Netanyahu’s Holocaust blunder

The claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that a Palestinian persuaded Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jews of Europe is outrageous.

It is outrageous because the Holocaust is far too terrible a crime to be exploited for political ends, especially in the state linked so closely to the tragedy of the Jewish people. It is outrageous because the only apparent purpose is to demonize the Palestinians and the current leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and to give the impression that their resistance is based solely on a long-standing hatred of the Jews and not on their occupation by Israel or any other grievance. And it comes at a time of renewed tension in Israel, with a wave of lone-wolf attacks on Jews by knife-wielding Palestinians.

The Israeli prime minister’s assertion before the World Zionist Congress on Tuesday was not the first time he has alleged that Haj Amin al-Husseini, a grand mufti of Jerusalem, Arab nationalist and zealous foe of Zionism, was one of the instigators of the Holocaust. This time, however, Netanyahu went further and absurdly portrayed Husseini as the decisive voice in persuading a purportedly wavering Hitler to exterminate the Jews. While it is a fact that Husseini met with Hitler in 1941 in search of support, only a handful of fringe historians have claimed, with no evidence, that he planted the idea of the “final solution.”

Netanyahu knows better. As an experienced politician, he is aware of the emotional impact of having a Palestinian say the words he attributed to Husseini, when asked by Hitler what to do with the Jews: “Burn them.” Netanyahu’s evident intent was to drive home the idea that the current wave of violence has been incited by Palestinian leaders. Palestinian attackers have murdered at least eight Israelis in multiple attacks, and more than 50 Palestinians have been killed, including about 20 said to be involved in the attacks and the others in clashes with Israeli security forces. Abbas and other Fatah leaders not only have failed to denounce the knife attacks but have made comments that seemed to fan the violence and even celebrate the killers. This month, Abbas, reacting to a viral video, accused the Israelis of shooting a 13-year-old boy “in cold blood” and leaving him to die when he was in fact recovering in a hospital.

Even with this heightened anxiety, there was fierce reaction in Israel to Netanyahu’s comment about the Holocaust, which was probably far from what he expected. His defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, said that “history is actually very, very clear” that Hitler “initiated” the Holocaust and that “Haj Amin al-Husseini joined him.” The Germans, who received Netanyahu in Berlin on the day after his comments, made that same point on his arrival.

Secretary of State John Kerry called for an end to the violence when he met with Netanyahu in Berlin. But for that to happen, Abbas and the Palestinian leadership must make clear that these terrorist attacks are unacceptable, and both sides must accept that real peace cannot be achieved without a two-state solution.

Netanyahu has made some efforts at damage control since the speech, but all have only reinforced the impression of a cynical effort to distort history in order to draw a straight line between Husseini’s Nazi views and the current Palestinian leadership. The Holocaust is not a history to tamper with, and now that he has heard the anguished outcry from people who understand that, Netanyahu should have the decency to acknowledge that he was wrong and out of line.

© 2015 The New York Times Company