Video has emerged of Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, recently asserting that European Jews were persecuted by Hitler because of what he said were their predatory lending practices, rather than their religion.
Mr. Abbas’s false claim drew swift condemnation from Israeli and European officials.
It also fueled accusations that Mr. Abbas — an architect of interim peace agreements between Israelis and Palestinians in the 1990s — is not genuinely committed to resolving the ongoing conflict.
In a speech late last month, Mr. Abbas said: “They say that Hitler killed the Jews because they were Jews, and that Europe hated the Jews because they were Jews.”“No,” Mr. Abbas added.
Jews were persecuted, he continued, because of “their social role, which had to do with usury, money, and so on.”
Persons:
Mahmoud Abbas, Hitler, Abbas —, Abbas, “, ”, Mr
Organizations:
Palestinian Authority
Locations:
Europe