Claim: Holocaust survivors are saying that what's happening in American feels like a repeat of before the Holocaust

Question

TikTok user states that she feels strange as she continues to go about her life usually while people are panicking about this being the fall of America. She feels she should have spent her time better and doesn't know if these will be her last moments. Many other users say similar things as people in their families tell them they need to get somewhere safe.

Answer 1

The main basis for this claim seems to be statements made based on the political developments during Trump's presidency such as the January 6th Coup and more recent events such as the wide-spread banning of books. These actions are seen by many Holocaust and WW2 survivors as incredibly similar to actions that happened in Germany in the build-up to the Holocaust. 

Firstly, an article by the Los Angeles Times from 2022 features interviews with Holocaust survivors about their experiences in the turbulence of Trump's presidency and their thoughts. 

One interviewee, Josie Levy Martin, stated, "'I fear not enough good people remember history. Why are so many Republicans on board with Trump, even a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt? I worry about political things, such as the large number of judges Trump has appointed, but there are also other changes that deeply concern me.'"

There are other interviewees who speak about similar topics, all stating that the actions that many Republicans are taking are extremely concerning, reminiscent of the environment of Nazi Germany. 

Another more recent piece of evidence that I found comes from Grace Linn, a 100 year-old, who spoke against the banning of books in Florida last week. In a school board meeting that she attended, Linn came to the front and spoke against the banning of literature. She made a direct comparison to Nazi Germany, and said, "'One of the freedoms that the Nazis crushed was the freedom to read the books they banned. They stopped the free press and banned and burned books. The freedom to read, which is protected by the First Amendment, is our essential right and duty of our democracy. Even so, it is continually under attack by both the public and private groups who think they hold the truth. Banning books and burning books are the same. Both are done for the same reason — fear of knowledge.'". 

Based on this evidence, I believe that the claim is true as it seems many Holocaust survivors see the decisions being made by politicians and many of their constituents remind them of similar ones made by the Nazis before the Holocaust. 

Grace Linn Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ZMP5CFS2M

Grace Linn News Feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPOts38tdQY

Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-01-21/holocaust-survivors-what-worries-them-about-today

Comments

Your introduction and explanation really helped me understand the claim. Thanks for being detailed and thorough.

Answer 2

While it can be said that in today's society, it can at times feel painful and agonizing. However, the reality is that it does not come near the pain that was experienced in the holocaust. Comparing today to the Holocaust is simply a false accusation. While it may feel this way, it is disrespectful to misuse the term for an event that caused many casualties and is sensitive for so many reasons.

Source:

https://www.againstholocaustdistortion.org/news/debunking-inappropriate-holocaust-comparisons-the-covid-19-yellow-star

Comments

I think the claim is not about comparing today's societal conditions to the Holocaust but about how survivors feel about it. So it's very specific and nuanced. Do you still feel the claim is false?

Answer 3

Holocaust survivors are saying the current situation in America has similarities to the world they lived in before the Holocaust. This claim is true. There is no evidence to show the exact number of survivors who share the same opinion but at least some survivors indeed agree the two situations are similar, despite how scary and sad of a fact that is to come to terms with. 

“These readers survived the Holocaust. This is what worries them about America today,” was created by the Los Angeles Times in 2022. This piece collectively inputs the opinion of survivors from the Holocaust, specifically their opinion on the United States government following the insurrection of the capital in 2021. The article covers the story of Josie Levy Martin and several others. Josie explicitly raised the question of government corruption and compared it to a world she once saw crumble. “And where will ours be in 2022 and 2024 if so many election officials have been ousted or quit because they failed to cheat for a would-be fascist dictator? I pray for our democracy, which seems irrevocably on life support.” 

Overall, because the claim is rather broad, I do highly recommend looking into the article if you are curious about all levels of opinion. The article provides clear opinions from Holocaust survivors backed with videos, quotes, and even photographs. Though it is a sad fact, at least some Holocaust survivors are comparing the modern-day United States to the world they knew directly before the Holocaust. 

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-01-21/holocaust-survivors-what-worries-them-about-today