Jews, Take a Deep Look Into The Eyes Of Haaretz's Orit Kamir: a Holocaus

Orit Kamir background — Avishag Shar-Yeshuv

Every year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pause to honor the memory of six million murdered Jews, and to remind ourselves of the abyss of human cruelty. But this year, Orit Kamir; professor, feminist, and self-anointed moral voice of the Israeli left; decided to hijack that sacred moment for one of the most despicable pieces of writing ever published in a mainstream Israeli outlet.

In this article, Ms. Kamir carries out a series of severe actions that fall squarely within the scope of the Israeli Penal Code, including:

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Her April 21st article in Haaretz, titled “What Do You Want from the Germans? Look in the Mirror and See Them,” isn’t just morally outrageous. It’s legally criminal, historically illiterate, and ethically perverse. And it should be treated as such.

Relevant Legal Provisions

Law for the Prohibition of Holocaust Denial, 1986:

Section 1: “A person who publishes any printed matter, writing or public statement denying or expressing joy over acts committed by the Nazis – shall be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.”

Section 2: “A person who publishes any statement expressing identification with Nazi acts or crimes, or degrading or humiliating the memory of the Holocaust – shall be subject to imprisonment.”

The article is built upon a consistent pattern of comparing modern Israeli society with that of Nazi Germany, completely disregarding the historical context, the distinction between victim and aggressor, and the unique nature of the Holocaust crimes.

Ms. Kamir explicitly portrays the actions of the State of Israel as a continuation of what she calls “Nazi strategy.” In doing so, she clearly violates Section 2 of the above-mentioned law, by publicly degrading and humiliating the memory of the Holocaust through false, distorted, and inflammatory comparisons.

She also broke Yom HaShoah Law (1959). While this law does not carry a criminal sanction, it is intended to preserve the sanctity of Holocaust memory and prevent any moral harm to national remembrance. Ms. Kamir’s article violates the spirit of this law, offends public sentiment, harms Holocaust survivors, and undermines historical heritage.

The Crime: Holocaust Trivialization, Distortion, and Defamation

Kamir compares Israeli citizens – including protesters, parents, and traumatized hostages’ families – to German civilians who stood by during the Nazi regime. She goes further: accusing Israel of operating with “Nazi strategy,” minimizing the unique industrial horror of the Holocaust, and even suggesting that Israelis are worse than Germans because they “have no excuse” for their silence.

“What do you want from the Germans?” she writes. “At least they feared for their lives. We’re not there yet.”

This isn’t “critique.” This isn’t “provocation.” This is textbook Holocaust distortion.

Prison!?

“If they were in the shoes of those Germans – they would act the same.”

This is a clear and public comparison between citizens of a democratic state and citizens of a totalitarian regime complicit in crimes of genocide.

Explicit claim that the IDF uses Nazi methods:

“Collective punishment of innocent people is a Nazi strategy.”

This statement degrades the institutions of the Jewish state by equating them with the Nazi regime.

Undermining the uniqueness of Nazi extermination methods:

“So what does it matter that they are not being killed in camps?... There are other means.”

This dismisses the unique structure of Nazi extermination—including gas chambers and crematoria—and falsely equates it with Israel’s conduct, creating an immoral and false historical parallel.

Claim that Israelis are morally worse than the Germans:

“At least the Germans had a good reason to remain silent… We are not there yet.”

This is not only a comparison, but an escalation. It is a baseless accusation that humiliates the memory of the Holocaust and weaponizes it for political purposes.

Critical historical fact – Aktion T4 program:

Ms. Kamir portrays the Germans as having been “forced” to cooperate. However, archival documentation proves that most doctors and nurses involved in the Nazi T4 euthanasia program acted voluntarily, without coercion or reward. This renders Kamir’s claims a complete historical falsehood and an egregious distortion of reality.

Under Israel’s Law for the Prohibition of Holocaust Denial (1986), Section 2 explicitly prohibits the degradation, identification with, or trivialization of Nazi crimes. Ms. Kamir’s article qualifies on all three counts. By equating Israel’s fight against a genocidal terrorist organization with Nazi Germany’s systematic annihilation of the Jewish people, she desecrates history and insults the very victims she pretends to mourn.

Fact Check: Her Lies Don't Just Offend – They Falsify History

Kamir claims Germans were "forced" to go along with Nazi crimes, while Israelis act voluntarily. But the truth is far darker.

Holocaust distortion is not a metaphor. It is not “rhetoric.” It is a crime. And it should be prosecuted.

A Call to Justice

This is why I’ve submitted a formal criminal complaint to the Israel Police, calling for Kamir to be investigated and charged under Section 2 of the Holocaust Denial Law. This law exists to protect the memory of the victims, and to prevent precisely the kind of abuse Kamir has committed.

She has the right to speak. But we have the right – and the duty – to draw the line.

Orit Kamir should be prosecuted – and, if convicted, serve the appropriate sentence.

Six million did not die to become metaphors in the culture wars.