aliens, these refugee soldiers were not trusted with weapons but given picks and shovels instead, before being sent with the early Allied Expeditionary Force to France in 1940 to building defenses.Before departure, they had to sign the following declaration: “I hereby certify that I understand the risks... to which I and my relatives may be exposed by my employment in the British Army outside the United Kingdom. Notwithstanding this I certify that I am willing to be employed in any theatre of war.”Such was the motivation of refugee soldiers. They were eventually evacuated from Dunkirk later that year when the GermanArmy attacked. But the refugee soldiers were not satisfied. They wanted the chance to fight and at last, in 1943, they were given it when the call came for volunteers into commando units, parachute regiments, then other formations and even intelligence. That’s when the younger generation enlisted and took part in the Normandy landings and the battles beyond.Toward the end of the war, many of the German-speaking soldiers were transferred to intelligence and interpreting jobs, where they made valuable contributions to those fields.I am sure that I speak for most of us who fought in the European theater of war that in Israel we feel at best ignored, if not insulted. It seems the organizers of VE Day and similar events in Israel almost totally forget that it was not only Russian Jews who fought in World War II. There were thousands of Jewish aliens who fled to Britain from Germany and Austria who fought gallantly. This was not because they were called up to fight for their country, as the British-born Jews were. The refugees no longer had a country; they they volunteered in order to go to war against the evil Nazi regime.So the next time there is a VE Day parade through the streets of our capital city, please don’t forget that it was not only Russians who helped win the war. And at the next commemoration of that momentous day, please ensure that the contributions of British and American Jewish WWII veterans, as well as that of the still-alien refugee soldiers who volunteered, are recognized.The writer is a highly decorated British Army veteran of the Normandy landings in 1944, and a former counter-intelligence operative. He hosts “Walter’s World” on Israel National Radio (Arutz 7) and “The Walter Bingham File” on Israel News Talk Radio, both in English.