Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
Vatican compares Gaza to Nazi camp
Friday, 9 January 2009
The pope's minister for peace and justice was accused yesterday of speaking like a Holocaust denier after comparing Gaza to a "big concentration camp".
Cardinal Renato Martino, a veteran Vatican diplomat with years of experience as the Pope's delegate to the United Nations, told an interviewer for L'Avvenire, the daily paper of the Italian bishops, that "nobody" in the Israel-Hamas dispute "sees the interests of the other, but only their own". He continued: "But the consequences of egoism are hatred for the other, poverty and injustice. The ones who pay are always the defenceless populations. Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more it resembles a big concentration camp."
He added that "both sides" were to blame for the dispute and must be separated like feuding brothers. "The world cannot just look on, doing nothing," said Cardinal Martino. His comments were later echoed by Pope Benedict XVI, who said "the military option is not a solution and violence from whichever side must be firmly condemned".
But Israel and its supporters reacted angrily to the cardinal's implied comparison of Gaza to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. "We are astounded to hear from a spiritual dignitary words that are so far removed from truth and dignity," said Yigal Palmor, a Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, went further, saying such comments "are only used against Israel by terrorist organisations and Holocaust deniers".
The row cast doubt on the Pope's tentative plan to visit the Holy Land in May.
- Text Size
Also in this section
- Egypt candidates woo middle ground
- Clinton: End Assad 'rule of murder'
- Rebel groups agree on Islamic state
- Another Eurovision disaster for UK
- Second body found in Indian river
This is typical of the Israeli apologists. They like to give the impression that the Jews were the only group to suffer at the hands of the Nazis, totally ignoring the Gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals etc. In any case, where did the Cardinal make any mention of the Nazis or the Holocaust? My dictionary defines "concentration camp" as "a settlement for persons in the way of, or obnoxious to, the authorities". No reference to Nazis there. But the definition is totally appropriate to the situation in which the people of Gaza find themselves.
Posted by Terry | 09.01.09, 16:57 GMT
and why James do you think Hamas says these things? Its no different to the rhetoric of Hitler in his early campaigning days. After the first world war Germany was a ruin of the empire that once was. The economy was shattered afterwards by the powers than won. He gave them back national pride and hope. It obviously turned a bit nasty after that....
You have a very oppressed people and the only thing they can have is hope and strong words. Every nation should have its pride but unlike Nazi Germany they have no means to do anything about it
Posted by soarer | 09.01.09, 16:01 GMT
Hamas thanks the vatican in their own, special way:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i08L09V0_sg&feature=channel_page
The relevant quote: "Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam. In order to prevent the reawakening of theirs (the Catholics), this capital of their will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe." Yunis Al-Asatal, Hamas MP & Cleric, Al-Aqsa TV, Gaza, 13/04/2008
Republicans sure now how to pick the right bedfellows!
Posted by James H | 09.01.09, 11:36 GMT
Here Israel goes again. i think that other journalist got it right. Everyone you speaks out against them is a holocaust denier. Concentration camps have been used all over the world since the early 1800's. The fact is Gaza is effectively a prison, a barren strip of land.
Posted by soarer | 09.01.09, 11:23 GMT