Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus attempt to blame the Holocaust on a Palestinian religious leader has drawn condemnation from Palestinians, politicians, and historians. To that list of critics, now add Germany.
On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu made comments duringa Zionist Congress meeting which raised a few eyebrows.
"Hitler didnt want toexterminate the Jews atthe time, he wanted toexpel the Jews," he said. "And Haj Amin al-Husseini went toHitler and said, 'If you expel them, theyll all come here.' 'So what should I do withthem?' he asked. He said, 'Burn them.'"
In the 1920s and 30s, Haj Amin al-Husseini was the Grand Mufti ofJerusalem, a Palestinian religious leader. While he was certainly no saint, tosuggest that he was responsible forgiving one ofthe most evil men inhistory his worst ideas is patently absurd. Especially given that Hitler was pushing forJewish extermination a full two years beforeeven meeting al-Husseini.
Bibi has been facing a lot offlak fortrying towork his modern-day nemesis intoone ofthe worst atrocities inhistory even fromGermany. Responding tothe controversy, the office ofGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her own countrys responsibility forthe Holocaust.
"All Germans know the history ofthe murderous race mania ofthe Nazis that led tothe break withcivilization that was the Holocaust," said Steffen Seibert, a spokesman forMerkel, according toReuters.
"This is taught inGerman schools forgood reason, it must never be forgotten. And I see no reason tochange our view ofhistory inany way. We know that responsibility forthis crime humanity is German and very much our own."
On Wednesday, Netanyahu clarified his position, somewhat, essentially saying he wasnt trying tolet Germany offthe hook he just wanted toput Palestinians onthe hook next tothem.
"I had no intention toabsolve Hitler ofresponsibility forhis diabolical destruction ofEuropean Jewry," he wrote onFacebook. "Hitler was responsible forthe Final Solution toexterminate six million Jews. He made the decision."
One positive, atleast, came outof the prime ministers attempt torewrite history: Bibi is trending, again!