It’s hard for me to read this story about Iran’s conference on Holocaust denial and not think of the above picture. The reality is there has been an alliance between Middle East extremists and Nazis going back to the Second World War. That photo is an image of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and you-know-who. According to Martin Gilbert’s, Israel: A History, “The Mufti was convinced that the setting up of an Arab army under German auspices ‘would have the most favorable consequences in the Arab-Islamic countries.’ ” I’m sure those consequences are quite similar to what some of Iran’s rulers have in mind.
I would like to imagine the conference, hosted by President Ahmadinejad and attended by a rogue’s gallery, including David Duke, Frederick Toben of Austria, George Theil of France, among others, as something out of the twisted, comedic imaginations of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. Unfortunately, it is reality playing out in front of all of our us.
On the bright side, the conference appears to be a positive signal that the Iranians are interested in following up on the Baker-Hamilton diplomatic initiative.
