Czech PM: Arafat's PA and Hitler's Third Reich are similar

Haaretz ^ | 2/17/2002 | Haaretz

[l33t]

Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman said Sunday during his visit to Israel there was a similarity between Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority and Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. He also warned against adopting a policy of appeasement and stressed that there should be no negotiations with terrorists.

Zeman made the comments during a television interview on Channel Two.

"I am here to express some gesture of solidarity of one small nation toward another small nation which faces the dangers in the fight against worldwide terrorism," he said.

He said that the Czech people "have some historical experience in the fight against terrorism because Adolf Hitler has been the main terrorist all over the world."

The prime minister said that "appeasement is not a good policy and the fight against terrorism doesn't mean negotiating with the terrorists."

When asked by the interviewer if he was implying that there was a similiarity between Hitler's Third Reich and Arafat's PA, he replied, "Of course there is."

Zeman defined terrorism was a "political movement" which uses civilian victims - "children, youngsters...innocent people" - as a tool to make political gains.

"From my point of view anyone who supports terrorism, anyone who recognizes terrorism as a legitimate political tool, is a terrorist," he added

[l33t]

How long till Eurotrash neighbors rebuke the Czech prime minister?

[mvonfr]

Now Zeman is in big trouble. They will say that he is another Halder.

[veronica]

FYI.

[l33t]

Yeah the Eurotrash will accuse him of being an eveel Zionist who kills Pallie bambies for the kicks.

[veronica]

Bump.

[kezekiel]

How long till Eurotrash neighbors rebuke the Czech prime minister?

I'm sure it's happening as we speak. First, though, they have to shoot their cables off to Arafat reassuring him that the Czech PM's comments don't reflect typical Euro sentiment.

Just goes to show that clarity of thought is not dead in Europe, it's just rare.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I suspect that, for the Czechs, the current situation is a little too close for comfort.

• Czechoslovakia was carved out of the remains of a decrepit Empire (Austro-Hungary), as was Jewish Palestine/Israel (Turkey).
• Czechoslovakia included territories (the Sudetenland) which they judged absolutely integral to their National Defense, like Israel (Judea & Samaria, the "West Bank").
• These territories contained a sizable contingent of ethnic minorities (Sudeten Germans) towards which (like Israel and the Palestinians), Czechoslovakia was accused of all manner of "mistreatment" and "apartheid" -- accused, incidentally, by another great Jew-hating Power of the 20th Century, Nazi Germany.
• And like Israel, Czechoslovakia's ability to defend herself from external aggression was taken for granted (the Czechs had one of the largest Free armies in Europe in 1938) by Western Powers, which fact undergirded Western willingness to coerce Czechoslovakia into sacrificing the Sudetenland.

All analogies are dangerous as logical tools, as analogies (by their nature) tend to be inexact, making exact equivalences dubious.

But it's easy to see where the Czechs are coming from, here.

[mvonfr]

Yeah the Eurotrash will accuse him of being an eveel Zionist who kills Pallie bambies for the kicks.

I would not be too surprised when this happens. An honest Euro politician is a rare item, soon to be made extinct.

[l33t]

I bet the Czechs still remember how the "enlightened and civilized" Europeans sold them out to Hitler in Munich.

[mvonfr]

But it's easy to see where the Czechs are coming from, here.

Nice list. Add also that Czechs have first-hand knowledge of what may happen.

[LarryLied]

But it's easy to see where the Czechs are coming from, here.

Czechs also had no problem collabrating with both the Nazis and Soviets. The Skoda works and Semtex plants ran full out under both regimes. Czechs executed 11 Jews in the 1950's for being agents of Zionism. I doubt the PM's comments have much support among the citizenry. The Czech Republic is not a place of tolerance for any minority.

[iav2]

So the Czechs have learned the lessons of history while others have not.

[debg]

looks like we need some Czech Mates.

[SJackson]

I doubt the PM's comments have much support among the citizenry

I don't know if you're right, but his statement. I am here to express some gesture of solidarity of one small nation toward another small nation which faces the dangers in the fight against worldwide terrorism...appeasement is not a good policy and the fight against terrorism doesn't mean negotiating with the terrorists...From my point of view anyone who supports terrorism, anyone who recognizes terrorism as a legitimate political tool, is a terrorist is one of the few realistic states I've seen from the Euros. IMO, not something to complain about.

[Roger_W_Isom]

OH WOW!!!!! What a STARTLING CONCLUSION!!!!! Just because ARAFART is a DESCENDENT of the Grand MUFTI of JERUSALEM!!! A man who ACTUALLY SUPPORTED that FREAK HITLER!!!!given the PC of the ERA however I'm looking for the EUROTRASH to state Hitler and Haj Amin al-Husseini were GODS and that the US should PUBLICLY bow before the GREATNESS of Hitler and DECLARE HIS BIRTHDAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY!!!(Not!!!!!)wouldn't be TYPICAL of the GLORIOUS FRENCH to declare HITLER a MODEL for its CITIZENS???? :-))))

[Roger_W_Isom]

HONEST and EURO POLITICIAN...... OXYMORON!!!!!!

[Roger_W_Isom]

I can just SEE Arafart's retort....

"Zeman is NOTHING BUT A TYPICAL ZIONIST POLITICIAN !!!!!! REMEMBER '38????? Remember MUNICH??????? Want to see you country DIE AGAIN!!!!!!" This will be Arafart's CLASSY retort!!! that is the SIZE of his Parkinson's Inflicted mentality!!!

P.S. Sorry for Insulting people with Parkinson's before hand... But have you NOTICE his shaking hands lately???? I mean he has Parkinson's BAD!!! and I should KNOW My Grandma had it before SHE died!!!

[Magician]

Arafat has a bad case of Parkinson's Disease. A siginificant percent of such patients also have general mental deterioration. Also, the prognosis for a long life after the onset of severe Parkinsonism is poor.

[Catspaw]

First, though, they have to shoot their cables off to Arafat reassuring him that the Czech PM's comments don't reflect typical Euro sentiment.

You forgot to add, "with a promise of $100 million in tribute to Yasser Arafat, in addition to the $300 million they're going to send Arafat this year."

[LarryLied]

The PM's sentiment is good. I'm not complaining. Just warning. The Czech Republic is not the tolerant, enlightened country it tries to portray itself as.