United Nations investigator Richard Falk said Tuesday in an interview with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) that he stood by a statement he made in 2007 comparing Israel to Nazi Germany. He said his “provocative” remark was meant to raise awareness of the suffering of Gaza Arabs.
If the remark had been made regarding Sudan’s treatment of Darfur, where hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions forced out of their homes, “I think there would be no reluctance to make that comparison,” Falk said. The reason people are more willing to compare Sudan to Nazi Germany than Israel is because Israel is determined to avoid having its policies judges by the international community, he said.
Foreign Ministry officials announced Tuesday that they would not grant Falk a visa to visit Israel. Falk is meant to monitor Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Authority Arabs for the UN Human Rights Council.