The service of that myth is part of why German support for Israel is so over the top, yes. Actual treatment of Holocaust survivors in Israel could be really shitty, with high rates of poverty and mistreatment by Zionist settlers. A Hebrew slur against diaspora Jews of the time, “sabonim”, was slang for “coward” and stemmed from the use of Holocaust victims’ body fat to make soap.
However, following the money gets to the real heart of the issue. West Germany retained an enormous amount of money and property that Nazi Germany had stolen from Holocaust victims. Monetary support for Israel and encouraging immigration let the state dodge liability for reparations to individuals. Read more here: https://jacobin.com/2020/11/postwar-west-germany-support-israel-whitewashing
The service of that myth is part of why German support for Israel is so over the top, yes. Actual treatment of Holocaust survivors in Israel could be really shitty, with high rates of poverty and mistreatment by Zionist settlers. A Hebrew slur against diaspora Jews of the time, “sabonim”, was slang for “coward” and stemmed from the use of Holocaust victims’ body fat to make soap.
However, following the money gets to the real heart of the issue. West Germany retained an enormous amount of money and property that Nazi Germany had stolen from Holocaust victims. Monetary support for Israel and encouraging immigration let the state dodge liability for reparations to individuals. Read more here: https://jacobin.com/2020/11/postwar-west-germany-support-israel-whitewashing