I was reminded about these words after reading Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu state that a grand mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, an Arab nationalist and a zealous foe of Zionism, was one of the main instigators of the Holocaust. With his assertion, Netanyahu not only shows his ignorance of history but, more seriously, contributes to the demonization of the Arab peoples, particularly the Palestinians.Netanyahu made the claim in a speech he gave to the Zionist Congress on Oct. 21, amid furious and escalating turmoil across Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel, that since the beginning of October has left at least 55 Palestinians and 10 Israelis dead.
This is not the first time that Netanyahu makes such an outrageous assertion.
Standing beside Netanyahu at a joint news conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was prompted to say that her country sees no need to alter its view of history, adding, "We abide by our responsibility as Germany for the Holocaust".
Although he later toned down his original assertion, Netanyahu's words only serve to inflame an already violent situation between Israelis and Palestinians.
Netanyahu has a unique capacity for creating his own reality, which in many cases contrasts with the facts.
Netanyahu's assertions regarding the Holocaust are not supported by history.
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