Telephone call with Israel’s head of government: Scholz again condemns the Holocaust statement

After the Holocaust statement by Palestinian President Abbas, Chancellor Scholz telephoned Israel’s Prime Minister Lapid and again clearly opposed Abbas’ statements.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Jair Lapid on the phone today. According to his spokesman, Scholz again condemned the Holocaust statements made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the conversation.

The Chancellor’s chief spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in a written statement: Scholz emphasized in the phone call that he strongly condemned any attempt to deny or relativize the Holocaust. President Abbas’ statements in Berlin are unbearable and completely unacceptable for him personally and for the entire federal government.

The Chancellor also explained to Lapid, who is himself the son of a Holocaust survivor: Keeping alive the memory of the breach of civilization by the Shoah is an ongoing responsibility of this and every federal government.

Scholz remained silent immediately after Abbas’ statement

Minutes before the Chancellery sent out the message about the phone call, Scholz stood in front of the capital’s press and announced tax cuts for gas customers. He didn’t say a word about the phone call with the Israeli prime minister and Tuesday’s scandal.

Palestinian President Abbas had accused Israel of multiple “Holocaust” attacks on the Palestinians in the Chancellery. The fact that Scholz did not react immediately to this relativization of German crimes, but only distanced himself clearly later, had triggered heavy criticism.