What explains Germany's stance on Israel?

Olaf Scholz' government is coming under increased scrutiny over its support for Israel. Central to this debate is what we read as the key lesson of the Holocaust.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Dear Reader,

At the weekend I did something that, as the father of two small children, gave me a deep sense of privilege. I went to the cinema.

The film I chose has arrived at a time when it is eerily relevant to world affairs.

The Zone of Interest portrays the life of the Höß family at their home under the walls of Auschwitz. Father, Rudolf Höß, is the camp commandant. But the camera never ventures inside the camp. Instead, it shows us the blissful family life next door. The children mill around in the garden; the mother is tremendously proud of her flower beds; Rudolf reads his daughter fairytales in bed. 

The family seems oblivious to the muffled screams and dull thud of bullets in the background.

The film is Hannah Arendt’s famous description of Adolf Eichmann (the banality of evil) turned into 100 minutes of excruciating cinema. The Nazi commandant is no longer the comic book villain of standard Hollywood portrayal. He is a soft and gentle. He is…