Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
With memory of Auschwitz still fresh in our mind, we sympathize with the helpless Jewish victims and abhor the brutal Nazi genocide.
We must commend the Germans for their contrition over past deeds. They devoted a piece of prime real estate at the center of their capital as a memorial to the victims of their past sins. In contrast, the Japanese white washed their past aggressions from text books and, when confronted, could only offer superficial regret for their war atrocities. It would be unthinkable if a German chancellor pays homage to a site honoring Hitler and Himmler. Yet every Japanese prime minister paid respect at the Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社) which listed convicted war criminals like Hideki Tojo and Iwane Matsui as martyrs.