Israeli Minister Suggests Condemning Nazism Less Important Than Positive Relations with Trump
‘We Must Not Accept Anyone Harming Him’
Following widespread condemnation of Donald Trump’s response to the deadly rally in Charlottesville this week, Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara suggested that condemning Nazis is less important than having a positive relationship with Donald Trump.Â
“Due to the terrific relations with the US, we need to put declarations about the Nazis in the proper proportion,†Ayoub Kara told The Jerusalem Post. “We need to condemn anti-Semitism and any trace of Nazism, and I will do what I can as a minister to stop its spread.â€Â
“But Trump is the best US leader Israel has ever had,†the minister continued. “His relations with the prime minister of Israel are wonderful, and after enduring the terrible years of Obama, Trump is the unquestioned leader of the free world, and we must not accept anyone harming him.â€
Leaders from within Israel’s unicameral parliament, the Knesset, fired back at the remarks. Zionest Union MK Nachman Shai, head of the Knesset caucus on strengthening relations with the United States, called his words “nonsense.â€
“Our relations with the US and with the president are important, but Israel also has a deep obligation to the American Jewish community,†the leader said. “This is the time to prove our shared values and make unequivocally clear that Israel will fight anti-Semitism at any time and any place.â€
Fellow Zionest Union MK Erel Margalit concurred. “Kara, Netanyahu and their government lost their way… because Trump paid lip service to the settlement enterprise, Netanyahu has made him into the messiah and forgiven him for even the most shocking, homophobic, racist, and even anti-Semitic statements.â€Â
As HuffPost pointed out, popular newspapers in Israel did not echo the the country’s Communications Minister:
“Shame”: front page of Israel’s most-read daily newspaper, @YediotAhronot. pic.twitter.com/H0Rd96ifJw
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) August 17, 2017
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