"There was reference made to a book written in Greek by a former Rabbi who had been converted to Christianity. There was reference to a publication of a high clergyman of Milan. Not even did Jews raise objections to that book"
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Streicher is doing what propagandists do best: laundering an accusation through citations so it can pose as “mere observation.” The sentence is structured like a courtroom brief, not a thought. “Reference made” repeats like a stamp, signaling that the authority doesn’t come from argument or evidence but from the appearance of documentation. Greek. Former rabbi. Converted. High clergyman of Milan. Each credential is a prop designed to reassure a suspicious audience: See, this isn’t hatred, it’s scholarship; it isn’t German obsession, it’s cosmopolitan; it isn’t Nazi invention, it’s already in the archives.
The subtext is uglier than the syntax. By spotlighting a “former Rabbi” who converted, Streicher weaponizes the figure of the “insider” turned witness, a classic move in scapegoating narratives: the defector’s testimony is framed as uniquely credible because it seems to come from within the targeted group. The Milan cleric adds Christian institutional weight, positioning antisemitism as respectable, even ecumenical. The punchline is the insinuation that Jewish silence equals consent: “Not even did Jews raise objections.” It’s an argument from non-response, rigged to win either way. If Jews object, it’s “proof” of guilt or conspiracy; if they don’t, it’s “admission.”
Context matters: Streicher wasn’t a soldier so much as a professional inciter, a central voice in Nazi media culture that normalized persecution as common sense. This is the bureaucratic tone of eliminationism: prejudice dressed up as bibliographic etiquette, preparing listeners to treat violence as the logical next footnote.
The subtext is uglier than the syntax. By spotlighting a “former Rabbi” who converted, Streicher weaponizes the figure of the “insider” turned witness, a classic move in scapegoating narratives: the defector’s testimony is framed as uniquely credible because it seems to come from within the targeted group. The Milan cleric adds Christian institutional weight, positioning antisemitism as respectable, even ecumenical. The punchline is the insinuation that Jewish silence equals consent: “Not even did Jews raise objections.” It’s an argument from non-response, rigged to win either way. If Jews object, it’s “proof” of guilt or conspiracy; if they don’t, it’s “admission.”
Context matters: Streicher wasn’t a soldier so much as a professional inciter, a central voice in Nazi media culture that normalized persecution as common sense. This is the bureaucratic tone of eliminationism: prejudice dressed up as bibliographic etiquette, preparing listeners to treat violence as the logical next footnote.
Quote Details
| Topic | Faith |
|---|
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