A lesson that the world has forgotten

By Neville Berman

The present war in Gaza has to be the final war between Hamas and Israel. The people in Gaza need to understand what the Germans understood in 1945. Hamas has to be treated in the same way that Nazi Germany was treated after the end of the Second World War. Unfortunately, there are governments and institutions that are determined to ensure that this will not happen. What they want is a ceasefire that will allow Hamas to remain in control of Gaza, and to be able to rearm in order to attack Israel again in the future. No one is demanding unconditional surrender. This war is the first war in history where the country that was attacked, is accused of:

– using disproportionate force in defending itself

– of committing crimes against humanity, and even

– the crime of genocide.

All the horrendous crimes committed by Hamas are being ignored.   

Let us look at what happened with Nazi Germany and see if some lessons can be learnt that allowed Europe to return to peaceful coexistence and prosperity.  

In 1933, the Nazi Party blamed a fire in the Reichstag building on the communists. They used this as an excuse to institute emergency powers that were used to crush all opposition and to take total control of Germany. In September 1939 the most devastating war in history started. Over 60 million people would be killed before it was over.   

By 1945 Germany was a completely different country to what it was in 1939. Approximately 10% of the German population had been killed during the war. Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers were prisoners in Russia. Allied bombing and the advancing Russian army had reduced parts of every major town and city in Germany into piles of rubble. Over a hundred thousand German women were raped by Russian soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of German people were homeless. People were looking in garbage cans for scraps of food. Nazi Germany was facing its final days. Faced with the rapidly advancing Russian army, Hitler committed suicide. Everyone in Germany understood that Germany had been totally defeated. The only option was to agree to “unconditional surrender” – an objective of the war advanced by US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943.

The Nazi Party dream of a thousand-year Reich had ended. In order to escape justice, hundreds of Nazis were trying to flee to South America.  

Having signed unconditional surrender, the Allies were now in a position to decide the future of Germany. All Allied prisoners of war were immediately released. In consideration of the position of Russian forces in Germany, Germany was divided into East and West Germany. After the revelations of the mass murder of 6 million Jews, it was decided that the Nazi leadership responsible for the unprecedented crimes of the Holocaust would face trials at Nuremberg. They would be tried for the newly created crime of committing “crimes against humanity”. None of them claimed that the Holocaust did not happen, resorting instead to the defence that they “were following orders.” Of crucial importance was the American decision to finance the rebuilding of West Germany in what was called the Marshall Plan. The Nazi Party and the denial of the holocaust were outlawed under German law promoted by the new German government.   

In 1949 the capital of West Germany was moved provisionally to Bonn. Forty years later the fall of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of the division of Germany. There was a strong feeling that it was time to move the capital of a united Germany back to Berlin.

An architectural competition was held to determine which firm would be chosen to rebuild the old Reichstag building that was designated to become the seat of the German parliament. In a hugely symbolic and brave decision, the British architectural firm of Norman Foster was chosen to redesign the Reichstag building. The project would take 4 years and was completed in 1999. The end result is a masterpiece of design, symbolism and attention to detail.

The Reichstag building is impressive in every aspect. Natural lighting is used to the maximum with a circular glass domed ceiling in the main parliamentary chamber, and large glass windows throughout the building. On entering the Reichstag, the first thing that one notices is a wall that contains names of Russian soldiers who stormed the Reichstag in May 1945. Dozens of Russian names, and the date that they were there, has been preserved for posterity. It is a permanent warning that there are severe consequences for initiating war. It is hard to conceive of any other parliament building, anywhere in the world, that contains such a powerful message.

The German eagle has a long history as the symbol of Germany. Norman Foster wanted something different. He designed a huge new silver eagle with a puffed-up chest and open wingspan that he decided to display directly above and behind the speaker’s podium in the main parliamentary chamber. The new eagle symbolizes a new prosperous future for a united Germany. 

Behind the speaker’s podium is a large room that features a racing boat attached to the ceiling. The boat is similar to those used in the annual Oxford Cambridge boat race. At first glance the boat looks totally out of place. What on earth was Norman Foster thinking of when he placed a racing boat in the ceiling? The answer was provided by the guide. The speed and direction of the boat is determined by all the rowers pulling together in the same direction. It is a masterful demonstration of what parliamentarians should be doing.

Members of the public can look down on the main parliamentary chamber by walking along a circular walkway in the domed roof of the building. The symbolism is that the people are above the elected officials seated below. It is a powerful symbol of what democracy is all about. The job of the politicians is to serve the people

It is apparent that the world has forgotten the lessons of what brought about a totally different Germany after 1945. Instead of demanding unconditional surrender and the immediate release of all the hostages, followed by international trials for Hamas leaders for promoting hatred and crimes against humanity, the world wants to reward Hamas by rebuilding Gaza and to create a Palestinian State whose main aim is the destruction of Israel.

It is also completely apparent that Israeli politicians have absolutely no idea of the concept of rowing together. What a shame that the lessons of the past have been totally forgotten by those that should know better.  

About the writer:

Accountant Neville Berman had an illustrious sporting career in South Africa, being twice awarded the South African State Presidents Award for Sport and was a three times winner of the South African Maccabi Sportsman of the Year Award.  In 1978 he immigrated to the USA  to coach the United States men’s field hockey team, whereafter, in 1981 he immigrated to Israel where he practiced as an accountant and then for 20 years was the Admin Manager at the American International School in Even Yehuda, Israel.  He is married with two children and one granddaughter.

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