Who’s a Nazi?

July 11, 2007 - 10:47 AM by

Big trouble at the Knesset. 

Everyone is up in arms because Justice Ministry attorney Amnon De Hartog hit Yakov Cohen, an ultra-orthodox MK yesterday. 

It’s inexcusable of course and an embarrassment to the Knesset. But then so is what Cohen said to provoke De Hartog into his slap. He told the lawmaker – who lost 20 members of his family in Auschwitz – that he was “more evil and terrible than the Nazis” because he opposed budgets for ultra-Orthodox schools during a Knesset hearing. 

I mean really.  More evil and terrible than the Nazis? 

Did he kill someone’s family? Did he set up concentration camps? Did he torture and kill millions of Jews? Did he try to destroy an entire race? 

No, all he said was that he didn’t want to give money to ultra-orthodox schools. 

Frankly, I don’t understand why some Israelis insist on bandying the Nazi insult about so casually. The holocaust was one of the most appalling and horrific events in the world’s history and the Nazis who carried it out were monsters. 

So, why should a rabbi no less denigrate that terrible memory by calling a political opponent a Nazi? Aren’t there enough people in the world trying to make light of the holocaust with their cartoon competitions and holocaust denial conferences? Why belittle and disrespect it further? 

In the wake of this, the Knesset presidency decided to bar De Hartog from entering the Knesset, and also filed a police complaint against him. Fair enough. But what about Cohen? Is it really appropriate for MKs to go about calling their fellow MKs Nazis just because they don’t agree with them? 

And don’t forget, Yitzhak Rabin was called a Nazi just before a right-wing fanatic killed him. 

Tags: • Category: General, Life, Politics 

Comments

4 Comments on Who’s a Nazi?

  1. simon on Wed, Jul 11th 2007 12:54 PM

    2. Ahem – you trust Ha’aretz too much. He did NOT use the term “Nazi”, I heard de Hartug on the radio, & he said his opponent used the word German.
    “And don’t forget, Yitzhak Rabin was called a Nazi just before a right-wing fanatic killed him.” The use of the anti-Rabin propaganda right before he was killed was instigated by the Israeli government’s arm, the Shabad [GSS], in the form of an agent-provocateur named Avishai Raviv, and this is well-documented. That a “right-wing fanatic” killed Rabin is still the subject of much debate in Israel, and there are huge amounts of people who don’t believe the govt’s report, & think that it was indeed the Left who killed him, for changing his mind about Oslo. “Srak, srak”!

  2. Rafi G on Wed, Jul 11th 2007 1:12 PM

    3. De Hartog is not an MK. he is a “clerk” in the Justice Department.

    Other than that, everything you said is right.

  3. Stephanie on Wed, Jul 11th 2007 1:30 PM

    4. Simon: There is no widespread debate in Israel over who murdered Rabin unless you refer to Amir\’s supporters – a fringe, fanatic group. Nor is there any question about the effigy of Rabin in an SS uniform publicly displayed at the Jerusalem demonstration prior to his murder.

    Conspiracy theories are not at the heart of this matter. The point is that too many Israelis publicly brandish the Nazi card as a weapon.

    It is deplorable and despicable and Cohen was in the wrong and owes an apology.

  4. DL on Wed, Jul 11th 2007 9:34 PM

    5. I gave this old guy dirty looks last night and I was tempted to say something to him. I was at a film screening in NY’s Central Park Summerstage. The film was exploring stereotypes of America on the streets of Mexico City, and stereotypes of Mexico on the streets of New York City. In Mexico City, people were describing America as imperialistic, wanting to colonize the entire world, always looking to meddle in other country’s affairs, evil and run by corporations. Many of these remarks solicited applause by a good chuck of the audience – quite expected among the liberal minded New York City. One person interviewed in the film said “America is like Hitler”. This remark only solicited applause from two individuals in the audience (as far as I was able to tell). One of them was this old guy sitting right next to me. I got so furious and gave him a very dirty look. I nearly felt the urge to say something but did not act upon it. I don’t think he even noticed the stare.

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