By COLlive reporter
A rabbi is speaking out against those making comparisons between the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol last week and Kristallnacht when Nazis in Germany unleashed a series of programs against Jews in 1938.
The former governor of California and movie actor Arnold Schwarzenegger made the comparison in a video, stating: “I grew up in Austria. I’m very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass.”
He said: “Wednesday was the Day of Broken Glass right here in the United States. The broken glass was in the windows of the United States Capitol — but the mob did not just shatter glass, they shattered the ideals we took for granted.”
“They did not just break down the doors of the building that houses American democracy, the trampled the very principles on which our country was founded,” he added in the message that was viewed over 36 million times on Twitter alone.
VIDEO:
My message to my fellow Americans and friends around the world following this week's attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/blOy35LWJ5
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 10, 2021
Schwarzenegger reference his own father, Gustav, who voluntarily joined the Nazi Party in 1938, and served in World War II as a “Hauptfeldwebel,” the equivalent of an American Company First Sergeant. Research by the Simon Wiesenthal Center concluded that he had not participated in atrocities.
Still, Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet, the Rabbi of the Mill Hill Synagogue in London, England, who is outspoken about Judaism and Israel, says that Schwarzenegger had no right to make such comments, even if he has a personal familiarity with the time.
“Being the son of a Nazi doesn’t give you the right to draw comparisons between anything in our modern-day and what happened on the fateful night of Kristallnacht,” Rabbi Schochet stated.
“What went down on Capitol Hill last week was wrong on every level but comparing it to the systematic persecution of Jews and onset of an intended Final Solution is idiocy and an insult to the 30,000 deported to concentration camps that night as well as the memory of 6 million.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) tweeted in response:
Many are invoking #Kristallnacht, so let’s note the facts, it was a date when Nazis:
-killed nearly 100 Jews
-sent 30k to concentration camps
-destroyed 267 synagogues
-damaged/ruined 7k+ Jewish businesses
Removing those preaching hate & inciting violence is NOT Kristallnacht.
VIDEO: Holocaust Survivors Remember Kristallnacht
I was waiting for this
Jews and historians are shaking their heads at Arnold’s comparison. The Capitol thing was a riot of a few hundred people. Kristallnacht was an organized, nationwide attack on ethnic and religious minorities with widespread arson, murder, beatings, torture, and illegal arrests. Really dumb comparison. You’d think Arnold would be more squeamish about making such a statement given that his father wore one of those uniforms.
REPLY
While I think the comparison to the holocaust is a bit off, I don’t think it’s right to attack him for it. He was trying to say learn from the past. And he is right. We are so quick to attack people who say things or do things that are anti-Semitic. But here you have someone who generally stands up for the Jews and is now saying that attacks on minorities (like Jews) start when you have mob rule. And because he didn’t figure out the best way of saying it we are attacking him? We should not complain when… Read more »
Well put
His message is politically motivated so to me is irrelevant
there were riots – broken glass and all – in many parts of the country. In Los Angeles, Jewish-owned businesses in particular were attacked. Where was Schwarzenegger then with his concerns about mob rule? And where were you? Are such things a problem only when one group does it, but not another?
Perhaps the shaming for opinion and the attack on freedom of speech might also reflect the Nazi-style of a takeover.
his point wasn’t belittling Kristallnacht. no, duh. why not just take what he is trying to say and lower the rhetoric realizing that we are really one nation and have much more in common than what we disagree on.
He was bringing attention to two acts of violence. One against Jews during WWII, and one against the black community, the alternative lifestyle community, women, immigrants, Muslims, and Jews in 2021.
This community complains that no one speaks out against anti-semitism, and then complains when someone does?
There’s 4 times more attacks against Jews than attacks on Muslims, but progressives focus much on the latter. FBI data shows that blacks commit 23.9% of hate crimes despite being only 13.4% of the population. In other words — and this won’t come as a surprise to anyone living in Crown Heights, you’re more likely to be attacked for NOT being black than for being black.
The ideas of Blacks and Muslims being disproportionate victims is based entirely on progressive ideology, it’s not the reality.
“The ideas of Blacks and Muslims being disproportionate victims is based entirely on progressive ideology, it’s not the reality.” Hahaha, says the white Jew. This is half funny and half terrifying that you’re so uneducated and insensitive. Firstly, you have no idea what it’s like to be a black person or a Muslim in this country, so stop speaking for them. Secondly, calling out racism isn’t about being progressive, or at least it shouldn’t be. I think conservatives should be able to find the same level of awareness and kindness to stand up and defend minorities. So far it hasn’t… Read more »
“You have no idea what it’s like to be a black person or a Muslim in this country, so stop speaking for them” That’s another progressive talking point. Hundreds of years of scientific research has shown that data is more important that subjective experience. And the data clearly shows that the progressive obsession with violence against Muslims and blacks is not based on reality. Progressives claim to be sensitive to minorities, yet there wasn’t a word of protest from them when Jews were being beaten on a daily basis, because they were too obsessed with talking about non-existent violence against… Read more »
When a black person or a Muslim riots, breaks glass, loots, etc., it’s called “peaceful protests.” When a white person marches, it’s the second coming of Hitler.
If you’re really interested in “calling out racism,” then you’d have something to say about all forms of it, anti-black as well as anti-white (and there’s plenty of both). But in fact you don’t care a whit about racism, so long as it’s directed at those you disfavor.
Let me guess…. youre the same person who said that Chabad are against science and evidence for supporting Trump, and we can all see now who is against evidence. Facts don’t care about youre feelings.
Thank you for bringing attention to two horrifying, racist events. Nazis and trump supporters are one and the same.
are you comparing criminals who killed 6 MILLION Jews to people who support the party you dont support??
There is nothing racist about protesting the stealing of the election by the Nazilibs. Most Trump supporters abhor violence, as do all conservatives. Trump pardoned Rubashkin and moved the Embassy to Jerusalem, helping to cement it as Israel’s legitimate capitol. The antisemitic “squad”, Jesse ” “Hymietown”, Jackson, Louis ” Judiasm is a gutter religion” Farrahkan, and vicious, antisemitic Jimmy “Israel is a racist apartheid state” Carter, are all liberals, as are all the violent antisemites that force Jews off of college campuses. If anyone can be compared to the Nazis, it’s the liberals. Especially since both worship animals and place… Read more »
if you really believe what you wrote.. a) get an education b) This is the wrong website for you; Based on the tone of your comment, could you confirm to me that you are a Chabad Chossid? This website is an news outlet which caters to people who are Chabad Lubavitch, so when people make comments which seem so far from the ideals of Chabad (and I DON’T mean just not supporting Trump), namely; posting comments of hate, mocking other Jews (frum or not), or Hashkofas which are very very “off” from the Rebbe’s worldview which we as Chassidim try… Read more »
I have to prove my Jewishness to you?
Is it based on whether I keep Cholov Yisroel? Or how long my skirt is? Or how much kavana I have while davening? Or whether I have 17 children or 2? I’m interested to know how you determine who is “truly” a Chabad Chossid.
Your rhetoric of exclusion is reminiscent of the Holocaust. You should know that it turns out a jew is a jew is a jew, regardless of how observant. All of us were murdered in the same camps.
You completely missed the point. They didn’t say you weren’t Jewish, just questioning why you’re commenting on this website when clearly you’re not part of the community it caters for.
Really sickening to imply that Lubavitchers are somehow complicit int the Holocaust, but it seems like this is the level that certain outside trolls are trying to bring here.
You are calling the majority of the frum community Nazis?
So many frum Jews have become so lost and so hateful that they themselves have turned into the enemy. Do you truly not see the similarities between Nazis and trump supporters?! It’s the same ideaology!! And I’m saying this as a fellow frum Jew.
I don’t see any similarities between Nazis and Trump supporters.
I do however see many similarities between BLM and the nazis. Both vandalize shuls, both attack Jewish stores, both attack Jews, both shout against Jews and anything Jewish, both call for boycotts against Jews. Do you really not see the similarities?
Seems like Schwarzenegger is speaking the truth… there are countless similarities between these two racist attacks. I appreciate him calling out the anti-semitic trump supporters on January 6th.
Where was he all summer when cities of these great United states were burning??
https://www.livekindly.co/arnold-schwarzenegger-racism-has-to-stop/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/arnold-schwarzenegger-america-needs-do-better/612442/?utm_content=edit-promo&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2020-05-31T20%2525253A00%2525253A57&utm_source=twitter
The real US Kristallnacht was a few months ago when a mob of Antifa/BLM went around the Jewish area of Los Angeles destroying and looting Jewish businesses, vandalizing Shuls, and shouting ‘Kill the Jews’.
Where was Arnold Schwarzenegger then?
How about all those business that were burned down by what all the Dems still consider a “peaceful” protests.. I think thats more like nittelnacht, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold is absolutely right. We must always beware strongmen populists with fascist followings. Trump isn’t Hitler, but Trumpism is very much like hitlerism.
very well put
I would think all those that don’t see what a horrible comparison those two events were, probably didn’t have parents that lived through those terrible times. Didn’t get to grow up with hearing all those horrific stories. Why do yiden always have to be in every story. Take the blame for every situation? It’s time for all this stop already.
A non Jew speaking up with compassion for Jews to be treated with righteousness.
He should receive thank you’s not criticism
Hes a politician and is trying to stay relevant. What better way than to use your father’s Nazi past to condemn the president who has been greatest friend of the Jews.