Imperialist hypocrisy on full display at Auschwitz memorial ceremony

27th January marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Red Army's liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, where over a million Jews, Poles, Roma and communists were murdered by the Nazis. But the commemoration was tarnished by the hypocrisy of western imperialism.

[Originally published at communist.red]

At least 1.1 million people were industrially butchered by the Nazis at Auschwitz over the course of World War II. Today, it has become a place that once more welcomes war criminals.

Following his ICC arrest warrant last year for war crimes against innocent Palestinians, the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the commemoration was put into question.

According to international law and the so-called ‘rules-based order’, surely Netanyahu’s visit should end rather quickly with him being placed under arrest.

Yet again however, we have proof that all these international laws are worth only as much or as little as the imperialists enforcing them desire.

Polish government’s hypocrisy

Polish president Andrzej Duda put pressure on the liberal government of Donald Tusk by asking for a cast-iron guarantee of “safe passage” for the butcher of Gaza, so he can stain the memory of the victims of the Holocaust with his presence.

Not much pressure was needed however, as Tusk was more than happy to ignore the ICC ruling.

If that is not enough to prove what a sorry joke the idea of this supposedly impartial rule of justice is, wait to see the list of other visitors… or rather lack of.

Vladimir Putin – likewise facing an arrest warrant by the ICC – is not being extended the same ‘iron guarantees’ of free passage by the Polish government.

While Putin can lay no claim to the legacy of the heroic struggle of the Soviet masses against the Nazis, the lack of any representation from the Russian government is a calculated snub by the western imperialists.

Let’s remember that it was Soviet soldiers – a great many of whom were Russian – who liberated the last prisoners of Auschwitz 80 years ago. And let’s not forget that some 15,000 Soviet citizens were murdered in the camp throughout its operation.

Netanyahu, the butcher of Gaza, was invited to stain the memory of those who were killed at Auschwitz / Image: own work

Once again, it is one rule for ‘our’ war criminals, and another for the enemies of western imperialism!

In the end, this whole charade didn’t serve anything but exposing this blatant hypocrisy for all to see.

Incidentally, Netanyahu had other important things to do – likely finishing bombing Palestinians in Gaza despite the ceasefire. In the end, he decided to send Israel’s education minister instead.

The horse-trading did not stop there however.

The world’s number one beggar – a man who shares with Napoleon his height and military ambition, but none of his ability - Volodymyr Zelensky, was welcomed with open arms.

This is despite the fact that Zelensky has leaned upon far-right militia groups who openly parade fascist memorabilia and glamorise Stepan Bandera, who collaborated with the Nazis and carried out pogroms against Jews.

Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz are scheduled to speak with him, as he continues to beg for arms to send his own people into the meat-grinder of a senseless war – in a continued act of desperation for the Kiev regime.

Tarnished memory

For the imperialists, the memory of Auschwitz victims and survivors matters not. The still living survivors asked to speak at the ceremony will sadly serve only as a window dressing for the self-important ghouls and murderers gathered there.

These bourgeois hypocrites – whose political ancestors back then allowed Hitler to come to power, and turned a blind eye on the horror of Holocaust – now spit in the face of every single Jew, Pole, Roma, communist, and countless others murdered there.

It is our obligation to expose this revolting spectacle, and uphold the real memory of what happened over 80 years ago.

We, the working class, defeated fascism back then, and we are the only force capable of fulfilling the promise of ‘never again’!