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Comments (0)The diary of the notorious Josef Mengele is set to be auctioned off in the United States.
Nazi memorabilia collectors vying for the artifact belonging to the Nazi doctor known at Auschwitz as the “Angel of Death” are expected to pay about $64,000, according to the Daily Mail.
The owner of the diary acquired the volume in Brazil after Mengele died there in 1979, the newspaper said. The historical artifacts house Alexander Autographs in Connecticut told the newspaper that the owner is a source close to the Mengele family.
The diary begins in May 1960, when Mengele was 49.
At Auschwitz, Mengele determined who would live and die, and he conducted horrific, quasi-medical experiments, including on twins.
News of the auction has prompted anger and revulsion among Holocaust survivors and their families, according to a statement released Monday by The American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants.
“This is a cynical act of exploitation aimed at profiting from the writings of one of the most heinous Nazi criminals,” the statement said. “If the auction house will not halt the sale, we are calling on Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to determine if he has the means to do so.”
IsraAID Working with Actor Penn in Haiti
IsraAID is partnering with actor Sean Penn and Israeli-born actress Moran Atias in its earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
IsraAID: The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid is expanding its work in some of the hardest hit areas of Port-au-Prince in close coordination with the relief efforts of Penn and Atias.
Along with other international nongovernmental organizations, IsraAID is providing medical care and post-trauma support to thousands of refugees who have gathered in makeshift camps outside the United States ambassador’s residence. The camps, which are now home to more than 50,000 refugees, receive support from the U.S. Embassy and other international NGOs that are providing food, temporary shelter and relief items.
IsraAID has been providing assistance to Haiti since 48 hours after the devastating earthquake that shook the Caribbean nation on Jan. 12. Its teams have been traveling to many of the satellite camps around Port-au-Prince that Penn and Atias are assisting to treat many of the injured and to assess the next phase of IsraAID relief efforts.
IsraAID’s efforts are funded by the American Jewish Committee, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and B’nai B’rith International, in addition to the Jewish federations of Metropolitan Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland and New York.
Italy’s Berlusconi Arrives in Israel
Israel and Italy will hold their first joint Cabinet meeting in Israel.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was accompanied by seven Cabinet members when he arrived Monday afternoon in Israel for a three-day visit.
The ministers are expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as well as improving cooperative efforts and bilateral relations, Haaretz reported.
On Monday, Berlusconi was scheduled to plant a tree on Mount Herzl and visit Yad Vashem.
The Italian leader will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as President Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and opposition leader Tzipi Livni. He also will meet in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Italian government ministers will meet with their counterparts.
Netanyahu met with Berlusconi in Italy last summer. A reciprocal joint Israeli-Italian Cabinet meeting will likely be held next year in Italy.