Wasserman Schultz Slams Castro Statements Comparing Israelis to Nazis

Press Release

Today, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz strongly condemned anti-Israel statements made by former Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Castro's comments, which were distributed by the Cuban government were as follows: "The hatred felt by the state of Israel against the Palestinians is such that they would not hesitate to send the one-and-a-half million men, women and children of that country to the crematoria where millions of Jews of all ages were exterminated by the Nazis," Castro said. "It would seem that the Fuehrer's swastika is today Israel's banner," he said, referencing Adolf Hitler.

"These outrageous anti-Semitic comments are an insult to the millions of Jews who were systematically killed or tortured by the Nazis," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "To compare the people who survived Nazi death camps, or their relatives, to Nazis themselves shows an inexcusable level of ignorance and insensitivity to the Jewish people."

The Congresswoman noted that in authoritarian Cuba, no statements are released without the implicit endorsement of the state.

"These aren't just the comments of some doddering anti-Semite who is losing his faculties," said Wasserman Schultz. "These malicious comments were officially distributed by Cuba's government. They should be seen as what they are--an official position of the Cuban government and endorsement of hateful anti-Semitism."

The Congresswoman pointed to this incident as yet another example of the continued abuses of the Cuban government. She cautioned those in Congress who seek to foster relations with Cuba.

"We have already seen--in the recent beatings of pro-democracy bloggers, or the imprisonment of an American aid worker distributing laptops--that the Cuban government continues to strike down any expression of dissent," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "Now its former president is officially sanctioning anti-Semitism. This is yet another glaring example of why we should not expand relations with the Cuban government."

Castro's comments were made to influence the debate in the United Nations Human Rights Council over Israel's actions to board a ship that had failed to heed a naval blockade preventing the importation of weapons into Gaza. "This was a deliberate attack on Israel's right to self-defense, and showed a shocking ignorance of both history and international law," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz.

"A relationship with America needs to be earned, not given away without regard to actions. The Cuban government has shown no interest in earning an expanded relationship with our country despite overtures from President Obama," the Congresswoman said.

Source