Munich Clampdown
German Police Arrest Prominent Author for Comparing Netanyahu to Nazis
"Mr. Netanyahu, does your conscience never protest when you do to the Palestinians the same thing that the cursed Nazis did to the Jews?"
In a stark illustration of Germany's zero-tolerance policy toward Holocaust trivialization, renowned author and former parliamentarian Jürgen Todenhöfer was arrested by Munich police this week following a controversial social media post likening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in Gaza to Nazi atrocities against Jews. The 84-year-old writer, a vocal critic of Western policies in the Middle East, was detained after weeks of surveillance, with authorities seizing his phones and digital devices.
The incident, first reported by the Telegraph under the headline "German police arrest author over tweets criticizing Netanyahu," stems from a post Todenhöfer shared on X.
In it, he wrote: "Mr. Netanyahu, does your conscience never protest when you do to the Palestinians the same thing that the cursed Nazis did to the Jews?".
The post, which garnered significant attention amid ongoing debates over Israel's military operations in Gaza, was deemed a violation of German laws prohibiting the relativization or comparison of the Holocaust to contemporary events.
Todenhöfer, a former member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and founder of the Justice Party in 2020, has long been a polarizing figure. Known for his embeds with insurgent groups and sharp critiques of Israeli policies, he has repeatedly advocated for Palestinian rights while affirming Israel's right to exist. In a defiant statement following his arrest, Todenhöfer accused authorities of deploying a "thought police" reminiscent of authoritarian eras. "If it results in a prison sentence, it will be an honor to serve it," he declared. "Standing up for peace and freedom in Palestine is our duty."
Germany's legal framework, rooted in post-World War II efforts to combat antisemitism, strictly bans any form of Holocaust denial or equating modern conflicts to Nazi crimes. Violations can lead to fines or imprisonment, reflecting the nation's historical reckoning with the genocide of six million Jews.
This case is not isolated. Under the same statutes, another German citizen faced charges for displaying a pro-Palestinian protest sign reading, "Haven't we learned anything from the Holocaust?"