Intermarriage called ‘second Holocaust’

ISRAEL’S NEW education minister was sharply criticised after he compared marriages between Jews and nonJews in the United States to a “second Holocaust”.

Rafi Peretz, a member of the United Right List, made the remark during a recent cabinet meeting discussing the state of world Jewry.

The session had been convened to discuss issues affecting the diaspora, including the growing threat of antisemitism but, according to the journalist Barak Ravid, Mr Peretz said “assimilation is like a second Holocaust”. His spokesman later confirmed he had made the remark.

It triggered a furious response from 8NÿR\Q P[X^Y\ ÒW ]QN CA BQN 1VN[RûKW Jewish Committee said Mr Peretz’s comments were “offensive and unhelpful”, while Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League said they were “inconceivable”.

Mr Peretz, who leads the Jewish Home party, recently announced that the United Right alliance with the far-right Tkuma party would remain in place for the September 17 election.

However, it remains unclear whether the Kahanist Otzma Yehudit will rejoin the alliance again.