An Israeli Cabinet minister on Sunday said the military's demolition of Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip reminded
him of actions the Nazis took against his family during World War II and called for a halt to the policy of destroying homes.
The remarks by Justice Minister Yosef Lapid, a Holocaust
survivor, sparked an uproar at the weekly Cabinet meeting,
according to officials at the meeting.
The ministers were discussing Israel's demolition of homes
in the Rafah refugee camp. Dozens of homes have been
destroyed or damaged during an ongoing offensive along the
Gaza-Egypt border.
Lapid was quoted by officials at the meeting as saying a
picture of an old Palestinian woman on the rubbles of her
home reminded him "of my grandmother in the Holocaust."
The statement outraged Likud Party ministers, who demanded he recant.
For his part, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said such comments add "oil to the fire of incitement." Lapid said he was not comparing Israel to the Nazis but there "is no forgiveness for people who treat an old woman in this way." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
