The oppression of gays and lesbians was real too, but was not an “extermination.” Nobody was sent to a gas chamber solely for being gay;

I’m very surprised that I had to scroll down this far to find a comment about his ridiculous stance on Israeli settlements. Let’s not go overboard with the praise. He was human like the rest of us.

He had additional blind spots for the Romani, for Iran. . . .

You know, there are Jews who actually live in Jerusalem who were absolutely disgusted by Wiesel’s advocacy on behalf of the occupation. Are they “myopic”? Are they incapable of comprehending the horrors of the Holocaust, and the need “for the Jewish people to have a safe haven”?

Where do you draw the line between “polarizing” and evil?

Amen! I really liked this article:

It really is depressing that he wasn’t able to see the contradictions in his beliefs. I hate that I can’t appreciate his brilliance without being reminded of that ugliness.

He also actively suppressed efforts to recognize other groups victimized by the Holocaust, and actively, enthusiastically advocated for Israeli settlements to ethnically cleanse Palestinians.

No, you get dismissed for shitting on the memorial of someone who may have been a polarizing figure by the end of his life, but who was almost robbed of that life by hatred.

While he is rightfully remembered for his powerful writing about what he witnessed during the Holocaust, I think it’s important to also remember that he had a profound blind spot when it came to recognizing the suffering and oppression of Palestinians.

Pedantry fight!