Jewish Scene
Latvian president defends 'Nazi' commemoration
AFP
Published: 04.03.12, 14:19
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1. And europe is still a cesspool
Moshe ,   Usa   (03.04.12)
2. Soviet "liberators" killed Jews in Latvia too
Andy Cohen ,   London   (03.04.12)
Having worked in Latvia for a few years, there's a lot this article isn't saying — a lot of the Latvians in the Nazi army were forced into it (often with the threat of death of their families). Even those that joined up voluntarily were simply doing it to defend against the Soviet Union (and look what happened after Germany was defeated, Latvia was occupied by the USSR until 1991, so they had very reasonable cause to be worried). They were also forced into the Soviet army when they occupied as well. What you don't see mentioned in articles like this is that the Soviets deported about one-third of Latvia's whole population (mostly women and children) as part of their ethnic cleansing efforts. Many of the deported were also Jews — as the Soviet Union was a haven for anti-Semites. Many Russians in Latvia today hold very anti-Semetic views.
3. Only 15-20% of the soldiers were 'volunteers', rest forced
F. Dean ,   NYC   (03.04.12)
The Latvian Legion was created in January 1943 on the orders of Adolf Hitler following a request by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. The initial core of the force was provided by Latvian Schutzmannschaft battalions, which were formed several years earlier and had been previuosly engaged in anti-partisan duties. Thus, technically, it was a volunteer unit, but one month after the unit was founded, German occupation authorities in Latvia started conscripting military age men, as close to none had volunteered. They were given a choice between "volunteering" for SS Waffen legions, serving in the German army (Heer) as "auxiliaries" (labourers behind the front lines), commanded by German officers and often treated as subhumans, or being sent to a slave labour camp in Germany. Those who tried to avoid one of those options were arrested and sent to concentration camps. As a result, only 15-20% of the soldiers serving in the legion were actual volunteers.
4. Ok then, Suspend ties, all Jews leave and call it a day
EZRA THE PROUD JEW ,   USA-ISRAEL   (03.04.12)
I'm sure some idiots in america have parties commemorating jeffery dahmer, charles manson or david koresh. No one aside from total monkeys and morons would attend and no one would have anything to do with them. So screw latvia; they're foolish, insensitive monkeys. Can anyone shower us with the brilliance that ever came out of latvia? Its a backward little nation with tribal mentalities that celebrates murderers and thugs. Nothing of childhood nostalgia should even be re-visited by former Jewish inhabitants: it wasn't what they thought it was in their childhood ignorance. Its a place of barbarians. Ignore the place, don't do business with them and forget it even exists. 'nuff said.
5. In service of the devil
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (03.04.12)
6. Latvians
JK ,   USA   (03.04.12)
for Jews the war was about the Holocaust. For Russians it was about millions of dead Russians at the hands of the Germans. For Chinese it was about 20 million dead Chinese at the hands of the Japanese. For every nation the war was about their own particular heroism and suffering. For Latvians the war was about being invaded and over-run by the Soviet Union. Latvians have a duty to honor the Latvians who fought and died helping to push the Soviet invaders out of their country. Zuroff is trying to control the way eastern Europeans remember their suffering at the hands of Russian communists and their stooges. None of his business.
7. What is Latvia?
Jewish Patriot ,   Galut   (03.04.12)
What is Latvia? Who are them? A non sense extremist country with no history. (or not much). Boycott them! Who cares, they should eat what they cooked for themselves...
8. Jews hysterical again
j   (03.04.12)
Get over ourselves already...everything in context.
9. people dont change.. they killed us 70 years
esty   (03.04.12)
ago and they would do it again if they had the chance to
10. Among 15000 Latvians deported to...
Vladimir ,   Yerushalayim   (03.05.12)
Siberia by the Soviets on the eve of the Nazi invasion, there were many Jews. I knew some of them personally. They suffered a lot but were lucky not to stay home and be murdered by their Latvian neighbours. Almost all European nations participated in the mass murder of the Jews.
11. Latvian Holocaust Photos
LatvianRealityCheck ,   Jerusalem Israel   (03.05.12)
I suggest you all go to Google and type in Latvian Holocaust Photos and see the photos of Latvian guards forcing Jewish women and children to be photographed just before being shot into ditches all over the Latvian coastal dune area. They need a little reality check.l
12. They are like the Germans...
Chris Rettenmoser ,   Bayerisch Gmain Germ   (03.05.12)
13. to #11
Bluegrass Picker ,   Afula   (03.06.12)
so very true... but it misses the point. Nowadays we make kvod to the Lehi. We don't do that in any manner of making hatred towards the families of the british that they killed. So let us allow the Latvians to celebrate their own armed soverieignty. Israel will do better to send a felicitous greeting to the Latvians, and mention that their subjagation by the Russians is an example to us as we insist upon securing our own armed soveriegnty. Our cousins the american jews have made an industry out of excusing themselves from Zahal service because they are too cowardly to do more than turn the Shoah into a Temple Bureacracy with lots of highly paid celebrites latching onto the gravy train. Look at the salaries in the Simon Weisenthal Center in LA. ADL president Abe Foxman gets a salary of $700,000/year
14. Misleading title somewhat clickbait...
Arturs ,   Riga   (06.11.20)
Yes they fought under nazi flag, but at that time Latvia was ocupied by nazis, there was not much of a choice... plus german propoganda. So latvians honor them as latvians as persons not as nazi soldiers, becuase they are victims of that time and nazi power... later when soviet union pushed nazis out, many same people or sometimes brothers "joined" the same way to soviet side. I think that is a good example of how wars are pointless for simple people who just want to live their own life. Latvians doesn't celebrates Nazism. Some individuals maybe do, but you can also find such people in every other nation... USA, Russia, and other countries that fought against nazies at that time.
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