Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns Mahmoud Abbas‘ anti-Semitic speech.

Mahmud Abbas steht wegen einer Hassrede vor Mitgliedern der Fatah-Partei in der Kritik. Nun äußert sich auch Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier dazu und verurteilt die Worte des Palästinenserpräsidenten scharf.

„I cannot reword“

Steinmeier referred to Abbas‘ anti-Semitic remarks in a speech before leading members of the Fatah Party. The remarks sparked international criticism. In the speech, Abbas stated at the end of August: „They say that Hitler killed the Jews because they were Jews, and that Europe hated the Jews because they were Jews.“ This is incorrect. „The (Europeans) fought against these people because of their role in society, which had to do with usury, money, and so on.“ Abbas has long been controversial even among his own people.

Steinmeier sagte in Eupen, er habe Abbas‘ Äußerungen »mit einigem Entsetzen« zur Kenntnis genommen. »Wir werden jeder Form des Antisemitismus entgegentreten, auch, wenn er anderswo auf der Welt und selbst von Abbas geäußert wird«, versicherte er.

Abbas has once again sparked outrage with his antisemitic remarks. In 2018, he claimed that the Nazis‘ murder of six million Jews was not driven by antisemitism, but rather by their „social status.“ He also caused a scandal last year when he accused Israel of committing multiple „Holocausts“ against the Palestinians during a press conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Dozens of prominent individuals from Palestine condemn anti-Semitic speech.

After the recent hate speech, there is also sharp criticism from the ranks of the Palestinians. Around 190 Palestinian academics, people from art and culture, activists have spoken out against the speech. „We strictly reject any attempt to downplay, misrepresent or justify anti-Semitism, Nazi crimes against humanity, or Holocaust revisionism,“ said an open letter published on Monday evening. The signatories unequivocally condemned the morally and politically reprehensible statements made by the president.