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German Holocaust denier jailed for five years
AFP
February 15, 2007
FRANKFURT, Germany -- A German court Thursday sentenced Holocaust denier Ernst Zuendel to five years in jail for inciting racial hatred.
The court, in the southwestern city of Mannheim, handed down the maximum punishment possible for the offence, after finding that Zuendel had repeatedly denied the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in World War II.
It said it had counted 14 instances on Zuendel's Internet homepage where he denied the historical facts of the Holocaust, and incited anti-Semitism.
Zuendel, 67, wrote a book titled The Hitler We Loved and Why, described the Nazi leader as a "man of peace," and helped to disseminate a range of anti-Semitic literature.
In a 25-minute statement to the court Thursday, Zuendel called for an independent commission to be set up to investigate how many Jews were killed by the Nazis.
He said that if the findings of the commission proved him wrong, "I will apologize publicly in a press conference to Jews, Israelis, and the entire world."
Zuendel lived in Canada for several decades and fell foul of authorities there for his anti-Semitic opinions. He was extradited to Germany in 2005.
The two years he spent behind bars in Canada awaiting extradition will not be deducted from the new five-year sentence.
His trial was marked by upheaval after one of his five lawyers had to be replaced after questioning the Holocaust in arguments in his client's defense.
The German government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, is trying to convince other member states of the bloc to make denying the Holocaust a crime.
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smuckers, You are right that its silly to jail someone for that but one has to wonder if the guy doesn't need to be locked up for his own protection. If he is that ignorant he might be a danger to himself.
Posts: 904 | From: Texana | Registered: Aug 2006
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why would he need to be locked up for his own protection? You imply he might be mentally unstable? Because he states an opinion? Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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Inciting racial hatred is a criminal offence in many European countries, including the UK. Americans I have discussed this with seem to equate the European approach with censorship (quoting the First Amendment's commitment to free speech as a reason not to legislate specifically.) Instead, Americans rely on laws relating to defamation and public order, feeling matters can be taken care of through that route. It is an interesting contrast and I can see the merit in both approaches. I have never heard a single Brit complain about the inciting racial hatred laws, in normal conversation, or consider their freedom of speech reduced. The debate has taken place in the press but it doesn't appear to be a hot topic or cause for concern, in my experience.
Posts: 2953 | From: Slightly south of Azkaban. | Registered: Aug 2006
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smauckers, Yeah, he seems mentally unstable. He has a right to his opinion but that opinion is so nutty as to make one wonder about his sanity. Then again, we have people who believe in UFO's so I suppose free speech is free speech.
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"...Zündel's ancestry According to Toronto Sun columnist Mark Bonokoski, Zündel's mother was Gertrude Mayer and his maternal grandparents were the Jewish Mr and Mrs Nagal and Isador (Izzy) Mayer. Izzy Mayer was a trade union organizer for the garment industry in the Bavarian city of Augsburg...."
quote:Originally posted by ARROW99: smauckers, Yeah, he seems mentally unstable. He has a right to his opinion but that opinion is so nutty as to make one wonder about his sanity. Then again, we have people who believe in UFO's so I suppose free speech is free speech.
that's kinda my point, also people still see Elvis everyday even though his body is 6 feet under, sure they *might* be unstable but arrest them? I can say 'I don't think that WWI really happened, after all, I wasn't alive then. So I should be arrested for denying it? Is there honestly no such thing as free speech? Gotta remember, you take away one freedom they start falling like dominoes...
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SayWhat, Interesting comment. I have always seen Europeans as more anti semetic than Americans. When I have taught the Holocaust as a segment of some other class most students just don't get it. One stated, "whats the big deal, why would people worry about the Jews of all people?" People tend to see them as an oppressed people who need to be defended. Oddly, their defenders are coming increasingly from the religious right rather than the secular left.
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They were a people of long persecution, of course, which is why you would think people who have such a history of being persecuted would be much more flexible and sensitive of the rights of human beings. Jailing someone for not believing something happened goes against everything logical, which is why I can't figure out why they aren't being more vocal about idiotic things such as this.
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well smuckers, that a good point but probably the Jews feel the bullseye back on them again. They always seem to have an enemy somewhere who wants to wipe them out, that tends to put people in a defensive posture. The europeans have never really liked them and they really have only the United States between them and a disaster.
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yes but does that give cause enough for excuse? After all, think of all the Africans persecuted by Americans and Spanish, are they turning a blind eye the same way? You can find any people who have endured persecution for some cause or another but that doesn't give any excuse in anyway to take away someone elses' rights...after all, two rights don't make a wrong, whatever your hurt feelings might be~
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I think in the situation you are referring to both sides think they are right. Even if they did not all of the saber rattling on the Muslim side over a period of half a century has destroyed any trust between the two. The Jews just happen to be stronger than the Palestinians but if the situation were reversed the Palestinians would do the same thing to them....you know that. As soon as Israel was created in '48 they were attacked and it has never stopped. It takes two to tango.
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Well, I will agree that if the tables were turned I don't necessarily think the Palestinians (at least those in power) would give much elbow room to the jews...that's my honest opinion just based on the current status of Islamic countries' treatment of its OWN people. Now, that being said, as far as israel being attacked, well that's debateable, if you rob my house and lock me out and I break the window, enter, and try to fight you off to get you out, am I attacking you? Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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well, thats right so the problem is we have a problem that has defied solution for almost 60 years. I have never denied that the Palestinians had a right to fight, all people have that. If I were in their place I would probably do the same thing. That said, arafat hurt them badly by not taking the Clinton deal. Even though it was not all they wanted it was a start and half a loaf is better than nothing. Now the middle east has heated up with the rise of Iran and the terror groups. The United States is going to be much less likely to push israel into making a deal than they were in '99.
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If the United States would just stay out of things it would be much better for us...as far as arafat not taking the 'clinton deal', the same can be said of Israel not accepting other deals when their demands were met as well. one hand shakes the other
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The United States gets into these deals 'for our own reasons.' I think all nations do what they feel is in their own best interest. In terms of accepting deals the palestinians are in the weaker position. The Israelis are not going to deal on their own. The Clinton administration used a lot of leverage to get them to make that deal. Now things have changed and an opportunity has passed. Israel does not have to deal now and thus they won't. While it is always dangerous to predict the future I will be surprised if the Palestinians are ever in that position again.
i do think Israel could be badly damaged if a general war breaks out in the middle east but I cannot see how it would help the Palestinians. Only the United states has the leverage with Israel to bring that about.
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Smuckers, this is a view from an American-Israeli perspective that supports the idea that israel is not in a position now to make a deal.
"Looking to their American counterparts on Monday, Knesset members were surprised at the solidarity and support being shown among key US politicians.
Several top US political figures, including Sen. John McCain (R) Arizona, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Rep.) called the current Middle East crisis the beginning of "World War III" and said they were "gravely concerned" in an interview on CNN's Larry King Live.
"We need to make our European allies understand that this is the most serious challenge we have faced in the Middle East in a long time," McCain said. He added that the US might be forced to take direct action in the crisis. McCain has been widely speculated to run in the next presidential race.
Gingrich, who called the crisis World War III in several interviews over the weekend, said that the US and Israel were acting with much restraint and that the US should shoot down Iranian planes sending supplies to Lebanon.
"I have to say that I'm a bit nervous about what they mean," said MK Danny Yatom (Labor). "To be honest, I'm a bit nervous about the US intervening. Let them send us money, supplies... we can do the rest ourselves."
Many MKs said that while they were happy to hear US politicians taking a strong line in support of Israel, they were concerned about how US intervention would play itself out.
"It is not World War III because there are no armies involved," said Vice Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima). "They must remember that this is an entirely different type of conflict."
"In many ways they are completely disconnected from what is going on here," said MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz). "They might make calls for something that is completely unnecessary."
"They haven't learned anything and they don't understand anything. I hope that they understand more about America than they understand about the Middle East," said MK Colette Avital (Labor).
Not all MKs were so hard on America, however, with one Likud MK remarking that it was better to have the US take the crisis seriously than ignore it entirely.
"They said this because they think it will lead to Iran getting involved, which they believe will set off World War III," said MK Benny Elon (National Union-National Religious Party). "I don't think they are right that WWIII has started but I understand where they are coming from. I have to agree that there could be an escalation, depending on how strongly we act."
Elon said that the comments originated with American evangelist John Hagee, who published a book in 2006 called Jerusalem Countdown, which predicted that World War III would begin in Jerusalem and spread to Western states.
"It is not even a full-scale war yet, but in theory they are right that Hizbullah is the spearhead of the axis of evil, who are cooperating with Hizbullah," said MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud). "In a sense it is part of a global conflict. The US has to deal with Iran and Syria."
Olmert spokesman Assi Shariv downplayed the candidates' remarks, saying, "We just want to bring our boys home."
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