Quote by Christopher Hitchens

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, historians have become both more accurate and more honest fractionally more brave, one might say about that 'other' cleansing of the regions and peoples that were ground to atoms between the upper and nether millstones of Hitlerism and Stalinism. One of the most objective chroniclers is Professor Timothy Snyder of Yale University. In his view, it is still 'Operation Reinhardt,' or the planned destruction of Polish Jewry, that is to be considered as the centerpiece of what we commonly call the Holocaust, in which of the estimated 5.7 million Jewish dead, 'roughly three million were prewar Polish citizens.' We should not at all allow ourselves to forget the millions of non-Jewish citizens of Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and other Slav territories who were also massacred. But for me the salient fact remains that anti-Semitism was the regnant, essential, organizing principle of all the other National Socialist race theories. It is thus not to be thought of as just one prejudice among many.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and remembering the Holocaust, particularly the planned destruction of Polish Jewry known as 'Operation Reinhardt.' Historian Timothy Snyder argues that anti-Semitism was the central guiding principle behind the National Socialist race theories, distinguishing it from other prejudices. While it is crucial not to overlook the millions of non-Jewish victims from Slav territories, the quote reminds us that anti-Semitism played a pivotal role in the Holocaust, making it distinct and significant. The quote calls for understanding the scale and specificity of the Holocaust while recognizing the broader impact of Hitlerism and Stalinism on various regions and peoples.