Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 02:18:39 -0400 To: VisasForLife@cs.com From: "Holocaust Survivors' Network" <Editor-in-Chief@Isurvived.org> Subject: Questioning Your "Visas for Life: The Righteous Diplomats" exhibits   Dear Eric Saul, As you may have been informed by Robert Kim Bingham, we are now in the process of evaluating all the evidence that we can find with respect to the Hiram Bingham IV case which you so enthusiastically have endorsed for a) the pending title of "Righteous Among Nations" offered by the State of Israel through Yad Vashem; and for b) the pending petition before the United Sates Postal Service for a commemorative stamp. We, on the other hand, oppose all this as outlined in our website at http://Isurvived.org/BinghamIV_debate.html Respectfully, we have a number of questions with respect to your work as a Director/Curator, for your "Visas for Life: The Righteous Diplomats" and with respect to your stated endorsements and, if you do not mind, we would like to pose those questions to you with the hope that you may honor us with your answers. 1. A rational person reading the title "The Righteous Diplomats" is induced to believe that your stated exhibit is about those diplomats that the State of Israel awarded them with the "Righteous Among Nations." However, this appears not to be the case as you appear to place in your stated traveling exhibit names of diplomats that have not yet been awarded with that high Israeli honor. And since in your exhibits, nowhere is defined the term "Righteous Diplomats" --this in itself is dubious and rises respectfully the question of credibility and of the astonishing fact that you do not seems to differentiate between diplomats that were honored by Israel as the "Righteous" and those that have not as you put everybody together on the same footing! This for many, including us, is utterly absurd. And this respectfully is troublesome and rises serious question on the credibility and the purpose of your exhibits. It is perhaps a fair question to ask: who determines and most importantly on what criteria somebody is included into your exhibits? Also it is a fair question to ask if you get money or other compensations for a diplomat to be included in your exhibit? 2. You would think that such an important project would have a dedicated website where you would present to the world, the purpose, scope, mission, traveling schedules of the exhibit, how this exhibit is derived its funds, etc. Also anything about the legal status of its existence would be of interest to be revealed: is it part of an organization?, is it your own hobby?, etc. Also it will be helpful for the reader to learn a little about yourself, your credentials, and how did you get involved into this project, etc. Are you making a living with this project?, etc. Mr. Bingham refers to you as a doctor. Are you a Ph.D., a medical doctor or none of the above? Do you have a CV that we can see?, etc. 3. We are in the possession of what we are believe to be your March 16, 1999, letter to Virginia Noelke from the US Postal Service (see http://Isurvived.org/1workshop/EricSaul_letter4Debates.html ) where you stated: "I can think of no one more highly deserving than Consul Bingham to be honored with a commemorative stamp." This respectfully poses serious question on your credibility and/or candor as it is difficult, if not impossible, of overlooking our true national hero, Varian Fry --THE ONLY American to be awarded with the "Righteous Among Nations" title. How in God's name could you have overlooked Varian Fry? --is a fair question to ask and whether you were genuine in your appraisal. (Take a look, if you will, at our memorial page attributed to this true American hero.) Thank for your kind attention to these troubling questions that we have. Cordially, K. K. Brattman Editor-in-Chief .