Israel Uncensored: Remembering the Holocaust – From Home

now hastin here Israel uncensored on the Land of Israel network at the Land of Israel calm it is April the 20th 2020 26 of Nisan five seven eight oh thank you so much for joining us hope you're doing well in your part of the world as we deal with the pandemic called Cova nineteen aronia hope you are saved hope you are okay I hope you had a lovely Passover wherever you are in the world for those who celebrate in light of the new realities which we are facing here in Israel tonight we begin the commemoration Holocaust martyrs and heroes Remembrance Day here in Israel really all over the world so we're going to go right to the phone right now and speak to an award-winning British Israeli journalist he is a Holocaust survivor a decorated World War two veteran he's 96 years old he is the oldest radio broadcaster actually in the world this according to the Guinness Book he has a show called the Walter Bingham file on Israel news talk radio it's truly an honor to have a hero on the program today the one and only Walter Bingham welcome welcome to the show Walter yeah I'm glad to be here first I just like to know how are you doing in this in this age of Corona I understand you live in Jerusalem correct that is correct in the center of town how are you managing here in this new reality unfortunately I have a daughter who doesn't live too far away from me I live by myself of course and she is looking after me very well and to brings brings food if I need it and goes that they go to the supermarket and bring me food and leave it by the door now don't come in but I'm managing it it's boring at times as it is for most older people I'm fortunate you already mentioned that I do radio shows I do the one that you mentioned and I have one on the Israel national radio which is somewhat sever in English and I'm also hurt in Australia so I keep Smee busy during the week putting together a show yes you know it's not not easy and I I used to go outside and report from different events in the country now I can't do that so I until the best I can but I teach me busy so that that's one blessing we are so many other people especially the older people and of course Holocaust survivors at this particular time especially melancholy and think of their families thank God I am I'm okay that's great to hear that you're doing well in light of this new reality keep keep at it keep busy or true inspiration a national treasure as being a as being the oldest radio host in the world but I want to get to the the fact that here we are on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day you yourself a survivor tell us the significance of the day to you as we head into the commemoration this evening and also if you can share just briefly I know we could talk for hours about your life's work in your story of survival as well just your thoughts as we head towards the Holocaust remembered today and just to give a little background if you can on how you survived the Shoah it's a very poignant day for me personally having lost many members of my family but I also as you indicated I lived through the period of Nazi tyranny and not fortunately in the camps but I am cast as a survivor because if you were lived anywhere under the Nazis at the time of the crystal night the night of the broken glass then you are glasses aware because that was the beginning of the Holocaust the biggest pogrom other than the actual Holocaust in the camps itself so I was born in Germany and I went to school for three years before Hitler came to power and then you click him to power and things changed of course and I lived under Hitler for six years and it became successively tougher we had a very tough time but people were hoping it would get better but it didn't so in school I suffered because as the Jewish boy first of all I had to sit in the back of the class and if the children hit me and I went to the teacher the teacher didn't do anything so it got worse it was a the vicious circle and subsequently were thrown out of school and it was really tough we boys I was a teenager young teenager we made our own fun let me give you an example how we had to entertain ourselves and this is before I come to the young Messiah we might sit in a tram where you had to be in a special place and some nasty might sneeze and in Lapua tin in germany's gesundheit as you know so we worked with half Edison half local dialects a sim site and the man would say thank you very much you know in German and what we actually said was not the Sun tight health we used to say sometimes to death this is just one item when in the tram the conductor would call out the station and in the Old Market Square was renamed to adult fitter me emotionally him at the fiddler plots and plus of course as you might know from Yiddish means to burst as well as a square and when he started thought of Hitler class we would say oh man haven't I got you so that was how we had to entertain ourselves the life was very very very very tough we all suffered quietly but I am really thinking about the people who were in the camps I don't think I would have survived one day I can't imagine myself one day in under the circumstances in in the camps however much we suffered it's a no comparison and today the elderly the survivors many of them move don't have anymore the mental capacity to know what's going on with this virus why are they locked up they were locked up once before and now again they look at can you imagine it it must be must be terrible for these four people and now they cannot get any visitors from the family and on a day like yo ma sure there will be reminiscing they will be thinking about the past and about what happened to them it's very very very very sad and I'm particularly regret this force sub huge remembrance ceremony that we have now that's only recorded it's been pre-recorded in fact at Yad Vashem which is the world's Holocaust Remembrance Center here in Jerusalem and the ceremony has been pre-recorded even so there were no survivors present for whom this event was an important event and no audience and no audience either I also think there's no doubt on this day many families will mourn their loved ones who have succumbed to this year's enemy another enemy we are fighting today it's a very sad time in a very sad day and I hope the Taschen will have mercy with us and soon stop this even I mean I mean to that we certainly hope that this reality ends very very soon and certainly in God's hands and I just want our listeners to to know the fact that you actually you actually survived the Holocaust because of a kinder transport correct you were you made it to Great Britain as things were developing the Nazi Germany correct and yes well as things got worst the Jewish organizations in Germany at that time contacted a Jewish communities in England and said can you not save our children and eventually an arrangement was made with the permission of the Nazis that 10,000 children mainly Jewish would be saved to England I don't know if all 10,000 made it because the war intervened maybe only seven-and-a-half I estimate I was one of those who made it but I have a problem here because it was unaccompanied children no parents so you have to imagine the trauma of of children when their parents in cane in my face my mother because I must say that my father had already been deported to Poland we are Polish Jews and he he died in the warsaw ghetto but my mother took me to the Train and I was old enough to understand why I was going it was five minutes before war broke out you never said four weeks before the war and then there were little children four-year-olds who didn't understand why they were in the Train and their parents were outside and they were crying and mommy I love you and the trauma was terrible and that was only because the British did not allow parents to accompany the children that was a real terrible thing anyway I was saved to England with the Kindertransport that was a collective name I have to explain to you some some children went to foster parents others went to family others still went to into hostels and I because I and many organizations had an input into this and I came through with hundreds in dartium through their religious Zionist youth movement which had a greater no I use organization and in let's dig know it at the time but that subsequently became bnei akiva and so i am the oldest perceivably i think in in england as well and so I lived and I came into what was effectively a kibbutz it was a communal center there were several a wonderful man area handler just one LaRocca he he was not all that much older than I was and he organized all that he had permission from the Nazis to travel back and forth and he organized for for a hotplate sandwich in dartium for us to come and I lived in this communal Center rather like a kibbutz so did at that time if you had fallen pants you went to the my son to the store and showed them and then you got another pair and I survived that way until I left and subsequently went into the british army fort and landed on the beaches of normandy amazing amazing amazing the rest is history and we could probably walter we could probably talk for four hours getting your life story and i do hope it that it is documented in some format because it truly is remarkable your entire story from from living under you know the rule of the nazis to great britain and then making ally out to israel in 2004 but since our time is short i which was I must interrupt which was the best thing I ever the second best thing in my life I have added after getting married and to come to Israel it was my dream because oh I have to say that I was registered to come to Israel to make on the article and it since about 1937 that before long before I actually came in the Kindertransport but the British didn't give the permits destined and where I lived in subsequently in England with with my friends Mossad they were the ones who started kyboot slavi and i could i could have been a founder of kibbutz la vie but at that time i was married and my wife autoshow she she wanted to stay in england so what can you do if the wife didn't want to go but i had several opportunities to go and i can also tell you about idea becoming far away from you my sure but i can tell you that when i came out of the army 1947 italy of a representative from from the army she came to me and said you're an experienced soldier come we need you we won - that was 47 and because my wife didn't want to go I I I didn't go otherwise I would opinion here also in the war liberation which I I regret assumptions well we're glad you we're glad you're here now we're glad you're in Israel or glad that you are broadcasting the truth about Israel to the world Walter Bingham what an amazing story the oldest I should say a young 96 years old broadcasting to the world I want people to know how they can reach out to you hear your broadcasts from Israel to the world so that they can learn more and fortunately we're out of time I mean like I said we could talk for much much longer and get more of your life story but if people want to get in touch with you listen to your programs to learn more about your amazing amazing adventures in life how can people listen to you Walter well the judge nice things thank you very much you've been on your program - thank you what's the best way to get in touch with you or hear your shows well you can get to an Israel national news forward slash radio and Walters world or you can go to the Walter Bingham file on Israel news talk radio.com or in fact if you go to google and you put in the world Walter Bingham Israel you have to put Israel behind it first of all you and hear all my life story and secondly that will - all my different programs well I want to thank you so much on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day Walter it's great to call you a friend and colleague here and the radio business and let's all just let's all be safe now as we head to as we head through this corona situation together here in Israel and around the world let's be safe and keep keep it up Walters stay strong keep doing what you're doing stay healthy and please God let's talk again soon oh did you want one more thing I didn't tell you you can put that in the middle of the program is that that the secular date today and for the segment today secular date for the team of Yamaha has a particular significance because it is the birthday of the big Masha the big Nazi who started it all in Germany I don't want to mention his name it's his birthday today I didn't even know that I appreciate that piece of information Walter all the best to you keep it up we're gonna take a short break and be right back you're listening to Israel uncensored on the Land of Israel network at the Land of Israel calm we'll take a short break and be back with all the news all the latest here from Israel especially in regard to the situation with Corona [Music] Zionism political and secular says ben-gurion held that Israel must be redeemed by its own efforts and by natural agency that the Jewish people on its own must create the foundations of a new life I'm definitely looking to found a new life my people in the land although I'm not so sure we can do it on our own zom rob my foyer and this is the Jewish story join Roth Mike foyer for the best Jewish history podcast the Jewish story on the Land of Israel network at the Land of Israel calm and we are back Josh Hayes can hear Israel uncensored on the Land of Israel network at the Land of Israel Tom for the 20th of April of 2020 26 of Nisan five seven eight oh I want to thank Walter Bingham he is an icon he is an absolute treasure it was great to have him on the show just go back if you missed any part of that interview go back and listen to the words of a survivor somebody who fought in World War two as well made his way to Israel and is the oldest broadcaster in the world that according to the Guinness Book of World Records and now I want to want to give you just an update on the news of course corona the virus top story around the world the latest numbers out of the Ministry of Health this morning we're talking 8:00 a.m. here on the 20th of April 13650 for Israelis currently infected with the virus we've had 173 deaths unfortunately as a result of the of the virus some positive news 3872 have have healed from the virus from Corona and the majority of people in light condition over 9,000 in light condition and then you have those who are in moderate and then in serious condition of those who on respirators all of that information by the Israeli Ministry of Health the government decided as of yesterday morning Sunday morning a partial opening of the of the economy and of life here in Israel and there was a whole list put out yesterday I'll just read a few of these liftings of the lifting of restrictions you're talking about partial openings of stores certain stores are now open special education up to three children joint child care prayer up to nineteen people in an open space even though my rabbi and many other rabbis are saying absolutely no minyan eeeem no chorim's to pray and I'm still holding by that I personally am NOT going back to praying with a minyan until I can do it safely inside a synagogue so I'm still praying at home weddings up to 10 people circumcisions up to 10 people sports activities up to 500 meters with two people must be the same two people each time and so here we have a lifting of the restrictions somewhat and I just pray to God that this doesn't backfire I understand the economy must open and and I just hope that people out there are wearing I'm wearing masks outdoors that is that that's a big one that you have to do stepping outside your house I hope hope people are keeping to the the orders and restrictions of the Ministry of Health god forbid we should not see any more major increases in cases you know they're talking about about good news the other day reported by the Jewish press this was I think on Thursday or Friday for the first time more new recoveries the new sick here in Israel as a resort result of Corona I think it was this past Thursday more people recovered 343 than those who were taken ill 264 so for whatever those statistics are worth again reported by the Jewish press we're seeing some positive news even with all the negativity all the negative news here so the positive news should please God continue ministers in the government were actually pretty upset with the Prime Minister it was very odd Saturday night I'll admit you had the Prime Minister speak and talked about how all these restrictions would be lifted and then after he spoke just a few minutes later in the Ministry of Health put out an illustrative guide to the new the new lifting of restrictions and then after all that the ministers met to decide whether or not they would approve of the Prime Minister's plan so it was somewhat in Reverse of the way it should have been I mean normally it would be the government of Israel approves of it and then the Prime Minister announces it in the Health Ministry puts out the actual orders or lifting of restrictions the new directives but this was completely strange and then after a few minutes after people got upset that nothing had really been approved the Ministry of Health deleted all of their information about the lifting of restrictions only to put it up the next morning Sunday morning to let us know in fact it had been approve so a lot of confusion there Minister is upset an environmental Minister Protection Minister Elkin reported by the Jay post here asking why are we having a discussion where everything was already made public how does the Health Ministry publicize things without a discussion in the cabinet that shameful and some are calling the Prime Minister out as well for publishing those restrictions the lifting of restrictions without actually approving them in the cabinet a lot of politics taking place here of course I mean that's that's the way it is unfortunately but but it was it was like it was like chaos I mean you already had people running around outside I saw out of my own window people outside taking advantage of the easing of restrictions even before it had been approved because when you hear the Prime Minister of the State of Israel get on TV at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night and make all of these announcements people automatically assume and I don't judge them for this that that that is the new policy you had people already outside and going 500 meters doing everything which not had a bit not which which hadn't been approved yet but then it was approved the next morning please God it should go as planned and hopefully we have it's what's the phrase now broken the curve or lessen the curve or did what we have to do hopefully we're going in the right directions I mentioned before prayer quorums and even though the Health Ministry says you can have up to 19 people at 2 meters apart praying outside the Jewish Press reports that her 80 ultra-orthodox leaders are still against coram minyan prayers even though the government has made these changes according to Channel 12 News the Jewish press says that correspondent yet year a share key spoke to the Rosh Yeshiva one of the biggest she was there in Bonet Barak who said that that he recommended that people still pray at home in addition the the highest-ranking Habad community rabbi Yitzhak Yehuda euro Slav ski if I'm pronouncing that correctly said that he is against the relaxation of the rules he thinks people should pray at home I agree why why take a chance at this juncture I also was somewhat somebody who went to minyan each and every day for the most part had it missed the minion on Shabbat in over 20 years I think I've talked about it here on the show Shabbat morning but that being said I'm not willing to take the chance of standing around with so many other people even with those even with the easing of restrictions trying to try to keep it to pharmacy supermarket and in the restrictions with the the exercise 500 meters from from the home three million surgical masks donated by the Milner foundation of one is familiar landed Thursday evening in Israel on an L all Dreamliner brought in from China masks will be distributed to my getting W de dum emergency staff services as well as Israel railways the post office and other organizations so thank you very much I'm not really ER I'm not familiar with this Milner foundation reported here by the Jewish press but thank you so much for for that in political news here in Israel we still do not have a government it's back in fourth Bennigan's the Speaker of the Knesset and Prime Minister Netanyahu back and forth back and forth one a minute there's progress one minute there isn't progress last I heard they broke off coalition talks just a few minutes ago but by the time you're hearing this podcast who knows perhaps we'll have a government so back and forth back and forth but in regards to one of the main issues here as it relates to Judea and Samaria and my audience political officials report here by Arutz Sheva Israel national news officials made it clear Sunday that at the moment as part of negotiations which perhaps from what I just saw collapsed anyway sovereignty will not be included among the government's basic principles which I find definitely disturbing I mean we were talking about before this whole corona thing hit we were talking about applying sovereignty to Judea and Samaria the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea area that was the plan according to Prime Minister Netanyahu based on the Trump deal of the century we would start applying sovereignty to certain areas but it looks like that principle the issue of sovereignty is not included or have was not included in terms of one of the conditions to form a coalition in other words will form a coalition if I'm talking speaking as if I am with Likud or or the Prime Minister side but will form a coalition even without Bennigan's agreeing to sovereignty perhaps it's the pressure of the European Union which somehow has the time to get involved in Israeli politics according to The Times of Israel warning guns not to agree to what they call West Bank annexation we're talking about Judea and Samaria the EU has been warning many gods not to agree to annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria they called the West Bank and coalition negotiations with Prime Minister Netanyahu reports said on Saturday night annexation of the Jordan Valley and Jewish communities was a core election promised as I mentioned by Netanyahu God's has given mixed messages on such a move which is generally opposed internationally at least by some but could be approved by Washington as part of the Israeli Arab Peace plan so EU officials spoke over the last few weeks with Gonzo's for Foreign Affairs advisor told her that the Union strongly opposes any lateral move to extend Israeli sovereignty over what they call the West Bank I called Judea and Samaria sources European diplomats sources said on Saturday night so there you have it the EU with million with thousands I should say with people dying still have the time to try and get involved in an internal internal Israeli political matter namely the application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria is something which should have happened back in 1967 but has not happened until now we'll see how things play out and again it is very fluent if you will of a very fluid situation with coalition talks starting stopping who knows what will we will we have a fourth election I don't know it is very very possible but the European Union getting involved in Israeli politics at the same time the Palestinian Authority continuing to incite to murder even with Corona going on they still have the time to brainwash their children the next generation into one thing to become and their and their vision martyrs essentially murdering Jews in Israel Palestinian media watch reports at songs broadcast on official PA television during the corona crisis encourage continued terror promote martyrdom death for children and congratulate mothers on the dyeing of their son as quote martyrs these songs have been exposed in the past but now they're re-airing these songs on official PA television and you have some disturbing quotes here Palestine I will redeem you with my child calling on Palestinian Authority families to encourage their children to become so-called martyrs suicide bombers murderers of Jews and Israelis that's what's going on under the Palestinian Authority even in the age of Crona go to Palestinian media watch check out all their information and if you don't want to listen to the commentary don't just check out the translations on a just on minimum ly check out the translations of what the vision the official Palestinian Authority our so-called peace partners what they're saying in Arabic to their own people when the world is not paying attention but thanks to Palestine a media watcher translating all this horrible unfortunately horrible horrible incitement to violence against Israel and the Jewish people some we're gonna end with some positive news here on the eve of Holocaust and remember and stay in Israel the number of Jews worldwide nears the global Jewish population in 1925 reported here on numerous sources this one is from Times of Israel a head of Holocaust Remembrance Day which begins tonight the Central Bureau of Statistics released data on the number of Jews worldwide according to the CBS they were fourteen point seven million Jews at the end of 2018 just short of the fourteen point 18 million there were in 1925 a six point seven million Jews in Israel account for 45% of the world population that is the biggest individual population number in terms of Jews living in one place but if you add up the US said with a population of 5.7 million and France Canada the UK Argentina Russia Germany in Australia there's still more Jews living outside of the state of Israel but those numbers are changing more and more Jews are coming home to Israel and hopefully one day very very soon Israel will be able to bow the fact that more Jews live in Israel than outside of Israel again just to clarify Israel does have the largest Jewish individual country has the largest Jewish population six point seven million Jews in the world but hopefully the the numbers will change even more so that Israel will have the majority of Jews living in the world here in the State of Israel that's going to do it for today everyone out there most importantly in the wonderful wonderful world I was be safe shout out the Binyamin brettski for all the work he does and Tabitha apps team behind the scenes to make this happen everyone else here at the Land of Israel network you can get in touch with me during the week Josh at the Land of Israel comm on Facebook Joshua hastin on Twitter at Josh hastin on Instagram as well and I'll said I said it before just a minute ago I'll say it again be safe everyone out there follow the rules stay at home and please God we will speak again next Monday as we get ready we will be getting ready for Memorial Day and Israel's Independence Day celebrated like never before from home that's the way we're going to do it so be safe out there Shalom Shalom from Israel and Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish state and the eternal capital of the Jewish people Shalom Shalom [Music] who are we as a people who are we as a nation what does it mean to be a Jew in the Land of Israel as a Jew in Judea what is our message to the world we're finally back in our land and we get to ask these questions Misrata Shem we're gonna make Judea and Samaria an issue for the entire world to know that the Jews have a place in the world Israel inspired with Aria Prague woods and Jeremy compelled on the Land of Israel network at the Land of Israel