Comparing Arizona to Nazi Germany is wrong, Jewish group tells L.A. politicians

Is Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration really comparable to Nazi Germany?

The comparison was made by some on the L.A. City Council on Wednesday as the body approved a boycott against Arizona. But one leading Jewish group says its "irresponsible" to liken the Arizona law to Nazi tactics.

“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."

On Wednesday, council members compared Arizona’s action to Nazi Germany and the beginning of the Holocaust, as well as to the internment and deportation of Japanese Americans during World War II. A new Arizona law, which will take effect July 23, will require police to determine whether people they stop are in the country illegally, which critics say will lead to racial profiling.

In April, Cardinal Roger Mahony also compared Arizona's law to Nazism. "American people are fair-minded and respectful. I can't imagine Arizonans now reverting to German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques whereby people are required to turn one another in to the authorities on any suspicion of documentation," Mahony wrote on his blog. 

A Wiesenthal Center official did agree with Mahony that the Arizona law is wrong. “This isn’t about immigration, it’s about discrimination,” Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the center, said in a statement. “We should not forget that we’re a nation of immigrants. This law makes no sense -- it guarantees and stigmatizes people of color as second-class citizens and exposes them to intimidation and the use of racial profiling as a weapon of bias."

-- Shelby Grad

Photos: Marvin Hier, Roger Mahony. L.A. Times files.

Comments

[jefcostello]

Illegal is illegal! You people are being cowed by the Marxists latino organizations. And you're undermining the minimum wage!

If you want no borders, then your done. Your socialist dream is done. Every Euro commie state has border control. You people are nuts!

[sean]

OMG. What's wrong with your people. Do the police have the right to pull someone over at anytime? Get the picture? Tell me to sue the police department because they pull me over. What's a joke?

[Stephen L. Hoffman]

Comparing Arizona to Nazi Germany: Gypsies and Jews

I'm told that the comparison between Arizona and Nazi Germany is "Wrong" because the Jews were Citizens, while Illegal Immigrants are Non-Citizens because of their "Lack of Paperwork". It has also been pointedly stated that the Arizona Immigration Law is "Enforcement" against Criminals (Illegal Immigrants) and not "Racial Profiling".

To the above statement I would like to submit the following quote (taken out of context) concerning some Non-Jewish Victims of the Holocaust, the Roma (Gypsies).

"After the war, discrimination against Roma continued throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The Federal Republic of Germany determined that all measures taken against Roma before 1943 were legitimate official measures against persons committing criminal acts, not the result of policy driven by racial prejudice...."

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005219

[L Sutter]

We're not killing these people, we're sending them back to the country they came from. Associating this with Nazi Germany is a slap in the face to all those who survived the Holocaust. Shame on you LA. Besides the people here are getting deported if they're here illegally. Last I checked that was a federal offense. We're a nation of immigrants, but immigrants who took appropriate steps to become citizens of this country. If you're not willing to do that, go back where you belong.

[N from Riverside County]

LA City Council is full of a bunch of stool pigeons. Little tiny LA County isn't going to raise a welt on Arizona's butt. Let LA County boycott Arizona, it will demonstrate how feeble a little boycott from one little county is. I live right next to AZ, I'll just go in when ever I want to since I support there decision. I'm glad at least one state is stepping up to protect it's citizens and economy. LA County doesn't control all of California, nor does California revolve around LA County despite what local media stations believe.

[LACityCouncilsuck]

The L.A. City Council suck!!

[Rebecca]

As soon as you invoke the Holocaust you have destroyed the conversation. Likening enforcing borders to Nazi Germany's death camps is beyond dumb. It basically says you have no idea what happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930's, and you have no idea what is happening today in 20010.

This country is in a recession. People are losing their homes. They are going bankrupt. But the LA city council does not care about low and middle-income americans. They are fine to throw under the bus in favor of illegal immigrants.

[Jeff]

I hope people remember this when they compare President Obama and his administration to Hitler and the nazis. Talk about drama to incite more rift.

[Legal Citizen]

1. It is illegal to enter the US illegally.
2. The city counsel of LA is disagreeing with another state that is trying to inforce a law that is already on the books.
Does this make LA ok with breaking the law?

There are reasons that one should enter a country legally. IF someone wishes to enter for illegal purposes then they should be forced to leave and never allowed back.

If someone is entering the country to take advantage of the medical care or other services then they should be sent back along with a bill to that country. Why should our tax dollars be spent on someone that does not pay taxes and refuses to be a legal citizen?

[julie]

Perhaps if the government would have taken control of illegal immigrants 100 years ago we wouldn't have to resort to this

[Minimum]

Come on, my fellow US Citizen.
Let’s get out of the hypocrisy closet.
Who is willing to pick the harvest, nanny someone else’s children, care for some else’s elderly and abandon parents, flip burgers, etc…..
All those well paid jobs along with great benefits provided if you and I would take them. It would be no need for an immigrant workforce.
This is an ECONOMIC issue. If we insist in attacking the immigrant workforce for our on convenience, we are nothing else than a country of RACISTS, and yes let’s not compare it yet to the Holocaust it took the Nazis several years to change and enact all the legal laws and amendments needed to make it legal to gas, burn, firing squad the Jews.

Any takers? Come my law abiding fellow Citizens are you not willing to work for such good wages?
Of course not!!!!
It is easier to be a Racist than fight the causes of this problem, isn’t it?

[Sarah]

1) Illegal
2) Citizen and Legal Guests
3)Nazi death camps countries MURDERING it's own (Legal) citizens based on their religion.
insane to compare. It's a red button word-like they say that it is happening to the Palestinians but they have over doubled their population in Israel.

The only reason that racisim is called because It Happens to be that most Illegals are from Mexico and have dark skin. It's simple and stupid. It's time to put the American citizen on top priority as our country is breaking from the inside out.

I am a mixed race-if they ask for my citizenship papers My feelings will NOT BE HURT- I'll say thank you for protecting what we stand for as Americans!

[Christopher]

Hi all...i am against LA City's boycott to Arizona Law.This is nothing to do with Nazi Germany factor and illegal immigrant issues.Arizona is doing their best to tackle ,to stabilize law in their region which Federal Gov: must do this actions.To stop illegal immigrant issues,the best thing is STOP paying free health care,food stamps and health benefits,born citizenship which is ground less in my opinion.Only grant citizenship whose parent or parents born here.Its clear some folks occupying this western part of US just by their enormous amount of birth rates ,not with education,contributing social welfare.This is a smart way of infiltrating a country and county whose mayor himself is pro-Mexican.Don't think this issue is light rather this will become a big problem very soon.Stay inside law and treat illegal things as illegal.There is nothing wrong with that to apply Federal Law strictly to protect homeland.Go Arizona....We all with you..GOD bless Arizona....

[Christopher]

Hi all...i am against LA City's boycott to Arizona Law.This is nothing to do with Nazi Germany factor and illegal immigrant issues.Arizona is doing their best to tackle ,to stabilize law in their region which Federal Gov: must do this actions.To stop illegal immigrant issues,the best thing is STOP paying free health care,food stamps and health benefits,born citizenship which is ground less in my opinion.Only grant citizenship whose parent or parents born here.Its clear some folks occupying this western part of US just by their enormous amount of birth rates ,not with education,contributing social welfare.This is a smart way of infiltrating a country and county whose mayor himself is pro-Mexican.Don't think this issue is light rather this will become a big problem very soon.Stay inside law and treat illegal things as illegal.There is nothing wrong with that to apply Federal Law strictly to protect homeland.Go Arizona....We all with you..GOD bless Arizona....

[steve]

I think this is stupid, they just made a law thats going to cause more problems, and maybe riots and some deaths. hey it will happen, maybe if they start to do this to the blacks again the president might step in to do something. OK so question. since i was born here and i got my papers and all ..so a cop pulls me and my white friend over if i go to the desert(arizona) just to ask for papers and they just do it to me not my white friend can I take them to court?

[Sarah]

1) Illegal
2) Citizen and Legal Guests
3)Nazi death camps countries MURDERING it's own (Legal) citizens based on their religion.
insane to compare. It's a red button word-like they say that it is happening to the Palestinians but they have over doubled their population in Israel.

The only reason that racisim is called because It Happens to be that most Illegals are from Mexico and have dark skin. It's simple and stupid. It's time to put the American citizen on top priority as our country is breaking from the inside out.

I am a mixed race-if they ask for my citizenship papers My feelings will NOT BE HURT- I'll say thank you for protecting what we stand for as Americans!

[NativeAmerican]

Boycott Arizona and all the biggots that support their law.

[John Rodriguez]

Comparing Arizona law to Nazi Germany? I say whatever works to stop the infestation. Let's start by sending the SS to the L.A. Council Chambers.

[meghann Crusinberry]

How is Arizona like Nazi Germany at all? Jewish individuals were not in Germany illegally. Yes, Germany did end up making it illegal, but this is not a new thing in the united states. The key word is "ILLEGAL".

[Paco]

LA CC is a bunch of Hypocrites! if you want to boycott someone boycott Mexico for the Human Rights violations and their immigration policy. If you are an illegal in Mexico you will end up in jail or worse. Americans are fed up with people breaking the law and sucking up all of the resources that we taxpayers are paying. Stand Strong AZ and the rest of the country will follow! No more crime and gang infested sanctuary cities.

[NativeAmerican]

SORRY ARIZONA, BUT YOU'LL BE SORRY WHEN YOU'VE NO MONEY COMING IN YOUR STATE....GOOD FOR YOU CALIFORNIA. I AM GLAD SOMEBODY HAS THE COMMOM SENSE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG..AND ARIZONA, YOU'RE 100% WRONG.

[JDL]

WOW, I can't believe members of the LA City Council would say something as dumb as that.

[mike]

To "NEMO"...where are you getting your statistics. its irresponsible of you to publicly distribute this information without showing sources. You are applying scare tactics just like the politicians "you" despise by throwing out numbers without any proof.

[madashell]

I support Arizona for courageously enacting legislation to deal with its own border issues. The federal government has FAILED to enforce the law. Phoenix,Arizona is the #1 city in the USA for kidnapping, second in the world ONLY to Mexico City. Shame on Los Angeles and San Francisco and every other American city planning boycotts! If you paid attention to the polls, you would know that MOST citizens in America support Arizona.

[Leonard Baric]

I am shocked at the comments made by Rabbi Cooper. It has been stated many times that "we must never forget" and "we must learn from this" in response to the horrors of the Holocaust. The parallels between what happened in Germany and what is happening in Arizona are so blatant that I feel that any Jew who doesn't speak up is the one who is being irresponsible(or any other citizen of the world for that matter). Is this capitualtion? If the law was levelled at Jews, would there a different reaction from Rabbi Cooper?
His comment about demonization would perhaps be understandable in other circumstances. But in this case, the words nazi and fascist are certainly applicable. They simply describe the despicable things being done in the state of Arizona.