Prof. Eyal Naveh,Head of the Department of History at Tel Aviv University, Expert in the US History, and additionally involved in research on the link between education and history.
Interviewed by Ofer Aloni, named for the woman rebel who roused the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Ofer: Is it possible that the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising left its imprint on Martin Luther King?
Prof. Naveh: Yes, he speaks about this. He refers to it as an example of opposition to evil, further claiming that “if you are silent, then you are in fact cooperating with evil” and therefore, who argues with the theologians who said “Why are you so extreme? In the end, all will be fine.” To which he answered, “It won't ‘just be fine’, you need to state the statement” and then he describes those instances of rebellion against evil, and mentions it (the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising) in that context.
Ofer: That’s amazing. Might we say that the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is a kind of foundation, an inspiration for rebellions by young people in the world, including Woodstock and Pink Floyd?
Prof. Naveh: Yes, absolutely. The stance that does not agree to what is taken for granted is a stance that will not agree to accepting the norm, it’s a stance that says “we must go beyond what currently exists and seek that spark and from that spark, garner inspiration; from that stance, such as of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.