Righteous Diplomats
On the eve of the anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy the Israeli embassy in Ukraine opened an exhibition, A New Lease of Life, at the National Museum of Ukraine dedicated to diplomats who sheltered Jews from the Nazi persecution during World War II. The tragic fate of the most distinguished of them, Raul Wallenberg, and his efforts to save Jews in Budapest in 1944 have become legendary. He went to great lengths to save Hungarian Jews from deportation and extermination. He signed thousands of writs of protection declaring them to be under the protection of Switzerland, provided shelter to 15,000 Jews in the shelter building No 31, disrupted Nazi plans to blow up the Budapest ghetto and wipe out the surviving Jews on the eve of the liberation of the city. The Swedish diplomat did not let any echelon or transport pass and clashed with Hungarian and German guards. In his last talk with his friend, diplomat Per Anger, Wallenberg said: “I will not dare return to Stockholm until I am sure that I have done all I can to save as many Jews as possible.” His clearly pronounced civic and human stand, which made him delay his departure, eventually proved fatal for him. However, not Germans or Hungarians but the Soviets arrested the diplomat in early 1945, accusing him of espionage. The Russian secret police, then known as the Cheka, came to such a conclusion when they found out that Wallenberg had been commissioned to Hungary by the US and received funding from Washington. In all probability, it was hard for them to believe that a Swede left his safe haven of a country to save Jews. Raul was arrested and disappeared never to be seen again...
In 1966, Israel issued a certificate conferring the title of Righteous Man of the World on Raul Wallenberg. However, his next of kin refused to accept it, claiming this would mean recognition on their part of Raul’s death. The exhibition features life stories and photos of nine Righteous men of the world.
Under the Knesset law of 1953 this title is conferred on behalf of all Jewish people. In their selection of candidates Israel applies the following criteria: acting contrary to specific instructions of authorities and venturing one’s career in order to save a great number of people. Aristidis de Soza Mendes, a Portuguese diplomat in Bordo, was sacked and banned from practicing law. In the early days of war he issued writs of protection and entry visas to Portugal, acting behind the back of his authorities. Born into an aristocratic family, he was excommunicated and lived his last years in wretched poverty.
One way or another, assistance rendered Jews and people of other nationalities oppressed by the Nazis affected virtually all of them. Tens of thousands of innocent people owe their lives to their humanism and good will. It would be appropriate to quote the preface to Per Anger’s book: “When you get to know how much a handful of men and women have done, it dawns on you how much more could have been done if more people sympathized with the Jews.” Different sources quote different numbers of Jews saved by spiritual, public, and political figures. This is illustrated in Poland where the number is between 25,000 and 45,000, in Austria about 15,000 , and 200,000 (!) human lives were saved in Hungary. Regrettably, there are no reliable statistics for Ukraine and Russia.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition to last until October 20 was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova Anna Azari who in her address drew parallels between the wartime events and the 9/11 tragedy in the US. Ms. Azari stressed that we should fight terrorism in all its forms to prevent similar tragedies in future.
