WJC President Lauder slams AfD for walking out on German Jewish leader during speech commemorating Holocaust
Thu, 24 Jan 2019
NEW YORK – World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder expressed disgust on Wednesday after lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany walked out of the Bavarian Parliament during a speech to commemorate the Holocaust being given by the head of the Jewish Community of Munich, Charlotte Knobloch, who is also the WJC Commissioner for Holocaust Memory and a survivor of the Nazi atrocities herself.
“It is absolutely disgusting and pathetic that elected officials from an extremist far-right German party should have the gall to walk out on a Holocaust survivor during a speech commemorating Holocaust memory, simply for being called out for the hateful historical revisionism which has been its hallmark,” Lauder said.
“These AfD legislators have demonstrated yet again their identification with the Nazi ideology responsible for the near destruction of the Jewish people. By walking out on Ms. Charlotte Knobloch’s speech, they have underscored that they do not wish to distance themselves from any rightful claims that they downplay Nazi crimes and that they are contributing to the contemporary rise of antisemitism in Europe,” Lauder said.
“I would say that the AfD should be ashamed of itself, but shame is far too sentimental of a word to describe such a hateful movement. This incident only underscores just how much the AfD and its followers need to learn about the Holocaust and the darkest moments of Germany’s past,” he added.
“It is my sincere hope that these lawmakers will be ostracized by their peers in parliament for this reprehensible display of antipathy,” Lauder added.
We welcome any comments you may have on this article. Comments are moderated and we reserve the right to edit or remove any which are derogatory or offensive. The WJC is not responsible for the content of any comments.
Subscribe to our newsletter

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder Deplores Antisemitic Comments by Representative Ilhan Omar
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder today issued the following statement deploring the recent antisemitic comments by U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar:

MSNBC reporter apologizes for false characterization of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, following demand for retraction by WJC President Lauder
“It was brought to my attention that a broadcast from Warsaw on MSNBC has depicted the revolt in the Warsaw Ghetto as having been fought against ‘the Polish and Nazi regimes’. The World Jewish Congress demands that NBC and MSNBC issue an immediate retraction for this false characterization.
World Jewish Congress responds to rise in antisemitism in Germany: We need action, not words, to eradicate this threat
“The German government, under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has shown encouraging steps in establishing a zero-tolerance policy against antisemitism, but it has become extraordinarily evident that we need more than just words of determination to this regard. Combating antisemitism demands its own specific solutions and responses, and it requires the input and dedication of all levels of authority and society at large,” Lauder added.

World Jewish Congress sounds alarm on proliferation of neo-Nazi marches across Europe
Neo-Nazi demonstrators to descend on Sofia, Bulgaria this weekend for annual Lukov March, honoring Nazi collaborator whose movement supported deportation of more than 11,000 Jews to their deaths in Treblinka

Antisemitism is no longer a question of extremism | Op-ed by WJC CEO Robert Singer
How can #We Remember the Holocaust and the crucial need to fight antisemitism if neither is taught in a manner that will make a lasting impact with our children? We must act now – otherwise we may remember today, but future generations will not.

World must wake up and recognize Hezbollah as the terrorist organization that it is | Op-Ed by WJC CEO Robert Singer
Under the patronage of Iran, Hezbollah has blazed a worldwide murderous path with the declared objective of obliterating the State of Israel and combating “American imperialism.”
There are no comments
Fill up the form above and be the first one