Fatah Official Yasser Aby Sido appeared on Egypt’s Sada Al-Balad TV on February 23, where he claimed that the Holocaust was a necessary action because the “Jews planned to control Germany," according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Sido began the interview by commenting on international condemnations of a potential IDF military operation in Rafah, comparing it to the Holocaust.
“I am not a fan of Hitler, but when Hitler perpetrated the Holocaust, he had obvious reasons.” — Fatah official Yasser Abu Sido (via @MEMRIReports) pic.twitter.com/2XHfltdqz6
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) March 1, 2024
“I would like to ask: Why did the Holocaust happen? I am not a fan of Hitler,” Sido affirmed, but added, “but when Hitler perpetrated the Holocaust, he had obvious reasons.
“The Jews and the Zionists were offered various places in the world - in Argentina, in Uganda, in the north of Sinai, in the south of Iraq- but they chose Palestine for other reasons we may mention later.
“They planned to take over Germany. They started to bring down Germany in terms of the economy and moral values. Hitler reacted by making the Jews go on the streets and lick the sidewalks. They know this very well. Kristallnacht [the night of broken glass] is well known in Jewish history, but so is the Night of the Long Knives, when Jews were ordered to put Stars of Davids on their breasts, and they were called ‘filthy Jews.’
“Let me say this loud and clear - the Jews distorted many verses in the Torah in order to make them more agreeable for them. I do not want to cite examples because some might consider me an antisemite, although it is us Arabs who are Semites - not them.”
The Fatah official failed to mention that Nazi forces had attempted to genocide Jews across the entire European continent and offered a revised account of the Holocaust which promotes the idea that Hitler had attempted to relocate Jewish populations.
IDF operation in Rafah
Despite international condemnations of a planned military operation in Rafah, Minister Benny Gantz asserted that the IDF would enter Rafah at the beginning of Ramadan should a ceasefire agreement not be reached.
“We will not stop looking a path forward. We will not miss any opportunity to bring the [hostages] home,” said Gantz.
Hamas has confirmed that it has military capabilities in the densely compact city.
In addition, the IDF successfully rescued two hostages from Rafah in early February. It is believed that more of the over 200 Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 may be being held there.