bloggie

Lapid, a Holocaust survivor known for his extreme anti-religious views, heads the Yad Vashem Council. After viewing a nationally-distributed video clip of a verbal altercation in Hevron between a Jewish and Arab woman, including curses, he wrote last week that "the behavior of the settlers in Hevron is reminiscent of the persecution suffered by the Jews in Europe on the eve of the Holocaust."

"The man who turned hatred into his source for political power," wrote MK Eldad, "was not reminded of Kristallnacht [when dozens of synagogues were burnt and nearly 100 Jews were killed throughout Germany in 1938] when he heard about last week's burning of a synagogue [in Yad Ya'ir, north of Ramallah]. Someone who makes a living off of hatred and causes a cheapening of the Holocaust, should find a different job."

...

At least one right-wing group, the Coalition to Save the People and the Land, has asked that Yad Vashem fire Lapid for his remarks. Yad Vashem spokesperson Estee Yaari said that Lapid's remarks were written by him personally and in no way reflect the position of Yad Vashem. She also noted that the position Lapid holds is a public advisory body that is not under the auspices of Yad Vashem; Prime Minister Olmert appointed him, and only the Prime Minister can replace him.

Yad Vashem spokesperson Estee Yaari said that Lapid's remarks were written by him personally and in no way reflect the position of Yad Vashem.

I read that yesterday and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

If you didn't hear about the Synagogue burning in Yad Yair last week, here is BtB's story on it. (I saw the A-7 piece, but I think I was out of hippo-links at the time. Pretty lame excuse, I know...)

I've never seen so much furore about a little bit of foul language. Together with the Yad Yair attack, it doesn't speak well of the Israeli establishment's view on the religious.