Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clarified some highly controversial remarks he made earlier this month, where he placed blame for the Holocaust on the late Palestinian leader Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini.
At a meeting of the 37th Zionist Congress on October 20, Netanyahu stated in his speech that Hitler had not originally intended to exterminate the Jewish people, but after meeting with al-Husseini had changed his mind. Netanyahu quoted al-Husseini telling Hitler to, instead of merely expelling the Jews, “burn them.”
Many Holocaust historians publicly expressed disagreement. Hitler and al-Husseini actually did meet in 1941, but there is no record of what they actually discussed. Al-Husseini was a noted anti-semite who referred to Jews as a scourge in the world, and was accused of war crimes relating to the Holocaust and also in the Serbian genocide during World War II. However, regardless of his stances, there is no evidence that he had any significant influence on Hitler or the Nazi establishment.
Netanyahu’s comments, which many viewed as denial of Nazi Germany’s role in the killing of around six million Jewish people, were immediately controversial both in and outside of Israel. Isaac Herzog, the leader of the Zionist Union party, accused Netanyahu of distorting history and trivializing both the Nazis and the Holocaust. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, said that “We abide by our responsibility,” placing the blame for the Holocaust solely on Germany. Furthermore, historians say that Hitler’s anti-semitism began long before he gained power, and that the Holocaust had begun before the 1941 meeting between Hitler and the Palestinian leader.
After the speech, Netanyahu was widely ridiculed, but he is accustomed to controversy. His comment came at a time of increased tension between Palestinians and Israelis, and many criticize the timing as well as the veracity of the statement. During this time, Netanyahu was urged by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to lower the tone of his rhetoric in order to avoid causing further trouble – a piece of advice which, it seems, he did not follow.
Now, Netanyahu has clarified his comment. While he insists that al-Husseini had encouraged and supported Hitler and the Nazis, he declared that “his intention was not to absolve Hitler” and that he had merely meant to show evidence that Palestinians have long harboured hatred towards the Jewish people. In a post on Facebook, he called the interpretation that he did not blame the Nazis for the Holocaust “absurd.”
This clarification is in line with the “orthodox” view of the Holocaust, but Netanyahu’s original controversial statement cannot be unsaid. Some fear that whatever damage it caused is not undone by clarifications.
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