On the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera network, Mohammad Nazzal, a member of the Hamas political bureau, asserted on Friday that Germany’s support for Israel at the International Court of Justice is influenced by the “so-called Holocaust.” Nazzal claimed that Germany is pressured into intervening in favor of Israel in response to South Africa’s complaint accusing the Jewish state of committing genocide in Gaza.
According to the Hamas member, Germany is paying an “unacceptable price” due to its historical guilt concerning the Holocaust, describing it as an act of “unparalleled extortion.” After denying the occurrence of the first Holocaust, Nazzal went on to allege that today’s Jews are perpetrating a “new Holocaust” against the Palestinian people.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), headquartered in Washington, DC, was the first to discover and translate Mohammad Nazzal’s interview.
In response to South Africa’s accusation of genocide against Israel at the UN’s top court, Germany’s government announced its decision to intervene on Israel’s behalf. Steffen Hebestreit, the spokesperson for the German government, conveyed on social media platform X that they firmly reject the genocide accusation against Israel, stating it has no factual basis. Hebestreit further mentioned that Germany plans to participate as a third party in the main hearing.
Involvement of Al Jazeera in Incitement
In October, the Mossad expressed support for banning Al Jazeera, citing the outlet’s broadcast of sensitive movements of Israeli forces along the Gaza Strip border. Yigal Carmon, the former counter-terrorism advisor to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin, voiced concerns on the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) website, stating, “Qatar has two TV channels, Al Jazeera and Al-Araby, serving Hamas during wartime. Regrettably, these channels operate from within Israel.” Carmon accused these channels of acting as megaphones for Hamas’s military, operational, and propaganda messages since the outbreak of the conflict.
Carmon has consistently argued for discontinuing the news operations of Al Jazeera, Al-Araby, and Al Mayadeen, emphasizing the need for Israel to take action. In November, Israel prohibited the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese Al Mayadeen satellite news station.
Additionally, in 2008, a Hamas TV report titled “Holocaust in Palestine” was published, featuring antisemitic content. The report, translated by MEMRI, propagated a distorted narrative, accusing Jews of concocting a reprehensible plan to eliminate the elderly and handicapped, with an attempt to garner international sympathy by presenting themselves as victims of persecution.