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My generation is haunted by the images of the Jewish children in the ghettos and the concentration camps. The crimes committed against them caused us grieve that haunts us through our lives. But for the very same raison d'etre we feel outraged by the images of persecuted Palestinian children, and this time it is Israel that is responsible for the offenses.

Olof Palme#7

HistoryHuman rightsMemoryMoralityTraumaWar

About this quote

What does it mean?
Palme connects the historical trauma of the Holocaust to contemporary suffering in Palestine, holding Israel responsible.
In plain terms
The trauma of Jewish children in the past makes us care about persecuted Palestinian children now.
What can you take from it?
Past traumas inform current moral obligations.

Where it applies

  • human rights discussions
  • intergenerational trauma
  • conflict resolution

Putting it to work

  • human rights advocacy
  • conflict mediation
  • educational outreach

Questions to consider

  • How does history shape current policy?
  • What creates moral outrage?

Another view

Comparing distinct historical events can be controversial.

More from Olof Palme

  1. Apartheid is a unique form of evil. It is a form of tyranny that burn marks an individual from birth only because of the color of her skin. The fate of a child…

    Permalink to quote #6
  2. Werner [Swedish communist leader] is getting used to publicly denouncing the misdeeds of his fellow party members around the World. But he should perhaps start…

    Permalink to quote #8
  3. Apartheid cannot be reformed. It has to be eliminated.

    Permalink to quote #5

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