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The
Real History Behind Netanyahu's Holocaust Comments
An
interview with Dr. Wolfgang G. Schwanitz
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According
to Dr. Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, the Hochberg Family Writing Fellow at the
Middle East Forum, Haj Amin al-Husseini urged Hitler not to allow Jews
to flee Europe for Palestine.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken flack for his
comments this week that overstated the influence that Haj Amin
al-Husseini had on Adolf Hitler, but a leading historian says that
al-Husseini nevertheless played a key role in Hitler's plans outside of
Europe.
Dr. Wolfgang G. Schwanitz's book, co-authored with the late Barry
Rubin, on Hitler's relationship with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is
being credited
as the source of Netanyahu's belief that it was al-Husseini who convinced
Hitler to exterminate the Jews rather than deport them from Europe.
Schwanitz says that Netanyahu "exaggerated" his claim but
insists that the broader argument that there has been a
"long-standing incitement of people against Jews" emanating from
the Middle East since the 1920s is "certainly correct."
Netanyahu said
that al-Husseini went to Hitler and told him that expelling the Jews from
Europe was not an option, "If you expel [the Jews], they'll all come
here." Al-Husseini then suggested that Hitler "burn them"
instead, according to Netanyahu.
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Schwanitz's
book is believed to have been the inspiration for Netanyahu's comments.
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Netanyahu's remarks were accurate concerning al-Husseini's influence
on Hitler's immigration policy, according to Schwanitz.
Al-Husseini wanted Hitler to end Germany's standing immigration
policy—kept in place by Hitler when he took power in 1933—which allowed
for roughly 10,000 Jews to leave Germany each year and travel to British
Mandate Palestine.
"It was a most disturbing factor for al-Husseini that Berlin
would facilitate Jewish travel to Palestine," said Schwanitz.
"He wanted to fight this immigration by all means. This was his
goal: Whatever happens with Jews under Hitler's reign in Europe, they
should not come to the Middle East."
Al-Husseini got his way. Early in 1941, Hitler agreed to a pact
advanced by al-Husseini that there would be no more Jewish immigration to
Arab countries allowed.
This did not mean that Hitler's plan for the Jews prior to meeting
with al-Husseini involved only deportation, as Netanyahu suggested.
"Hitler made known his intent to kill Jews since 1920," said
Schwanitz. "In Mein Kampf, you find all the racist reasoning
and all the means on how to eradicate the Jews."
According to Schwanitz, Hitler
"assured Al-Husseini ... that he would urge all nations to solve
their Jewish problem."
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Al-Husseini was aware of Hitler's view, aided by the fact that Arabic
was the first foreign language Mein Kampf was translated into.
Al-Husseini would end up knowing more about Hitler's plans than
anybody else outside of Europe. Schwanitz says that al-Husseini was the
only foreign guest Hitler ever received who was told the details of
Hitler's plan for the Jews. "Hitler always talked about 'world
Jewry' and that the Jews were an international problem that needed to be
solved," said Schwanitz. "He assured Al-Husseini at that
meeting that he would urge all nations to solve their Jewish
problem."
"There is no other document available where Hitler told a foreign
guest, in utmost clarity, what he intends to do—to eradicate the Jews in
three steps," he said.
Hitler's plan was to first rid Europe of Jews, then the Middle East,
and then the rest of the world—and he had a role for al-Husseini in this
plan. When the two met, Hitler told him that once the plan reached its
Middle East stage, al-Husseini was his man to lead that effort.
"There was an oral agreement between al-Husseini and Hitler—we have
ample documentation about this talk," said Schwanitz. "Hitler
told the Mufti that he would be the Arab leader to execute his plan in
the Middle East, and the Mufti agreed."
"Hitler told the Mufti that
he would be the Arab leader to execute his plan in the Middle East, and
the Mufti agreed."
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Schwanitz says that just before Hitler met with al-Husseini in Berlin,
he told his Italian allies that the war in Russia was already won, thus
opening the door for an invasion of the Middle East through the Caucuses.
"Hitler thought that he would be able to conquer the Middle East
either through Egypt or through the Caucuses," said Schwanitz.
"As he met with al-Husseini, he thought that the war against Russia
was basically won and it was time to turn towards the Middle East."
There were specific plans in place for al-Husseini and his allies to
greet the invading German armies to provide support once they reached the
southern exit of the Caucuses. The invading army would then
"liberate" the Middle East from French and British control and
leave it under the leadership of al-Husseini.
Al-Husseini had already been helpful by recruiting and training
Muslims to join the Nazi SS. Following the war, Yugoslavia declared him a
war criminal due to the atrocities committed by the Muslim units he put
together.
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Al-Husseini
was instrumental in the formation of the Nazi Waffen-SS division in the
Balkans, made up mostly of Bosnian Muslims.
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Schwanitz explains that al-Husseini was eventually removed from the
list by Yugoslavia—not because he was found to be innocent of war crimes,
but because of fears of backlash from the Muslim world. He was allowed to
travel back to Egypt, where he was able to reestablish himself as a
leader of Palestinian Arabs in the fight against establishing a Jewish
state.
Schwanitz acknowledges that even if al-Husseini had not existed,
"the Nazis would have done what they did anyway" and
"perhaps would have relied on another person like the
Mufti"—but they didn't need to. Al-Husseini began to contact Hitler
just as he came to power in 1933 and was a reliable partner in his
"uncompromising war against the Jews."
Schwanitz faulted Netanyahu for misspeaking in his "attempt to be
anecdotal," but said that the broader argument he was attempting to
make during his remarks was correct.
"The general argument Netanyahu made was certainly correct—If you
want to stop the current fighting, the incitement has to stop," said
Schwanitz. "Since the 1920s, there is a long-standing incitement of
people against Jews, for various reasons. This is easily proven."
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