Finally A Jewish Group, The Simon Weisenthal Center, Denounces Comparisons Of Arizona's Immigration Law To Nazism

The Sacramento Bee reports that a "major Jewish rights group has denounced comparisons of Arizona's new immigration law to Nazi Germany and the persecution that led to the Holocaust. The Simon Wiesenthal Center's criticism on Friday follows Nazi comparisons made by a Los Angeles City Council member and the head of the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Wiesenthal Associate Dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper says the Los Angeles-based Holocaust studies center opposes the law but says the Nazi comparison is irresponsible. This week Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz likened the law to the beginnings of Nazi Germany when Jews were singled out for persecution. Last month, Cardinal Roger Mahony said the law encourages people to turn on each other in Nazi- and Soviet-style repression."

“The Wiesenthal Center along with many other Americans expressed our opposition to the language of the Arizona immigration bill but it is inappropriate and irresponsible to link the bill to the actions of Nazi Germany,” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the center, said in a statement. “In a democracy, there is no need to demonize opponents, even when they are mistaken, to those whose actions led to history's most notorious crime." Tweet