Germany’s Scholz slams Palestinian leader’s ‘unacceptable’ Holocaust remark

Germany’s chancellor said Wednesday that he was “disgusted by the outrageous remarks” made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin, accusing Israel of committing “50 Holocausts” against Palestinians over
the years. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s statement on Twitter came a day after Abbas refused to condemn a deadly attack by Palestinian militants on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Instead, Abbas countered by saying he could point to “50 Holocausts” by Israel.

“I am disgusted by the outrageous remarks made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” Scholz said. “For us Germans in particular, any relativisation of the singularity of the Holocaust is intolerable and unacceptable. I condemn any attempt to deny the crimes of the Holocaust.” Scholz was criticised both in Germany and Israel for not rejecting Abbas’ comments immediately at the press conference he held with him on Tuesday night at
the Chancellery.

Abbas, standing beside Scholz on Tuesday, was asked if he would apologise on behalf of the Palestinian militants who carried out the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage-taking in which 11 Israelis were killed. The Palestinian leader did not give a direct reply but instead spoke of the situation faced by Palestinians, accusing Israel of committing “50 massacres, 50 Holocausts” against Palestinians
since 1947.

“Our demand is to say: enough... I don’t want more than peace. Please come to peace, come to security, let’s build trust between us and you,” added the 87-year-old.
- AFP.com, 17
Aug, 2022