05 July 2009
Ronald S. Lauder: Bernie Ecclestones Hitler eulogy frightening
After praising Hitler and criticizing democracy:
President of World Jewish Congress calls for resignation of Formula One chief
Ronald S. Lauder: Bernie Ecclestones Hitler eulogy frightening
NEW YORK / BRUSSELS Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), today strongly condemned recent statements made by Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone, who in a newspaper interview had praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler for getting things done and expressed a preference for totalitarian regimes over democracies. Lauder declared:
"Mr. Ecclestone is driving the down the wrong way at full speed. His effusive praise for Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein is frightening and dangerous because it questions the basic principles of modern democracy.
These statements must be strongly condemned by team leaders and drivers of the Formula One circuit. Teams participating in the Formula One Series, and host countries, should suspend their cooperation with Mr. Ecclestone and call for his resignation.
A person showing such contempt for democracy should not be allowed to run such an important and universally popular sports series.
It is sad to see the Formula One president express sympathies for the brutal Nazi regime which was responsible for murdering six million Jews and for waging the most brutal war in the history of mankind, and it is quite unbelievable that Mr. Ecclestone should implicitly cast doubt on Hitlers responsibility for the Holocaust. This puts him in line with other unrepentant revisionists like Bishop Williamson and David Irving.
Such a man is obviously not suited to continue as Formula One boss."
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The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 92 countries around the world. The WJC serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to governments and international organizations.
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