After Netanyahu comments, Germany says responsibility for Holocaust is ours

Israel's prime minister sparked controversy by saying 'Muslim elder had convinced Adolf Hitler to exterminate Jews'


Reuters October 21, 2015
PHOTO: REUTERS

BERLIN: The German government said on Wednesday that responsibility for the Holocaust lay with the Germans, after Israel's prime minister sparked controversy before a visit to Berlin by saying a Muslim elder had convinced Adolf Hitler to exterminate Jews.

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"All Germans know the history of the murderous race mania of the Nazis that led to the break with civilisation that was the Holocaust," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said when asked about Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks.

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"This is taught in German schools for good reason, it must never be forgotten. And I see no reason to change our view of history in any way. We know that responsibility for this crime against humanity is German and very much our own."

Hours before leaving for Berlin, Netanyahu referred in a speech to a series of attacks by Muslims against Jews in Palestine during the 1920s that he said were instigated by the then Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini.

"Hitler didn't want to exterminate the Jews at the time, he wanted to expel the Jews," Netanyahu said in the speech. "And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, 'If you expel them, they'll all come here.'

COMMENTS (16)

syed & syed | 8 years ago | Reply Jibran is ignorant about the history. Industry, banks and stocks were controlled by Jews and were against the objectives of Hitler.. They were hatching conspiracies against him. Hitler had no option but to dislodge them. 9 million Jews were killed is not true. Those Germans who were killed by Allies bombardment and on front lines were also burnt instead of digging graves. Netanyahu and his predecessors followed Hitlerism. Was Mufti Hussainy a fool to suggest Hitler to expel Jews knowing that they will settle in Palestine.
pappu | 8 years ago | Reply @ajeet: who are they?
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